Research@Lincoln

Research@Lincoln is an open access institutional repository collecting the research produced by Lincoln University staff and students. You may also be interested in Data@Lincoln or Lincoln University Living Heritage.

Students wishing to submit a thesis or dissertation should see the Depositing theses and dissertations guide.

Recent Submissions

  • ItemOpen Access
    Gender empowerment and climate‐smart agriculture: Insights and implications for achieving gender equity and climate resilience
    (John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Inc., 2026-04-08) Li, J; Ma, Wanglin; Rahut, DB; Wang, Ziqi
    This study investigates the effects of male and female empowerment, as well as gender empowerment inequality, on the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. Using a conditional mixed process model, we analyse survey data from 743 households across Henan, Shandong and Hebei provinces in China. The results reveal that empowering both males and females significantly promotes the adoption of CSA practices. Male and female empowerment drives the adoption of CSA practices through improving income generation and reducing agricultural production costs. Higher levels of gender empowerment inequality are linked to reduced CSA practice adoption. The positive and negative impacts of male and female empowerment, as well as gender empowerment inequality, on the adoption of CSA practices among wheat growers cultivating medium-scale farmland are the primary focus. Additionally, empowering women and narrowing gender inequality substantially boost wheat yields, whereas male empowerment shows no significant effect. These results highlight the importance of addressing gender disparities to promote sustainable agricultural practices and ensure food security. The study advocates policies that empower rural women, reduce gender inequality in access to empowerment and foster the widespread adoption of CSA technologies, thereby advancing gender equity and climate resilience in agricultural systems
  • ItemOpen Access
    Does the classified reform of chinese state-owned enterprises alleviate environmental, social and governance decoupling?
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-12-04) Zhao, H; Wang, D; Zhang, Z; Hao, Gloria
    Accurate disclosure and proactive engagement in ESG practices are essential for achieving high-quality economic development, particularly as China addresses significant challenges during its reform journey. The Classified Reform of State-Owned Enterprises (CRSOE) is a strategic initiative by the Chinese government aimed at fostering this development. Our study leverages the implementation of the CRSOE as an exogenous shock, employing the difference-in-differences approach to assess the policy’s governance impact on ESG decoupling from the perspective of ownership heterogeneity. The policy was found to alleviate ESG decoupling, particularly pronounced among SOEs with special functions. The governance effect is achieved by reducing the aspiration–performance gap. Specifically, the policy effectively narrows the disparity between a company’s actual performance and the expected performance based on the industry average, thereby mitigating ESG decoupling. However, the policy’s impact can be weakened by factors such as political connections among executives and media attention. Furthermore, the CRSOE effectively addresses greenwashing practices within ESG decoupling, with a particularly strong effect on SOEs that fail to disclose ESG information in alignment with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the broader implications and underlying mechanisms of the policy. Therefore, building on the assessment of how the CRSOE policy impacts ESG decoupling, we also examine the mechanisms through which this policy operates and how its effectiveness varies under different conditions of heterogeneity. By extending the application of principal-agent theory and performance feedback theory, our research suggests that policymakers should prioritize market-driven reforms for fully competitive SOEs and promote a stronger emphasis on non-financial goals. Additionally, it is essential to mitigate the undue influence of political promotions on the management of all SOEs
  • ItemOpen Access
    Incorporating plantain into a perennial ryegrass-white clover mixed sward for an environmentally sustainable dairy system: A three-year farm system study
    (John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Society of New Zealand Te Ap¯arangi, 2026-03-08) Hintz, Keeva; Woods, Roshean R; McMillan, N; Thomas, Charissa; Bryant, Racheal; Al-Marashdeh, Omar
    Over three production years (2021–2024), this study investigated the effects of incorporating plantain into a perennial ryegrass–whiteclover (RGWC) mixed sward on dairy farm productivity and environmental footprint. Seventy-two Friesian × Jersey cows wereallocated to six farmlets across two replicated herbage treatments (n = 3): RGWC with no plantain (PL0) or RGWC plus 3 kg/haof plantain seed (PL3). Farmlet production data were used to estimate profitability using the FARMAX model and the environmentalfootprint using the OverseerEd model. Plantain content in PL3 averaged 23.5% (±2.31%; SD) in Year 1, 16.8% (±2.46%) in Year 2 and12.3% (±1.12%) in Year 3. Annual herbage production was similar across treatments when estimated by FARMAX (15.7 kg DM/ha)but showed a year × treatment interaction (p < 0.001) when estimated by calibrated rising plate meter. Annual imported silage(1.24 t DM/ha) and milksolids production (1458 kg/ha) were similar across treatments. Farm profitability did not differ between treat-ments (NZD $5800/ha), indicating no economic disadvantage from plantain inclusion. Modelled annual nitrogen leaching was 17.5%lower in PL3 than PL0 (p = 0.032), with no difference in methane emissions. These results suggest that incorporating plantain intoRGWC-based dairy systems can improve environmental sustainability without compromising milk production or profitability
  • ItemOpen Access
    Differences in farm management factors on New Zealand dairy farms with divergent bulk milk urea concentration
    (Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association, 2026-03-10) Hodgkinson, AJ; Scott, G; Jamieson, P; Millar, A; Bryant, Racheal; Woods, RR; Glassey, CB; Mason, WA; Davis, SR
    In grazing dairy systems, the CP content of perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures often exceeds cows’ nutritional requirements. Excess dietary nitrogen (N) is excreted in urine, increasing the risk of N leaching into soil and waterways or being released as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas. The relationship between milk urea concentration and excess dietary N may provide an indicator to support managing the risk of higher urinary N losses. The first objective of this observational study was to compare milk urea concentration within and between lactation seasons, in bulk milk collected from dairy herds using pasture-based systems in New Zealand. The second objective was to identify farm management factors that affect bulk milk urea (BMU) concentration by comparing farms with divergent BMU. Milk urea was measured in tank milk (n = approximately 2.2 million collections per lactation season; approximately 230 collections per farm across approximately 9,600 farms, with milk collected daily or every 2 d) over the 2016–2017, 2017–2018, 2018–2019, and 2019–2020 lactation seasons. Divergent BMU farms (n = 50/group), with annual mean BMU consistently low (L50) or high (H50) across New Zealand over 4 seasons, were selected and their farm management metrics (farm-reported, annual) and milk production were compared. Additionally, divergent BMU groups within 7 different New Zealand regions were compared (n = 50/ group per region). Bulk milk urea concentration from all farms across all 4 lactation seasons followed a normal distribution (range 0 to 69.5 mg/dL), increased through lactation (25.5, 27.5, and 31.6 mg/dL for spring, summer, and autumn, typically corresponding to early, mid, and late lactation, respectively), and varied between lactation C. B. Glassey,4 seasons. Monthly BMU ranged from 13 to 26 mg/dL for L50 and from 33.2 to 45.8 mg/dL for H50. Distributions of milking frequency, breed, and geographical region were different for L50 and H50. Farm area, herd size, and milk solids production per cow were similar between the 2 groups, whereas milk production per hectare and stocking rate (cows/ha) were greater for H50. Estimated total DM eaten per hectare, pasture and crops eaten per cow and pasture and crops eaten per hectare were all greater for H50. The H50 group applied substantially more annual N fertilizer. Observations for L50 and H50 groups were mirrored by regional divergent BMU groups, with some exceptions that likely reflect differences in farm management systems between regions. Understanding drivers of BMU concentration may provide tools for farmers to improve N use efficiency and reduce risk of excess urinary N loss from dairy herds
  • ItemRestricted
    Seasonal dynamics outweigh management effects on microbial enzyme activity and stoichiometry in regenerative and conventional dryland pastures
    (Elsevier B.V., 2026-06) Mills, Samantha A; Alster, Charlotte; Moir, Jim L
    Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a sustainable approach to support biodiversity while maintaining an adequate food supply, yet its impacts on soil microbiology remain minimally explored. We investigated how regenerative and conventional agricultural management, along with seasonal fluctuations, influenced soil microbial dynamics in a sheep-grazed dryland experiment in New Zealand. The study was conducted at the Lincoln University Regenerative Dryland experiment established in March 2022. Plots represented low (Olsen P 10 mg/L) and high (Olsen P 20 mg/L) phosphorus input conventional and regenerative agriculture. Conventional plots were sown with a cocksfoot/subterranean clover mix, while regenerative plots contained a diverse 12-species blend. Soil was collected in autumn (May 2024) and spring (October 2024) to assess labile nutrient pools and microbial function using extracellular enzyme activities, enzymatic stoichiometry, and vector analysis. We found that seasonal dynamics exerted strong effects on soil properties. While some management effects were detected in labile phosphorus and nitrogen pools, most potential microbial enzyme activities and stoichiometric indices were primarily influenced by season. Labile carbon increased in spring (1163–1593 μg C g soil-1; + 37 %), while nitrogen pools decreased (organic N; - 2.6 %; inorganic N - 91 % autumn to spring). This coincided with higher total enzyme activity (1628–1894 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹; + 16.4 %), while treatment effects were minimal. Enzymatic stoichiometry and vector analysis indicated potential microbial nitrogen limitation across seasons (vector angles 36.4° – 39.5°). Vector length decreased in spring, suggesting that potential microbial carbon limitation decreased as labile carbon became more abundant. Overall, regenerative management did not differ from conventional management in microbial function under this dryland pasture system, whereas seasonal variability drove changes in nutrient availability and microbial processes
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