Greener Pastures: priorities for a low-footprint, high-value food producing future

Casey, M. J.; Chapman, David M. F.; Stevens, David A.; King, W. M.; Kerr, Graham; Dodd, Michael D.; Catto, W. D.; Caradus, J. R.

doi:10.33584/rps.17.2021.3604

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 11 publications

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“…6. Stronger linkage between farmers and scientists through various groups (e.g., New Zealand Grassland Association, levy bodies) could help lay the social foundations for greater connectivity (Chapman et al 2022). 7.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and opportunities for conducting on-farm research

Doole,

Tozer,

Sauermann

et al. 2023

Journal of NZ Grasslands

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Availability of research farms owned by research institutions is declining due to their high operational cost, asset value, and limited distribution. The goals of this paper are to review their role and value in pastoral science and to identify challenges and opportunities for on-farm research. Research and commercial farms as trial sites may be mutually exclusive, complementary, or substitutes. Research farms are essential where science requires expensive facilities and/or rigorous control to maintain ethics and quality commitments. They can also provide information independent of scientific and commercial bias. Commercial farms provide access to more diversity, help scientists understand benefits and identify and resolve on-farm issues, and build industry credibility. Since the number of research farms is unlikely to increase, several lessons are important. Delivery, ethical, and science quality risks can accrue when the full cost of working with commercial farms is not considered or work most suited to a research farm is conducted in a commercial setting. Improved integration with farms owned by educational institutions; private trusts; regional and national government; and commercial companies offers opportunities for efficiency improvements. When working with commercial farmers, clear communication, flexible protocols, frequent oversight, and mutual respect are essential to maintain science quality. Paying farmers under a contractual agreement appears pragmatic. The value of opportunities to build farmer and researcher capability in the context of field experiments on research and commercial farms is identified.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and opportunities for conducting on-farm research

Doole,

Tozer,

Sauermann

et al. 2023

Journal of NZ Grasslands

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Effects of water-quality management mitigations on greenhouse-gas emissions from deer farms

Stevens

Casey²,

McGrouther³

2023

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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Context. Red deer farming in New Zealand has increased in intensity, increasing the emissions to water and air. Outdoor wintering systems pose a significant threat to water quality through sediment loss and nitrate leaching. Changing wintering systems to bring animals indoors shifts emphasis to greenhouse-gas emissions. Aims. To investigate the relative potential emissions to water and air when red deer are wintered outdoors on forage crops or indoors on supplements. Methods. The impacts of wintering red deer on forage or indoors were calculated for five farms, involving 32 herds containing 2167 deer over 2 years, in southern New Zealand. Animal classes included weaners, hinds and stags. Potential losses to water included sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous, while losses to air included methane, nitrous oxide and ammonia. Losses to air were calculated using current New Zealand greenhouse-gas inventory calculations and revised calculations recognising published forage, soil and bedding emissions factors not yet included in the inventory. Key results. Calculated outdoor winter feed intake was 9.5% greater than indoor measured feed intake. The average herd size of 115 deer wintered indoors for an average of 87 days would have needed 1.8 ha of winter forage crop. Potential losses of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus were calculated to be 5362, 106 and 5.2 kg per herd respectively, if wintered on crop. Total greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions calculated using current inventory emission factors were higher if deer grazed a forage crop than when wintered indoors (2.58 vs 2.41 kg CO 2 -e/head/day respectively). When revised emission factors were used, indoor wintering produced greater GHG emissions than did wintering outdoors (2.61 vs 2.28 kg CO 2 -e/head/day respectively). Implications. Variability may occur both in contaminant loss to water and emissions to air. Trade-offs between the two need to be recognised in decision-making. As the science of GHG develops, the relative ranking of different systems may change.

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Greener Pastures: priorities for a low-footprint, high-value food producing future

Cited by 2 publications

References 11 publications

Challenges and opportunities for conducting on-farm research

Challenges and opportunities for conducting on-farm research

Effects of water-quality management mitigations on greenhouse-gas emissions from deer farms

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