New plantain research a turning point for dairy

A new $22 million research initiative is underway to help dairy farmers improve freshwater quality – through using plantain pastures.

The Plantain Potency and Practice programme is designed to help dairy farmers meet environmental goals, government regulations and market expectations.

Modelling by DairyNZ forecasts a potential reduction of 15,000 tonnes per year of nitrate-nitrogen leached on 4200 New Zealand dairy farms in nitrogen-sensitive catchments per year by 2035. This is a 37 percent reduction from current levels.

Plantain use is predicted to lead to flow-on benefits to national and regional economies. This is due to farmers spending less on other nitrate leaching solutions, therefore having more money to spend on goods and services. Plantain use is expected to save farmers more than $1 billion per decade.

The work will focus on proving plantain’s effectiveness at reducing nitrate leaching, investigating regional effects and protecting the supply chain. The programme will use PGG Wrightson Seeds’ Ecotain environmental plantain, because it already has proven effectiveness.

The work aims to give farmers confidence to invest in growing plantain as an animal feed on their farms throughout New Zealand. An evaluation system will be developed to assess the environmental benefits of other plantain cultivars.
“This programme is very exciting and is geared at delivering many positive outcomes for farmers, the environment and New Zealand’s economy,” said DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle.

“Plantain offers the sector real potential to deliver a new, effective option for farmers. This research is a platform to see what it can really do for farming and our waterways. Dairy farmers have a long history of innovation on-farm. This is a great example of Government, farmers and organisations working together to refine our practices and technologies.”

Associate Agriculture Minister Hon Meka Whaitiri announced an $8.98 million Government grant over seven years to expand the innovative sector-run Plantain Potency and Practice programme.

Programme partners DairyNZ, PGG Wrightson Seeds and Fonterra welcome the grant from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.

The three partners are collectively investing $10.47 million in cash and $2.8 million in kind.

“New Zealand dairy farmers are already world leaders when it comes to sustainable milk production, and this is about offering another practical way to improve environmental performance on farm,” said Fonterra director on farm excellence Charlotte Rutherford.

“The programme will look at the impact of Ecotain pastures right across the supply chain – from the farm to the consumer and everything in between, including our manufacturing processes.

“Our goal is to develop a quality solution that can be applied at scale across farms nationwide. The partners will work closely with farmers to ensure the solutions work for them, are achievable and fit well into New Zealand farming systems.”

Ecotain was developed by seed company Agricom (one of PGG Wrightson Seeds’ businesses). Additional delivery partners in the Plantain Potency and Practice programme are Lincoln University, Massey University, Lincoln Agritech, AgResearch, Plant & Food Research and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.