On Lincoln University’s 183-hectare state-of-the-art dairy farm, 1.5 kilometres from the University campus, Prime Minister Helen Clark today (26 Oct.) heard from Professor Keith Cameron, the head of the University’s Centre for Soil and Environmental Quality and Dr Tim Clough, Senior Lecturer in Soil & Physical Sciences, who covered the following points -
- Partnership:
The Lincoln University Dairy Farm is managed by a very effective partnership between the University and the dairy and fertiliser industries. This partnership is organised through the South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) which is a collaboration of Lincoln University; SIDE (the South Island Dairy Event) representing farmers; DEXCEL, the dairy industry centre of excellence; Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd; the Livestock Improvement Corporation, LIC; and the Crown Research Institute, Crop & Food Research Ltd.
The farm thus meets Government expectations that universities pursue industry partnerships and collaborations.
- The Farm:
The farm is a demonstration farm closely aligned with Government sustainable management and climate change policies. It is a fully commercial operation achieving high productivity in a sustainable way while minimising impacts on the environment through careful management and the use of the latest technologies.
- Technologies:
(i) Irrigation:
The technologies used on the farm include precision centre pivot irrigation which the University chose because of its superior water use efficiency. Irrigation is scheduled by monitoring soil moisture content so that water is applied only when needed.
(ii) Nutrients:
The farm uses a nutrient budgeting model called OVERSEER which provides information on the amount of nutrients removed from the farm in the form of dairy product and thus informs the replacement needs in terms of fertiliser.
The farm has a self-imposed limit on nitrogen fertiliser use to ensure optimum economic use while minimising risk to the environment.
- Production:
With production at 1700 kilograms of milk solids per hectare per year, the farm is in the top 1 percent of production units in New Zealand.
- The Environment:
The farm is intensively monitored to measure its effects on the environment. This involves (i) ground water wells to check the quality of the underlying aquifer. Six years of such monitoring shows no increase of microbial content of the shallow ground water.
The environmental programme involves (ii) the measurement of nitrate leaching losses using 60 in situ large soil lysimeters (columns of soil). Results from these lysimeters show that nitrate leaching losses from the farm are low with an (average over past five years of 22kg of nitrogen per hectare per year. This is no greater than that produced by arable and vegetable farming that has been practised on the Canterbury Plains for decades. This shows that dairy farm conversions need not necessarily lead to problems if managed carefully.
- Nitrification inhibitor technology:
Lincoln University in partnership with Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd has developed a new technology to reduce nitrate leaching losses and reduce nitrous oxide greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms. This nitrification inhibitor technology, called ‘eco-n’, has been shown to significantly reduce nitrate leaching losses and reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Use of this new technology has the potential to help farmers achieve sustainable high production while minimising effects on water quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The retention of nitrogen in the soil through this technology also increases pasture production. Eco-n has therefore been described as a “win-win” technology because it is a win for the environment and a win for farmers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins
Communications Group
Lincoln University
Tel: +64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Mobile: 021 02449637
Email: collinsi@lincoln.ac.nz