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Simple Summary: Spontaneous humeral fractures in first- and second-lactation dairy cows are recognized as a serious welfare problem in New Zealand. However, the condition is sporadic, which means that simple epidemiological descriptions and estimates of the extent of the problem are lacking. By combining the data from four independent studies using a multi-method approach, we found that their occurrence is more common than previously thought, with potentially up to 12% of farms and 4,620 dairy cattle affected in the 2013/2014 lactation season. Furthermore, the condition exclusively affects first- and second-lactation spring calving dairy cows, up to 4 months post-partum, and may affect multiple animals on the same farm, in the same season, and over multiple seasons, which are not always consecutive. We suggest that the evidence presented in this paper places an urgent requirement on the New Zealand dairy industry to undertake prompt action to understand the determinants of this epidemic. A multi-method approach integrating data from four independent sources was used to describe some key features of the epidemiology and estimate the herd and within-herd incidence of fractured humeri in New Zealand dairy cattle for the period 2007–2015. The first dataset was from a national case series where cases of humeral fractures in dairy cattle were identified by veterinarians across New Zealand between the 2007/2008 and 2011/2012 lactation seasons. The second dataset was from a pet food company based in the Waikato region, which collated the number of casualty first- and second-lactation cows found to have a fractured humerus post-slaughter in the 2014/2015 lactation season, and the third dataset was a case series conducted by veterinarians employed in a Waikato veterinary business, also from the 2014/2015 lactation season. For the final dataset, 505 randomly selected New Zealand dairy farmers completed a phone survey on the incidence of non-responsive, non-weight-bearing forelimb lameness in first- and second-lactation cows in the 2014/2015 lactation season. Using the telephone survey results, the within-herd and herd-level incidence of cases for first- and second-lactation dairy animals was calculated. The national case series reported 149 cases of humeral fractures in 22 dairy herds; the pet food case series identified 61 cases from 41 farms; and the practice-based case series found 14 cases from 10 farms. Humeral fractures exclusively affected first- and second-lactation dairy cows and had a peak incidence between calving and early mating. The national telephone survey found that non-weight-bearing forelimb lameness requiring euthanasia of first- or second-lactation cows occurred in 11.7% of herds, with a mean within-herd incidence of 2.6% for first lactation cows and 2.8% for second-lactation cows for affected herds. These combined datasets demonstrate that humeral fractures in young, lactating dairy cattle are more common than previously suspected and that they occur nationally and over multiple years on some farms. Further work on this condition is urgently required in New Zealand to establish cost-effective management practices that will reduce unnecessary animal suffering and waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper management of the earth's natural resources is imperative to combat further degradation of the natural environment. However, the environmental datasets necessary for informed resource planning and conservation can be costly to collect and annotate. Consequently, there is a lack of publicly available datasets, particularly annotated image datasets relevant for environmental conservation, that can be used for the evaluation of machine learning algorithms to determine their applicability in real-world scenarios. To address this, the Time-evolving Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for Advanced Open Environmental Science (TAIAO) project in New Zealand aims to provide a collection of datasets and accompanying example notebooks for their analysis. This paper showcases three New Zealand-based annotated image datasets that form part of the collection. The first dataset contains annotated images of various predator species, mainly small invasive mammals, taken using low-light camera traps predominantly at night. The second provides aerial photography of the Waikato region in New Zealand, in which stands of Kahikatea (a native New Zealand tree) have been marked up using manual segmentation. The third is a dataset containing orthorectified high-resolution aerial photography, paired with satellite imagery taken by Sentinel-2. Additionally, the TAIAO web platform also contains a collated list of other datasets provided and licensed by our data partners that may be of interest to other researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disparities in cardiovascular outcomes between Māori and non-Māori persist despite technological advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and improved service provision. Little is known about how social determinants of health, such as income [in]security affect Māori men's access, treatment, and recovery from cardiovascular disease. This paper explores the contexts within which cardiovascular disease is experienced and healthcare becomes embedded. Methods: This study utilized a case-comparative narrative approach to document and make sense of the patient experiences of four male Māori patients who, in the previous 6 months, had come through cardiac investigation and treatment at Waikato Hospital, a large tertiary cardiac center in New Zealand. Participant accounts were elicited using a culturally patterned narrative approach to case development, informed by Kaupapa Māori Research practices. It involved three repeat 1–3-hour interviews recorded with participants (12 interviews); the first interviews took place 5–16 weeks after surgery/discharge. Results: Each of the four case studies firstly details a serious cardiac event(s) before describing the varying levels of financial worry they experienced. Major financial disruptions to their lives were at the forefront of the concerns of those facing financial insecurity—as opposed to their medical problems. Financial hardship within the context of an unresponsive welfare system impacted the access to care and access to funding contributed to psychological distress for several participants. Economic security and reciprocal relationships between employers and employees facilitated positive treatment experiences and recovery. Conclusion: Findings suggest that although multiple factors influence participant experiences and treatment outcomes, financial [in]security, and personal income is a key determinant. The heterogeneity in participant narratives suggests that although general inequities in health may exist for Māori as a population group, these inequities do not appear to be uniform. We postulate diverse mechanisms, by which financial insecurity may adversely affect outcomes from treatment and demonstrate financial security as a significant determinant in allowing patients to respond to and recover from cardiovascular disease more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant progress has been made addressing adolescent health needs in New Zealand, but some areas, such as mental health issues remain, particularly for rangatahi Māori (indigenous Māori young people). Little is known about how contemporary Māori whānau (families) and communities influence health outcomes, health literacy and access to services. Previous nationally representative secondary school surveys were conducted in New Zealand in 2001, 2007 and 2012, as part of the Youth2000 survey series. This paper focuses on a fourth survey conducted in 2019 (https://www.youth19.ac.nz/). In 2019, the survey also included kura kaupapa Māori schools (Māori language immersion schools), and questions exploring the role of family connections in health and wellbeing. This paper presents the overall study methodology, and a weighting and calibration framework in order to provide estimates that reflect the national student population, and enable comparisons with the previous surveys to monitor trends. Methods: Youth19 was a cross sectional, self-administered health and wellbeing survey of New Zealand high school students. The target population was the adolescent population of New Zealand (school years 9–13). The study population was drawn from three education regions: Auckland, Tai Tokerau (Northland) and Waikato. These are the most ethnically diverse regions in New Zealand. The sampling design was two-stage clustered stratified, where schools were the clusters, and strata were defined by kura schools and educational regions. There were four strata, formed as follows: kura schools (Tai Tokerau, Auckland and Waikato regions combined), mainstream-Auckland, mainstream-Tai Tokerau and mainstream-Waikato. From each stratum, 50% of the schools were randomly sampled and then 30% of students from the selected schools were invited to participate. All students in the kura kaupapa schools were invited to participate. In order to make more precise estimates and adjust for differential non-response, as well as to make nationally relevant estimates and allow comparisons with the previous national surveys, we calibrated the sampling weights to reflect the national secondary school student population. Results: There were 45 mainstream and 4 kura schools included in the final sample, and 7,374 mainstream and 347 kura students participated in the survey. There were differences between the sampled population and the national secondary school student population, particularly in terms of sex and ethnicity, with a higher proportion of females and Asian students in the study sample than in the national student population. We calculated estimates of the totals and proportions for key variables that describe risk and protective factors or health and wellbeing factors. Rates of risk-taking behaviours were lower in the sampled population than what would be expected nationally, based on the demographic profile of the national student population. For the regional estimates, calibrated weights yield standard errors lower than those obtained with the unadjusted sampling weights. This leads to significantly narrower confidence intervals for all the variables in the analysis. The calibrated estimates of national quantities provide similar results. Additionally, the national estimates for 2019 serve as a tool to compare to previous surveys, where the sampling population was national. Conclusions: One of the main goals of this paper is to improve the estimates at the regional level using calibrated weights to adjust for oversampling of some groups, or non-response bias. Additionally, we also recommend the use of calibrated estimators as they provide nationally adjusted estimates, which allow inferences about the whole adolescent population of New Zealand. They also yield confidence intervals that are significantly narrower than those obtained using the original sampling weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision agriculture manages within-field spatial variability by applying suitable inputs at the appropriate time, place, and amount. Delineation of field-specific management zones (MZs), representing significantly different yield potentials prescribe the rates of a specific crop inputs within-field. This paper examines multiple-year maize grain yield maps (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018) and their spatial and temporal variability of within-field datasets (soil electrical conductivity [EC], soil organic matter [OM], and elevation) and climate data. The research was undertaken on a non-irrigated field at New Zealand's Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) in the Waikato region, to provide a simple, heuristic method to delineate dynamic MZs for crop inputs. Supervised statistical learning models (stepwise multiple linear regression [SMLR], feedforward neural network (FFNN), classification and regression tree (CART), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and Cubist regression) were implemented to predict spatial yield. Prediction accuracies of the trained models were evaluated by withholding one subset of data for testing. For internal 'split-sample' validation, CART, random forest and XGBoost produced slightly better statistical predictions (RMSE = 1.9–2.0 and R2 = 0.60–0.63) than Cubist and FFNN (RMSE = 2.1–2.2 and R2 = 0.52–0.57), whereas MLR produced the weakest prediction (RMSE = 2.3 and R2 = 0.51). Spatial yield prediction of individual years, were poor (R2 = 0.07–0.36). Input data used is readily and inexpensive for small arable fields in New Zealand. The methods presented, could be applied to a wider range of arable crops for within-field management inputs, to respond to spatially diverse soil texture distribution and variable rainfall patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out to identify the values and approaches that underpin effective Māori leadership for iwi who are looking to secure prosperity in a post-Treaty of Waitangi settlement era. We conduct face- to -face interviews with seven leaders from Waikato and Ngāi Tahu who have served as Chairs, Deputy Chairs, or CEOs in governance boards within the first five years of post-Treaty settlement or within the last five years. Through our interviews, we identified three core themes that provide the foundation to the strategies employed by iwi leaders to promote prosperity for their people: poipoia, pāhekoheko, and pono. We argue that these themes are important in the future development of effective iwi leaders. In particular, Ngāti Maniapoto, who recently settled historic Treaty breaches, are now focused on future progress and development, and may leverage on the experiences and advice of other iwi leaders who have already embarked on their post-settlement journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on non-economic quality of life has a national focus and/or uses subjective measures. This paper makes use of a multitude of demographic and geographic variables to construct objective indices of quality of life. This analysis is applied at the sub-national level for New Zealand for the purpose of rating regional areas on their quality of life over the period of 1986-2006. This study also makes a contribution to the current quality of life literature by using a regression technique to remove the impact of income levels and therefore focus on the non-economic component of these quality of life indices. Our results show that Taranaki and Nelson are doing much better in terms of their quality of life, and Bay of Plenty and Waikato much worse than expected, given their levels of regional GDP per capita. These results have important policy implications at the regional council level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subnational population projections in New Zealand by means of the conventional deterministic cohort-component method have had a tendency to be conservative: underprojecting fast-growing populations and overprojecting slow-growing ones. In this paper we use a stochastic population projection method as an alternative. We generate population projections for five demographically distinct administrative areas within the Waikato region of New Zealand: Hamilton City, Franklin District, Thames-Coromandel District, Otorohanga District and South Waikato District. The results are compared to official subnational deterministic projections. The accuracy of subnational population projections in New Zealand is strongly affected by the instability of migration as a component of population change. Differently from the standard cohort-component method, in which net migration levels are projected, the key parameters of our method are age-gender-area specific probabilistic net migration rates. Generally, the identified and modelled uncertainty makes the traditional 'mid-range' scenario of subnational deterministic projections of limited use for policy analysis or planning beyond a relatively short projection horizon. We find that the projected range of rates of population growth is wider for smaller regions and/or regions more strongly affected by net migration. Directions for further development of the methodology are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds are increasingly documented with evolved resistance to herbicides globally. Three species have been reported as resistant in maize crops in New Zealand: Chenopodium album to atrazine and dicamba, Persicaria maculosa to atrazine and Digitaria sanguinalis to nicosulfuron. Despite knowledge of these cases, the distribution of these resistant biotypes is unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of known resistant weeds in major maize growing areas in New Zealand, and to pro-actively screen other species for resistance. Weed seeds of broadleaf and grass species were collected from 70 randomly selected maize growing farms in the North Island in 2021–2022. Seeds were grown and treated with herbicides at recommended field rates. Atrazine-resistant C. album were recorded in a third of surveyed farms and nicosulfuron-resistant D. sanguinalis in a sixth. Half of Waikato farms and a quarter of Bay of Plenty farms (no Hawkes Bay or Wellington farms) had atrazine-resistant C. album. Dicamba-resistant C. album were not detected, nor were atrazine-resistant P. maculosa. Nicosulfuron resistant D. sanguinalis was recorded in 19% of Waikato farms, 6% of Bay of Plenty farms and 9% of Hawkes Bay farms (no Wellington farms). Amaranthus spp., Fallopia convolvulus, Persicaria spp., Solanum spp., Echinochloa crus-galli, Panicum spp. and Setaria spp. were not resistant to any of the herbicides tested. Twenty-nine to 52% of maize farms in the North Island are estimated to have herbicide resistant weeds. Resistance is common in maize farms in Waikato and western Bay of Plenty. Resistance is rare in southern regions, with only one instance of nicosulfuron-resistant D. sanguinalis and no resistant C. album. Most annual weeds in maize are not resistant to herbicides; although atrazine resistant C. album is widespread, it is currently controlled with alternative herbicides. Resistant D. sanguinalis appears to be an emerging problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensure department specific imaging is accessible via separate servers Radiography which was taken pre cyber-attack was accessible by other DHBs as part of a regional platform and was readily accessible. Maintaining the maxillofacial service under cyber-attack: The Waikato experience Waikato District Health Board (DHB) was subject to a cyber-attack in the early hours of the 18 May 2021 which essentially brought the information technology (IT) and phone services of the five regional hospitals of Waikato DHB serving a population of ~1 million, offline.1 Four weeks post attack, both the acute and elective services of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) unit have continued with minimal disruption. [Extracted from the article]

Larval behaviour for many of New Zealand's diadromous freshwater fish is inadequately described. Diadromy for many amphidromous species is not obligatory however, and where conditions are suitable, freshwater larval rearing may be facilitated. Where this occurs in lakes, opportunities to document the composition and conditions supporting larval rearing exist. Boat trawling was undertaken across nine lowland lakes in the Lower Waikato over four consecutive winters with a focus on larval galaxiids. Galaxiid larvae were captured in surface water habitats in all but one lake, with banded kōkopu (Galaxias fasciatus) and giant kōkopu (Galaxias argenteus) the most common species detected. One lake, Lake Waahi, consistently resulted in the most galaxiid captures for effort expended. Analyses of larvae from this and other lakes indicated that two sizes predominated in catches and that larger, older larvae were predominantly G. fasciatus while smaller, younger larvae were predominantly G. argenteus. Stomach contents indicated that two non-native zooplankton species predominated in the diet of larvae, the Holarctic daphnia, Daphnia galeata, and the Australian calanoid copepod Boeckella symmetrica. This study provides new information regarding the timing, movement and predicted recruitment of native fish species in this river basin that has important implications for lake and river management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importation of supplement on New Zealand dairy farms allows relaxation of the constraints imposed on traditional grazing systems by seasonal pasture production and quality. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the relative profitability of Waikato dairy farms utilising different amounts of imported feed under price variation. An optimisation model of a Waikato dairy farm is used for this purpose. The case study indicates superior profitability associated with the use of a moderate level of imported supplement. A higher amount of imported feed allows lactation to be extended and promotes pasture utilisation through allowing the maintenance of higher stocking rates. However, these benefits decline past some optimal level of supplementation, beyond which pasture utilisation cannot be increased any further. Overall, this work highlights that although production can be increased by importing supplement, it is critical to consider the relative benefits and costs associated with the use of imported feed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Waikato region covers much of New Zealand's central North Island and has a land area of about 25,000 square km. The region encompasses about 44,000 kilometres of waterways, including three larger river catchments - the Waikato River (11,353 km2), Waipa River (3092 km2) and the Waihou River (1275 km2). The soil resource is vital to the Waikato region's wellbeing, and safeguarding it requires sound knowledge of the resource and effective erosion and sediment management. The sediment regime within the Waikato region reflects both natural processes and modification of natural processes (under present climatic and landscape conditions), including changes in land use, hydro-electric power development, sand and gravel extraction and channel management works. Waikato Regional Council (formerly Environment Waikato) has several sediment management roles, including regional monitoring and research, policy development and management implementation. Information about sediment sources and sediment movement through the region, as well as ways to prioritise decision-making, are an integral part of regional sediment management. Policy development and implementation through education and rules need be evidence-based and practical. To achieve this, continued monitoring and research, including collaborations with external research providers, is critical. Examples of how sediment-related monitoring and research has assisted sediment management in the Waikato region are summarised in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ongoing programme of soil quality assessment in the Waikato region of New Zealand is providing baseline data and allowing identification of the impacts of land use and associated key soil quality issues. In this paper, we review the strengths and weaknesses of key soil quality indicators and provide summary statistics for chemical, physical and biochemical parameters in both background and production soils of the Waikato Region. Statistical comparison of production to background soils, time related trends, relative surface enrichments, and correlations enable us to infer likely and potential impacts of human activity on the region’s soil resource. Five key issues that cause loss of soil resource have been identified. These are soil compaction, loss of soil organic matter, excessively high fertility levels, erosion risk, and accumulation of contaminants. In addition, evidence exists for accelerated attack or weathering of aluminosilicate minerals in farmed soils [dealumination, Australian Journal Soil Research (2009) vol. 47, 828–838], a process previously only recognized in soils adjacent to aluminium smelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A warmer and drier future combined with rising population trends will result in increased wildfire risk. The design of robust mitigation/adaptation strategies requires the assessment of the economy‐wide risks from potentially more frequent large wildfire events under different futures. This study uses a novel interdisciplinary approach by integrating wildfire climate and land‐use forecasts into probabilistic and simulation models of wildfires to estimate direct impacts using damage curves and indirect impacts as lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) using a computable general equilibrium model. Based on the financial concept of Value at Risk, a probabilistic measure of extreme economy‐wide impacts was developed using GDP as the representative metric, namely "GDP at Risk (G@R)," under various climatic and socio‐economic scenarios. Using the new metric in the Waikato, New Zealand as a case study, due its primary industries' national relevance, it was identified that there is a 5% probability that the region will experience GDP losses greater or equal to NZ$0.1–1.2 billion (similar to the regional GDP growth in 2021) over a 48‐year period from future potential large wildfires affecting vulnerable primary industries. The regional impacts result in larger national GDP losses by a factor of 5 due to the high dependence of downstream sectors on the regional primary industries. While "G@R" estimates are similar across socio‐economic scenarios, there are no discernible patterns when compared across midcentury climate scenarios. The approach developed could be used to assess the consequences from afforestation projects, driven by mitigation policies, and adaptation strategies to reduce wildfire risk. Plain Language Summary: The risk posed by wildfires will increase under a warmer and drier future. Previous studies have estimated the economic risk from wildfires on the sectors that would likely be physically and directly impacted. However, to design inclusive and enduring strategies to reduce or adapt to wildfires; the potential impacts from wildfires should be assessed for entire national economic networks under many different social and climatic scenarios—including sectors that demand products from, or supply to, the ones directly affected. This study uses an interdisciplinary approach by combining computational models to estimate the potential economic impacts from wildfires on multiple sectors of the economy under various relevant scenarios. Rather than focusing on expected impacts, this study focuses on the potentially large impacts from rare, large wildfires on the Waikato region—economically important to New Zealand. The economic impacts from potentially more frequent large wildfires in the region are modest when compared to a scenario without large wildfires. However, the nationwide impacts are substantially larger than the regional ones when considering the dependent sectors outside of the affected region. The approach developed could be used to jointly assess mitigation (e.g., afforestation) and adaptation policies to reduce the risk from wildfires. Key Points: There is a 5% chance that the studied region will lose 0.008%–0.06% or more of the base Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from potentially more frequent large wildfiresThe regional impacts result in larger national GDP losses by a factor of 5 when considering the downstream sectors outside of the regionWhile the GDP loss estimates are similar across socio‐economic scenarios, there are no discernible patterns across climate scenarios [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Previous research in New Zealand on working sheep dogs has found that 39% suffered from retinal eye disease. One of the causes of this eye disease is parasite migration to the eye. Since that research was published in 1987, farmers have been educated to regularly treat farm dogs with anti-parasitic tablets. However, there has been no follow-up studies to see if eye disease is still a problem in working farm dogs. Our study investigated whether eye disease is still present in working sheep dogs in South-West, Waikato, New Zealand. Our study of 184 working sheep dogs and 51 owners was undertaken in 2010, with owners sampled from New Zealand's South-West Waikato and Tux North Island Dog Trial Championship. Eye examinations were performed on all of the dogs that participated. This study identified that 24% (44/184) of the dogs in the study showed evidence of retinal eye disease. Male working sheep dogs are more susceptible to develop retinal eye disease than females for unidentified reasons. This study concluded that retinal eye disease is still present in working sheep dogs in New Zealand. A study in conducted 1987 by Hughes et al., found that 39% of working sheep dogs had multifocal retinitis. One of the identified causes was ocular larval migrans, which were a result of migrating ascarid larvae. Since that paper was published, anthelmintic use in farm dogs has been highly recommended. There has been no follow-up study to determine if fundic lesions are still present. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chorioretinopathy in working sheep dogs in the South-West, Waikato, New Zealand. This was a cross-sectional study of 184 working sheep dogs and 51 owners, undertaken in 2010 with owners sampled from New Zealand's South-West Waikato and Tux North Island Dog Trial Championship. Two-way tables were used to explore the relationship between variables. Significance of association was assessed using a Chi-squared or Fisher exact test as appropriate, with a p-value of <0.05 considered significant. Overall prevalence of chorioretinopathy in the working sheep dogs was 44/184 (24%). A significantly higher prevalence of chorioretinopathy was shown in dogs with increasing age, from 2 years to >8 years (p = 0.0007) and in males (p < 0.0001). This study concluded that lesions of chorioretinopathy are still present in working sheep dogs in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a regional commentary on the progress of deinstitutionalization in an era of restructuring in New Zealand. The commentary focuses on the Waikato region, where the transition to community-based psychiatric care has been underway since the announcement of the closure of Tokanui Hospital in 1993. We use media reports to construct a narrative illuminating the distinctive threads of alternative discourse on the re-placing of people with mental health problems and sites of treatment ‘into the community’. Our interpretation of this local narrative is cast against a series of backdrops: firstly, we provide an abbreviated history of deinstitutionalization in New Zealand; secondly, we examine mental health care as a sector within a rapidly evolving health system; and, thirdly, we reflect on the implementation of community mental health care in a re-regulated civil society. We argue that the effective implementation of community care has been hampered by the lack of concerted policy in the mental health care sector, by a fiscal squeeze on the health care system and by the impingement of non-health care legislation (the Commerce Act, the Privacy Act and the Resource Management Act) on the local expression and management of community care. In the Waikato narrative, we also identify administrative practices that have recast people with mental health problems as criminals and re-established prisons as the site of treatment. We conclude that the media in New Zealand have a role that extends beyond simply reporting on events. Indeed, the media act as a reflexive conduit; journalists interpret issues and through their ‘stories’ help to shape the course of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual nitrogen (N) left in the soil following summer cropping or grazing by livestock is at risk of leaching in winter and spring. This study, conducted in Waikato, New Zealand, assessed the performance of different catch crop species and sowing dates in reducing the risk of N leaching. In 2016, Italian ryegrass and oats were sown in late March, April and May. In 2017, Italian ryegrass, oats and triticale were sown in mid March, April and May. In both years, urea fertiliser (400 kg N/ha) was applied immediately before the first sowing to simulate high N loading of the soil following crop grazing. Both years also included a fallow treatment (control) in which no catch crops were established. In both years, catch crops reduced N losses by 11–55% compared with fallow ground. Oats performed the best at earlier sowings, closely followed by triticale, while Italian ryegrass performed better at the later sowing. Sowing in March resulted in the highest reduction in N losses for all species. These results demonstrated that catch crops can be used to reduce N losses in these Waikato systems, and that species selection and sowing date are key to maximise their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial ryegrass (PRG, Lolium perenne L.) breeding effort in New Zealand (NZ) has increased since c. 1990, resulting in greater functional trait diversity (e.g. heading date, ploidy, and associated Epichloë endophyte strain) in commercial products. This study quantified the variation, associations and interactions in dry matter (DM) yield, nutritive value and persistence‐related traits among commercial cultivar‐endophyte combinations released between 1973 and 2012, as a basis for assessing gains in value being delivered to the pasture‐based livestock industries. Twenty‐four or 28 combinations were compared over 3 years in two trials in each of two regions: Waikato in northern NZ (dryland), and Canterbury in central eastern South Island (irrigated). Cultivar‐endophyte combinations were sown in mixtures with white clover, and pastures were intensively grazed 8–11 times per year by dairy cows. Principal Component Analysis identified 4 distinct clusters for the DM yield variables and for metabolisable energy (ME) content in each of the four trials. A broadly‐adapted group of three late‐season flowering, AR37‐infected diploids with NZ and Spanish breeding backgrounds dominated the highest‐yielding clusters. Tetraploids dominated the high ME content clusters. Interactions with region were observed throughout the data set: the strongest of these was driven by endophyte strain effects in Waikato. High‐yielding cultivar‐endophyte combinations in these trials were also generally high‐yielding in the standard cultivar merit testing system operated in New Zealand, as interpreted via the DairyNZ Forage Value Index. However, alignment was poorer for medium‐ and lower‐yielding cultivar‐endophyte combinations. Several implications for forage evaluation methods and end‐user industries are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since 2004, Sport Waikato has delivered Project Energize, a through-school nutrition and physical activity program to primary schools in the Waikato. As part of the program's continued assessment and quality control, the programme was evaluated in 2011 and 2015. This paper's aim was to compare the cardiorespiratory fitness (time to run 550 m (T550)) levels of children participating in Project Energize in 2011 and 2015. Methods: In the 2011 evaluation of Project Energize, gender specific- T550-for-age Z scores (T550AZ) were derived from the T550 of 4832 Waikato children (2527 girls; 2305 boys; 36% Māori) aged between 6 and 12 years. In 2015, T550 was measured for 4798 (2361 girls; 2437 boys; 32% Māori) children, representative of age, gender and school socioeconomic status (SES). The T550AZ for every child in the 2015 study and 2011 evaluation were derived and differences in T550 between 2015 and 2011 by gender, SES and age were determined using independent t-tests. Multiple regression analysis predicted T550 Z score and run time, using year of measurement, gender, ethnicity, age and school SES. Results: With and without adjustment, children in 2015 ran 550 m faster than in 2011 (adjusted Z score 0.06, time 11 s). Specifically, girls ran at a similar speed in 2015 as 2011 but boys were faster than in 2011 (Z score comparison P < 0.001, mean difference 0.18 95%CI 0.12, 0.25). Regression analysis showed time taken to run 550 m was 11 s less in 2015 compared with 2011. Boys ran it 13 s faster than girls (Z score 0.07) and for each 1 year age increase, children were 8 s slower (Z score 0.006). For each 10% decrease in SES, children were 3 s slower (Z score 0.004) and Māori children were 5 s slower than Non-Māori children (Z score 0.15). Conclusions: The findings from this study support the continuation of the delivery of Project Energize in the Waikato region of New Zealand, as cardiorespiratory fitness scores in 2015, compared to 2011, were improved, particularly for lower SES schools and for Māori children. Ethnically diverse populations, schools with higher deprivation and girls, continue to warrant further attention to help achieve equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and pest susceptibility of eight clover cultivars were compared over two years in the pasture at two contrasting sites: a rain-fed Waikato cattle-grazed pasture and an irrigated Canterbury dairy pasture. The cultivars were four white clovers (Trifolium repens L.) (Grasslands Kopu II, Grasslands Mainstay, SF Quest and Weka), two red clovers (T. pratense L.) (Grasslands Relish, Rubitas), a strawberry clover (T. fragiferum) (Palestine) and a white clover × Caucasian (T. ambiguum M. Bieb.) hybrid (Aberlasting). Grasslands Relish outperformed all other clovers and was associated with the fewest root-damaging nematodes. Both red clovers were less susceptible to insect pests than the white clovers, but Rubitas was vulnerable to root pathogens in Waikato. The poorest performing cultivar was Aberlasting, which was the most susceptible cultivar in all pest and disease measures. The white clovers and strawberry clover performed similarly across most measures. An assay using soils from each site showed that clover seedlings grown in pasteurised Waikato soil were almost ten times larger than those in the non-pasteurised soil whereas pasteurisation made no significant difference with the Canterbury soil. This study demonstrated that root health was a major factor in the contrasting site and cultivar differences in the early years of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on schools in the wider Waikato/Bay of Plenty region were invited to send teams of four students to the university for the day to carry out an analysis due to postponement on account of Covid-19 lockdown, fewer schools chose to participate in 2021 but there were still fifteen teams from twelve schools in competition. Topics include running the competition under Level 2 Covid-19 has presented some additional challenges for staff and students but all coped very well.

This article reports on the need for the Waikato Rugby Union to establish strong and lasting relationships with the region's school if it wants the game to thrive, according to the winning team at Waikato Management School's case competition. The team-- Once Were Managers--was one of four competing in the competition final. Once Were Managers' strategy was called Feeding the Future and was devised after canvassing nine local schools. The case competition is a compulsory paper in the Bachelor of Management Studies degree.

Abstract: Landslide susceptibility assessment was undertaken for the Waikato Region, New Zealand. Landslide inventory data were extracted from a pre-existing database that included few landslides in the region (1.4% of area), and is limited in terms of completeness of record and location uncertainty. This database is in contrast to those normally used for research, which are derived for the research project and are complete and accurate, but is representative of those that may exist within government bodies. This paper applies statistical methods to derive a meaningful predictive map for planning purposes from such a relatively poorly defined database. Susceptibility maps for both logistic regression and weights of evidence were derived and evaluated using success, prediction, and ROC curves. Both statistical methods gave models with fair predictive capacity for validation samples from the original database with areas under ROC curves (AUC) of 0.71 to 0.75. An independent set of landslide data compiled from observations made in Google Earth showed lower overall prediction quality, with the logistic regression method giving the best prediction (AUC =0.71). For this regional assessment, categorical data proved a major constraint on the application of logistic regression as the area considered has complex geology and geomorphology. As a result, the large number of categories required led to a complex and unwieldy statistical model, whereas division into fewer categories meant that real variability in the area could not be adequately represented. This limited the result to a model with two continuous variables, slope and mean monthly rainfall. The incomplete record in the database proved of little concern for the logistic regression method as the model was able to generalise landslide locations from the known sites well, giving a similar AUC value for the original and independent data; the same was not true for the weights of evidence method which was not successful at predicting landslides outside those in the original data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is the outcome of qualitative research undertaken around a community theatre production presented at the Hamilton Fuel Festival 2006. Swamp Treasures was an attempt to articulate in a theatre aesthetic the plight of the wetland regions in the Waikato province. There were 80 participants, a choir, an orchestra, an elaborate set, lighting design and over 30 specifically made theatre masks. I invited a group of eight teenagers to watch the performance and they were then interviewed, answering specific questions. The data were then considered using Kant's theories of beauty, aesthetics and communication as a reference point for the production's development, delivery and effectiveness. As Swamp Treasures was designed as a montage of impressions and points of view, the research has been able to evaluate the artistic efficacy of the differing styles and the aptitude of these techniques to transfer information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wheat sheath miner, Cerodontha australis Malloch (Diptera: Agromyzidae), is a small leaf‐ and stem‐mining fly that is native to New Zealand and eastern Australia where it feeds on grasses and cereals. Although not considered to be a major insect pest of pastures in New Zealand, it can be abundant during spring and summer in Waikato, New Zealand, and infests tillers of the introduced pasture plant, perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L. (Poaceae). Cerodontha australis is not deterred from feeding on L. perenne infected with commercially available strains of the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae var. lolii, which have been shown to provide protection from a range of other insect pests. In this study, three‐pot trials and periodic examination over 18 months of field‐collected L. perenne tillers showed that two Epichloë endophyte strains, AR47 and AR48, reduced the survival and feeding damage by C. australis larvae, but there was no evidence of an effect on adult female feeding or oviposition. Compared to other strains of E. festucae var. lolii endophytes tested, plants infected with AR47 and AR48 had fewer and smaller larvae and less larval mining. The number of tillers with mining was reduced in AR47 relative to endophyte‐free (Nil) by 57.1% (ranging from 25.0 to 92.5% across trials) and in AR48 by 67.1% (26.3–100%). Larvae in AR47 and AR48 were found further from the base of the tiller where they were less likely to damage the meristem and cause tiller death. The number of larvae and pupae in pseudostems was reduced in AR47 and AR48 compared with Nil by 78.4 and 82.0%, respectively, in the field trial. Very few larvae survived to pupation in AR47 and AR48 plants, with a reduction compared to Nil of over 81.5% in AR47 and over 97% in AR48 in each of the four trials presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerodontha australis Malloch (wheat sheath miner) is a leaf mining fly native to New Zealand and eastern Australia that feeds on grasses and cereals. It is thought to have limited economic impact despite being one of the most widespread and common insects in New Zealand pastures. In this study, data on C. australis were gathered over an 18‐month period from field plots of endophyte‐free Lolium perenne. Observations from pot trials on parasitism and other leaf miner species are also presented. Larval numbers were highest in late spring to early summer. One distinct peak per year of eggs and pupae indicated that this species may not be multivoltine, contradicting previous literature. Damage levels were high in spring/summer, with leaf mining in up to 53% of tillers sampled and, in mid‐summer, extending into the pseudostem in up to 41% of sampled tillers. Measurement of cephaloskeleton lengths confirmed that this species has three larval instars. Generally, only one larva per tiller survives to pupation, indicating density dependent regulation of populations, and larval/ pupal parasitism can reach high levels in summer. This study provides new information on the seasonal biology of C. australis, and its potential impact on L. perenne pastures in Waikato, New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is concern about nitrification inhibitor (NI) residues in soil and pasture plants and their potential entry into food-chain when NIs are applied to pastures to mitigate nitrogen (N) losses. Monitoring of NI residues necessitates development of quantitative methods for their extraction and analysis in soil and pasture samples. Methods: Modifications were made to published methods for extraction of two commonly used NIs [3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), and 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine (nitrapyrin)], from soil and pasture. Detection and measurement of DMPP and nitrapyrin was via HPLC–UV and GC–MS, respectively. The modifications removed matrix interferences in detection and/or improved extractability. The methods were tested using an Alisol (Manawatū) and an Andosol (Waikato) soil, and pasture from urine patches. Results: The detection limits in soil and pasture samples were 0.01 and 0.05 mg kg–1 for DMPP and nitrapyrin, respectively. There was high linearity (R2 ≥ 0.998) observed between the amount of NI added and the amount recovered in soil or pasture samples with no influence of urine matrix in recovery. Overall, recovery of both NIs in pasture samples (DMPP – 89% and nitrapyrin – 115%) were higher than those in soils, DMPP being higher in Manawatu soil (65%) than in the Waikato soil (54%), and nitrapyrin higher in Waikato soil (81%) relative to Manawatu soil (71%). Conclusion: The methods proved reliable, precise, and reproducible for measuring DMPP and nitrapyrin in soil and pasture with or without presence of urine and will be suitable for data collection to establish and meet maximum residue levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many New Zealand residential homes suffer from poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Cold, damp and mould-ridden homes can cause severe respiratory health problems. Poor IAQ can arise due to inadequate insulation and ventilation and is compounded when dwellers cannot afford to heat their homes during colder months. Grandfathering of standards means many New Zealand houses have single glazed windows and insufficient or no wall insulation. These have become mandatory for newly built houses since 2016 under the New Zealand Standard NZS4246:2016 Energy Efficiency. This paper aims to present the results of modified ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) lights-dehumidifier coupled with two different types of filters (carbon-fibre or polyester). The modified devices were designed to improve ambient air temperature by removing moisture, particulate matter and reducing mould and bacteria growth in a room. Seven different scenarios were investigated, which include combinations of UV light and filtration. The results showed that the UVGI was superior to filtration only; however, the polyester filter with UV lights (PFUV) was the most effective configuration. The PFUV effectively impeded the mould growth, with a 13.3% reduction in relative humidity and a 4.1 °C increase in the room temperature in the absence of a heating source. The results showed good potential for improving the IAQ of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several countries have reported increased demand for eating disorder services during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for adolescents. Within New Zealand, anecdotal and media reports suggest similar changes but are limited in scope and detail. We assessed eating disorder service demand in the Waikato district in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We retrospectively analysed records of eating disorder admissions and referrals for both children (< 18 years) and adults (≥ 18 years) during 2019 and 2020 in the Waikato, a mixed urban–rural province in northern New Zealand (population 435,000). We analysed medical admission and outpatient referral rates, and referral acuity, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic using Welch's t- and chi-square tests. Results: 106 medical admissions met inclusion criteria (n = 37 in 2019; 69 in 2020). Admissions for eating disorders increased markedly following nationwide lockdown in March 2020 (RR = 1.7, p = 0.01), largely driven by increases in adult admissions (RR 2.0, p = 0.005). The proportion of 'new patient' admissions showed comparable increases for both children (RR = 2.0, p = 0.02) and adults (RR = 2.3, p = 0.03). Following lockdown, outpatient referrals increased in acuity (RR = 1.8, p = 0.047) and volume (RR = 1.6, p = 0.076) for children but not for adults. Conclusions: Our study confirms a pandemic-related increase in demand for eating disorder services in the Waikato region of New Zealand, consistent with findings reported overseas. We observed contrasting increases in admissions for adults and outpatient referrals for children, exacerbating resource constraints for already stretched services and compromising provision of timely care. Plain English summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased numbers and worsening severity of eating disorders in several settings. In New Zealand, similar trends have been noted anecdotally. We assessed clinical records to calculate rates of eating disorder-related hospital admissions and outpatient referrals during 2019 and 2020. We found significant increases in hospital admissions related to COVID-19, particularly for adults, and greater proportions of both children and adults having a first-ever eating disorder-related admission. In outpatient services, young people were referred more frequently during the pandemic and were more physically unwell when referred. These results indicate increased demand for eating disorder services as a result of the pandemic and complement findings reported overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field trials conducted in the Waikato region over three summer seasons (2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10) evaluated whether soil nitrogen (N) reserves at sites previously under long-term pasture and with a history of regular farm dairy effluent application were sufficient for maize production with either minimal or no additional N fertiliser inputs. Crop productivity was assessed in the first (six trials) and second (two trials) years following cultivation of pasture. In first year trials there were no productivity differences between no fertiliser control treatments (NF) and treatments receiving an application of starter fertiliser (SF) or starter and side dress fertiliser (SSF). In second year trials the SF treatment maximised yield at one site, but none was required at the other. Crop yields were high across all trials (22.9–31.9 t DM/ha). Results confirmed that in most cases there was adequate soil N to maximise crop productivity without the need for fertiliser inputs. Despite high crop N uptake, soil mineral N levels remained elevated (109–227 kg N/ha) at four sites after cropping, an observation attributed to high rates of mineralisation during the summer. There were few correlations between pre-plant soil tests and the amount of N mineralised at these sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical and dynamic downscaling approaches are commonly used to downscale large-scale climatic variables from global circulation (GCM) and regional circulation (RCM) model outputs to local precipitation. The performance of these two approaches may differ from each other for daily precipitation projections when applied in the same region. This is examined in this study based on the estimation of extreme precipitation. Daily precipitation series are generated from GCM HadCM3, CGCM3/T47 and RCM HadCM3 models for both historical hindcasts and future projections in accordance with the period from 1971 to 2070. The Waikato catchment of New Zealand is selected as a case study. Deterministic and probabilistic performances of the GCM and RCM simulations are evaluated using root-mean-square-error (RMSE) coefficient, percent bias (PBIAS) coefficient and equitable threat score (ETS). The value of RMSE, PBIAS and ETS is 2.89, − 2.16, 0.171 and 8.72, − 4.01, 0.442 for mean areal and at-site daily precipitation estimations, respectively. The study results reveal that the use of frequency analysis of partial duration series (FA/PDS) is very effective in evaluating the accuracy of downscaled daily precipitation series. Both the statistical and the dynamic downscaling perform well for simulating daily precipitation at station level for a return period equal to or less than 100 years. However, the latter outperforms the former for daily precipitation simulation at catchment level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequence of coastal and river sands of Pleistocene to Holocene age at the north head of the Waikato River is ~80-m thick; the sands are located in a fault-angle depression at the southern end of the Awhitu Peninsula, a 40-km-long coastal sand barrier. The sequence at Waikato North Head (WNH) consists of three main formations: Awhitu Sands, Hood Sands and Mitiwai Sands. The Waiuku Black Sand member of the Hood Sands and the Entrican Sand member of the Mitiwai Sands contain titanomagnetite-rich dune sands, which are currently mined by New Zealand Steel and constitute a giant placer deposit that has a total resource of ~90 Mt Fe. A tephra at the top of the Awhitu Sands is correlated with the ~1000 ka Waiuku (Potaka) tephra. The Mitiwai Sands overlie the 1.85 ka Taupo Pumice. Comparison of electron probe microanalyses (EPMA) of titanomagnetites in heavy mineral separates of surface and drill-hole samples indicated that the bulk of the titanomagnetite in the Waiuku Black sand and the Entrican Sand is derived from andesitic rocks of the Taranaki Volcanoes 220 km to the south. The Waiuku Black Sand may correlate with an influx of andesitic clasts and mafic minerals in the cover beds of the ~400 ka Ararata Terrace in south Taranaki. There is also a contribution of titanomagnetite and minor ilmenite from the ignimbrites of the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), particularly in the Lower Hood and Entrican sands. Automated mineralogy data collected on selected sand samples contain silicate and resistate minerals that indicate other potential sources in addition to the Taranaki andesites and TVZ ignimbrites. Minor olivine was likely derived from the late Pleistocene basalts of the South Auckland volcanic field, whereas almandine and epidote were likely sourced from metasedimentary rocks of the Murihiku and Waipapa terranes. The formation of the giant placer at WNH was a multistage process involving (1) a supply of titanomagnetite-bearing sand eroded from the late Pleistocene–Holocene andesites of the Taranaki volcanoes that was transported northwards along the coast by the prevailing longshore drift; (2) concentration of titanomagnetite by wave action on beach faces and collection in a coastal embayment on the northern side of a headland of basement rocks at Port Waikato; (3) further concentration by wind action into dune sands during interglacial low sea levels; and (4) preservation by coeval subsidence in a fault-angle depression on the down-thrown north side of the Waikato Fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the medium of archival and visual sources, as well as oral histories, this study explores the transformation of one freshwater place, the Waipa River located within the Waikato and King Country districts of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, from the 1860s through till the 1930s. This article addresses the neglect of gender within existing environmental history and historical geography literatures on settler colonial societies, and explores the gendered dimensions of Pākehā settlers' transformation of the landscapes and waterscapes of the Wāipa River catchment. We draw attention to the role of Pākehā women in efforts to remove and remodel the indigenous forests and wetlands, and in doing so challenge the long-standing historical narrative that positioned Pākehā settler men as the sole actors in the radical environmental changes that took place within Aotearoa since the commencement of formal British colonisation in 1840. Through the lens of hegemonic masculinity and femininity we demonstrate how Pākehā gender norms informed the ways in which Pākehā men and women in the Waikato and King Country perceived their local environments (such as wetlands), their own and others' day-to-day activities, and how they interacted with other communities (both human and ecological). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation by introduced mammals frequently limits abundance of New Zealand's native invertebrates. We investigated responses of beetle and wētā communities to mammal eradication at two fenced forest sites at Maungatautari. Ground-dwelling beetle abundance, but not species richness, increased inside the southern exclosure two years after all mammals were eradicated. In the next 5 years, when all mammals except mice were eradicated from all of Maungatautari, beetle abundance and species richness were frequently higher in the mouse-free southern exclosure. Beetle community composition changed after mammal eradication, and over time with increasing mice densities outside the southern exclosure. Large, predatory, and native beetles showed the most differences between inside and outside the southern exclosure over some years. Wētā were more responsive to mammal removal than beetles. Wētā abundances both inside and outside the southern exclosure were similar when most mammals were eradicated and mice were controlled to low numbers. However, wētā declined in the following 2 years outside the southern exclosure when mouse abundance increased. Abiotic and biotic factors affecting the beetle and wētā communities are complex and interactions poorly understood. This study indicates that climate and predation by native fauna are likely to be important factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine if existing technologies could reduce nitrate leaching by 50%; while maintaining high levels of milk production and profitability. One farmlet, typical of the Waikato ('CURRENT') was stocked at 3.2 cows/ha and compared with a farmlet stocked at 2.6 cows/ha ('FUTURE'), focusing on higher cow production through the use of higher genetic merit cows, lower N fertiliser usage and removing cows from pasture (to a stand-off pad) during critical N leaching periods. The mitigation methods employed on the FUTURE farmlet reduced N leaching by 43% but meant the FUTURE farmlet was more expensive to run than the CURRENT (Control) farmlet. Although cows on the FUTURE farmlet each produced 68 kg more milksolids, production per hectare was 50 kg lower. Thus, the FUTURE farmlet yielded on average $279/ha/yr less profit than the CURRENT farmlet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand, per the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, prioritised "increased sustainable resource use" as a critical success factor to ensure the wellbeing of New Zealanders. The challenge for a commercial vegetable farming operation is how to embed sustainable agricultural principles in operations to ensure a thriving, financially sustainable business. Of the 17 Sustainability Development Goals, 13 involve soil one way or an‐other and Target 15 (Life on Land) relates to soil health as an integral part of sustainability. A transdisciplinary systems approach was followed in a running agricultural operation to explore links between societal wellbeing, plant health and soil health while maintaining profitability and business resilience. The business used the client and policy‐centred outcomes for the design and implementation of a thriving enterprise. It showed that increased profit is achievable utilising a combination of fertigation techniques and compost applications for onion production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many smaller New Zealand towns and cities are affected by high levels of air pollution in winter, with consequent impacts on human health. The main contributor to this air pollution is diffuse emissions of fine particulate matter (PM10) from domestic wood or coal-burning heating systems. Over the past 10-15 years, national and local governments have implemented a range of measures designed to improve human health by reducing this urban air pollution. Our study focuses on the efforts of Canterbury, Waikato and West Coast regional councils to address air quality in smaller towns. All three councils used a range of tools recommended in the Ministry for the Environment’s compliance strategy, including education and financial assistance. The Canterbury Regional Council (CRC) was the only council to use regulatory controls, yet all three airsheds studied appear to be on course to comply with the national PM10 standard by the 2020 deadline. The key to this success seems to be community involvement and public ‘buy-in’. Both the Waikato Regional Council and the West Coast Regional Council have active and ongoing relationships with dedicated community groups, whereas a failure to bring the community fully on board contributed to prolonged delays in the implementation of many of the required interventions by the CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on National Science Challenge SfTI seed funding, Angelique Greene and Helena Quilter are tackling water remediation by merging the fields of stimuli-responsive chemistry and supramolecular chemistry to produce hydrogel actuators. Topics include Hill Laboratories has expanded their viticulture testing capability with the acquisition of the assets of Vine Testing Laboratory has specialised ELISA laboratory able to diagnose Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3.

The article presents the Waikato Regional Council, New Zealand's Waikato Progress Indicators (WPI) for the Waikato region in 2014. It presents diagrams representing progressive trends for the period 2007-2014, and relative wellbeing in the region compared to New Zealand in 2014. It discusses the use of the statistical methodology called the principal components analysis (PCA) in the identification of key indicators. A diagram representing the links between various aspects of wellbeing.

Purpose: Dairying is a relatively intensive livestock production system and contributes to a range of environmental impacts. In the southern hemisphere, dairy farming systems are based mainly on outdoor grazing of permanent pastures. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess environmental profiles and (ii) to identify environmental hotspots in a pasture-based dairy farming system. Methods: A cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment of 53 dairy farms in the Waikato region, New Zealand, was carried out, using 1 kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk as the functional unit. Twelve environmental impact categories were assessed: climate change (CC), ozone depletion potential (ODP), cancer effects (Cancer), non-cancer effects (non-cancer), particulate matter (PM), ionizing radiation (IR), photochemical ozone formation potential (POFP), acidification potential (AP), terrestrial eutrophication potential (TEP), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP), marine eutrophication potential (MEP) and ecotoxicity for aquatic freshwater (Ecotox). Contribution and sensitivity analyses were performed to determine key hotspots and investigate potential changes in results due to methodological choices. Results and discussion: The on-farm stage contributed >50 % of the total result for 7 out of 12 indicators (CC, Non-cancer, PM, POFP, AP, TEP, MEP). The off-farm rearing of replacement animals contributed 11-20 % to the total result for all indicators. The production of brought-in (from off-farm) feeds for use on the dairy farms contributed >10 % to the indicator results for Non-cancer (25 %), FEP (15 %), MEP (12 %) and Ecotox (19 %). The manufacturing of agrichemicals for use on the dairy farms contributed >10 % to the indicator results for ODP (26 %), Cancer (26 %), PM (19 %), IR (46 %), FEP (25 %) and Ecotox (42 %). The transportation of off-farm inputs for use on the dairy farms contributed >10 % to the impacts on ODP (15 %), IR (21 %) and POFP (11 %). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the influence of choices associated with data sources, inventories and impact assessment models on the results. Conclusions: The off-farm activities together contributed >50 % to 5 out of 12 impact indicator results, >45 % to a further two impact indicator results and 32 % of the CC result. Therefore, environmental improvement options should focus on both on-farm and off-farm activities. A focus on just one impact category (such as CC) risks ignoring the environmental hotspots that are revealed in a more comprehensive environmental assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mowing and grazing studies over 3 years were used to examine the effects of application of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on pasture production, soil nitrogen (N) transformations, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate leaching from dairy pastures in the Waikato region (northern North Island) of New Zealand. In all cases, DCD inhibited nitrification and reduced the amount of nitrate production. Emissions of N2O from pastoral soil receiving cow urine in autumn were reduced by 18%–71% due to DCD application. Lysimeter studies showed a decrease in nitrate leaching from urine due to DCD by up to 74%, but it was dependent on timing and frequency of DCD application. DCD applications between April and June were most effective for reducing nitrate leaching, but timing of applications needs to account for the temperature profile effects on DCD longevity in soil and three applications may be necessary to achieve greatest benefits. In the mowing trial in one year there was a 4% (P< 0.05) increase in pasture growth during the winter/spring period. Otherwise, there was no significant effect of DCD applications (two to five applications per year) on seasonal or annual pasture production. This study indicates that DCD can provide valuable reductions in N emissions to the environment, making it an effective N mitigation option for use on dairy farms in northern North Island regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of this study was to assess the burden of all-terrain vehicle ( ATV) injuries within the Waikato region of New Zealand. Methods From the local database of 13 400 trauma patients, 101 patients with ATV-related injury or death were identified. We analysed data on demographics, location and mechanism of accident, helmet use, length of hospital stay, injury severity score and type of injury. Only admissions to Waikato Hospital trauma centre between February 2007 and March 2011 were included. Results A total of 84% of patients were male, 16% were female. The mean age was 38.8 years (range 4-82). Twelve per cent of patients were within the paediatric age range (<16 years). No age group was at particular risk for an ATV injury. An increase in ATV injuries year-on-year within the Waikato area was found. A large number of head injuries were found. Helmet compliance was low. Injury severity score was significantly higher in Maori than in NZ Europeans (mean 16.8 versus 10.0 ( P = 0.04)) and was comparable between children and adults as well as men and women. Our results display a 42% rise in admission incidence from 2009 to 2010, resulting in increased hospital bed occupancy. If the current trend of a growing number of quad bike accidents was to continue, this could amount to a cost of NZ$1 467 344 in 2012 from ATV injuries in Waikato hospital alone. Conclusions Quad bike injuries are an increasing burden on Waikato health care. The best strategy to tackle this epidemic needs to be further debated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim School-based interventions to tackle the rise in childhood overweight and obesity remain inconclusive and are often limited in their application to diverse populations. To inform and measure the effect of the implementation of a primary school-based longitudinal randomised controlled nutrition and activity intervention, Project Energize, baseline measures of body size and blood pressure were required. Methods This cross-sectional study stratified by age, sex, ethnicity, rurality and school socio-economic-status (school- SES) measured body mass index ( BMI), percentage body fat (% BF), waist and resting blood pressure from 2752 5- and 10-year-old children (62% European, 31% Māori) representative of the Waikato region of New Zealand. Result Waikato children have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity that is linked with hypertension. Cardiovascular risk factors including raised blood pressure and hypertension, waist and arm circumference and percentage body fat (% BF) were more prevalent in 10-year-olds, lower school- SES and to some extent, urban living. In European children, BMI and waist circumference were similarly predictive of % BF, but for Māori children, waist circumference predicted % BF better than BMI. Conclusions A variety of stratified, baseline measurements is important when designing school-based interventions. In particular, waist circumference measures may be a more accurate predictor of % BF than BMI when determining measurement protocols that consider different ethnic groups and environments among children. The effect of targeted improvements of the school physical activity and nutrition environment on the rate of increase of weight, fatness and blood pressure in children should be examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root and rhizome production of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)was measured annually from 1996 to 2002 under shade in Waikato, New Zealand. Root and rhizome production increased annually to 60–70 g dry matter (DM)/plant after 6 years, giving a root:rhizome DM yield of 5500 kg/ha. Initial growth was dominated by the roots but by the fifth and sixth year, the root:rhizome ratio remained constant at 1.2. After 6 years, approximately 84% of the root and rhizome mass was in the first 50 mm of soil, with very few roots below 100 mm. The berberine concentration in the roots and rhizomes was always above theUS Pharmacopeia's quality threshold of 2.5%. The hydrastine content was only above the US quality threshold of 2% in the rhizomes and in the roots in 1999. In the 2001 and 2002 analyses, hydrastine concentrations dropped markedly in both roots and rhizomes with the hydrastine levels in the roots being below the quality threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effectiveness of multiple small doses of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) to decrease denitrification under warm moist conditions was tested in a 1-year field trial on a grazed dairy pasture. DCD was applied approximately every 4 weeks as an aqueous spray onto ten replicate plots 3 days after rotational grazing by dairy cows. Each application was at the rate of 3 kg DCD ha−1, with a total annual application of 33 kg ha−1. Denitrification was assessed 5 days after each DCD application using the acetylene block method. At the end of the trial, the rate of degradation of DCD under summer conditions was measured. DCD significantly decreased the mean annual nitrate concentration by about 17%. Denitrification and denitrification enzyme activity were highly variable and no significant effect of DCD in decreasing denitrification was detected. In the summer month of December, DCD degraded rapidly with an estimated half-life of 5±3 days (mean and standard deviation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the impact of repeat chlamydi testing on annual population coverage estimates and to examine repeat testing patterns in a New Zealand district with high chlamydia testing rates. Methods Chlamydia testing data for 15-44-year-old e men and women in a single New Zealand district during February 2008 to January 2011 were analysed. Annual coverage of testing was estimated in two ways, using the number of tests and the number of individuals as the numerator. Rates of repeat testing were calculated using survival analysis. Results There were 73 879 tests (12 251 men, 61 628 women) from 41 342 individuals (8437 men, 32 905 women) during 3 years. Coverage estimates in 2010 using the number of individuals as the numerator were 17% lower for men and 26% lower for women than when the number of tests was used (5.9% vs 4.9% for men and 28.7% vs 21.2% for women). The rate of repeat testing was 16.9 per 100 person-years among men (95% CI 16.2 to 17.7) and 31.6 among women (95% CI 31.1 to 32.2). Rates of repeat testing were higher among women, in younger age groups and following a positive rather than a negative baseline test (p<0.001). Conclusion Relatively high rates of repeat testing were observed among young women in Waikato district during 2008 to 2010. Estimates of population coverage by test for this group therefore considerably overestimate individual coverage. The findings will inform discussions about improving surveillance to capture more accurate chlamydia testing coverage rates in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the goal of the BDO Waikato Ltd., winner of the Waikato Sustainable Business Network (SBN) Large Emerging Business of the Year Award 2010, to achieve a paperless office through digitization and an integrated programme of sustainability practices.

Information on the effect of human-induced disturbances on sediment yields and sediment sources from New Zealand catchments is limited. This study analyses the sediment yields and event sediment dynamics for a 12-year period from two paired headwater catchments within the Waikato region. One catchment (Whakakai) was entirely vegetated in native forest, while the other (Mangaotama) was of mixed land use. Near the beginning of the study period, an integrated catchment management plan was implemented with the Mangaotama catchment. This plan included riparian planting, planting of degraded land in Pinus radiata and changes in stock management. Long-term in-stream turbidity data was calibrated with suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements and used to determine event and annual sediment yields. Hysteresis of the discharge (Q)–SSC relationship during events was used to infer differences in sediment sources. Event sediment yields within the Mangaotama catchment were similar to Whakakai catchment during small events (c. 1.01-year return period). For larger and less frequent events (>5-year return period), the event yields from Mangaotama exceeded Whakakai by about a factor of three, probably due to mass movement initiation. The specific sediment yield (±1σ) from Mangaotama (97±39 t/km2/year) was around 60% higher than Whakakai (60±22 t/km2/year). Clockwise hysteresis in the Q–SSC relationship dominated at Mangaotama, indicating the importance of near-channel sources. The persistence of near-channel source dominance throughout the study period (despite major land use changes) was attributed to switching of erosive mechanisms (i.e. from cattle-induced mechanical disturbance to subaerial processes). The prevalence of anti-clockwise hysteresis in the Q–SSC relationship of events at Whakakai suggests that hillslope sources are likely to be a principal source of eroded sediment. Such information provides valuable information that may help guide future decisions on the application of catchment rehabilitation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]