&quot;Humbled and
surprised” is how AgResearch Senior Scientist and NZAGRC Project Leader Dr Jiafa
Luo describes his reaction to hearing his name read out as the winner of the
Gallagher Agricultural Science Award at this year’s KuDos Hamilton Science
Excellence Awards.


 


He says he didn’t think he
would be the winner, as he was up against strong competition from the other
finalist, LIC (Livestock Improvement Corporation), in the awards, which are
held annually, celebrating Waikato scientists and their world-leading research
and innovation. As well as agricultural science, the categories include
environmental science, medical science, science educator and lab technician.


 


Jiafa is a key player in
the New Zealand nitrous oxide research space and his work is having impacts
both nationally and internationally. For the past 10 years Jiafa has been planning
and leading many large-scale research programmes investigating country-specific
nitrous oxide emission factors for deposited excreta in grazed pasture systems.
His work has included investigations into nitrous oxide emissions from sheep,
beef and dairy cow excreta on a range of soil types, land topographies and
farming systems throughout New Zealand. Results from his work have directly
impacted the NZ GHG inventory calculations, making them significantly more
accurate.


 


Jiafa has also led several
research projects investigating N2O emissions from applied nitrogen
fertilisers and farm dairy effluents. The data from these projects is the first
of this kind in New Zealand and has also been used as scientific evidence to
support the country-specific N2O emission factors for nitrogen
fertilisers and farm dairy effluent in grazed pasture systems. 


 


Jiafa has led several
research programme objectives examining mitigation technologies and practices
for reducing N2O emissions from grazed pasture systems. The NZAGRC, GPLER
and MPI funded programmes have tested and quantified the economic and
environmental benefits from adopting N2O mitigation strategies (such
as restricting grazing, nitrification inhibitors, novel plant species, and
timing of dairy farm effluent and nitrogen fertiliser application) into New
Zealand dairy farming systems. Results have been widely used by the pastoral
sector and published in a number of refereed journal and conference papers.


 


Well done Jiafa!


 


See Jiafa in action here: https://youtu.be/FUuNppW0bL4