18 August 2000 New addition to Kowhai Farm partnership expands research potential

A third partner, Ravensdown Fertiliser Ltd, has joined Heinz Wattie's and Lincoln University in the Kowhai Farm organic agriculture venture, adding to the scope of scientific research, technical investigations and productivity on the property.

The alliance was sealed with a visit to the 57-hectare farm site at Lincoln on 25 August by Ravensdown representatives including Group Marketing Manager Alan Thomson, New Business Manager Jim Waterhouse, and Organic Product Specialist Tim Lissaman.

Ravensdown come into the operation as suppliers of BIO-GRO certified organic fertiliser products, providers of technical advice, assisting with soils research and helping the other partners with transferring information to farmers and growers.

Ravensdown will be supplying Kowhai Farm with the range of BIO-GRO certified products it launched last year, including BIO-GRO reactive phosphate rock and BIO-­GRO elemental sulphur.

"Soil management is a key element in organics and Ravensdown will help us clarify the issues for organic producers," says Heinz Wattie's Agricultural Systems Manager Bruce Snowdon.

Ravensdown is already a long-term research partner with Lincoln University and is collaborating actively with the University's Soil and Environmental Quality Research Centre. That work is addressing the minimisation of environmental effects of fertiliser use.

Ravensdown Chairman Jim Pringle said the association between the three organisations now involved with Kowhai Farm would make it easier for farmers to access information about organic research and organic techniques.

"We will be transferring information about organic principles and Kowhai Farm findings to our 23,000 shareholders," he said.

"We recognise the management of soil quality as the key to sustainable organic systems."

Lincoln University's Vice­-Chancellor, Dr Frank Wood, said the three partners were a "good fit". The University had enjoyed a long association with Ravensdown and he pointed out that probably about 50 percent of Ravensdown's field officers were Lincoln graduates.

Professor in Soil Science Keith Cameron welcomed the addition of Ravensdown to the Kowhai Farm partnership. He said more needed to be known about the effect of fertilisers and green manures on soil structures in organic systems and the involvement of Ravensdown with Kowhai Farm will "enable us to find answers at a commercial scale".  

The Community Diary is produced by the Strategic Communications Centre, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand