WAREEK’S Matthew Ipsen and Moama’s Antony Wagg will be awarded prestigious Nuffield Scholarships today to further their agricultural studies.
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The pair will go on a six-week global focus program with other Nuffield scholarship recipients next year.
They will also embark on a worldwide personal research field trip to further their agricultural research.
Sheep and cropping farmer Mr Ipsen hopes his research will improve the survivability of lambs, in particular twin-born lambs, in the first 48 hours of life.
Mr Ipsen will look at the housing of sheep and different feeding systems in order to improve the health of pregnant ewes, allowing them to birth without difficulties.
He aims to conduct research in New Zealand, Europe, the USA and South Africa next year.
Mr Vagg, whose family operation grows rice, winter cereals, oil and pulse crops, is planning to study rice stubble management.
He is hoping his research will combat the current widespread practice of burning to eliminate rice stalks and roots and find other uses for the straw.
He will travel to rice-growing regions in the USA to observe the role migratory birds play in the breakdown of rice stubble.
Mr Ipsen said he was looking forward to extending his research, but also to travelling.
“I’m looking forward to a bit of personal development,” he said.
He said he was most looking forward to the global focus program which will travel to India, Qatar, Turkey, Ukraine, France and Washington DC.
“It’ll be really good to be with like-minded people,” he said.
“It’s very dynamic when you get together.
“We all have a passion for agriculture and enjoy what we do and how we do it.
“It’s good to hear the positive stories of agriculture.”