Biodiversity trials
Evaluation trials for native plant species have been established at two sites, Mahia and Massey No 4. Species evaluated include Houhere (Hoheria populnea), Pāpāuma (Griselinia littoralis), Karamū (Coprosma robusta), Whauwhaupaku (Pseudopanax arboreus), Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium), and Kinuyanagi (Salix schwerinii). Trials at Mahia and Massey No 4 have been assessed for survival, vigour and forage traits.
Soil Monitoring
Monitoring sensor networks for soil temperature and soil moisture have also been established on this farm. The temperature and soil moisture sensors are placed at a depth of 30 cm. These sensor networks record data in onboard storage and report back to cloud storage via a gateway site to the cell phone data network. The data from these sensor networks are being used to test capability to map the spatial pattern of both temperature and moisture across complex hill country landscapes and relate this to productivity models for legumes.