Peter Bishop

Massey University · Institute of Agriculture and Environment

A lysimeter-soil retriever (LSR) is a device used to retrieve the soil with minimum disturbance from lysimeters. This device makes the process of sampling intact soil layers from lysimeters easier and faster, especially when a large number of lysimeters are being sampled. In this study, mini lysimeters (200 mm diameter and 25 kg weight) were used t...

A lysimeter-soil retriever (LSR) is a device used to retrieve the soil with minimum disturbance from lysimeters. This device makes the process of sampling intact soil layers from lysimeters easier and faster especially when a large number of lysimeters are being sampled. In this study, mini lysimeters (200 mm diameter and 25 kg weight) were used to...

Agriculture plays a significant role in economic development and livelihood and is a key contributor to food security and nutrition. However, global concerns regarding the sustainability of the agricultural sector (mainly environmental damage) is linked to agricultural activities such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water pollution, and loss of...

Nitrate (NO3 −-N) leaching from urine patches is a serious environmental concern in dairy pastoral systems. In our previous research, we established that application of a plant growth hormone , gibberellic acid (GA), can potentially reduce NO3 −-N leaching in urine patches; however, this was investigated in two locations in New Zealand. The perform...

Banks of lysimeters coupled with an environment-control unit (ECU) were developed for iteratively testing controlled-release fertilisers. Ryegrass was fertilised with 200 kg N kg⁻¹ (single initial application) and grown for three months under a climate emulating Taranaki, New Zealand in the lysimeter system. Drainage and monthly dry matter (DM) yie...

Ammonia oxidation to hydroxylamine is catalyzed by the ammonia monooxygenase enzyme and copper (Cu) is a key element for this process. We investigated the effect of soil bioavailable Cu changes induced through the application of Cu-complexing compounds on nitrification rate, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) amoA gene abundance, an...

The N losses and agronomic performances of newly developed slow-releasing fertilisers (SRFs; Epox5 and Poly5) were tested against conventional N fertilisers, urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP), in a climate-controlled lysimeter system. The dry matter (DM) yield and N losses of SRFs were not significantly different from urea and DAP. However, nitra...

Copper (Cu) is the main co‐factor in the functioning of the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) enzyme, which is responsible for the first step of ammonia oxidation. We report a greenhouse‐based pot experiment that examines the response of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB and AOA) to different bioavailable Cu concentrations in three pastoral soi...

The effect of newly developed controlled-release fertilisers (CRFs); Epox5 and Ver-1 and two levels of Fe2+ applications (478 and 239 kg-FeSO4 ha−1) on controlling nitrogen (N) losses, were tested on ryegrass, in a climate-controlled lysimeter system. The Epox5 and Ver-1 effectively decreased the total N losses by 37 and 47%, respectively, compared...

This lysimeter study investigated the effect of late-autumn application of dicyandiamide (DCD), co-poly acrylic-maleic acid (PA-MA), calcium lignosulphonate (LS), a split-application of calcium lignosulphonate (2LS), and a combination of gibberellic acid (GA) and LS (GA + LS) to reduce N leaching losses during May 2020 to December 2020 in lysimeter...

PurposeThe ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) enzyme catalyses the first step of ammonia oxidation into hydroxylamine, and copper (Cu) is the main co-factor in its functioning. We hypothesise that bioavailable Cu in soil is a limiting factor for nitrification. An increase in bioavailable Cu will increase nitrification, while a reduction in bioavailable Cu...

Two polyester-lignite composite coated urea controlled-release fertilisers (CRFs; Poly3 and Poly5) were developed and their physicochemical properties were studied. Both these CRFs significantly (p < 0.05) extended the urea release compared to uncoated urea; Poly3 and Poly5 by 117 and 172 hours, respectively. The urea release characteristics of Pol...

Directly applied igneous phosphate rocks (PR) are agronomically ineffective because they are intrinsically unreactive. The main process by which PRs are solubilised in soils by microorganisms and plants is through the exudation of low molecular weight organic acids, which have a short lifespan in soils, thereby limiting the period of PR dissolution...

Purpose There is concern about nitrification inhibitor (NI) residues in soil and pasture plants and their potential entry into food-chain when NIs are applied to pastures to mitigate nitrogen (N) losses. Monitoring of NI residues necessitates development of quantitative methods for their extraction and analysis in soil and pasture samples. Methods...

In order to alleviate salt- and water-stress in plants, innovative and economically-feasible techniques are needed. In this study, pumice and biochar (made from willow at 350 °C) of different particle sizes (1.5-, 3-, and 6-cm Ø) were separately added at different rates (3, 6, and 12%, v/v basis) to a sandy soil and their effects on soil salinity a...

The effect of three surface applied nitrate leaching mitigation treatments 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), sodium chlorate (ClO3-) and a combination of Gibberellic acid and Lignosulphonate (GA + LS) at two levels (R1, R2) were compared to a single level of dicyandiamide (DCD, 10 kg ha−1) in lysimeter field sites in Canterbury and the Manawat...

We investigated whether individual or combined additions of either pumice (PU) and/or algae (AL) to a sandy soil could alleviate the impact of irrigation with saline water on the growth of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) under simulated semi-arid conditions. The study included six treatments that received saline water (6.4 dS m⁻¹): T1 (sand – positive...

Conversion from perennial pasture to forage cropping to increase animal feed production is widely adopted on steep pastoral hill country landscapes in New Zealand. However, the effect of this conversion on the leaching and availability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil denitrification is unknown. This study examined the effect of a forage...

The two forage species used in New Zealand pastoral agricultural systems, chicory (Cichorium intybus) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata) show differential ability to absorb and translocate cadmium (Cd) from roots to shoots. Chicory can accumulate Cd from even low Cd soils to levels that might exceed regulatory guidelines for Cd in fodder crops and...

The lack of low-cost phosphorus fertilizers is a major limitation for food production on Zimbabwe’s many smallholdings. A thermally fused magnesium phosphate could be manufactured from the local Dorowa phosphate rock (PR) but would be expensive because of the high cost of required additives and energy. This paper investigates the phosphorus solubil...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant in New Zealand agricultural systems that is associated with the long-term application of high rates of superphosphate fertilizer. Although Cd is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root system of many plant species and can be subsequently transported...

Influence of soil Cd levels on root exudate secretion in chicory and plantain

Urine patches represent hot-spots of nitrogen (N) loss in dairy-grazed soils. Targeted application of urease and nitrification inhibitors that slow down certain N transformations in the urine patches is a potential method to reduce N losses. However, for optimum effectiveness the inhibitors need to be in close physical contact with the urine in the...

A biochar product that can supply the phosphorus (P) needs of growing crops will be highly advantageous for smallholder farmers in acidic, P fixing and P deficient soils. In this study, non-reactive Dorowa phosphate rock (DPR) from Zimbabwe was added to maize residues (stems + leaves) at ratios of 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8 (w/w) and pyrolyzed at 450 o...

In New Zealand livestock industry urine patches contribute significantly to NO3-leaching and N2O emissions in grazed pastures. To mitigate the environmental impacts from grazed pastures, different approaches such as use of alternative forage species, and nitrification and urease inhibitors have been applied. However, to date there is no cost-effect...

Recent studies indicate that elevated levels of Cd in New Zealand agricultural soils can lead to high Cd accumulation in forage species such as chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.). These studies suggest the different abilities of pastoral species to either absorb Cd by roots or to translocate it from roots to shoots...

When pasture supply becomes limiting during the summer dry period in the southern North Island of New Zealand, dairy cows often receive silage and forage crop dietary supplements. The present study investigated the effect of dietary change in late summer-autumn on cow’s urinary N excretion. Fifty-four dairy cows balanced for milk production, age, l...

Recent studies indicate that elevated levels of Cd in New Zealand agricultural soils can lead to high Cd accumulation in forage species such as chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.). These studies suggest the different abilities of pastoral species to either absorb Cd by roots or to translocate it from roots to shoots...

Reconstructed soil packing is an alternative for monolithic soil columns in lysimeter studies. The excavated soil is packed in uniform layers to represent the natural soil conditions. Reconstructed soil packing alters the physical properties, including bulk density and porosity, thus can distort the hydraulic properties of the soil, so consistency...

A lysimetric study was carried out with an objective of evaluating the leaching behaviour of different fertilisers on spinach growth on Manawatu sandy soil. The fertiliser treatments applied were urea, two controlled release fertilisers called 'g'and 'SmartN' at the rates of 50 kg N/ha (50N), 100 kg N/ha (100N) and 200 kg N/ha (200N). The 200 kg N/...

The quantification of the nitrate attenuation capacity of pastoral hill country wet areas, especially seepage wetlands, would aid in the proper management of hill country farms for improved water quality outcomes. This study investigated the denitrification capacity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and chemistry of wet areas and adjace...

The physical and chemical characteristics of mined phosphate rock will vary temporally as the location and nature of the ore body changes and as the type of equipment used in the beneficiation processes change over time. For the Dorowa phosphate rock (DPR) in Zimbabwe where economic challenges have affected the viability of phosphate rock mining an...

Lysimeters are important tools used in agricultural science research. They allow nutrient transport and uptake processes to be measured under controlled conditions. This technique is useful for studying the plants themselves or in our case the performance characterisitcs of the fertilisers used to deliver nutrients to the plants. The work presented...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant in New Zealand agricultural systems that is associated with the long-term application of high rates of superphosphate fertilizer. Although Cd is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root system of many plant species and can be subsequently transported...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant in New Zealand agricultural systems that is associated with the long-term application of high rates of superphosphate fertilizer. Although Cd is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root system of many plant species and can be subsequently transported...

This paper reports on work undertaken to use a large data set of hyperspectral data measured on dry soil samples to obtain regression analysis which allows predictions of pH and Olsen P to be obtained from an independent data set. The large data set was obtained from 3,190 soil samples taken from the Ravensdown Primary Growth Partnership to a depth...

This paper introduces a closed system lysimeter design to measure fertilizer performance on ryegrass. The lysimeter will measure plant mass growth, gas emissions and leachate in a controlled climate environment based on a long term 90 day spring climate from the Taranaki. A range of commercial fertilizers will be compared to bespoke fertilizers man...

This work examines two large data sets to demonstrate that hyperspectral proximal devices may be able to measure soil nutrient. One data set has 3189 soil samples from four hill country pastoral farms and the second data set has 883 soil samples taken from a stratified nested grid survey. These were regressed with spectra from a proximal hyperspect...

Intensive agricultural activities could affect the dynamics and leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrate from agricultural soils to receiving waters. This study investigated soil DOC dynamics immediately (0‐12 days) after spraying a hill country perennial pasture with agrochemicals to establish a winter forage crop for supplementary f...

Elevated levels of cadmium (Cd) concentration in New Zealand's agricultural soil is strongly related with the long-term high application rate of Cd-contaminated phosphate fertilizers. This hinders their use for the cultivation of high-value pasture and food crops within New Zealand Agricultural system. Although Cd is considered to be a non-essentia...

Elevated levels of cadmium (Cd) concentration in New Zealand's agricultural soil is strongly related with the long-term high application rate of Cd-contaminated phosphate fertilizers. This hinders their use for the cultivation of high-value pasture and food crops within New Zealand Agricultural system. Although Cd is considered to be a non-essentia...

Characterising the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and denitrification capacity of the soils and slopes in hill country is important in order to manage the leaching and availability of nitrate in ground and surface waters. This study investigated the DOC concentration and denitrification capacity of the soils and slope classes of a sub...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant associated with long-term high application rates of superphosphate fertiliser to soils used for dairying and horticulture. Although cadmium (Cd) is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root systems of many plant species and can be subsequently transpor...

Following the withdrawal of the nitrification inhibitor DCD by Ravensdown in 2012 there has been a significant gap in the mitigation toolbox for the reduction treatments of both the greenhouse gas N2O and nitrate leaching from dairy urine patches. Current developments by Pastoral Robotics Limited (PRL) to produce a commercial system, Spikey®, for d...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant associated with long-term high application rates of superphosphate fertiliser to soils used for dairying and horticulture. Although cadmium (Cd) is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root systems of many plant species and can be subsequently transpor...

Cadmium (Cd) is a key environmental contaminant associated with long-term high application rates of superphosphate fertiliser to soils used for dairying and horticulture. Although cadmium (Cd) is considered to be a non-essential element for plants, it is effectively absorbed by the root systems of many plant species and can be subsequently transpor...

Permanent pastures require periodic renewal (cultivation and resowing) to maintain their productive potential, which involves a short-term carbon (C) loss. Normal cultivation (ploughing or discing) often involves only the top 10–15 cm, or less, of pasture soils. A regrassing field trial with ryegrass plus white clover swards was established in 2011...

Urea concentrations in urine patches deposited during animal grazing can be over ten times higher than typical fertiliser application rates, potentially leading to large ammonia (NH3) losses. The process based NZ- DNDC model was modified to better simulate soil pH changes and ammonia (NH3) emissions following urine application using data collected...

Development of the Spikey® technology for detecting fresh urine patches in 2016 and 2017

Permanent pastures require periodic renewal (cultivation and re-sowing) to maintain their productive potential, which involves a short-term carbon (C) loss. Normal cultivation (ploughing or discing) often involves only the top 10–15cm, or less, of pasture soils. In lysimeter experiments, the inversion of a Pallic topsoil rich in particulate C accel...

FIELD This invention ('ORUN') relates to agricultural compositions and methods of use. The invention may be particularly suitable for use in increasing urine-nitrogen recovery by grazed pastures, and thereby reducing environmental loses and/or eutrophication. BACKGROUND

The Spikey® detection of fresh urine patches provides the platform for treating fresh cow urine patches to reduce losses of nitrogen (N) to the environment (Bates et al. 2015). The technology platform provides the platform to amend the urine patch soil-pasture environment in a variety of ways. The first method developed is spraying with ORUN ® , a...

Greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) producers are urged to reduce their environmental footprint. Here, the suitability of biochar produced from tomato crop green waste as a substrate for soilless, hydroponic tomato production was evaluated. Substrates containing different combinations of biochar (BC) and pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) sa...

Leaching of nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3-N) from cow urine patches is the most serious threat facing the future viability – environmental and possibly economic – of grazed dairy farms in New Zealand. Proposed solutions to this problem have largely focussed on changing the fundamental basis of the NZ year-round grazing model to one extent or another, all...

The addition of biochar–charcoal produced from pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials–to soil presents several challenges, mainly associated with its low bulk density, dustiness and the risk of loss when applied to hill pastures. Livestock could be an adequate vehicle for biochar delivery to New Zealand pastoral soils via dung pats; however, the poten...

In pasture systems, grazed by dairy and beef cattle, large fluxes of both urine N and C occur in the soil associated with urine patches. Various field and lysimeter studies have shown that urine patches enriched in N, whilst covering only 30% of the grazing area per annum are estimated to create 50% of the pasture growth, 50% of the N leached and 6...

Denitrification is an important nitrate (NO 3 -) attenuation process in soil-water systems. A sound understanding of this process will aid in the management and mitigation of the impacts of NO 3 -on groundwater and surface water quality. Denitrification in surface soils has been widely studied, but there are relatively few studies of its occurrence...

A sound understanding of the transport and fate of farm nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) is a key component in our understanding and management of the likely impacts of these nutrients on fresh water quality and ecosystem health. Denitrification is an important nitrate attenuation process in soil-water systems that significantly influenc...

This patent describes the use of the carboxylic polymer 'AlpHa' to mitigate heavy metal toxicity in acid soils (or in acid micro-sites in weakly acid soils), particularly aluminium (Al), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn).

The invention relates to an agricultural additive comprising one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of synthetic poly-carboxylic acids and silicate polymers, which has the effect of enhancing plant growth by reducing soil metal toxicity. 5 The invention further relates to an agricultural composition comprising the agricultural addi...

Although not always recognised as such, the major reason for the recommended application of sufficient lime to achieve a soil pH of 5.5 or more on New Zealand pastures is to ameliorate phytotoxic effects of water soluble cations of aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). However, evidence that increasing numbers of farms have sub-optimum soil...

The ability of the sodium salt of poly-carboxylic acid (AlpHa TM) produced by Advanced Agricultural Additives (NZ) Ltd to alleviate the symptoms of aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) phytotoxicity have been tested in pot and solution culture trials. In pot trials using acid soils (pH 4.2), AlpHa TM added with fine limestone achieved equiv...

Biochar is charcoal made from waste biomass and intended to be added to soil to improve soil function and reduce emissions from the biomass caused by natural degradation to CO2. Nitrogen (N) forms in biochar can be complex and their lability likely to be influenced by pyrolysis temperature which, together with the nature of carbon

Background and aims Biochars are highly variable in nutrient composition and availability, which are determined by types of feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. The aim of this research was to (a) study the bioavailability of phosphorus (P) in biochars using different feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions; (b) develop a robust chemical method for bioc...

The application of poly-carboxylic acids (PCA) to acid soils has been shown in field trials in the Mekong delta of Vietnam to increase rice production by up to 557 kg ha -1 when applied in association with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) compared to DAP alone. In New Zealand trials, the application of a low cost PCA AlpHa TM has increased production in...

See published full text for abstract. Full paper is available from URL http://www.massey.ac.nz/~flrc/publications.html

Surface-activated biochars not only represent a useful carbon sink, but can also act as useful filtering materials to extract plant nutrients (e.g. NH4+) from wastes (e.g. animal or municipal waste streams) and added thereafter to soils. Biochars produced by low-temperature pyrolysis of fibrous debarking waste from pine (PI) and eucalyptus (EU) wer...

A review of international ammonia volatilisation trials from surface applied urea, showed the potential risk from ammonia volatilisation to be in the range of 0 to 65% of applied N, dependent on soil properties (Martens and Bremner 1989; Watson 1990). Martens & Bremner (1998) and Watson (1990) showed that in 20 Iowa and 20 Irish soils respectively,...

In a field trial the application of 5 and 7% polyurethane coated controlled release urea, 10% dicyanodiamide coated urea and three x 50 split urea (SU) applications at 150 kg N/ha (150 N) increased winter pasture dry matter (DM) production of Italian ryegrass over the June-September period by between 1666 to 2240 kg DM/ha. These treatments also red...

To understand the potential impacts of biochar on New Zealand soils, it is crucial to assess its capability to achieve a desired soil outcome. The present research is focused on (i) the characterization of biochars obtained from different types of feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions, (ii) the use of pre-treatments to enhance surface activity of bio...