50 Years of Soil, Fertiliser & Water Quality: What Have We Learned? | Bert Quin - Ep 68

What can 50 years of experience in soil fertility, fertiliser and water quality teach us about the future of New Zealand farming? In this episode of *From the Soil Up*, Conan Moynihan talks with Bert Quin about soil fertility, water quality, phosphorus, nitrogen and the evolution of sustainable farming in New Zealand. With more than 50 years working in soil and fertiliser science, Bert offers a unique perspective on how our understanding of soil health, plant nutrition and water quality has changed — and what we may have got wrong along the way. We explore the history of water quality issues in New Zealand, the role of phosphorus in our soils, changes in fertiliser manufacturing, and the potential for smarter management of water-soluble nutrients to reduce environmental losses while maintaining farm productivity. Bert also introduces the Regenza concept and shares his thinking on what future farming systems could look like when soil health, water quality, farm resilience and economic performance are considered as part of the same system. This is a wide-ranging conversation about the science, history and future of New Zealand agriculture, and what farmers, industry and consumers might need to think differently about as we look towards the next decade. In this episode: - Bert's 50+ years of experience in soil and fertiliser science - The history of water quality concerns in New Zealand - Phosphorus and nitrogen management - How fertiliser manufacturing has changed - Water-soluble fertilisers and nutrient losses - The role of organic matter in soil resilience - Soil fertility and plant nutrition - The Regenza concept - Regenerative agriculture and where the industry is heading - Future farm models focused on resilience - Bert's one key change for New Zealand farming over the next decade If you're interested in New Zealand agriculture, soil health, fertiliser, water quality, regenerative farming and building more resilient farm systems, this conversation is well worth a listen. ⁠https://quinfert.co.nz/⁠