Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

Collaborative research

Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit

Our focus on complex environmental issues across sectors and spatial scales complements the capabilities of the primary–sector CRIs (AgResearch, Scion and Plant & Food Research) that are principally focused on economic performance within their sectors. We collaborate with them on environmental issues of relevance to specific sectors (e.g. greenhouse gases in the dairy sector, and plant diseases in the kiwifruit sector). Similarly, we complement other CRIs and universities with an interest in the natural environment (NIWA and GNS Science, especially). We collaborate with NIWA on issues linking land use to water quality and quantity, and with GNS Science on long–term land erosion issues. Landcare Research plays a key role in leading geo–informatics and data management across the CRIs and universities, most recently through NeSI.

All of our larger sites are located on or close by university campuses to facilitate collaboration.

Formal collaborative research centres and networks

We are formal partners in several collaborative research centres with universities, other CRIs and sectoral groups:

  • The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) – a partnership of five CRIs, Massey and Lincoln universities, DairyNZ and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGgRC)
  • The New Zealand Climate Change Centre (NZCCC) with Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, and all the CRIs
  • The Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB) with the University of Auckland, including the Joint Graduate School
  • The Centre for Urban Ecosystem Sustainability (CUES) with the University of Auckland
  • The New Zealand Life Cycle Management Centre (NZLCMC) with Massey University and three other CRIs
  • The New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities with University of Otago and five other partners
  • The National e–Science Infrastructure (NeSI) high–performance supercomputers with the Government, Universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago, and NIWA

Formal research networks and consortia

We are members of:

  • The KiwImage consortium, a multi–agency, 5–year programme to acquire new higher resolution, multipurpose satellite imagery for all of New Zealand and its subantarctic islands.
  • The Regional Councils’ Biodiversity Forum, which decides regional priorities for biodiversity research.
  • The Sustainable Land Use Research Initiative (SLURI) that pools soil science expertise across three CRIs to develop new tools for regulators and land managers (failure to sustain our soil and water resources will put $2.16 billion of our total GDP at risk).
  • Integrated Research for Aquifer Protection (IRAP) with four CRIs, DairyNZ, Lincoln Environmental, Aqualinc and Environment Canterbury. The focus is on developing agriculture and rural economies while ensuring water remains clean, available and contaminant–free. The end–user advisory group includes regional and district councils, MAF, MfE, FAR, HortNZ, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and Federated Farmers.
  • NzOnet, a network of nitrous oxide researchers from four CRIs, two universities and DairyNZ.
  • Methanet, a framework of methane researchers from four CRIs, two universities and DairyNZ.
  • CarbonNet, a network of soil carbon researchers from five CRIs and three universities.