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Grazed grasslands cover about 55% of the national land area.

Soil carbon: which on-farm interventions does the science support?

The world’s soils have been calculated to contain 1,700 gigatonnes of organic carbon to a depth of 1 metre, which is more than the mass o...

Spraying in progress in the kiwifruit orchard. Plastic covers were used to protect the soil surface and provide unsprayed controls.

Springtail safari: a field-based assessment of agrichemical use

Soil fauna are an essential component of virtually all terrestrial ecosystems. They are usually categorised by size into microfauna (2 to...

View of Kaimaumau wetland a few months after the 2024 fire, showing some regrowth of vegetation

Calculating carbon emissions from peat fires and peaty soils

Huge amounts of carbon were lost in recent human-caused fires at two of Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ)’s most important wetlands – the Kaima...

LiDAR-based SedNetNZ model predictions of net sediment yield from surface erosion in the Napier area. Green and yellow colours show more sediment yield.

SedNetNZ erosion modelling now powered by LiDAR data

SedNetNZ is a soil erosion model developed by Manaaki Whenua that predicts the generation and transport of sediment through river network...

  1. Small tree patches: big impact on carbon storage in New Zealand grasslands

    A new study reveals small tree patches can have mighty environmental, economic, and cultural benefits in grassland landscapes across Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ).

  2. Digging for treasure: AI tool to help scientists access soil research under development

    Callaghan Innovation and Manaaki Whenua are digging into artificial intelligence to develop a tool to help scientists uncover a treasure trove of soil research insights. The AI tool, named SoilInsights, will help Manaaki Whenua scientists seeking to access its extensive digital library, enabling the...

  3. Profile update: when soil science gets competitive

    Manaaki Whenua’s soil scientists are leaders in their field – especially below the ground surface! Many are also active in the New Zealand Society of Soil Science, including Dr Pierre Roudier (the society’s incoming president for 2025-26), Dr Sam Carrick (immediate past-president), and Dr Kirstin De...

  4. S-map Online: wider coverage, better decision-making

    Aotearoa New Zealand is internationally recognised as having a high diversity of soil types, with our online soil mapping tool S-map identifying 4,844 soil siblings (types) in the 11 million hectares of the country mapped so far. This represents around 73% of the multiple-use land of AoNZ (in Land U...

  5. And Vanuatu makes six

    The Pacific Soils Portal has had an upgrade: Vanuatu has become the sixth island nation to be covered by this popular service, with Vanuatu’s national soil dataset now saved from potential loss, and readily available for use.

  6. Good practice winter grazing adopted by farmers

    Intensive winter grazing of livestock is a common practice in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). Livestock are grazed on an annual forage crop such as swede, kale, fodder beet or oats to feed stock over winter when pasture growth is reduced, particularly in colder southern regions. The typically high dens...

  7. Understanding cultural values and the impact of sediment in and around the Wairoa River

    Following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle, Wairoa was described as a town under mud. The town, about 100km south of Gisborne, was cut off from Tairāwhiti, as well as Hawke’s Bay, after the destruction of the Putorino bridge connecting it to Napier. The river which runs through the town was heav...

  8. News in brief

    Holden Hohaia, Chief Advisor Te Tiriti Strategy, showcasing Manaaki Whenua's QGIS capabilities to whānau

    In November, kaimahi from our Manaaki Taiao team traveled to Kaikōura to attend Hui-ā-iwi, showcasing our research to 2,000 Ngāi Tahu whānau.

    The biannual event, this year hosted by by Te Rūnan...

  9. Celebrating our achievements

    Celebrating recent achievements of Manaaki Whenua staff

  10. Understanding the rongoā potential of your whenua

    “The first teacher of rongoā Māori is the ngahere, te Wao Nui a Tāne, the forest itself”
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