After almost a decade of study that armed her with a bachelor’s degree and PhD, Anne-Maree Hill (Harington 2004-2005) is now working on a $20 million dollar research project for Ballance Agri-Nutrients, one of New Zealand’s largest nutrient management companies.
Hill is working as a research associate managing the finance, administration and reporting for Ballance’s Clearview Innovations PGP programme.
The programme is a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) through the Ministry of Primary Industries which aims to improve nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser use and reduce losses (run-off) to the environment and water ways.
Adding nitrogen and phosphate to pasture is vital for growing grass at optimum levels to feed stock, but fertilising runs at an increasing cost year-on-year and has the potential to harm New Zealand’s environment.
As part of the project, Ballance is releasing a number of products to help famers improve efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser; reduce nitrogen run off; increase efficiency of fertiliser use; and decrease soil accumulation and/or plant uptake of fertiliser.
Hill says the first of four products was released to the commercial market last July, three years into the seven year project. N-Guru™ is a nitrogen monitoring system that helps farmers identify how much nitrogen the soil needs, if any at all.
“Farmers are required to get a total nitrogen soil test for each block on their farm. By inputting the results of this test into N-Guru™ a farmer can determine which areas of their farm could receive more nitrogen fertiliser.”
Two other successful PGP products are close to completion and commercial release, including a variable rate aircraft and a product called MitAgator™ which is a decision support tool similar to N-Guru™.
“The variable rate aircraft is able to apply fertiliser to hill country at different rates depending on the requirements of the farmers.”
“This is compared to the traditional blanket application of fertiliser at a single rate. The ability to do this means fertiliser may be used far more efficiently and effectively, potentially saving farmers money and helping the environment at the same time.”
Environmental sustainability in farming was a major draw card for Hill to enter the agricultural industry. The 27-year-old is passionate about science and says her PhD – which was fully funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – was driven by her passion to reduce the environmental footprint of farming.
