Case Studies

Peter Abrahamson has been farming with AgriSea at Darfield for eight years. He's halved his fertiliser, cut his nitrogen budget to less than a third of the regional limit – and still grows as much grass as anyone around him. With a $7 return for every $1 spent, his farm proves that patience and biological soil health deliver compounding results.

A full-season commercial trial across three independent apiary sites measured AgriSea Bee Nutrition from Autumn 2019 through to the 2020 honey harvest. Results showed honey yield increases ranging from 20% to 123%, consistently higher capped honey, earlier spring capping, stronger winter recovery, and larger brood nests across all 36 hives.

Funded by Callaghan Innovation and independently conducted by Plant & Food Research, this trial tested AgriSea Bee Nutrition across 40 commercial manuka hives. Results showed a statistically significant ~67% reduction in Nosema ceranae populations – one of the most damaging gut pathogens facing beekeepers today.

De Graaf Apiaries ran an independent trial across 80 hives to test AgriSea Bee Nutrition added to sugar syrup during spring build-up. The results showed a dose-dependent increase in brood at every measurement point – with the highest dose producing nearly double the brood of the control group, confirmed as statistically significant.

Five years ago Jo and Vicki Shannon arrived in Central Otago's Ida Valley with a fresh start and a long game in mind. Today, Klifden Farm is steadily improving – grass holding on longer through summer, pastures bouncing back faster, lambs growing well, and ewes holding condition more consistently. The shift has been slow and deliberate. That is exactly the point.

A Wintec research trial investigated AgriSea Animal Nutrition on newborn dairy calves over 12 weeks. Supplemented calves gained 29% more weight, showed firmer stools and cleaner pens – at just 5ml per calf per day costing ~6 cents. The results prove AgriSea delivers measurable gains during the most critical developmental window.

Cognosco – the research arm of Annexa Animal Health – conducted an independent trial across 1,357 commercial dairy cows in Waikato. Results showed 17% lower SCC across the season, 3.2 days faster conception (worth $13,129 per 300-cow herd at $9.50/kg MS), and 37% higher B12 status – all achieved during a severe 70-year drought.

When Mark Rowlands purchased a 7.5-hectare avocado orchard as a retirement plan, he inherited 1600 trees suffering from Phytophthora and years of herbicide damage. Seven years later, using AgriSea Foliar applications, Avo Haven has transformed into a thriving operation producing what locals call "the best tasting avocados around.

When Stefan Van Oorschot and his parents took on what he describes as the worst farm in New Zealand, they had patchy grass, sinking mud, and cows that needed constant intervention. A few seasons later – with seaweed products, regrassing and surface drainage – they are milking fewer cows and producing 58% more milk solids, with an SCC below 230,000 and no antibiotic dry cow therapy.

Most farmers add cows to increase production. Chris Parry did the opposite, and it worked. He cut cow numbers from 285 to 228 and still lifted production from 71,000 to over 100,000 kilograms of milksolids. It wasn't about chasing more inputs or pushing the farm harder. For Chris, the real shift began when he started paying attention to what was happening beneath the surface — in the soil.

A three-year trial across Gisborne vineyards showed AgriSea-treated vines produced heavier grape bunches, stayed greener longer, and looked visibly healthier — with an average 11.1% increase in bunch weight across Merlot and Chardonnay varieties.

Anya and Frank Walkington came to farming – and to AgriSea – through a love of animals and a commitment to doing things naturally. Fifteen years on from arriving in Akaroa, they run a thriving agritourism business with nearly 200 alpacas, three farm tours a day, a busy farm shop, and pastures that reflect years of patient soil work.

A Lincoln University trial - now published in the peer-reviewed journal Agriculture - confirms that AgriSea Soil, Pasture & Ocean Nutrition applied to ryegrass-clover pasture delivers heavier lambs, healthier ewes, and less metabolic stress. One application from lambing to weaning.

Eight years ago, this prestigious 5th-generation Waikato vineyard was struggling despite rigorous soil testing and traditional fertilizer programs. When winemaker Jacob Nooyan tried AgriSea Foliar Nutrition, the transformation was dramatic: yellow leaves turned dark green in just 2-3 weeks, fermentation success improved, and fruit ripened better than control rows. The result? Healthier vines producing premium wine.

Miah and Jenny Smith transformed their 260ha Atiamuri dairy farm from a high-input, financially stressed conventional system to a profitable biological model - saving $50,000/year in fertiliser while improving every metric that matters. A six-year trial proved soil biology first delivers both environmental and economic wins.

Scott Byles and Corrine Carroll transformed their Western Bay of Plenty avocado orchard from a "hit and miss" operation to a thriving 70 bins per hectare producer. The breakthrough came when they purchased their own sprayer and switched to an AgriSea-only foliar program applied every two weeks. The results? Bigger fruit, better pack out, and a healthier orchard that keeps pace with warmer coastal properties.

Overlooking Whaingaroa Harbour and the Tasman Sea, the Hill family's Dreamview Farm combines dairy farming with an award-winning creamery producing local A2 milk in glass bottles. When daughters Jess (Ag degree) and Kathy (soil science) convinced their parents to trial AgriSea Combo+ against conventional fertiliser, the results spoke for themselves: "Paddock 30 has never seen so much grass in it," said father David after seeing the AgriSea paddock.

When Tony and Afsaneh Howey bought a 72-hectare blackcurrant orchard 16 years ago, they saw the future was about health and wellbeing. They gradually converted to organic, created their own retail brand when no market existed, and developed direct-to-customer products. For three years, AgriSea Foliar Spray applied twice annually has delivered growth comparable to non-organic operations, eliminating the stunted growth they experienced during initial organic conversion.

Trevor and Stephanie Rudman were exceeding their weight targets every season on their dry stock operation, but it was coming at a cost. After implementing an AgriSea Soil and Pasture program with Combo+ product and strategic subsoiling, their pasture improvements became so dramatic that neighbors started driving past just to comment. The result: outstanding property performance with sustainable profitability.

Neville & Noeline Flay's controlled trial showed AgriSea-treated cattle gained 23% more weight per day - delivering a 2,400% return on investment at current prices. The trial proved that quality pasture plus optimized feed conversion equals faster finishing and maximum profitability.

When Miah and Jenny Smith's 260-hectare dairy farm was struggling with low pasture production and chasing their tails with synthetic fertilizers, they took a revolutionary step: a rigorous 3-year side-by-side trial comparing conventional fertilizer against AgriSea biostimulants. The results turned everything they knew about soil and pasture upside down, delivering equal production at half the cost.

Lincoln University research shows AgriSea Animal Nutrition improves antioxidant status, boosts rumen energy production by up to 26%, and supports better body condition — at just 5ml per cow per day during the critical dry period before calving.

From a commercial maize-for-human-consumption trial in Otorohanga to an organic drought crop in Northland, a 20-year silage operation in Taranaki, and independent efficacy testing in the United States – the results are consistent. AgriSea delivers measurable yield advantages across a wide range of growing conditions.

Independent research by ECO Soils Research enrolled 5 Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchards over three years to assess the efficacy of AgriSea Soil and Foliar products. The results were highly significant — with improvements across fruit quality, storage life, vine health and soil biology.

A commercial trial at Longridge Orchard, Te Puke – one of the world's premier kiwifruit growing regions – confirms that AgriSea seaweed soil and foliar treatments produce measurably heavier Hayward kiwifruit and larger leaves, with a clear economic advantage.