TECHNICAL
GROWER NITROGEN FERTILISER PRACTICES: SUSTAINABLE VEGETABLE SYSTEMS BASELINE FINDINGS
Words by Gemma Carroll : Potatoes NZ Inc. communications & engagement officer
Social research provider, FOLKL, was recently contracted by The Sustainable Vegetable Systems (SVS) project to canvass grower opinions and needs and ensure they are central to the outcomes of the programme. The following outline highlights insights from this baseline survey.
The three goals of the research: • Determine the level of nitrogen (N) leaching problem recognition among growers • Quantify the current level of key fertiliser management practices • Identify the barriers to change.
What has the baseline survey told us? • Nutrient management is the second highest concern in day-to-day operations, behind profitability. • 57% of growers believe that nitrogen leaching has a significant impact on the environment. • 46% of growers believe they have a clear picture of nitrogen loss. • Fertiliser use is predominantly the grower’s own knowledge (58%), with fertiliser reps the second most common knowledge source. Other growers, codes of practice, industry material and workshops were all cited by less than 20% of growers. • Growers are not entirely convinced about the practical realities of reducing N leaching. • Growers who do acknowledge its impact on the environment are more engaged in a solution. • Of growers who believe reductions are possible, over half (57%) believe reductions of up to 20% are possible. However, the tools or methods to achieve those reductions are not clear-cut. • The biggest barrier to reducing nitrogen loss is fear of reduced marketable yield (43%) followed by access to the right tools and testing (29%). That is where SVS fits right in!
54 NZGROWER : NOVEMBER 2021
Further insights and questions Nutrient management ranks highly among vegetable growers and is a key aspect of their day-to-day operations Growers are aware of the importance of managing nitrogen leaching to protect both the environment and their industry, but many growers are unsure about the impact that nitrogen leaching has on the environment. The survey found a clear correlation between environmental concerns and mitigation action.
Many growers are unsure about the impact that nitrogen leaching has on the environment The perception of nitrogen’s environmental impact Initially, 57% of growers strongly agreed that nitrogen leaching has a significant impact on the environment. Digging deeper about the magnitude of impact, it was found that many growers sat on the fence, with 54% saying the environmental impact was neutral to high and 37% sticking with their opinion that nitrogen leaching had a significant impact. Influencing management practices When it comes to getting fertiliser advice growers are largely reliant on their own knowledge or that of a fertiliser rep. Eight out of ten growers measure soil nitrogen, however, the frequency of this is variable. Forty percent of surveyed growers are using their own nutrient budgeting tools, with OverseerFM being the second most used tool.
When it comes to getting fertiliser advice growers are largely reliant on their own knowledge
