Welcome to the ninth edition of Ground Effect

Download your copy of Ground Effect Edition 9 - Spring 2019

With water quality being such an important issue, there’s no surprise that many of the articles in this edition are connected to that topic in some way.

First up, Professor Rich McDowell and our very own Dr Ants Roberts look at phosphorus losses and list some mitigations. Then Dr Martha Trodahl outlines the potential for modelling software that points out the nutrient hotpots so mitigations can be targeted in areas that matter most.

Another modelling tool in the news is Overseer^®. The government has agreed with stakeholders like Ravensdown who state the case for a serious investment in more peer reviews and data sets. In the June budget, $43 million was committed to the tool which is a great endorsement of the approach outlined by the Overseer team on page 40.

Over in the northern hemisphere, the idea of “food miles” are sometimes used to cast NZ produce in a negative light as if the freight is the only stage in the product life-cycle that has a carbon footprint. But Dr Stewart Ledgard shows how a more holistic view casts “Blighty-bought” NZ lamb in a much more favourable light.

Perhaps one of the reasons is farming’s efficiency. Jana Hocken writes about how the car industry’s approach to “lean” management can help the sector. The potential for mapping and ordering tools to reduce errors and double ups is covered on page 24. Essential inputs such as lime, potassium and clover seeds are also assessed.

We hope you enjoy the insight, food-for-thought and leadership presented in this issue.