Project details
Status: Current
At a glance
- Australia's first dedicated zero net emissions (ZNE) horticulture demonstration farm is being established at TIA's Vegetable Research Facility at Forthside, in North-West Tasmania.
- The demonstration farm will be used to test sustainable farming practices, such as new technologies and alternative input strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (nitrous oxide) and boost productivity.
- The project will also generate baseline data about emissions under current management strategies.
- Research will be co-designed with farmers and industry to ensure valuable and practical results for Tasmanian farmers.
Why zero emissions in horticulture?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture is critical to achieving national and global climate goals, including the Australian Government's target of net-zero by 2050.
Agriculture contributes approximately 14% of Australia's overall national greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrous oxide from fertilisers is responsible for almost a quarter of these emissions.
The ZNE Horticulture Demonstration Farm at Forthside will help the Australian horticultural industry transition to a lower emissions future.
The research
The demonstration farm will be established in 2025 and will run over a four-year crop rotation cycle.
Trials will compare traditional inputs (e.g. NPK fertiliser) with alternative inputs for potato, peas, broccoli, carrots and onion. The focus areas include:
- Reducing or optimising synthetic nitrogen inputs for each crop to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
- Increased cover crops to bring symbiotically fixed nitrogen into the system.
- Monitor emissions generated from conventional and alternative management programs, along with yield, quality, and productivity attributes
- Validate scalable and profitable practices that align with Australia’s net-zero goals.
Results from this project will help farmers make decisions about whether solutions are economically worthwhile, practical and sustainable.
Related stories
For more information contact:
Tory Clarke, Research Fellow in Production Horticulture
Acknowledgements:
This project received funding from the Tasmanian Government through the Agricultural Innovation Fund. It is a collaboration with Tasmanian farmers and industry, who have provided input into co-designed research trials.