Research

New Zealand has long assumed its future lies in premium chilled beef. Standing in a Colorado processing plant, 2025 Nuffield scholar Dani Darke realised the biggest opportunity was sitting in the trim vats beside her and that New Zealand’s dairy herd holds the key to supplying it. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Lincoln University's Regenerative Agriculture Dryland Experiment compares conventional and regenerative dryland systems on production, environmental and economic outcomes. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Ground-breaking research exploring growing high-value food crops and grapes under solar panels starts later this year at Lincoln University’s new 4ha Energy Farm in Canterbury.

Chemical resistance in pesticides was a hot topic at the Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science (NZIAHS) symposium, recently held at Lincoln University, where scientists discussed the topic of nature fighting back. Words Tom Ward.

NIWA research is under way in the Wairarapa to differentiate how much methane in the atmosphere comes from farm animals vs local wetlands. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Often overlooked and misunderstood, 90% of New Zealand’s original peatlands have been drained, degraded, or destroyed, leaving these carbon-rich landscapes in crisis. Jenna Smith, a 2024 Nuffield Scholar, presents how restoring peatlands that cover 1% of the country’s land area store an estimated 20% of carbon and could be our most strategic ecosystem.

New Zealand’s economy has long been anchored by two key pillars: agriculture and tourism. However, as the world changes, Carlos Bagrie, a 2024 Nuffield Scholar, explores how both sectors are facing natural limits to their growth. ​

Will the country rise to the challenge of blending tradition with innovation, or will it be left behind as the rest of the world marches ahead? 2024 Nuffield Scholar Rachel Baker’s report Navigating adoption of gene editing in the New Zealand primary sector explores her thoughts on managing the complexities of gene-editing adoption – both scientifically and socially – over the coming years.

How do we find alternative solutions to farm ownership and succession while encouraging the next generation of farmers? Southland farmer and 2024 Nuffield Scholar Peter Templeton’s report Putting the success back into succession highlights it is not enough for farmers to hope that the next generation will simply take the reins. Words Peter Templeton.

Harnessing the power of the sun offers the chance for drystock farmers to diversify their operations. Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor Jesse Brennan’s 2024 Kellogg Report Cultivating the sun – challenges and opportunities of solar farming for drystock farm diversification explores the opportunity.