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.
Long-term fertiliser and grazing study at Ballantrae research farm
AgResearch – Alec Mackay
Completed 2017
Introduction
It has been 10 years since soil fertility and 20 years since pasture production has been measured and reported for the AgResearch Ballantrae long-term phosphorus fertiliser and sheep grazing study.
This report covers the measurement of pasture production and composition on the farmlets which received:
a) no fertiliser since 1980
b) 125 kg single superphosphate/ha/year
c) 375 kg SSP/ha/year.
A comparison of the pasture growth rates across the three farmlets in 2015-16 with the same sites back in 1982-88 produced some predictable but also some surprising results
