Interested in being part of a project aimed at find ways to reduce the financial and environmental impacts of synthetic nitrogen. Keep reading...
With the price of synthetic N on the rise, and the impending introduction of pricing for nitrogen related nitrous oxide emissions, FAR’s Growers Leading Change programme is setting up a series of simple DIY on-farm trials looking into a range of alternative N products.
Project leader Donna Lill is looking for arable growers anywhere in New Zealand who are keen to be involved.
“We’re looking for growers who are either already using alternative sources of nitrogen in their crops or who are interested in trying out some of the options. The nitrogen sources we’re considering may be alternative-N products, n-fixing products, manures or legumes.
“These on-farm trials, which are really ‘try-outs’ as they are not fully replicated, will start in paddocks sown this spring, and continue into next year’s autumn and spring sowings. Ideally, it will incorporate a range of arable crops including cereals, grass and vegetable seed crops as well as maize.
"There are a lot of products on the market and a lot of growers interested in using them, the aim of this project is to gather some results around products which may be worth further full-trial investigation.”
Final try-out design will be discussed with individual growers depending on crop type, alternative-N source and paddock variables. But the general principles for each paddock will be:
- Three treatment areas:
- 1 strip/tramline where alternative-N source is applied
- 1 control strip of no applied N
- Rest of paddock is standard grower treatment
- Pre-sow soil N testing to ensure that try-outs are in paddocks where it is expected that the crop would respond to applied N.
- FAR support re best timing and rates for each alternative N treatment.
- Crop and soil variable monitoring during and following the try-outs.
- N-leaching and GHG emissions assessment.
If you are interested in being involved please contact donna.lill@far.org.nz