One of the new strips, which is located under the irrigator wire, includes alyssum, calendula, and native ground covers. The other strip which is along a fenceline has the A Lighter Touch annual flower strip mix, which includes alyssum, buckwheat, calendula, cornflower, and marigolds. We also added in a few sunflowers.

The first half of the strip under the irrigator wire has established really well, and both the alyssum and calendula are starting to flower. At the other end of the strip, it is a bit patchy and doesn’t have the same ground cover. Some of the native ground covers amongst the strip have dried out or have been eaten by rabbits, while others are thriving.

The strip along the fenceline consists mainly of buckwheat and sunflowers at the moment, as they were the first to germinate. However, there are patches where alyssum, marigolds, cornflower, and calendulas have also started to establish.

The two biostrips planted in 2024 were made up of 9 different flower mixes, first planted in spring and the second in the summer.

The spring 2024 sowings flowered in the summer but were taken over by grass and clover in the winter. We have mown the strip a couple of times to manage the grass and give the flowers a chance to grow. The alyssum, poppies, borage, and phacelia seemed to do the best in spring 2025 after being mown. Now the strip is mainly grass, clover and alyssum. We have mown it back down again and will track what happens.

The strip planted in summer 2024 and has continued to flower since it was established. Alyssum is the main flower species that has taken over and provided ground cover, but there are areas where there are still cornflowers and calendulas flowering.

There are plenty of insects in the strips and within our butternut crop, but we wanted to understand what insects are actually there and how far they are moving into the crop. To do this, we have set up sticky traps within the biostrips and at various distances into the crop. We will continue to monitor the sticky traps and will try to identify what insects are on them.

We will be holding a grower biodiversity event at the MicroFarm on March 19th. If you are interested in attending, please register here: https://a-lighter-touch.co.nz/biodiversity-grower-group-field-walks/

The butternuts in the Carbon Positive trial were planted on the 15th of November. Before the butternuts emerged, there was a high weed pressure in the conventional treatment. Therefore, it was sprayed with Buster, while the other two treatments were not.

Emergence

When the butternuts started to emerge, we noticed there was cutworm damage and found cutworms. Cutworms are one of the main insect pests in butternut crops. They chew through the butternut’s stem at ground level, killing the plant. Once we identified the problem, we sprayed Bestseller before the cutworms did too much damage.

Side Dressing

Before sidedressing, our fortnightly soil nitrate testing showed there was 80 kg N/ha in the Conventional treatment, 71 kg N/ha in the Hybrid, and 62 kg N/ha in the Regenerative treatment.

At sidedressing, the Conventional treatment received the ‘standard’ rate of YaraBela CAN (150 kg/ha). For the Hybrid treatment, the goal was to apply a half rate of YaraBela CAN (75 kg/ha), but the lowest the side dressing machine could be calibrated to was 113 kg/ha, so that is the rate we used. The Hybrid treatment also received a foliar application of seaweed. The Regenerative treatment only received a foliar application of seaweed, Megafol, and fulvic acid, as the soil nitrate results showed there was a sufficient level of Nitrate-N in the soil.

Weed Management

Standard weed management would use an inter-row cultivator before the butternuts start running. We felt there wasn’t a high enough weed pressure to do this, and that it could cause a weed strike if we disturb the uncultivated areas in the Hybrid and Regenerative treatments. All treatments were hand-weeded with a push hoe to remove any weeds before the butternuts started to run.

Operation Advisory Group

The Operation Avisory Group has met weekly, and they are happy with how the butternuts are growing, the low weed pressure and the disease pressure.

A big thank you to Andy for taking the time to side-dress our butternuts.

Carbon Positive is a partnership between LandWISE, the HB Future Farming Trust, McCain Foods, Heinz-Wattie’s and Process Vegetables NZ.

In 2024, mobile insectary pods were set up to provide a source of shelter, nectar, alternative hosts and pollen (SNAP) for beneficial insects. This was done by using the ‘how to’ guide from A Lighter Touch and with support from Olivia Prouse.

The four pods have five native plants each, made up of a combination of Leptinella ‘Flatts black’, Pimelea mimosa, Pimelea prostrata, Parahebe cattaractae, Pimelea xenica, Libertia peregrinans, Leptinella diocia, Muehlenbeckia ephedroides, Carex comans, Muehlenbekia axillaris, Dianella haematica, Coprosma acerosa ‘Hawera’, and Acaena inermis ‘purpurea’.

We’ve faced a few challenges with the pods drying out, as they weren’t designed to be self-wicking. Although the pods did dry out, most of the plant species are drought-tolerant and have survived. Each pod has dripline irrigation, which we’ve been running for around two hours a day to maintain moisture levels throughout the dry weather. We also removed the plants and topped the pods up with soil collected from the paddock, as the compost had sunk within the pod.

Annual flower strip

In 2024, we planted 18 different mixes of annual flower strips alongside the Carbon Positive trial area. We observed the different plots to see which species flowered and persisted through the winter. Alyssum, calendula, and cornflowers remained through most of the winter, and once it started warming up, buckwheat started to reappear.

Once we saw the number of beneficial insects, such as bees, small wasps, and flies living in the strip, we knew we wanted to increase the area of our annual flower strips. We decided to plant our fenceline with the annual flower strip mix used by A Lighter Touch: alyssum, buckwheat, calendula, cornflower, and marigolds. We also added in a few sunflowers. These flower species were ones that established well in our 2024 annual flower strip, and most of them have returned this summer from last year’s seed. The new annual flower strip was planted at the start of December, and the Buckwheat and sunflowers are already establishing well.

We also decided to plant native ground covers under our irrigator cable every 5 meters, in the hope that they will eventually suppress the weeds, and we will no longer need to spray or mow under it. We chose four low-growing species that have been successful in our pods: Leptinella ‘Flatts black’, Pimelea, Leptinella diocia, and Coprosma acerosa ‘Hawera’. We planted rows of annual flowers alongside the native ground covers to provide temporary cover until the native plants grow large enough to cover the ground. We also hope the native ground covers will spread under the annual flower strip, as we’ve noticed, especially with the Leptinella, that they like to grow beneath other plants in the pods.

For background information, read: Biodiversity at the MicroFarm

There are three scopes within carbon accounting: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. Scope 1 is direct GHG emissions from sources controlled or owned by a business.  Scope 2 is indirect GHG emissions from electricity purchased by a business. Scope 3, which is broken down into 15 categories, is all other indirect GHG emissions not controlled or owned by a business.

Carbon accounting calculator

We developed a carbon accounting calculator that quantifies the emissions from the different management systems. We are considering making it into a webtool for others to use.

The Scope 1 emissions we considered were fertiliser use, fuel use, and livestock. The Scope 2 emission was from the power used to run the Irrigator. Scope 3 emissions were from the manufacturing and transportation of fertilisers and agrichemicals.

We set the farm gate as our boundary for crops produced, so we have not calculated transport to the factory (the same for all treatments), food processing, sales or home cooking etc. We have included those factors that make most impact and that are within our control. This parallels the Gross Margin accounting we use to assess profitability of the different treatments in our trial.

Emission factors were used to determine the CO2 equivalent (CO2-e) for each operation within the Carbon Positive trial. An emission factor is a coefficient that converts an activity to a greenhouse gas emission. For example, 1 kilogram of non-urea nitrogen has an emission factor of 4.84 kg CO2-e; therefore, you multiply the amount of fertiliser used by the emission factor to determine total emissions.

• The emission factors for fertiliser, fuel use, livestock, and power were all sourced from the Ministry for the Environment: Te ine tukunga: He tohutohu pakihi Measuring emissions: A guide for organisations.
• The fertiliser manufacturing emission factors were sourced from Wells 2001: Total energy indicators of agricultural sustainability: Dairy farming case study.
• The fertiliser transportation emission factor is an average of different fertilisers being transported to New Zealand, sourced from Ledgard & Falconer 2019: Update of the carbon footprint of fertilisers used in New Zealand.
• The emission factors for agrichemicals manufacturing and transportation were sourced from Audsley et al. (2009): Estimation of the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural pesticide manufacture and use, with original data from Green (1987). Emission factors for the active ingredients were used if available; otherwise, the average value was used for the agrichemical type: Herbicide, Fungicide, or Insecticide.

Carbon accounting calculator results

Over 2022-2025, the first 3 years of the Carbon Positive trial, the Conventional treatment had the highest emissions (5,906 kg CO2-e). The Hybrid treatment (4,401kg CO2-e) was next, and the Regenerative treatment (3,575 kg CO2-e) was lowest. Nitrogen fertiliser followed by fuel were the highest emission sources in all treatments.

In the first three years, only the conventional plots had sheep grazed on them. The other plots were left in ungrazed cover crops. Over later winter 2025, we did have sheep grazing on all three treatments and they will show up in our next update. Note from the chart above, that sheep had about the same emissions as our agrichemicals.

With funding from Te Ahikawariki, we teamed up with regional agronomists to ask a number of growers about cover cropping. We wanted to learn what the barriers were to new entrants, and what the ongoing headaches were for those who do use cover crops.

Three-quarters of the 32 growers surveyed have been using cover crops for an average of 23 years. These aren’t beginners struggling with basics—these are people who’ve figured out how to make cover crops profitable, and their insights challenge everything we think we know about adoption barriers.

We were perhaps not too surprised to find the barriers everyone assumes matter most actually don’t. Equipment access scored just 1.2 out of 4 as a barrier—the lowest of everything measured. Information gaps scored only 1.6. These experienced growers have moved way beyond those basic issues.

So what are the real barriers? Three big ones that actually matter:

1. Nitrogen Tie-Up (The Technical Killer)

Cover crops locking up nutrients when your cash crop desperately needs them. This scored 2.7 out of 4—the highest barrier measured. It’s not about getting cover crops established; it’s about managing what happens to your nitrogen afterward.

2. Weed Management Gone Wrong

Getting effective suppression without creating new problems. Too often, cover crops become part of the weed problem themselves rather than solving it.

3. Operational Flexibility (The Hidden Killer)

This one was not even in our list of questions but came through loud and clear in grower comments. As a Hawke’s Bay grower put it:

“Once land is cover cropped it ties it up for a period of time and if it’s a wet season then it reduces options and we can fall behind in our planting programme.”

It’s about losing the ability to adapt when weather doesn’t cooperate. That’s a fundamental farming system challenge, not a technical problem you can solve with research.

Why Three-Quarters of These Growers Persist

Despite the barriers, 75% of surveyed growers use cover crops. What’s driving them?

Soil structure improvement absolutely dominates. It scored 3.4 out of 4, with 87% rating it as highly important. Half called it “make-or-break” for their decision.

One Pukekohe grower explained: “The difference in soil workability after a few years of cover crops is dramatic—better water infiltration, easier cultivation, improved root penetration.”

Interestingly, environmental benefits come second. Biodiversity enhancement, soil moisture management, input reduction—they all scored well, but practical farming benefits drive adoption more than environmental ideals. These growers are businesspeople first.

Species That Work (And the Ones to Run From)

After 23 years of collective experience, some clear winners and losers have emerged:

The Champions:

• Oats: Top the list for reliable establishment, easy termination, good biomass production
• Annual ryegrass: Consistent cover, works with livestock
• Vetch: Nitrogen fixation benefits

The Problem Children:

Multiple growers warned about rye—”potential to become a weed” and “difficult to remove.” Brassicas got harsh verdicts too, especially near seed crops. One grower’s blunt assessment: “Radish is a strict no no” because of contamination risks.

And those complex multi-species mixes everyone talks about? “Hard to manage and control weeds” was the verdict. The experienced growers say start simple, learn the basics, then add complexity gradually. Seed crop contamination is huge here because of our export industry. You can’t afford volunteers in the wrong places.

Land tenure creates headaches too. Landlords want to graze cover crops for income while growers want maximum biomass for soil benefits. As one frustrated grower explained:

“When cover crops are grazed we see little benefit especially over a wet period as we need more cultivation and have worse soil structure.”

These aren’t technical problems you can research your way out of—they’re structural issues that need policy solutions.

We’re Not Alone in This

The good news? Remarkably similar patterns show up internationally. US research confirms soil health is the primary driver globally—87% internationally versus our 87.5%. The same technical challenges around nitrogen management and termination timing appear everywhere. We’re not unique in our barriers, which means we can learn from solutions developed overseas.

Getting Started: Advice from the Trenches

What’s the advice for growers considering cover crops? Start simple. Pick one reliable species like oats. Begin on less critical paddocks. Most importantly, plan your termination method before you plant—that’s where many beginners fail. Expect a learning curve. One Canterbury grower with 15 years’ experience captured it perfectly:

“The first year taught me what not to do. The second year taught me what might work. By the third year, I started to see why everyone talks about soil structure benefits.”

At the bottom of this post you can download a link to a report by Charles “Merf” Merfield. We asked him to put his experience and thoughts on paper for all to see. It’s well worth your time to read. In brief, Merf says:

Simply put, cover crops are plants you grow for reasons other than selling them. Think of them as your farm’s support crew—they’re not the stars of the show, but they make everything else work better. That’s why they’re increasingly called “service crops” overseas, which honestly makes a lot more sense when you think about it. These aren’t exotic plants we’re talking about. Most cover crops use the same species you already know well—oats, ryecorn, mustards, clovers, and annual ryegrass. The difference is how and why you’re using them.

Cover crops aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution—they’re more like a Swiss Army knife with different tools for different jobs. Green manures are all about fixing nitrogen from the air using legumes. Catch crops are your nutrient insurance policy. Mulch crops suppress weeds better than most herbicides. Smother crops actually smother established problem weeds, think of them as your biological bulldozer. Then there are the conservation biocontrol crops—plants that support beneficial insects to keep pest populations in check.

The Cost Reality

Seed costs are real—they scored 2.5 out of 4 as a barrier. But the bigger challenge is demonstrating long-term value. One grower captured the economic puzzle: “How to put a value/dollar on them, especially longer term benefits.” The benefits take 2-3 years to become obvious, so you need patience and persistence.

Thanks to Daniel Sutton for initiating this research, and the regional agronomists who helped interview growers; Andrew Luxmoore in Pukekohe, Chris Lambert in Gisborne, Dan in Hawke’s Bay, Karen Coleman in Manawatu/Levin and Charles Merfield in Canterbury. And thanks, as always to the growers who gave time to share their experiences and knowledge.

Download the Full Cover Crops Survey Report

Download a supplementary report by Charles Merfield

The LandWISE Conference, Getting to Carbon Positive, attracted more than 80 people who heard speakers on a wide range of topics related to ongoing sustainability.

Day 1 discussed ways to assess our emissions levels, how we can reduce our environmental impact through diverse farming techniques including regenerative practices and soil health, and new research around pest management.

Pii-Tuulia Nikula opened with an introduction to emissions accounting, which was followed by Uttam Floray outlining how Toitu certifies emissions. Ron McFetridge from WaterForce said he was asked by key clients about WaterForce’s emissions, which set them on a journey to reduce their emissions and environmental impact. Olivia’s take:

“I enjoyed listening to Ron discuss how WaterForce has been installing solar panels on their offices, putting in electric vehicle chargers, and deploying electric and hybrid vehicles for their staff. Given that they travel 4.5 million kilometres annually as a company, WaterForce saw electrification as an effective way to reduce emissions and environmental impact. By doing this, they are setting a precedent for other companies.”

Dan Bloomer presented results from the Carbon Positive trial including the 2024-2025 cropping programme and a Carbon balance for each of the treatments, which showed nitrogen fertilisers and diesel were the largest CO₂^-e contributors. The introduction of livestock added significantly to overall emissions, even if on farm for a relatively short time. Matt Norris presented results from regenerative cropping trials, including use of composts, at LeaderBrand in Gisborne, Angus McKenzie described how Wairuna Farm is applying the principles in Canterbury, the various things he had been trialing on his farm, and how they created a wetland to treat drainage water. Sam McNally addressed ways to increase soil carbon and explained fundamental changes in our understanding of soil carbon sequestration and carbon pathways. Photosynthesis feeds the whole system!    

Three speakers discussed beneficial non-crop plants. Dan talked about the lessons from growing multispecies cover crop mixes in the Carbon Positive trial. Charles Merfield provided information about cover crops for regenerative cropping and the need to ask what functions you wanted cover crops to perform. Jeff Smith presented lessons from biostrip and insectaries research through the A Lighter Touch project.

Day 1 was wrapped up with Asha Chhagan talking about new technologies to assist pest and disease management, and Bethan Shaw reporting on work done looking at earwigs recolonising orchard sites that had been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle. Daniel Sutton and Chris Lambert reporting on trials with a camera equipped AI enabled pest trap.

Olivia’s take:

“The conference was a good opportunity for me to do my first conference presentation! I talked about the Slakes app and things we have learned from using it to assess soil aggregate strength, and I spoke about the Nitrachek device project that I have been running as a part of my Te Ahikawariki/VICE internship.”

Many thanks to all our sponsors, speakers and delegates!

Carbon Positive Field Walks

We hold regular open field walks for our community to visit the Carbon Positive research plots, hear updates and contribute to future plans. Our email LandWISE Updates give details – sign up to receive notifications.

LandWISE Events Archive

Others’ Events

Merfield Agronomy Physical and Ecological Weed Management Workshop

Tuesday 22 July 2025, Waimate, Canterbury 

Learn about the latest in mechanical weeding and how to integrate that and herbicides in this one-day workshop.  Hard registration deadline is Friday 4th July. 

NZAPI EXPO 2025 – New Zealand Apples & Pears

30 July – 1 August – Nelson

2025 NZPPS Symposium – “Resistance Management – Today’s Tools for Tomorrow”

11 August, Christchurch

NZPPS Conference 2025

12-14 August, Christchurch

Potatoes NZ Conference

12-13 August 2025, Christchurch

New Zealand Horticulture Conferences 2025

26-27 August, Wellington

NZARM 2025 Changing Landscapes

11 – 13 November – Blenheim Marlborough

Getting to Carbon Positive

Wednesday 21 – Thursday 22 May
Havelock North Function Centre

In 2025 we’re delighted to bring you a conference with focuses on regenerative crop production, carbon footprinting, and electrification. We’ll have new technologies to think about and see, we have speakers with proven track records, and we’re looking forward to catching up with old friends and new.

Do we know the footprint of our activities? How do international markets assess them and what will we need to report? We are proud to present Associate Professor Dr Pii-Tuulia Nikula to open the managing our footprints conversation. We’ve done the numbers on our Carbon Positive cropping treatments, and we’ve others talking about what they are doing to address their footprints too.

If we are going to get to Carbon Zero (or better) we need to think about both inputs and outputs from our systems. Can we soak up more than we lose? Which inputs have the greatest impact?

We will report on progress and lessons from another year of our regenerative cropping research and present some new tools for growers to assess nitrate levels and soil stability. We’ll have examples for viewing at the Horizons Regional Council Field Session. Others will update us about new technologies for pest and disease control and reintroducing insects to cyclone impacted orchards and discuss the use of bio-strips and insectaries to encourage beneficial insects.

We’ll need energy, of course, but how much can we generate on-site? Is electrification realistic now? Where to in the short to medium term? We are delighted to have Mike Casey of the Electric Cherry Orchard and CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa opening the discussion on electrification and alternative energy case studies. We’ll have electric vehicles for perusal.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

We look forward to seeing many of you again in 2025.

LandWISE 2025 Getting to Carbon Positive

Doing what we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is not about meeting regulations, it is about meeting the expectations of our markets and others in our supply chains (and ourselves and the planet!). Most large companies must report on their own emissions and those of their suppliers and clients. We are part of their emissions profiles, and they want us to do our part.

What is it all about? What emissions are we talking about? Who is implementing changes to lower their impact? How do we start?

At LandWISE 2025: Getting to Carbon Positive, you’ll get these answers and more. You’ll hear and see examples, and hear that people are reaping benefits, because it isn’t all about adding costs, it can save money. And in another session, you’ll hear how it can even provide an alternative income stream.

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol applies the measurement of emissions across three scopes. These are Scope 1, which includes the direct emissions from sources that the organisation owns or controls, such as fuel use for farm-owned vehicles, natural gas used for heating buildings and greenhouses, fertilizer use, leaks in refrigeration and cooling processes, as well as emissions from soil management. Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from purchased energy. Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions in the organisation’s value chain, such as emissions from freight/transportation of products, business travel, waste, and emissions from purchased goods and services.

Pii-Tuulia Nikula (PhD)

Greenhouse Gas Accounting: Scopes Solutions Target Setting

Pii-Tuulia Nikula is an Associate Professor in the School of Business at the Eastern Institute of Technology (Hawke’s Bay), where she teaches courses on Sustainable Organisations and Research Methods. Her research has explored emission trajectories and climate disclosures of New Zealand businesses. Pii-Tuulia will cover key questions that apply to the application of the GHG Protocol, such as common issues and challenges with data collection and practical solutions available for emissions reduction across all three scopes. Finally, she will discuss how organisations can use their emissions baseline to start thinking about their emissions reduction targets. 

Uttam Singh Floray

Reporting for primary producers, processors and exporters

Uttam Singh Floray is a seasoned Sustainability Consultant with extensive expertise in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, carbon accounting, and compliance solutions. As Team Lead – Account management (Government) at Toitū Envirocare, he has headed the implementation of the Carbon Neutral Government Programme and guided organisations toward achieving emissions compliance and sustainable development goals. Uttam has a lead role with Electrify Hawke’s Bay, a regional Rewiring Aotearoa group promoting adoption of low carbon alternative energy sources.

Ron McFetridge

Minimising emissions at WaterForce

One of three founders, Ron McFetridge is the Managing Director at WaterForce. Established in 2002, WaterForce has operations throughout New Zealand, with a large concentration on the South Island, and about 250 staff. Ron is working to reduce the emissions footprint of the company through careful management of energy including establishing rooftop solar and electrifying the vehicle fleet. He is speaking about the process, seeking suitable equipment and changing culture in an organisation.

Dan Bloomer (PhD)

Carbon Positive progress – relative footprints

Dan Bloomer is the LandWISE Manager and an independent consultant. He brings a diverse set of interests and extensive experience in field trials and extension to his role overseeing the LandWISE research portfolio. Together with Olivia Webster, he will present a study comparing the emissions from the three farm systems that form the Carbon Positive trial. What are the main drivers of emissions in an intensive process cropping scenraio?

Of course, knowing our emissions is only a starting point. We also want to know how we can minimise them. And that is the subject of the Electrification and Alternative energy case studies sessions!

At LandWISE 2025 you’ll hear about regenerative cropping systems (however they be defined, or not), soil carbon and sequestration, and the use of cover crops in vegetable and arable systems. Add in the role of biology and ecology in pest and disease management, and some new systems and gadgets to monitor crop pests, soil nitrates and soil health, and the programme has much to offer!

Havelock North Function Centre
21 – 22 May 2025

We will update delegates on our Carbon Positive regenerative intensive process cropping project. Matthew Norris will describe the research completed and take-away knowledge from the Leaderbrand Regenerative Cropping project, with fascinating insights around the use of composts. And Angus Mckenzie will describe his own farming approach and that of others in Canterbury seeking to apply regenerative principles in day-to-day management. A common factor with all projects is the focus on lifting soil carbon levels, a topic that will be drilled into by Sam McNally.

Our Carbon Positive Operations Group has learnt some hard lessons with cover crops over the last three years, but we think we are now much better informed and positioned. We will present a list of questions! Also, with support from Te Ahikawariki/VICE, we’ve begun a small study of cover cropping with interviews of farmers who do and don’t use cover crops. We hope to have some preliminary findings by the conference. Charles (Merf) Merfield, one of the team interviewing will discuss cover cropping, an area he has researched and implemented for many years.

Drawing from “A Lighter Touch” research, Jeff Smith will discuss the use of bio-strips and insectaries to encourage beneficial insects to aid in pest management. Daniel Sutton will report on research using “Smart Traps” to automate collection of pest presence data. From Plant and Food Research, Asha Chhagan will talk about new technologies for pest and disease control and Bethan Shaw will discuss work reintroducing beneficial insects to orchards impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Rounding out New Tools, Olivia Webster will present LandWISE work using a new soil slaking measurement app and a device to more precisely determine soil nitrate levels when using Quick Test strips.