On the farm
By principal land sustainability officer Karl Erikson.
Our land sustainability officers, in conjunction with our farm plan service, can now offer advice to farmers about the things they can do to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Land sustainability services have tended to focus on soil conservation and more recently, on good management practices that look to improve fresh water quality and biodiversity.
Services for specific and practical land management advice on greenhouse gas mitigation, like tree planting, had usually been offered with an intention to improve water quality or soil erosion processes.
So, what may be some options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (with benefits for water quality and biodiversity) on Southland farms?
- Riparian management plans – tree planting to capture carbon and reduce run off of contaminants entering water
- Shelter belt tree planting plans – tree planting to capture carbon and reduce soil erosion
- Farm woodlot/forestry plans – tree planting to capture carbon with water quality benefits
- Overseer nutrient budget advice – GHG profiles within Overseer can be explained to farm owners
- Advice on nitrogen fertiliser use to ensure efficiencies i.e. timing and application amounts to reduce denitrification and production of nitrous oxide gas (a powerful GHG) and leaching of nitrate below the root zone
- Advice to improve soil organic matter, and therefore, carbon stores in soil.
Now is the time to plan for how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced on your arm and Environment Southland’s land sustainability staff are here to help.
