Top 10 amazing Serpentine facts
From an article produced in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, from research for the Cawthron Institute, we bring you these top 10 facts...
1. White Clover
Dry matter yield
The highest application rate produced 22.6g compared to the lowest application rate of 11.5g that's a 96.5% increase in yield.
Magnesium % of dry matter
The highest application rate produced 0.34% magnesium compared to 0.13% for the lowest application rate ie a 161.5% increase in magnesium.
2. Perennial Ryegrass
The 10g application rate produced 0.18% magnesium compared to the control of 0.12% magnesium ie a 50% increase over the control.
The 60g application rate produced 0.21% magnesium compared with the control of 0.12% magnesium ie a 75% increase over the control.
3. Pastures
The field trials results table shows that Serpentine increased dry matter magnesium in pasture and clover.
4. Effect of magnesium on yield of pasture
Serpentine increased green weight pasture yield by 70% to 81.5% av 75.6%.
5. Solubility of Magnesium
Magnesium is readily extracted from serpentine even by weak acids and boiling water.
6. Serpentine Solubility and particle size
Even coarse particles of serpentine are readily broken down.
Weathered serpentine is more easily leached of magnesium by acids than hard rock.
7. Soil Analysis
Serpentine increased soil exchangeable magnesium in both sample depths.
8. Tomatoes
15 T/acre of Serpentine produced a large increase in plant magnesium and exchangeable soil magnesium
9. Field Trials
Tobacco
Serpentine increased dry matter magnesium in the 3 different soil types from 14% to 28%.
10. Tabacco
Magnesium % of dry matter.
The highest application rate produced 2.40% compared to the lowest application rate of 1.36% ie a 76% increase in magnesium.
Conclusion
Ground Serpentine rock is an effective fertiliser when used at 0.5 T/acre for controlling magnesium deficiency in crops.
SERPENTINE BENIFITS
To read more about these benefits take a look at the following information.
1. Field Trial Reports
See the benifits of Serpentine on Clover, ryegrass, and pasture yield increase. To read the full article follow this link to the Taylor and Francis download page.
2. But wait there's more...
Follow this link to download the full text that compares 8 different magnesium fertilisers then compare the price.
3. and the story continues
Lime Mag Plus which is lime plus Serpentine plus any deficient minerals identified from herbage analysis and has proved to be a highly effective solution to fertilizer application.
Go to www.grazinginfo.com and read about Vaughan Jones’s farming experience and common sense advice to problem solving.
His testimonials include accounts of major restoration of farm profitability.
Full Serpentine as a magnesium fertiliser article
To read the full article follow this link to the Taylor and Francis download page. It's a small pdf and interesting reading!
But wait there's more...
This article has more on the benefits of using Serpentine for magnesium and compare it to use of more expensive products like E-mag, and epsom salts.
