Rere ki uta rere ki tai: International soil expert speaks to Kiwi farmers

Farmer Jenny Smith (left), soil scientist Dr Christine Jones, farmer Miah Smith and AgriSea chief executive Clare Bradley. The Smiths learned about diverse pasture from Jones. Photo / Alison Smith

New Zealand farmers gained an international perspective on how their overseas counterparts are paid to transition their practices, such as reducing fertiliser, in a seminar with soil expert Dr Christine Jones.

The international soil expert shared with farmers what’s happening elsewhere in the world to help soil regenerate.

She said New Zealand had a massive opportunity to help farmers save on their production costs and improve farm outcomes, including climate resilience and action if it chose to incentivise good practice.

She spoke to over 500 farmers on a Loyal to Soil Tour in April and early May, brought by seaweed innovation company AgriSea and the project Rere ki uta rere ki tai.

“We have found ourselves with an over-reliance on fertilisers as a substitute to good functioning soils and pastures,” Jones said.

“The 2021 Ministry for the Environment report showed 61 per cent of New Zealand dairy farms are above optimum Olsen P – a measure of how much plant available phosphorous is in our soils.

“Fertilisers are often viewed as a necessity when in fact they are merely a substitute for biological diversity [in pasture].”

The belief that fertilisers were needed in order to grow grass was “deeply entrenched,” Jones told audiences in Southland, Canterbury, Taranaki and the Waikato.

She said New Zealand could look at solutions that are proving successful in other pasture-based agricultural systems overseas.

Examples included the measures undertaken in the UK and Ireland that support practices designed to enhance biodiversity on agricultural land.

“English farmers are being paid NZ$5000 per ha to plant multi-species cover crops on farmland, and Irish farmers are receiving 300 euros, the equivalent to $540 NZD, for every hectare of their land put into multi-species pastures to reduce reliance on nitrogen fertilisers.”

The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) in Ireland incentivises farmers to sow multi-species swards, proven to reduce the reliance on nitrogen fertilisers, improve animal performance and health and promote a more resilient method of farming.

Farmers that participate are given a direct payment to offset part of the cost they incur in establishing these multi-species pastures.

The 2023 measure builds on a pilot scheme initiated in 2022 and contributes to targets set under the EU Green Deal strategies including the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategy as well as goals set in the Climate Action Plan 2023.

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue expanded the scheme last month with another €2.5 million paid directly to participating farmers.

“Funding has been increased to allow for greater support in establishing these swards,” he announced publicly.

“A payment rate of up to €300/ha is also being provided for, which represents a significant increase on the rate of aid paid last year.”

Jones said pastures containing a diversity of plant families increased soil microbial diversity, which in turn increased nutrient availability in soil.

The Irish study showed a mix of grasses, clovers, chicory and plantain yielded more than perennial ryegrass treated with varying rates of N per right up to 360kg per hectare.

“Irish farmers are being paid 300 Euros per hectare, equivalent to $540 NZ per hectare, to plant the diverse mix and I’m sure a similar initiative would prompt New Zealand farmers to experiment with plant diversity in place of N fertiliser,” she said.

Irish research has clearly shown multi-species pastures can produce high dry matter yields from lower nitrogen fertiliser inputs, with benefits to nitrous oxide emissions and biodiversity.

Other benefits included reduced levels of internal parasites due to the presence of chicory and plantain.

Irish Minister McConalogue said the different rooting structures in these swards allow for improved soil structure along with a greater tolerance to drought.

Europe leads the table in the Green Future Index 2022 which ranks 76 economies on their readiness for a low-carbon future, with 16 countries in the top 20.

New Zealand ranked 39th and is among the countries that have fallen down the rankings.

The Irish Minister of State Pippa Hackett highlighted the biodiversity gains through the Government backing farmers with incentives.

“I’ve seen first-hand on farms across the country how effective multi-species swards can be,” she said.

“This is further evidence of the [Irish] government’s support for farmers who wish to move to more environmentally sustainable methods of farming.

“These swards will have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and water quality, while also providing a strong economic benefit to farmers.”

New Zealand’s Rere ki uta rere ki tai is undertaking research with 10 farms in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty around soil, farm and farmer health and wellbeing, plus independent research at Lincoln University on functionally diverse pastures and biostimulants.

The trial can be followed at agrisea.co.nz.