Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects

This project will undertake research and stakeholder engagement to inform the establishment of a sustainable, self-funded organic sector body. This body will bring the organics sector together to deliver the goals of the organic sector strategy and enable the sector to meet future international trade obligations.

This project researched whether Floating Upwelling Systems (FLUPSY)s, traditionally used to grow oyster spat, could also be used to grow Greenshell mussel spat. This was initiated in response to large-scale spat losses in the Greenshell mussel industry. The project proved FLUPSY-reared spat can achieve significantly higher retention rates than non FLUPSY-reared spat.

A copy of the final report on growing Greenshell spat in FLUPSYs is available on request - email psgfund@mpi.govt.nz 

This project effectively evaluated the use of Hyperspectral imaging and modern AI technologies to identify weed seed contamination of seed lots. It proved the value of these technologies for more efficient seed identification in commercial scenarios such as border biosecurity and seed testing in labs.

Hyperspectral seed imaging final report [PDF, 1.2 MB]

PharmaZen developed a process to extract and concentrate anthocyanins from blackcurrant juice and pomace. The project finished early, as PharmaZen was no longer in a position to contribute the co-funding required to scale up further.

The project will develop new extraction methods and technologies to convert sheep waste-streams into products suitable to supply existing and emerging premium markets. Project outputs include a prototype suitable for scale-up and commercial readiness.

This project will provide information and knowledge to support New Zealand sheep and beef farmers to produce more reliable and better yielding summer-forage brassica crops. This will increase resource use efficiencies and reduce environmental pollution, including nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions.

This project set up a pilot-scale snail farm to trial 2 types of conventional snail farming in a New Zealand context. The end product was a farmer’s handbook outlining best practice snail farming. This included commentary showing landowners how snail farming can be a financially viable, sustainable, and low input land-use alternative that has a reduced environmental impact.

Snail Farming Handbook New Zealand [PDF, 3.1 MB]

This project aimed to develop a hybrid autonomous vehicle for multi-implement use, in a horticultural trellis system growing environment. The project made some useful breakthroughs both in the multi-use platform space and the use of trailed implements in conjunction with autonomous tractors, but the challenges of bringing a cost effective hybrid offering to the market in the current environment meant that the project had to cease early.

More can be found out about the work can be found at OXIN

The research project focused on developing a system to help farmers manage their farm data more effectively and efficiently. Based on feedback from extensive stakeholder engagement, a concept prototype of a digital enterprise farm wallet was created. This enables farmers to create trusted, verifiable farm environment planning data that can be easily shared with multiple third parties from a single source.

Digital farm environment planning to simplify admin for farmers – Government media release 

This project will assess the economic and environmental impacts of adopting regenerative diverse pastures in a Taranaki dairy farming system. It will develop an evidence base to prove any links between diverse pastures and reduced nutrient loss, improved milk macro and micronutrients, increased soil water retention, soil carbon sequestration, and increased production and profits.

This project monitored the impact of highly diverse pasture on milk quality, soil root penetration, animal behaviour, pasture composition and soil organic matter/soil biology. The research took place at 5 different sites across 4 different dairy farming properties in North Otago and South Canterbury. Overall, the trial results suggested that pasture diversity, regardless of management actions, has a positive impact on soil biology, including soil carbon.

This project will determine the feasibility and commercial viability of diversifying Gisborne Fisheries’ fishing operations to include potting as a harvesting method. The target species are Snapper and Tarakihi. The project will determine any value-add, and scope for expansion of potting operations in the future.

This project aims to create a pilot processing facility that can produce cost-effective medicinal grade dried cannabis flower products for New Zealand and international markets.

This project assessed the establishment of dung beetles post-release to enable confident investment by livestock farmers. All species were observed following release, with Onthophagus binodis showing the greatest population increase. Field trials with the dung beetle Copris incertus showed increased dung removal in spring and autumn. However, gastrointestinal nematodes that infect livestock were not reduced on pasture by this species.

The influence of the dung beetle Copris incertus on dung removal and gastrointestinal nematode density on pasture – Veterinary Parasitology

This project will evaluate the potential to increase grower returns and resilience through durum wheat production. This includes identifying opportunities for New Zealand grown durum wheat in the domestic pasta market, evaluation of commercialisation options to maximise grower returns, and development of new durum wheat cultivars.

Putting a local twist on durum wheat – MPI media release

Summary report: Durum wheat flour – a flavour of the Wairarapa [PDF, 484 KB]

This project will allow Bluff Oyster Management Company (BOMC) to modernise and enhance its data collection and management processes to provide near real time information needed to better inform management decisions, building the foundation of a more resilient fishery. This will include digitising the existing manual logbook, and introducing software technology to disseminate data in near real time to skippers, fisheries scientists, and managers.

This trial set out to determine the effects of feeding BOVAER to calves. Calves in the study received a BOVAER® 10 feed supplement in their first 100 days to see if it reduced methane emissions over their lifetime. A strong methane reduction effect (51%-59%) was measured while BOVAER® 10 was fed to the calves during the first 14 weeks of life, with no impact on calf liveweight or health. Animal performance was continually monitored for the nine months post supplementation, and no effects on health or performance were observed. There were several challenges with methane measurements during this period, and a significant (>10%) and lasting methane reduction was not observed. The researchers halted the study for three main reasons. Firstly, the 10% methane reduction threshold (9 months after the last day of supplementation) was not reached at the go/no go decision point. Secondly, the study had not been designed to capture methane reductions below the 10% threshold. Also, the integrity of the study was compromised due to the challenges with methane measurement. The current form of BOVAER benefits farms with supplemental feed. Royal DSM is researching and developing a slow-release form. This is likely to be more suitable for New Zealand pasture systems that don’t supplement feed as much.

Early life application of methane inhibitor BOVAER 10 in dairy calves - Public summary of trial results  [PDF, 255 KB]

Eat NZ undertook a 6-month feasibility study for a digital solution to tell New Zealand’s food story, both locally and internationally. The solution would connect travellers and buyers with actual and virtual food and food experiences. The study showed that it is financially and technically feasible, and identified and quantified the markets. Eat NZ is now seeking funding to make the project a reality.

Woolchemy has developed the world’s first wool-based sustainable materials for personal care products, including nappies. The outcomes from nappy trials conducted by several nappy manufacturers during the project proved that Woolchemy’s versatile proprietary materials: provide superior performance compared to equivalent synthetic materials; radically improve the environmental impact of hygiene products; and can be produced at scale via existing manufacturing technology. 

Video: About Woolchemy and nappies (3.37)

This project aims to develop and test eDNA technology for use in detecting effects of salmon farming on reef systems.