Research Projects

Our team work alongside industry, farmers, and government to deliver projects. We focus on leading impactful projects, pulling across our network of industry connections.

Agrivoltaics

Strip Till Fodderbeet

Solar Integration

Could integrating solar and livestock farming be an option for your farm?

As part of the 22-23 Our Land and Water Rural Professionals Fund, Tambo, alongside Victoria University of Wellington and Infratec collaborated on understanding the opportunities and constraints facing farmers integrating solar into their farm systems.

This included a technical and economic feasibility assessment, gauging farmer interest and potential barriers to adoption, and exploring the literature to identify the potential farming, environmental, and social outcomes.

Farmers Booklet

In this booklet you will find a summary of the project including the financial and technoeconomic analysis for both the dairy, and sheep and beef scenarios.

Download the Farmers Booklet

Suitability Tool - Canterbury

Use the agrivoltaic assessment tool if you have an interest in knowing if your property could be suitable for solar.

Download the Solar Tool

Final Report

The final report details the findings of the agrivoltaic project including the methodology and workshop discussion.

Download the Final Report

Agrivoltaics webinar

The webinar brought together a panel of industry experts including a solar farm developer, district council planner, and researchers to explore the opportunities for integrating solar energy production into your livestock farm.

Webinar Recording

This work was funded by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s Our Land and Water (Toitū te Whenua, Toiora te Wai) National Science Challenge, contract C10X1901, as part of the Rural Professional Fund 2022-23

Empower
Growth

Agrivoltaics webinar - Could different cultivation methods improve fodder beet productivity and environmental outcomes?

The webinar brought together a panel of industry experts including a solar farm developer, district council planner, and researchers to explore the opportunities for integrating solar energy production into your livestock farm.

The strip till fodder beet project is assessing the potential environmental and financial benefits of using strip tillage as a cultivation method.

As less of the soil is cultivated it is anticipated that the soil maintains its structure. Therefore resulting in less run off and potentially less nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment moving into surface water. Over the 2023 winter, these key metrics were measured so check back here early 2024 to see the results.

This project is lead by Megan Fitzgerald alongside Anna Vaughan (Tambo), Jim Earl (Sheep and beef farmer) and Simon Bailey (Frames Grain and Seed).

Further information can be found below:

Farmers Weekly – Strip tilling fodder beet