Science, culture and innovation combine at Tautane

Innovative: Tautane Station, east of Dannevirke, owned by Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc.

A well-known Hawke's Bay hill country station, Tautane, is part of a joint research initiative to help increase production in the primary sector in New Zealand.

The Ravensdown Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) Pioneering to Precision programme is developing aerial soil testing technology and increasing aerial spreading precision with GPS-driven automated variable rate spreading.

Using this technology, a map is sent wirelessly to the plane, specifying areas and blocks where no fertiliser should be applied. The computer-controlled hopper doors automatically cut the fertiliser flow when over those areas and the map produced verifies where the fertiliser has been released and, crucially, where it has not.

A recent field trial of Ravensdown's PGP programme at Tautane produced a promising variable-rate proof of placement map and has all those involved excited about the possibilities.

Tautane is a 3374-hectare hill country station south of Porangahau in Hawke's Bay, owned by Ngāti Kahungunu. The iwi, in partnership with New Zealand's largest agricultural training centre, Taratahi, signed on to the co-operative's research farm network in 2014.

Ngāti Kahungunu leader Ngāhiwi Toamona said there are some important cultural values that align with Ravensdown's PGP technology.

"Our ancestor Kahungunu was an innovator and forward thinker and so that's where we want to be.

"We want to be sustainable and trade in the new world with sustainable practices. We're for progress and Ravensdown's PGP programme is putting Maori back into the forefront of farming and innovation."

Taratahi farm manager Matt Smith said Ravensdown's PGP programme is going to have huge benefits for hill country farming.

"Our first application using the technology allowed us to take out about 347 hectares of sensitive areas and waterways and reallocate that fertiliser to other parts of the farm.

"It was a super nitrogen mix, and you could see it definitely was going where it was supposed to go, which is going to have a huge beneficial impact on environmental sustainability."

Iwi liaison Hayden Hape worked with Matt and his wife Claire and said it's about combining western science with the iwi's values.

"We say a good environment is good business. We have our own view of the world, which is pretty special, and we want to make sure those applications are up with current practice.

"If we can find current situations where western science supports our science and vice-versa then that's where we want to be and we feel that Ravensdown's research aligns with that."

Matt said the sensor's ability to aerial soil test down to the square metre and variable rate spread to 40sq m with proof of placement will transform hill country farming.

"It will have a massive impact in productivity and sustainability. We'll be able to know for sure that we're not putting any fertiliser on sensitive areas or waterways, with proof.

"It may cost a bit more but I think the savings we're going to make and ability to provide proof of placement is huge. We'll be able to show that we, as farmers, are working to limit our environmental impact as well as being economically more efficient."

Ngāhiwi said his iwi wanted this technology to become commonplace across all their whenua.

"Ravensdown's PGP programme is part of our ambition to take over all our land and show we can farm profitably and sustainably for future generations, whilst putting our cultural spin on modern-day farming."