Pioneering to Precision: application of fertiliser in Hill Country

Key facts

Programme start: October 2013
Length: 8.5 years
PGP funding: $5.671 million
Industry funding: $5.946 million
Crown funding paid out to programme for work done as at 30 June 2021: $5.434 million
Commercial partners: Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-op Ltd
Estimated potential economic benefits to NZ: The programme is expected generate additional export earnings of $120 million per annum by 2030 and contribute a net economic benefit of $734 million to the New Zealand economy over the period 2020 to 2050.

The challenge

Currently, fertiliser is applied to hill country farms using top dressing aircraft which broadcast the fertiliser in blanket applications over farm land, assuming the nutrient status of the land is relatively uniform. This results in over-fertilising and wastage in some areas, and under fertilising and poor growth in others.

The solution

This programme is intended to improve the productivity of hill country sheep and beef farming through more efficient use of fertiliser. Precision application technology will be developed using remote sensing of the nutrient status of the land to determine where nutrients should be targeted. GPS guided aircraft will deliver fertiliser to targeted areas of the farm. The technology will also enable farmers to minimise the discharge of nutrients into water ways in critical areas.

If successful, this programme will transform the way fertiliser is applied in farming in New Zealand. It will improve the profitability of hill country farming and generate earnings of $120 million per annum by 2030 from additional exports of meat and wool.

Find out more

Economics of a variable rate fertiliser strategy on a Whanganui hill country station [PDF, 474 KB]

Improving Aerial topdressin in New Zealand through particle ballistics modelling and accuracy trials [PDF, 972 KB]

Integrating airborne hyperspectral topographic and soil datat for estimating pasure quality using recursive feature elimination with random forest regression [PDF, 5.7 MB]

Mapping nutrient concentration in pasture using hyperspectral imaging [PDF, 473 KB]

Measuring the response of variable bulk solid fertiliser application by computer controlled delivery from aircraft [PDF, 1.5 MB]

The use of variable rate fertiliser applications in NZ hill country [PDF, 586 KB]

Programme documents

Outcome logic model for PGP Ravensdown Programme [PDF, 74 KB]

Audit: Assurance on Ravensdown's use of PGP funding [PDF, 668 KB]

Progress review report of the Ravensdown: Pioneering to Precision Primary Growth Partnership Programme [PDF, 2.2 MB]