Deans daughter, guest of Warren, Dave & Peter ( speakers ),Daran Wisbey and our exchange student.
David is a famer on Taumata Road, Tauranga and his talk is on the continuation of setup and monitoring nutrient runoff on his farm.
A bit of history of Taumata farm. The are was logged for Rimu in the early 1900’s which left is by the 1950’s mostly regenerating bush and scrub with no reliable water for stock and had cobalt deficiency issues.
During this time the previous owner converted every hectare into pasture and grazed dairy heifers for export, and sheep. This continued until about 1993 when David brought the farm and built a cowshed. He now milks seven hundred cows, plus planted back about thirty hectares into trees.
The farm has a high rainfall and with cattle and hilly contours brings run-off problems. This averages to 3m per year.
The reginal Council water collection data indicates total suspended solids- very low, this after installing retention dams. Nitrogen levels are higher due to pre-dominate land being pasture with phosphorus at a low point.
The farm has installed retention dames to try and capture runoff to help elevate damage and the water will soak away over a few days with minimal damage.
Some of the valleys has a collection of pine and native trees planted over the last few years.
Next possible faze is to build as many dams as possible within the Council restraints and plant more tress. The challenge is the cost as native plants cost up to $65000 per hectare whereas pines are sub $4000 per hectare.
To have a targeted fertilizer application as technology allows better breeding cows- who are nutrient use efficient and getting a 1-2% improvement year on year with methane emissions.
Be a technology fast follower on those things that help nutrient, and water use efficiency, profit and runoff capture.
rundown on his sporting knowledge.
