Esther Meenken

Plant & Food Research

From town to farm: Compost in Canterbury agricultural systems

This is joint work with C. S. Tregurtha and A. J. Horrocks, both PFR

New green waste collection regimes are being introduced in an increasing number of New Zealand cities and towns in an effort to divert the amount of organic waste heading to landfills each year. These regimes include specialised collection of green waste, which is then turned into a nutrient rich compost.

The Canterbury agricultural sector could benefit from utilising compost produced within the region. Our initial research assessed the effects of compost on the establishment and growth of different forage crops, and the associated soil quality changes under each crop. Statistical issues included talking with multiple stakeholders about running a scientifically robust trial, designing trials on a site with trends in two directions, analysis of the data using a mixed model, and reporting on results.

Subsequent years will continue these on-farm trials, and extend the scope of the project to include an intensive arable cropping trial, several demonstration sites across Canterbury and a lab-based nutrient release experiment. The arable cropping trial presents a challenge as it will be set up in a location where a previous trial is likely to have influenced the uniformity of the site.