Catchment Solutions Project Masterclass training: Farm Drainage Management

Associate Professor Ranvir Singh, Research Officer Fernando Avendaño, Research Technician Ross Gray, and Professor Daivd Horne (all of Massey University) and Senior Scientist Dr Lee Burbey (Dairy NZ) will share their knowledge, experience and tools in scoping, design, construction and operational management of innovative drainage management technologies in diverse landscapes.

This free masterclass training will be delivered over 4 weeks, including 3 weeks of online tutorials and exercises (5 to 7 hours per week), and 2 days of in-person discussion, presentations, exercises and field visits to pilot demonstration sites.

We have a limited number of spaces available, so get in quick to register your interest.

Online tutorial and exercises: from 18 November to 13 December 2024.

In-person presentations, exercises, discussion and field visits: 11 and 12 December 2024.

You will potentially receive a Certificate of Completion for this course (TBC).

Please register your interest with your name, contact details – email and phone number, and a brief (max 100 words) outline of your interest and how you think that this course will help you. Registration cut-off date is Friday 1 November 2024.

Where numbers exceed capacity, we reserve the right to select applicants based on merit and diversity. Please do not lock in travel plans until we confirm your acceptance.

This course is for you if you are interested in catchment and farm water quality mitigations, developing your own farm plan or advising farmer clients on actions for their farm environment plans, coordinating a catchment group, or supporting rural catchment communities in their journey towards productive and sustainable agriculture systems.

You will gain a sound understanding of agricultural drainage and some innovative management technologies to reduce nutrient losses. Artificially constructed surface and sub-surface drains are an important component of many productive farm systems with either poorly drained soil types or shallow groundwater conditions, across large areas of New Zealand. They help to remove excess soil water, improve soil aeration, increase soil strength and plant growth during wet periods. However, they can also act as critical flow pathways for losses of nutrients (e.g., nitrate) from the soil profile.

This course will give you insights into the concepts and science behind novel edge-of-field technologies such as controlled (managed) drainage, woodchip bioreactors, drainage water recycling, and environmentally friendly drain design on farms. You will acquire skills and tools to identify suitable sites, carry out design and implementation, and advise on operation and maintenance of innovative and practical drainage management techniques across a diversity of farming landscapes.

You will be trained in developing appropriately sized of woodchip bioreactors, layout of controlled drainage structures, and assess the feasibility of drainage water harvesting and reuse on a farm. You will learn how to construct a woodchip bioreactor, including material required, and indicative cost-benefit analysis.

Find out more about the Catchment Solutions Project here

, Associate Professor in Environmental Hydrology and Soil Science at Farmed Landscapes Research Centre, Massey University in Palmerston North. Ranvir brings over 15 years of experience and expertise in research and research-led teaching in water quality science focused on measurements, mapping and modelling of critical flow pathways, spatially-variable nitrate attenuation (reduction) in shallow groundwaters, and development of novel edge-of-field technologies and practices to reduce losses of nutrients and suspended sediments from agricultural lands to receiving waters. Ranvir has been leading the MPI SFF co-funded, ‘Innovative drainage management technologies’ and MfE and HBRC co-funded, ‘Catchment Solutions’ projects collaborating with catchment groups and farmers on co-learning, exchange, and outreach for targeted and effective water quality mitigation measures in agricultural catchments.

, Research Officer in Catchment Solutions at Massey University, Palmerston North. Fernando’s main areas of research involve evaluating the effects of agricultural systems on soil and water, particularly focused on the losses of nutrients and sediments, and how to mitigate these effects by using novel edge-of-field practices. To do this, Fernando applies tools such as field-scale and catchment-scale modelling, Geographic Information Systems, and geospatial data collection, manipulation and analysis. Fernando’s interests involve modelling and programming workflows, catchment water quality, soil physical and chemical characterisation and mapping, pedology and geomorphology.

: Dave’s main research and teaching interests are in soil physics and soil water management, particularly as they intersect with the identification of sustainable land use, and quantifying and reducing the impacts of primary production systems on the environment. He has been involved with numerous field and modelling studies of mitigation options for reducing contaminant loss, and has worked with both farm management (in-field) and edge-of field practices. He is also involved with many of Massey’s professional development courses in; Sustainable nutrient management, Greenhous gas emission, and Farm dairy effluent management.

Senior water quality scientist at DairyNZ. Lee has 25+ years of experience in contaminant hydrogeology, much of which has been focussed on characterising the fate and transport of nitrate in NZ groundwater. Since 2014 Lee has led research in the field of woodchip denitrifying bioreactors to assess their viability as an edge-of-field N-mitigation practice, targeting removal of nitrate from both groundwater and surface water. Lee has much theoretical and practical knowledge in the design, construction, operation and monitoring of woodchip bioreactors, and constructed wetlands, implemented at the farm-scale.

, Senior Research Technician in Catchment Solutions at Massey University, Palmerston North. Ross contributes extensive and diverse technical expertise from 43+ yrs working in Soils, Ag/Hort, Hydrological and Ecological Research; plus, Engineering, Tech Writing, I.T. Communications, and Technical Extension. Collaborating with experts, catchment groups, landowners, farmers and contractors; Ross leads the construction, operation and performance monitoring of pilot demonstrations of novel edge-of-field water quality mitigation technologies. Ross has significant expertise in construction of farm-scale structures of controlled drainage, woodchip bioreactor, constructed wetland, and detainment bunds.

The Catchment Solutions Project (CSP) aims to enhance rural capability to achieve essential freshwater outcomes and would like to acknowledge the very generous funding from the Ministry for Environment (Essential Freshwater Fund), in collaboration with co-funding from Hawkes Bay Regional Council (HBRC) and in-kind contributions from DairyNZ and Hawkes Bay Regional Council.

CSP is a 3-year collaborative project focused on co-learning, exchange, and outreach for targeted and effective water quality mitigation measures, focused on design and construction of innovative edge-of-field mitigation structures.

CSP is led by Massey University Farmed Landscapes Research Centre (FLRC) and acknowledges its collaboration and support received from DairyNZ in developing and delivery of this masterclass training focused on learning practical skills in design and implementation of innovative farm drainage management technologies to reduce nutrient losses.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Massey University, Massey University Manawatu Campus, Palmerston North, New Zealand