Lincoln University’s commitment to the agricultural industry’s battle to reduce nitrate leaching and the associated problems of water contamination and greenhouse gas emissions has received a Government funding boost of $5.5 million from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.
Announced today (18 July), the FoRST contract, one of six awarded to Lincoln University in 2007 to a total value of $16.2 million, supports the internationally recognised soil and environmental research of Professor Keith Cameron and Professor Hong Di.
In the past 10 years the scientists have developed a successful nitrification inhibitor technology that also delivers a production benefit.
Now, with FoRST funding, the two Lincoln University scientists, along with AgResearch, Dexcel and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be able to improve the scientific understanding of soil biology/chemistry as a platform for increased control over nitrogen cycling in soil.
They are hoping to control the ammonia oxidation rate and reduce nitrate leaching by 50 percent from major dairy pasture soils across New Zealand.
New Zealand’s dairy industry contributes 20 percent of the country’s total export earnings and is targeting a 35 percent increase in milk production by 2015. The industry has also targeted a 50 percent reduction in nitrate leaching from its dairy pastures by the same date.
New nitrogen management tools will be delivered to end-users through the research team’s strong connections with the dairy and fertiliser industries and regional councils.
The leaders of the Lincoln University research Professor Cameron and Professor Di describe today’s announcement as exciting because the FoRST funding will enable them to improve fundamental understanding of nitrification processes in soil.
They say that this will help to achieve the environmental goals of the dairy and fertiliser industries.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Professor Keith Cameron
Lincoln University
Tel: +64 3 325 2811 ext 8206
Professor Hong J. Di
Lincoln University
Tel: +64 3 325 2811 ext 8245