Displaying items by tag: nitrogen

The Government’s decision to cap nitrogen fertiliser inputs at 190 kg N/ha per year is doomed to fail because it ignores basic science, claims soil scientist Doug Edmeades.

New research is seeking to understand the role hardy catch crops can play in reducing nitrate leaching.

LIC has launched a new tool to help dairy farmers reduce their environmental footprint.

Farming families across Canterbury are the ones at most risk of the health effects of nitrates in their drinking water, says Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey.

Proposed new environmental rules for the Waimakariri District will drive some farmers off their land, say farmers and their support groups.

A simple DIY test for farmers is a cost-effective way to manage nitrogen levels in soil, a three-year project has shown.

A national limit on dissolved nitrogen would “essentially eliminate” intensive agriculture in the Selwyn Waihora catchment, says Environment Canterbury chief scientist Dr Tim Davie.

Nitrogen leaching on many dairy farms is reducing as the farmers breed from LowN Sires bulls, says the marketer CRV Ambreed.

Nitrate poisoning usually occurs in late autumn or winter when nitrate levels in the feed are high, particularly during a flush of growth after a dry period.

Nitrate levels in Christchurch drinking water are not expected to exceed safe drinking levels in the future, says Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd.