| 23 nzdairy After a two-year trial, the root depth had doubled in the trial paddock and after five years, the pH went from 5.4 to 6.2 with no lime. DAIRY PEOPLE » Miah Smith: Kere-Ki-Uta Stress-free farming with less chemicals Kelly Deeks “They are way more relaxed about farming. They are loving the multi-species crops and comparing them with their turnips they saw a massive reduction in herbicide and pesticide and a big reduction in nitrogen.” Results from the two-year, 10-farm testing project, Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai, are now being collated for release, as the farmers involved are already reporting more stress-free farming, and significant reductions in herbicides, pesticides, and nitrogen. Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai is a research programme led by soil, pasture, and animal nutrition provider AgriSea New Zealand to determine whether farming methods which enhance the mana and mauri of the soil are more resilient, more profitable, more able to withstand environmental, societal and regulatory pressure, and healthier for all. AgriSea New Zealand is an award-winning, family owned seaweed company at the forefront of the biostimulant industry with its products made organically from a species of New Zealand seaweed. AgriSea New Zealand is the country’s single biggest investor in biostimulant research, helping farmers and growers to achieve their potential and meet market demands for sustainable production for more than 22 years. Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai will culminate in a guide which provides a framework supporting farmers to apply evidence-based approaches that respect the mana and mauri of the soil. The testing project started on Miah and Jenny Smith’s Atiamuri dairy farm and was soon scaled-up to include nine other Waikato and Bay of Plenty farms. Miah and Jenny started using AgriSea eight years ago, four years after arriving on their 260ha effective forestry conversion, in a bid to improve the condition of the degenerated post-forest soil. The farm had very little topsoil and while the couple added a lot of fertiliser, it wouldn’t make much difference. When Miah found out about AgriSea, he thought it was worth a shot and after a two-year trial, the root depth had doubled in the trial paddock and after five years, the pH went from 5.4 to 6.2 with no lime. Miah and Jenny rolled out AgriSea across the whole farm, continually adding biology and reducing fertiliser. They have put in seven or eight different species of grasses and herbs, the diversity helping to activate essential bacteria and fungi and keep the soil working more efficiently. Miah took the role of AgriSea farm advisor on Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai and says a year into the trial, results showed some farms reducing their nitrogen and gaining production efficiencies. Multi-species summer crops going into permanent multi-species pastures were bringing good results and requiring less sprays. Today he says the other nine farmers have loved the changes this trial has made to their systems and their mindsets. “They are way more relaxed about farming,” he says. “They are loving the multi-species crops and comparing them with their turnips they saw a massive reduction in herbicide and pesticide and a big reduction in nitrogen.” At home in Atiamuri, the Smiths have had a good season, sitting 1% ahead in production with N use of only 25kgs, a further reduction from 2022/23. A new 42ha run off was added to their system in June, allowing them to get all their young stock off the farm and stop buying in feed. The savings they’ve made are more than the cost of the interest on the new block, so they are pretty happy, and they remain passionate advocates for AgriSea products.
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