Fieldays 2024

Each year, AgResearch highlights some of our science at the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event, Fieldays. This year is no exception with our scientists gearing up for some big conversations at Mystery Creek.

Join us

Imagine a world with greater productivity, healthier animals and less environmental impact: it's possible

Our theme for 2024 is Farming for Climate Resilience. Our scientists are researching both high- and low-technology solutions to help farmers adapt and thrive in the face of coming challenges.

We're joined on our stand by fellow Crown Research Institute, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, where we'll showcase opportunities in pasture management, including deferred grazing as a management tool, and the use of genetic technologies such as genetic modification (GM) and gene editing (GEd) to benefit New Zealand agriculture.

We'll also showcase AgPAC, our portable accumulation chambers, in the 'Science for Farmers' stand; offering cutting-edge solutions for measuring livestock methane emissions on pasture.

Fieldays is being held Tuesday 12 - 15 June 2024 in Mystery Creek, Hamilton. Our stand is located inside the Mystery Creek Pavilion at site PD30 and Science for Farmers is at F29-33.

Purchase your Fieldays ticket

Interactive map

Fieldays 2024 site map, the AgResearch stand is located inside the Mystery Creek Pavilion (dark blue)

Showcasing our research

Genetic technologies such as genetic modification and gene editing have been the subject of debate for decades, but with technological advances allowing more precision, the government has indicated changes to regulation to allow greater use in New Zealand. The work AgResearch is doing with commercial partners includes:

High metabolisable energy (HME) ryegrass - a modified ryegrass which could reduce environmental impacts, alongside boosting animal nutrition and farm productivity, is expected to be fed to livestock for the first time next year to further explore the benefits discovered in containment trials.
Gene edited endophytes - the addition of selected fungi called Epichloë endophytes to ryegrass has saved New Zealand billions of dollars over the past 30 years, and now gene editing technology could provide even greater benefits through targeted changes to these endophytes.
High condensed tannin white clover - high condensed tannin (HiCT) white clover has been modified to boost the level of condensed tannins present, improving the productivity of pastures while also improving livestock health.

Deferred grazing - we'll also highlight this management tool, which helps to maintain pasture quality from mid-spring onwards. It involves dropping some paddocks out of the rotation to optimise grazing pressure on the remaining paddocks, so pasture quality is maintained at farm-scale.

Data supermarket (external link)- part of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge's Whitiwhiti Ora research, the Data Supermarket is a repository of data about the ingredients, food and fibre we can grow in New Zealand, now and in the future. The supermarket includes information about a wide variety of vegetable, fruit, arable, animal, plant and tree crops, plus climate and economic data. The wide range of new datasets provide a broad understanding of the benefits and consequences of many land use opportunities.

Join us on stand PD30 and chat to our scientists, who are keen to discuss our research and answer your questions.