A New Vision for Hill Country

Transform your farm with native trees

For livestock farming in New Zealand hill country, it isn't easy to balance the productivity of your operation and the costs of environmental conservation.

A potential solution for you could be native silvopastoral systems, where individual native trees are grown in paddocks at 12-20 metres wide spacings.

We have researched their use in New Zealand hill country farms with extremely positive results.

A silvopaster graving operation involving cows

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Who can benefit from native silvopastoral systems?

Research has demonstrated a wide range of benefits of native silvopastoral systems:

For the livestock farmer, our preliminary research indicates potential for over 100% increases in production under tree canopies compared to open pasture in summer dry sites.
The trees can be successfully established at rates of up to 98% on steep hill country when planted at the right site.
Plantings qualify for carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme, providing an estimated income of $75-150 per ha per yr for 30 years.
The trees provide shade, which has been shown to increase cattle grazing by 41 minutes on days hotter than 25°C in New Zealand.
The trees would provide shelter to lambs in cold and wet springs.
Planting long-lived native trees can reduce landslide erosion and provide sustainable habitat for native birds.

The best part is that if you pick the right tree species, it will grow for at least 100 years, providing lasting benefits to the farm.

Verdantia Research was founded by Dr Tom Mackay-Smith, a Landscape Ecologist and Soil Scientist who previously worked at Massey University, and Dr Raphael Spiekermann, a Geomorphologist and Geospatial Modeller who previously worked at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Research.

We are active scientists with nearly two decades of combined research experience working on native silvopastoral systems in New Zealand and overseas.