Articles | Page 5 of 5 | Agvance Nutrition

THE MERITS OF BORON

Article by Robin Boom. One problem farmers face today in relation to fertilisers is just whose advice to follow, since opinions between scientists, independent consultants, farm advisers and different fertiliser company reps is so wide and varied, and when it comes to the application of boron we have a classic example.
I personally believe the non-application of boron on many farms is costing farmers dearly in the areas of stock health and poor pasture production, particularly from clovers. Although there is debate over the primary function of boron in plants, it is known that boron deficiency reduces the ability of root cells to absorb phosphorus, chlorine and rubidium (used to mimic potassium). This will result in stunted clovers, not only above the soil, but also below as far as the root mass is concerned, thus reducing the plants’ ability to exploit the soil.

Responses to boron become most marked when all the other elements are in good supply. Farms which have regularly received good applications of lime and potassic super, yet on which pasture growth is not really firing, could well benefit from boron. A pot trial at Ruakura showed production responses to boron on a boron deficient soil near Taupo in red clover of up to 107% increase, 74% in lucerne and 43% increase in white clover (NZ Journal of Agricultural Research 1983, p. 197-203).

Boron has also been associated with calcium deficiency in plants and animals. Boron appears to be a catalyst for the absorption and transport of calcium. When cows go down with milk fever, Calcium Boroglucanate (calcium, boron and glucose) is often used as a remedy, and this contains 4% Boric Acid (soluble boron). On one of the Caribbean islands, the high incidence of arthritis was attributed to a very low boron status in the soil. Interestingly enough, New Zealanders also have one of the highest incidences of arthritis in the world. In apple trees, bitter pit, which is caused by a low calcium level, has been corrected through boron applications. Low calcium levels in pasture plants can sometimes be attributed to the low levels of boron, even though the calcium level is good in the soil.

Boron deficiency has also been linked to poor seed and flower formation in grasses and clovers. In another pot trial at Ruakura in 1983, the affect of boron on seed production from red and white clover cultivars and lucerne was tested on a known boron deficient soil. The results were that seed production was multiplied many times with the addition of boron. In red clovers and lucerne, this was caused by a big increase in flower numbers, whereas for white clovers the increase was in the number of seeds per flower (NZ Journal of Experimental Agriculture 1983). This increase in seed production can be very significant for permanent pasture where a lot of natural reseeding takes place.

Wintering and spring mineral requirements for dairy cows | Agvance Nutrition New Zealand

WINTER AND SPRING MINERAL REQUIREMENTS

Winter, a good time to identify mineral deficiencies and plan for the next season.

Winter is a good time to talk to your local vet about testing a group of cows from your herd for trace mineral deficiencies. Minerals worth checking in the blood are selenium, B12, iodine, magnesium and zinc. Iodine and zinc can often be variable, however if the average is low it is worth supplementing. It is worth also checking copper with a liver test rather then the blood as that is where copper is stored. These days with large amounts of PKE being fed, livers can often look very high, high copper levels in the liver can be a good early warning of impending build-up to potentially toxic levels.

If the cows are being fed brassica’s through winter and into spring, it will be very important to ensure cows have sufficient iodine, selenium, and copper. Cattle being feed fodder beet at more than 2 kilograms should be receiving some supplementary phosphorous in order to ensure they do not suffer phosphorous related metabolic disease in the spring. A phosphorous blood test pre calving is a good idea to ensure there is sufficient phosphorous levels at calving. Once deficiencies are identified it is a simple matter to introduce an Agvance balanced trace mineral blend into the system. These blends can be dosed through drinking water and at this time of year it is also worth considering putting at least some of the trace element formulation in through the supplementary feeds to make sure enough mineral gets into the cow as they are not drinking as much.

Most farmers will be using some magnesium oxide in their supplementary feeds during the winter/spring period. It is an easy job to incorporate the trace mineral blend into the much bulkier magnesium oxide, then in the case of a feed out wagon – layering the blend evenly across the top of the feed, or blending the combination into feeds where a mixer wagon is in use. Agvance can formulate complete mineral premixes for any herd under any feeding regime. Working with your vet or one our field agents, using our “Customizer” software, we can enter the different feed components and their levels, decide whether it is to be a transition, early lactation, mid lactation diet mix. These blends will include the macro minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous, along with the ideal levels of trace elements required to balance the diet. Using some of the industry standard blends can lead to your cows falling short on some of the key minerals they most require.

Farmers break feeding fodder beet can feed minerals in a loose lick mix, which is poured into cut down drums and placed on the edge of the new break each day. Alternatively, if cows are being fed in the form of baled silage as well, phosphorous, magnesium and trace minerals can be liquefied and poured into the baled silage. A blend made from the correct mineral forms has the ability to deliver good levels of mineral elements to the parts of the body where those minerals are most needed. Poorly formulated mineral blends, owing to the fact the mineral is not bound to a protein may store well in the liver and some other organs that typically mop free minerals in inorganic form, but they will often be poorly translocated to other very important cells of the body. Such cells that make up the keratin layers of the hoof, udder cells, the reproductive system, the immune system, the central nervous system, are areas of the body where elements such as copper and zinc glycine are most necessary.

DRYING OFF DAIRY COWS

With winter approaching you will no doubt be giving some thought to what date the cows should be dried off.

SETTING THE DATE:

Most of you will consider a number of factors when deciding on the exact date and approach used. Among things that will be considered will be, available feed, current cow condition, as well as expected calving spread. Some of you will choose to dry the whole herd off in one go, others will choose to dry off based on current condition, lighter cows first, heavier cows later, or if the calving dates are well spread, the decision may be based more around expected calving date.

DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES:

Many farmers may consider drying off their cows gradually by extending the time between milking’s, however expert opinion seems to favour, simply ceasing to milk the cow causing sudden dry off, as it is thought that this approach minimises risk of udder infection.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: