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Focus on Research is Timely; Researchers Challenged to Think Differently

Posted on: Thursday, 11 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

Early New Zealand farming pioneers first saw the benefits of stimulated pasture production when they felled the bush and cleared the land by setting fire to it. Nutrients in the ash after burning encouraged the growth of newly sown pastures, but within a short period of time, these benefits were soon lost. Records indicate that New Zealand farmers first began to use phosphate fertiliser, which was imported to the country, around the start of the 20th century. Since that time, its usage has increased from 100,000 tonnes to three million tonnes today. The discovery of phosphate rock deposits in the Pacific Islands and the growth of manufacturing saw the beginning of a "home industry" just prior to World War I.

-------------------- Stories by BARRY EASTON

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AGRICULTURAL researchers are being challenged by the fertiliser industry to show the country's farmer how to better use nutrients.

Central to this is balancing a focus on efficiency and profitability, with equal emphasis on sustainable farming and good environmental practice.

This new focus has been described as "timely" by Doctor Hilton Furness, technical director of the New Zealand Fertiliser Manufacturers' Association (Fert Research).

As one of the country's major funders of fertiliser research, Fert Research is advising researchers that the association wants to see a change in their focus and the development for future farming practices which demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of best practice nutrient management.

To achieve this, Fert Research has developed a research funding document, "Research Focus 2004 and Beyond," which underpins its goals and objectives.

Dr Furness says the new focus challenges researchers to think differently and aims to foster new approaches to research.

"The fertiliser industry funds millions of dollars of research annually, and with this new focus, Fert Research expects research projects to produce results that farmers will see real benefits in adopting. `Research Focus' gives researchers some clear guidelines on the area where research is needed."

Those areas where research opportunities have been identified are:

* Improving nutrient conversion efficiency to increase dry matter production while increasing, maintaining or reducing fertiliser inputs

* Reduced nutrient use, particularly Nitrogen and Phosphorus, while maintaining or improving productivity

* To develop strategies for nutrient use in catchments with capped nutrient loadings to maintain and enhance production

* Identify the causes of within-paddock production variability and develop responses for increased, uniform paddock productivity

* Identify option for increasing carbon dioxide uptake by pasture plants or increase the plants' ability to use more carbon dioxide

* To increase the productivity of hill country system through increased, targeted nitrogen use to balance production objectives and environmental goals.

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Source: Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand

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