The government is committing more than $2 million to researching the potential of regenerative farming practices to boost soil carbon in arable, vegetable and cropping systems.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the six-year Hawke’s Bay trial will “help build up an evidence base on the application and effectiveness of regenerative farming in typical intensive field cropping and arable systems”.
The Carbon Positive – Regenerating Soil Carbon project is led by Hawke’s Bay Future Farming Charitable Trust with science and operations partner LandWISE.
It will be run on LandWISE’s demonstration farm in the Heretaunga Plains and focus on degraded soils.
It is co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) and supported by a collaboration of organisations including Kraft Heinz Watties NZ, McCain Foods NZ, Hawke’s Bay Vegetable Growers, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and BASF.
O’Connor said the demonstration farm will be split and managed with three different systems to compare and validate any benefits.
“The researchers will set up a conventional system using current industry best practice and recognised crop rotations,” O’Connor said.
“They will also set up a fully regenerative system involving cover crops and minimal use of herbicides and insecticides, and a hybrid system that incorporates a mixture of techniques to help demonstrate a transitional pathway for farmers.”
The project will be extensively monitored to measure and evaluate the impact on productivity and profitability and to help develop best practice.
