Soil

Use of humates together with urea could increase pasture production by almost a third, research shows.

Revitalise Te Taiao is a research programme working alongside agribusinesses and communities as they progress land-use change, work with value chains and connect with markets to revitalise te taiao.

Rural Land Co keen to learn its numbers as first round of national carbon sampling nears completion.

Land restoration will take a toolkit of methods such as tree planting, wetlands, fencing-off of gullies and streams and more.

Cation exchange capacity affects the soil’s capacity to hold vital nutrients.

Setup allows farmers to compare the readings of different soil moisture probes.

In honour of Steve Wyn-Harris retiring his weekly From the Ridge column after decades wielding the pen, Farmers Weekly dips into the archives for another taste of ag New Zealand’s favourite scribe.

Tolaga Bay livestock once again cropping flood-hit paddocks – with a bit of help.

Huge crevasse appears in land saturated after months of rain.

Research highlights another reason over-application of phosphate is best avoided, says scientist.

Long-held ‘facts’ about how soil and plants work together have been debunked by new studies.

Manufactured addition to habitat helps microbes bring life back to compacted soil.

Associate Professor Peter Almond from Lincoln University’s soil and physical sciences department explains where Cyclone Gabrielle’s legacy of silt has come from and what the future holds for sediment-covered land.

Erosion risk grows when damaged soil is left exposed after grazing.

Rural and urban strategies must back up policy on productive land

In the eighth and final piece in our series on soil health tests you can do on farm, the VSA Field Guide is even easier to use – and ease of use was the point from the start.

In the sixth in our series on soil health tests you can do on farm, we discuss the three types of worms in most soils, living at different depths, eating different things, and doing different jobs.

In the fifth in our series on soil health tests you can do on-farm, first catch your clump.

In the fourth in our series on soil health tests you can do on farm, we learn how to find out where the rain goes once it hits the ground.

In the third in our series on soil health tests you can do on farm, you don’t have to soil your undies, but you can if you like.

In the second in our series on soil health tests you can do on farm, make friends with this cutting edge bit of kit: the Soil Pedology Active Diagnostic Evaluator.

For the first time in a generation, anyone with a connection to soils and their management has a new text to reach for – one that is likely to set a reference benchmark not only in New Zealand, but internationally.

When Trish Fraser arrived in New Zealand from Scotland to study, she had no idea she would still be here more than 30 years later. During that time, she has made a valuable contribution to the rural community as a soil scientist.

The first national-scale map of surface erosion in New Zealand has been developed, which is also the first in the world to include the impact of livestock grazing.

Canterbury farmer Angus Aitken believes understanding soil types and managing soil biodiversity is key to sustainable irrigation and a successful farming operation.

Three leading research lights in soil and nutrient research have picked up top awards at this year’s Research Honours Aotearoa for their contributions to soils, water and nutrient technology.