New projects in the pipeline

One of the projects will see whether extended periods of deferred grazing will encourage pasture roots to grow larger and deeper which in theory would increase water and nutrient use efficiency, reduce nutrient losses and increase pasture resilience to recover from extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.

“The other project, Ensuring a Sustainable Future Pasture Presence in NZ, will look at increasing the productivity of pasture grass. The new ryegrass pastures under development are expected to increase productivity by around 20 percent, and provide farmers with options to reduce nitrate leaching, increase carbon sequestration and improve water use efficiency,” says Damien O’Connor.

He says lifting NZ’s sustainability credentials and lowering our emissions profile will be key to future-proofing the industry and cementing a path towards continued export growth.