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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Tools

Cadmium Balance Model Decision Support Tool (CadBal)

A web-based tool to help land managers make decisions on how to manage cadmium accumulation in agricultural soils

Learn More

Tiered Fertiliser Management System

The Tiered Fertiliser Management System for the application of phosphate fertilisers is an integral part of the Cadmium Management Strategy for New Zealand.

This system seeks to ensure that soil cadmium remains within acceptable limits over the next 100 years and beyond.

Download Tiered Fertiliser Management System

Overseer

Overseer is an agricultural management tool which helps farmers and growers make better farm management decisions to improve their farm's environmental sustainability and productivity.

Much like a financial budget, a nutrient budget tells you how much is coming in and how much is going out and to where. By using Overseer, you can see:

  • how efficiently nutrients are being used on a farm
  • expected nutrient and greenhouse gas losses to the environment
  • the likely impacts of changes in farm management practices or farm systems.

Overseer allows farmers and their advisers to test the potential impacts of different approaches before investing time or resources in big changes.

The tool is managed by Overseer Ltd, which was established as a not-for-profit organisation to administer the software. FANZ has invested in Overseer and our shareholding is held by the New Zealand Phosphate Company. The other owners of Overseer include the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and AgResearch Limited.

View websiteOverseer FAQs

Nutrient management planner

Our interactive nutrient management plan (NMP) template can be used or adapted to suit your circumstances. Please familiarise yourself with our Code of Practice before using it.

The below diagram sets out the steps involved in preparing and using the nutrient management plan template.

A good NMP:

  • ensures that nutrient management meets all legal and industry requirements
  • includes a nutrient budget which compares nutrient inputs from all sources with all nutrient outputs
  • achieves desired changes in nutrient levels and production (e.g. increasing soil fertility from a poor base to support a higher stock carrying capacity; altering soil nutrient status to suit future crops)
  • minimises the cost of supplying nutrients and avoids wasted spending on unnecessary or unused nutrients
  • minimises the risk of damage to the environment
  • considers the land manager’s personal objectives.

Download our Nutrient Management Planner

Educational Resource: Where Our Food Comes From

The Soil, Food & Society's online teaching tool 'The story of where our food comes from' is an open, educational resource for teachers and students in years 5-8. It promotes discussion around the role of primary industry as it explores three interconnected areas - plants are earth's engine; our food garden; and the chain in my lunchbox. Integrated with the New Zealand Curriculum, the resource offers teachers easy-to-teach lesson plans and provides students with opportunities to engage in scientific investigations and present their findings in a scientific way.

This project is funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries' Sustainable Farming Fund, The Fertiliser Quality Council, DairyNZ, Federated Farmers, Horticulture NZ, Core Education, House of Science, Ravensdown, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Irrigation New Zealand and NZ Young Farmers.

View resource


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.

Find out more

Winchmore research paper published

6 July 2022

The British Society of Soil Science has published a research article in the Soil Use and Management Journal detailing the latest analysed data from the long-running Winchmore Fertiliser Trial in Canterbury.

The paper was written by Driss Touhami of the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University. Touhami is also a member of the AgrioBioSciences Program, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir, Morocco.

The paper, titled "Effects of long-term phosphorus fertilizer inputs and seasonal conditions on organic soil phosphorus cycling under grazed pasture", was co-authored by Leo Condron Richard McDowell and Ray Moss.  The report can be viewed here.

Read more about the long-running Winchmore trial on the FANZ website here.


Lincoln University PhD student wins soil science award

25 January 2022

Final-year Lincoln University PhD candidate Kirstin Deuss is the 2021 recipient of the NZ Society of Soil Science/Fertiliser Association of NZ Postgraduate Bursary Award.

The award recognises the efforts and present (or likely) contribution to New Zealand soil science arising from a doctorate study. It carries a $5,000 one-year stipend.

Kirstin holds a BSC in Biomedical Science from Victoria University of Wellington and an MSC in Horticultural Science from the Technical University of Munich, Free University of Bozen (Italy) and the University of Bologna.

Her postgraduate research has seen her lead a long-term field study on soil and catchment hydrology in Southland. The findings will help understand the role mole and tile drains play in Southland’s unique landscape.

“I’m thrilled to have been selected as the recipient of the NZSSS Fertiliser Association Postgraduate Bursary, it is an honour that I will cherish for the rest of my career,” says Kirstin. “I love working with soils and my career objective is to apply my field, research and management skills towards supporting the sustainable management of New Zealand’s soil resources.”

“My PhD has been challenging but also so rewarding, and this award is a real confidence boost as I prepare to start my new career at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in February. I wouldn't be where I am without the support of my many great mentors, friends and colleagues, who have given me so much of their time and energy to help turn ideas into reality and put it all into the written word!

 “It's truly been the best experience of my life and I am really looking forward to where it is going to take me.”

 Kirstin was nominated by Peter Almond, Associate Professor, Department of Soil and Physical Sciences at Lincoln University. He described her to the judging panel as a “highly adept scientist capable of complex quantitative analysis of soil-hydrological systems”.

“I think she is a deserving recipient.  The prestige of the award would further her goal of securing a position working professionally in soil science in New Zealand so that she can contribute to environmental sustainability of our primary industries.”

Fertiliser Association chief executive Vera Power described Kirstin’s research as “hugely important”.

“The more we can understand what’s happening in our soils and catchments, the better placed our primary sector will be to improve farm management, all while protecting the environment.”  

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