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agriculture

Soil, farming and science – introduction

Article

Soil, farming and science – introduction

What do soil, farming and science have to do with each other? Actually, they are inextricably related. For centuries, humans ...

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Hilton Collier, a man stands in woolshed

Article

Hilton Collier

Hilton Collier (Ngāti Porou) is an agribusiness consultant who thinks all animals have mana in their own right and deserve to be treated with respect. This ...

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Developing a new plant-based protein

Article

Developing a new plant-based protein

We all need protein to live and stay healthy. However, many protein sources are becoming an increasingly expensive way to meet our needs – both economically ...

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Case study: Neonicotinoid insecticides

Article

Case study: Neonicotinoid insecticides

Insects are vital for our ecosystems, but sometimes there are places where we don’t want them – destroying our gardens, eating our food crops and trees, ...

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Case study: Zinc in the environment

Article

Case study: Zinc in the environment

We use chemicals every day, and they’re all around us. We know different chemicals come in different forms and that they will behave differently in different ...

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Chemical contaminants in the environment

Article

Chemical contaminants in the environment

Did you know there are over 30,000 chemicals approved for use across Aotearoa New Zealand? Who approves and regulates the use of these chemicals? How do ...

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Exploring enduring competencies with Kiwi Kai

Article

Exploring enduring competencies with Kiwi Kai

Kiwi Kai is an online learning tool that is an ideal context to learn about science capabilities and enduring competencies. Scenarios in this virtual farm encourage ...

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Kiwi Kai – key terms

Article

Kiwi Kai – key terms

Kiwi Kai is a farm simulator that explores the relationships between a healthy environment, healthy kai, healthy people and communities. The goal is manaakihia te taiao, ...

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Kiwi Kai virtual farm – an introduction

Article

Kiwi Kai virtual farm – an introduction

Kiwi Kai is an engaging online learning tool – this virtual farm allows students to explore the relationships between a healthy environment, healthy kai, healthy people ...

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Sniffing out bee disease

Article

Sniffing out bee disease

American foulbrood (AFB) is a highly infectious disease that infects bee larvae. It costs the beekeeping industry millions of dollars a year and threatens the role ...

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Improving sheep genetics with CT scanning

Article

Improving sheep genetics with CT scanning

In the continuous drive to improve farm animal genetics and meat quality, agricultural researchers and farmers have often adapted medical imaging and diagnostic tools used in ...

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Breeding low-methane sheep

Article

Breeding low-methane sheep

Green rolling hills studded with fluffy white sheep is an image New Zealand has traded on for decades, both to promote our wool and meat and ...

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Dairy innovations – targeting climate change

Article

Dairy innovations – targeting climate change

The dairy sector is big business in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first refrigerated exports began in 1882 with a 98-day journey to ship milk and butter ...

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The primary sector and climate change

Article

The primary sector and climate change

Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary sector exports reached a record $56 billion in 2023. Milk is packed with nutrients and is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, ...

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Climate change – implications for dairy farming

Article

Climate change – implications for dairy farming

Weather always brings challenges for the farming community, but climate change has the potential to create additional risks. The dairy and agricultural sectors produce about half ...

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Pasture plants

Article

Pasture plants

We often think of pasture as grassy areas where cows, sheep or other animals graze, but if we take a closer look, there is a lot ...

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Dairy farming and the nitrogen cycle

Article

Dairy farming and the nitrogen cycle

Understanding the nitrogen cycle – the transformations that nitrogen undergoes as it moves between the atmosphere, the land and living things – is an important part ...

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Ruminant digestion

Article

Ruminant digestion

Ruminants are mammals with specialised digestive systems that use fermentation processes to gain nutrients from plant material. Cattle, sheep, deer and goats are all ruminants. They ...

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Plantain research

Article

Plantain research

Plantain has been in the spotlight as scientists and farmers investigate its usefulness as pasture feed and its potential environmental benefits. Dr Ina Pinxterhuis and Dr ...

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Plantain

Article

Plantain

Plantain is the common name for around 200 plants in the family Plantaginaceae. There are about 20 species in Aotearoa New Zealand, including 10 endemic species. ...

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Dairy farming – key terms

Article

Dairy farming – key terms

This resource provides explanations of the key concepts and terms encountered when exploring some of the science that supports sustainable dairy farming. Cultivar Dairy effluent Dry ...

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Dairy farming solutions

Article

Dairy farming solutions

The Waikato region has the highest number of dairy farms in New Zealand. It also has the largest number of dairy cattle – over 1.2 million ...

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Magnesium

Article

Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element – a substance that contains only one type of atom. Its official chemical symbol is Mg, and its atomic number is ...

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Global action

Article

Global action

Climate change is a complex topic, and this article breaks key aspects down into accessible, bite-sized sections. It concisely explains some of the science ideas associated ...

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1080 and water quality

Article

1080 and water quality

New Zealand uses 1080 to control introduced pests. Decades of research show that 1080 degrades quickly in water and soil. There are also regulations that protect ...

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