We investigated the benefits of restoring native plants to intensive agricultural landscapes of New Zealand. As a browse crop on paddock borders, endemic species potentially could add value to more sustainable food systems. Their foliage was found to contain less nitrogen but higher concentrations of a range of trace elements and tannins than both ryegrass and border-planted willows. While native plants could reduce the need for feed supplements, we conclude that the small amount consumed would provide negligible overall nutritional benefits to stock. Nevertheless, this may provide added justification for endemic species and agroecology in landscapes with a depauperate native biodiversity.

The use of phosphorus (P) fertilizers in arable crop and pastoral systems is expected to change as modern agriculture is challenged to produce more food with fewer inputs. Agricultural systems models offer a dual purpose to support and integrate recent scientific advances and to identify strategies for farmers to improve nutrient efficiency. However, compared with nitrogen and carbon, advances in P modeling have been less successful. We assessed the potential opportunity of P modeling to increase P efficiency for modern agriculture and identified the current challenges associated with modeling P dynamics at the field scale. Three major constraints were (i) a paucity of detailed field datasets to model strategies aimed at increasing P use efficiency, (ii) a limited ability to predict P cycling and availability under the local effects of climate change, and (iii) a restricted ability to match measured soil P fractions to conceptual and modelable pools in soils with different mineral properties. To improve P modeling success, modelers will need to walk a tightrope to balance the roles of assisting detailed empirical research and providing practical land management solutions. We conclude that a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to acquire suitable datasets, continually assess the need for model adjustment, and provide flexibility for progression of scientific theory. Such an approach is likely to advance P management for increased P use efficiency. Core Ideas Models can complement research and identify strategies to increase P efficiency. A variety of quality long‐term field trials is needed to advance model capabilities. Well‐calibrated soil models are needed to assess climate change impacts on P cycling. A framework is needed to streamline multidisciplinary research to improve P management.

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