Feeding the world’s growing population

New Zealand’s reputation as a quality food producer is growing.

Optimising food production

Over the next 50 years farmers around the world will need to produce more food than has been grown over the past 10,000 years.

Best use from a limited resource

Fertiliser helps farmers produce food efficiently by replenishing the soil. But fertiliser needs to be used responsibly.

Responsible and sustainable nutrient management

The Fertiliser Association invests in research and tools to ensure farm profitability while minimising nutrient losses to the environment.

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand promotes and encourages responsible and scientifically-based nutrient management.

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Impacts of long-term phosphorus and nitrogen fertiliser application on soil biology

A review on fertiliser impacts on soil biology highlights the paucity of long-term trials, however, the data available indicates the application of phosphorus and nitrogen fertiliser has an effect on soil biology. Indications are higher earthworm abundance associated with increasing phosphorus, but not nitrogen fertiliser application. Microbial biomass also tended to increase with phosphorus application but decrease with nitrogen application. Both phosphorus and nitrogen fertilisers decreased fungal biomass. The few microbial functional groups studied also appear responsive to fertilisation. Some of the factors contributing to soil biology responses, such as soil pH and plant composition are considered, along with possible indicators for on-farm assessment of soil biology.    

Read the review.

The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and Dairy NZ funded development of the Nutrient Management Adviser Certification Programme (NMACP). This industry-wide certification aims to ensure that advisers have the learning, experience and capability to give sound nutrient advice.

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28 June 2023

Dairy farmers milking cows on a farm area of more than 20 hectares are required to record synthetic nitrogen use on their dairy platform land, including a zero-kg record if no synthetic nitrogen is used. The regulations require data to be submitted by 31 July each year for the preceding year ended 30 June. 

14 May 2023

The New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research has published a paper titled Nitrogen fertiliser use in grazed pasture-based systems in New Zealand. The research paper was commissioned by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and written by AgReserch senior scientist Colin Gray.


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