Rotorua and the Rotorua Lakes and Land Trust will host a two-day national conference on biological farming.
The "Towards a Sustainable Farming - by farmers, for farmers" conference will take place in October covering topics such as water quality, carbon and biological farming and the farming community.
Rotorua Lakes and Land Trust chairman Malcolm Short said the two-day conference would be of interest to dairy farmers, Maori land owners, soil scientists, regional councils, fertiliser companies, ecologists, conservationists and land management specialists.
"Because of a paradigm shift in the way we manage dairy farms, some people are bit reluctant to change their thinking, although many farmers in New Zealand are adopting biological farming. These farmers are looking for any opportunity to reduce environmental damage without compromising economics."
Biological farming is a holistic approach to modifying and improving soil conditions for beneficial microbes to increase soil microbial activity and help speed-up nutrient cycling.
The trust is a joint venture between Te Arawa Federation of Maori Authorities and Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers and Short said it was set up to study nutrient leaching into water - a subject of major interest to farmers on the Central Plateau with its nutrient sensitive lakes.
He said the conference would provide an opportunity for farmers working in this area to share their field observations, with many reporting positive changes to soil and plant and animal health.
The trust is conducting a research project on biological farming, named the Vallance Project after the late Rick Vallance. The October conference will include a field trip to some of the farms involved, as well as scientific presentations and opportunities to try biological fertilisers and share the outcome.
Vallance Project leader Gifford McFadden said the event would help participants see, learn and share knowledge directly with farmers.
"Our initial interests are to look at the nitrogen leaching under biological and conventional farming and there is much interest in the farming community."
McFadden said the group had received emails and phone calls from farmers adopting biological farming systems, producers of biological fertilisers, people who have done research on biological farming, and the general public.
Scion's Guna Magesan has been appointed as the conference's scientific leader and adviser.
"This national conference provides a platform for the biological farming groups to come together, work together, and grow together."
Magesan suggested people interested in biological farming needed to form an association to promote the field in New Zealand.
Anybody interested in conference registration or sponsorship should contact Magesan at (07) 343 5587 or guna.magesan@scionresearch.com
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