Feeding the world’s growing population
New Zealand’s reputation as a quality food producer is growing.
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand promotes and encourages responsible and scientifically-based nutrient management.
Recognising that winter/early spring is characterised by very different climate and pasture growing conditions across the length of New Zealand, it is also a period of potential feed shortages for grass fed farm systems.
The New Zealand Fertiliser Association has commissioned a science-based assessment of the impacts of tactical nitrogen fertiliser use to address this feed shortage, when applied following accepted good practices. The science review findings are supplemented by scenario modelling.
Relative to the primary growing seasons, the volumes of nitrogen fertiliser applied during this winter/early spring period are small, but never-the-less, available evidence suggests that a feed shortage in early spring is probably best met by supplementary feeding or by N applications when growing conditions (soil temperature and moisture) allow for a pasture response. Calendar timing will vary from region to region. No-Winter applications in the modelling scenario resulted in minimally changed simulation outputs – none were statistically or practically significant. Modelled leaching loss was similarly unaffected.
Download reportThe 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.
27 March 2024
FANZ is dedicated to funding research and developing New Zealand’s agricultural research capability by supporting PhD research such as the work of Massey University student Nicola Wilson who is undertaking research on ‘What Hot Water Extractable Carbon and Nitrogen can tell us about changes in labile soil Carbon and Nitrogen.’
1 March 2024
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand recently updated its Fertiliser Use on New Zealand Dairy Farms booklet to ensure farmers get the best value from fertiliser applied and to align the advice with the Code of Practice for Fertiliser Nutrient Management.
Stay in touch with the latest fertiliser industry news and research