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Ravensdown tech business development manager Martin O’Connor (right) receives the award from Southern Field Days chair Steve Henderson.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
Ravensdown chief science officer Mike White said, “We are absolutely delighted with this award, recognising technology that has been built from the ground up by a dedicated group of innovators.”
introduces new functionality that recommends withhold and capital phosphate requirements using whole-farm soil tests and pasture information. New features for dairy farms include the ability to factor in effluent application and apply fertiliser by paddock or block as well as within paddock. In addition, fertiliser maintenance recommendations are also available to sheep and beef farmers.
Fully integrated with the existing HawkEye platform, the patentpending software uses soil data to generate variable rate fertiliser maps with 10x10 metre precision, equivalent to 100 soil tests per hectare.
Superphosphate-based products, based on their physical characteristics are naturally well suited for carrying out variable rate plans, working with HawkEye Pro to ensure fertiliser goes where it creates the most value.
“We have been developing this technology alongside farmers over the last two years, which included their involvement in the pilot in early 2025,” says White. “They can see the real value in HawkEye Pro for their operations. We are also engaging with aerial and ground spreaders across the country to ensure the benefits are not just theoretical.”
HawkEye Pro helps optimise pasture production, balance feed supply and demand, and improve profitability. New Zealand research shows precision fertiliser plans can deliver benefits of $50–$150 per hectare through efficient placement and rate selection, reducing waste and boosting productivity.
Ravensdown says its investment in HawkEye Pro reflects its commitment to nutrient use efficiency and shareholder benefit. “Regardless of fertiliser costs, we’re leveraging digital capability and spreader technology to maximise returns,” says Mike White. “This is about smarter farming - delivering accuracy, efficiency, and sustainability.”
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Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
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