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The reverse mortgage market in New Zealand: Key drivers of loan determination
No full textThis paper examines the drivers of loan principals in the reverse mortgage and equity release market in New Zealand using a hedonic price model (HPM) approach. Our analysis using reverse mortgages data between 2004–2021, sourced from one major reverse mortgage bank, provides four key findings. First, the term of payment for repaid reverse mortgages is positively associated with loan principals, implying that longer repayment terms allow applicants who were able to repay mortgages to borrow more. Second, there is partial evidence to suggest the presence of a positive linear impact of the value of the current property on its loan principal, in line with previous house price modelling studies. Third, older applicants (age 75+) borrow less than younger applicants, which may be due to their repaying ability. Fourth, we confirm a positive effect of interest rates on reverse mortgage amounts but reject the positive association between wider loan-to-value policy restrictions and equity release lending amounts. The results broadly highlight that the house price is more relevant than any individual characteristic of a property in determining loan principals, and that all drivers are relevant in the early stage of the development of the reverse mortgages market in New Zealand
Elevated abundance of Komagataeibacter results in a lower pH in kombucha production; insights from microbiomic and chemical analyses
No full textKombucha consumption has grown rapidly worldwide in the last decade, with production at both small- and large scales. The complex fermentation process involves both bacterial and yeast species, but little is known regarding the progression of microbial development during production. We explored the microbial diversity of multiple batches across two kombucha types, i. e commercial scale versus laboratory-made (hereafter “home”) kombucha brew using metabarcoding to characterize both fungal and bacterial communities. We found the microbial community of the commercial kombucha brew to be more complex than that of the home brew. Furthermore, PERMANOVA uncovered significant compositional differences between the bacterial (F = 2.68, R² = 0.23, p = 00.001) and fungal (F = 3.18, R² = 0.26, p = 00.006) communities between batches. For the home brew, both alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed no significant differences between all batches and replicates. When the microbial diversity of the home and commercial kombucha types were directly compared, the former had higher proportions of Ammoniphilus and Komagataeibacter. The commercial kombucha on the other hand were high in Anoxybacillus, Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas. For the fungal communities, the most dominant fungal genera detected in both kombucha types were similar. Linear model revealed significant correlations between some microorganisms and the sugars and organic acids assayed in this study. For example, rising glucose levels correlated with an increase in the relative abundance of Komagataeibacter (F = 7.115, Adj. R² = 0.44, p = 00.0003). We believe these results contribute towards achieving a better control of the kombucha fermentation process and may assist in targeted product diversification
Irrigation scheduling needs to consider both plant‐available water and soil aeration requirements
No full textGlobal food production relying on irrigated agriculture accounts for >70% of the global freshwater withdrawal. A thorough understanding of soil–water characteristics (SWCs) and critical soil–water values in the soil and subsoil is important for effective management of irrigated water. A critical soil–water “window” for plants is generally taken as the plant-available water window without considering diffusion-dominated soil aeration as a co-requisite. This study examined SWC curves in vadose soil profiles (up to 1.5-m depth) in eight pasture soils. The soil moisture measurements were made over matric potentials ranging from −1 to −1500 kPa using tension table and pressure plate apparatus. The van Genuchten model was used to parameterize the measured SWC curve, while the Millington-Quirk model was used to derive soil–gas diffusivity from measured soil physical properties. We defined critical soil–water windows considering the threshold values for both plant-available water and soil–gas diffusivity to ensure water and aeration corequisites for plant growth. The results clearly distinguished depth-dependent regimes of gravitational, plant-available, and unavailable water in selected profiles and their responses to soil structural changes across the depth. In some of the observed soil profiles, only 30%–60% of the plant-available water window was able to be utilized by plants because the remainder existed under soil conditions where soil aeration was inadequate for plant growth, emphasizing the importance of considering both the plant's water and aeration requirements during irrigation scheduling. Further, the infiltration profiles in two selected soils under simulated irrigation highlighted the importance of a priori knowledge of the soil structure in deeper soil layers for scheduling irrigation
AOB Nitrosospira cluster 3a.2 (D11) dominates N₂O emissions in fertilised agricultural soils
No full textAmmonia-oxidation process directly contribute to soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions in agricultural soils. However, taxonomy of the key nitrifiers (within ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB), archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidisers (comammox Nitrospira)) responsible for substantial N₂O emissions in agricultural soils is unknown, as is their regulation by soil biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, cumulative N₂O emissions, nitrification rates, abundance and community structure of nitrifiers were investigated in 16 agricultural soils from major crop production regions of China using microcosm experiments with amended nitrogen (N) supplemented or not with a nitrification inhibitor (nitrapyrin). Key nitrifier groups involved in N₂O emissions were identified by comparative analyses of the different treatments, combining sequencing and random forest analyses. Soil cumulative N₂O emissions significantly increased with soil pH in all agricultural soils. However, they decreased with soil organic carbon (SOC) in alkaline soils. Nitrapyrin significantly inhibited soil cumulative N₂O emissions and AOB growth, with a significant inhibition of the AOB Nitrosospira cluster 3a.2 (D11) abundance. One Nitrosospira multiformis-like OTU phylotype (OTU34), which was classified within the AOB Nitrosospira cluster 3a.2 (D11), had the greatest importance on cumulative N₂O emissions and its growth significantly depended on soil pH and SOC contents, with higher growth at high pH and low SOC conditions. Collectively, our results demonstrate that alkaline soils with low SOC contents have high N₂O emissions, which were mainly driven by AOB Nitrosospira cluster 3a.2 (D11). Nitrapyrin can efficiently reduce nitrification-related N₂O emissions by inhibiting the activity of AOB Nitrosospira cluster 3a.2 (D11). This study advances our understanding of key nitrifiers responsible for high N₂O emissions in agricultural soils and their controlling factors, and provides vital knowledge for N₂O emission mitigation in agricultural ecosystems
Peri-urban landscapes and the potential of integrated foodscapes to support healthy cities: An Aotearoa New Zealand case study
No full textAotearoa New Zealand is experiencing unprecedented competition in land use priorities on the edges of its cities and settlements–referred to as the peri-urban zone. Housing and food production compete with one another in a legislative planning context that supports a dichotomy of urban or rural land use. Food production is being driven further away from urban settlements, where 85% of New Zealanders live, as demand for housing increases, and land is re-zoned from rural to urban. Consequently, cities and settlements within Aotearoa New Zealand are increasingly seen to be spatially disconnected from their productive hinterlands. The resulting land use polarity occurring in the peri-urban zone is problematic for local food production, driving issues of agricultural land fragmentation, the loss of highly productive soils, ‘reverse sensitivity’, and impacts on human health and wellbeing. Engaging with both residents and food producers who reside and work within the peri-urban zone, this research applies a ‘design thinking’ methodology to the case study site of Ōtautahi Christchurch, exploring the question, ‘how can food production and housing best co-exist at the edges of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cities and settlements?’ to support human health and wellbeing outcomes. This paper presents five participant-driven future land use scenarios, which were developed based on survey responses collected from both peri-urban residents and food producers. The land use scenarios were then tested in a workshop setting with both groups assessing the potential of each scenario to address the land use conundrum that Aotearoa New Zealand peri-urban areas are currently facing, ultimately identifying land use strategies for healthier city areas that are designed for both housing and local food production
Ballance and de Belalcázar: What violent action against two statues in New Zealand and Colombia reveals about the political power of landscape
No full textThe political narratives of two statues representing Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombian colonial figures are revealing. In both countries, tensions between indigenous peoples and colonial powers have intensified in recent decades, and violent actions against the statues demonstrate the political potency of memorials. New Zealand’s statue of statesman John Ballance – symbolising European colonial presence on Māori land – became the target of attacks by activists during the occupation of Pākaitore, Motua Gardens, Whanganui in 1995. The statue was beheaded and later entirely removed. In 2009, a new statue of Ballance was erected outside Whanganui District Council offices. In Colombia during the 1930s, the "Morro de Tulcán," the most sacred site for the Pubenenses Indians, was the location chosen for a statue of Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar rather than one of indigenous leader and defender of the land, Cacique Pube. In 2020, protesters pulled down the statue of de Belalcázar – a powerful symbol of oppression favouring Spanish heritage over indigenous culture
The effects and mechanisms of deep straw incorporation and denitrifying bacterial agents on mitigating nitrate leaching and N₂O emissions in four soil types in the North China Plain
No full textThe agricultural practice of straw incorporation is often employed to enhance soil fertility, improve soil properties and reduce nitrate leaching via deep burying. Nevertheless, the tradeoff between nitrate leaching and N₂O emissions caused by deep straw incorporation in various soil types remains uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, a mesocosm column experiment was established to evaluate the impact of straw amendment (NS) and of straw plus application of denitrifying bacterial agents (NSS) at column depths of 20–60 cm on NO¯₃–N leaching and N₂O emission across four soil types (brown, cinnamon, fluvo-aquic and mortar black soil) in the North China plain. The results showed that the NS and NSS treatments significantly reduced NO¯₃–N leaching by 47%–73% and 37%–81%, respectively, across four soil types, in comparison to the control without straw and bacterial agents (N), with the greatest reduction recorded in the mortar black soil (by 73% for NS and 81% for NSS). Meanwhile, the NS and NSS treatments resulted in a significant increase in cumulative N₂O emissions (by 289% for NS and 598% for NSS) in the acidic brown soil with a soil pH ranging between 4.8 and 6.5, but showed no significant effect in the remaining three soil types in which soil pH is above 7.5. When compared to the NS treatment, NSS treatment reduced the cumulative N₂O emissions in the fluvo-aquic soil by 42%. We further showed that soil type is the primary driver of bacterial community composition (R² = 62.3%; P < 0.001), followed by soil depth (R² = 5.2%; P < 0.001). The incorporation of straw and denitrifying bacterial agents induced significant change in the bacterial community in the middle depth layers, and increases in nosZ gene abundance and the relative abundance of inoculant-similar OTUs significantly by 0.5–37 folds and 2.8–6900 folds, respectively, in all soil types, suggesting the colonization of denitrifying bacterial agents. Our results further suggested that the Streptomycetales were the most important predictors for N₂O emissions, and the relative abundance of Streptomycetales was highly positively correlated with N₂O emissions across the four soil types. Overall, the study suggests that deep straw incorporation as soil amendment is effective in mitigating nitrate leaching in all four soil types, especially in the fluvo-aquic soil, due to its dual effects on controlling nitrate leaching and N₂O emissions. However, it is not recommended for the acidic brown soils as it may cause increased N₂O emissions
Determinants of food and nutrition security of tribal communities in the hill and mountain regions: Empirical evidence from Northeast India
No full textWhile there is a rich body of gender, natural hazards, and displacement literature globally, such studies on communities in the hill and mountain regions are limited. The literature on the food and nutrition security of tribal and/or indigenous communities in the Mountain and Hill regions remains opaque to date. More so for the tribal communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, which is considered the most densely populated mountain region. These communities cut off from the mainstream population primarily due to complex topography and limited mobility, have evolved their traditional food production techniques. Urbanisation, however, has shifted these communities towards a market-driven food system leading to dietary changes. In this paper, we focus on the difference in the food consumption patterns between rural and urban areas in Nagaland, Northeast India. Using data from 404 households of the Ao-Naga tribe in Mokukchong district, we find that the rural households have higher Food Diversity Score (FDS) than urban households with much higher consumption of traditional foods like organ food and insects. Preliminary analysis also indicates two findings on the primacy of female education for food and nutrition security. One, although meat consumption is higher for urban households, there is a positive correlation between the education of female household heads and meat consumption in rural areas. Two, there is a weak but statistically significant linkage between the education of female household heads and the number of meals consumed per day
Higher soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in rice than non-rice soils following land reclamation
No full textLong-term rice and non-rice cultivation following coastal tidal flat reclamation can significantly influence the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) sequestration. However, the impacts of cultivation patterns and time on SOC and TN sequestration after coastal tidal reclamation remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the dynamics of SOC and TN sequestration in long-term rice and non-rice cultivation following the tidal flats reclamation. Rice paddy (RP) and non-rice soils (NR) were sampled from soils aged 50 (RP50 and NR50), 100 (RP100 and NR100), 300 (RP300 and NR300), and 700 (RP700 and NR700) years to elucidate the responses of SOC and TN to long-term cultivation. Results indicated that SOC and TN increased over time under rice cultivation in the cultivated layer, reaching peaks of 34.2 g kg‾¹ in SOC (RP700) and 2.0 g kg‾¹ in TN (RP300). Moreover, SOC was 0.7–1.4 times higher in rice paddy soils than in non-rice soils, and TN was 0.6–1.1 times greater than in rice paddy soils than in non-rice soils. SOC and TN in the deeper layers remained relatively stable compared to the cultivated layer. The C DE (the difference in the SOC at a depth of D and the SOC under the steady-state condition) and N DE (similar to C DE) of rice paddy soil reached their maximum at RP300 measuring 37.6 and 2.1 g kg‾¹ , respectively, significantly higher than those of non-rice soils. In addition, SOC density and TN density increased with rice cultivation time, peaking at RP300 (1.7 g cm‾²) and RP700 (0.2 g cm‾³), respectively. Overall, SOC and TN sequestration rate were 67.0 % and 62.7 % higher under rice cultivation than under non-rice cultivation, reaching steady-state equilibria after 300 years and 700 years of rice cultivation, respectively. Stabilization mechanisms associated with the depth of the cultivated layer, thickness of obstacle horizons, and specific microbial communities should be considered in future studies on the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration dynamics over long time scales in rice and non-rice cultivated soils
The influence of management systems on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi recruitment by grapevine rootstocks
No full textArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play vital roles in sustainable agricultural ecosystems, such as vineyards, by promoting plant growth and increasing resilience to environmental changes. To maximize the benefits of AMF communities in vineyard ecosystems, it is crucial to understand how management systems impact their composition. Additionally, it remains unclear whether AMF communities differ between organically managed vineyards and conventionally managed ones. This study conducted surveys of vineyards throughout the Marlborough region, New Zealand, aiming to identify AMF communities inhabiting the roots of various rootstocks grafted with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, across both conventional and organic systems. The AMF communities were identified based on spores isolated from trap cultures established with the collected grapevine roots, and by next-generation sequencing technologies (Illumina Miseq). The identified AMF species/genera belonged to Glomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae and Diversisporaceae. The results revealed a significant difference in AMF community composition between rootstocks and in their interaction with management systems. These findings suggest that vineyard management systems affect the recruitment of AMF by rootstocks, potentially making certain rootstocks better suited to organic systems because of the AMF communities they support. This could lead to enhanced biodiversity, offering greater benefits to organic systems