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Item Measurement and modelling of salt and nutrient dynamics under Salicornia irrigated with saline groundwater, desalination reject-brine, and aquabrine : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Soil and Environmental Sciences, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-07-27) Al Tamimi, MansoorEnvironment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) has implemented several scientific research projects with Plant and Food Research (PFR) New Zealand and OnlyFromNZ Limited (OFNZ) to determine the irrigation requirements for date palms, arid forestry, and field crops, for Law 5 which states that groundwater in the Emirate is the property of the Government which has the responsibility for management, organization and licensing the activities related to groundwater. The Government entity is EAD-Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi). can be implemented using sound scientific bases to protect the interests of all. This is a cooperation with external partners, plus both governmental and non-governmental agencies. These projects aimed to determine the irrigation requirements for date palms, forests, and field crops. While these projects have determined irrigation requirements, they have not, to date, addressed the environmental impacts of farming on groundwater quantity and quality. This Ph.D. research explored the trade-offs between improved technologies for the use of alternative water supplies, such as desalination brines, and the environmental consequences of brine re-use. The results will form part of the future solutions at the nexus among food, energy, and water in Abu Dhabi. This doctoral research builds on nearly a decade of scientific knowledge developed in collaboration with the New Zealand teams. It identifies the opportunities for reject brine from desalination units in aquaculture and halophytic agriculture, as well as the environmental consequences of the fate of this salt and nutrients. Measurements are critical to understand groundwater impacts and the benefits of using saline groundwater and brines from desalination plants to irrigate halophytes in hyper-arid environments. In 2020, a pilot trial was set up using irrigation with highly saline waters. However, two difficulties were encountered, and the pilot trial was a failure. The first part of the thesis describes how the practical challenges of the measurement technologies used in this saline environment were overcome. Further, experiments were then carried out to quantify the efficiency and impact of salt leaching in removing salt from the rootzone. Two years of field experimentation were undertaken to determine the economic productivity and environmental impact on groundwater of irrigating the halophyte Salicornia bigelovii with three types of saline waters in the hyper-arid United Arab Emirates. In the first year, the irrigation waters employed were groundwater (GW) at 25 dS m⁻¹, reverse-osmosis brine (RO) from a desalination unit at 40 dS m⁻¹, and Aquabrine (AQ) effluent from land-based aquaculture in tanks filled with RO brine, also at 40 dS m⁻¹. Bubblers (BUB), pressure-compensated drippers (PCD), or subsurface irrigation tape (SUB) were used to apply the three waters Salicornia fresh tip, harvest forage, and seed yields were highest for AQ applied through BUB, reaching 650 g m⁻². The dry forage yield with AQ through BUB was found to be 2-2.6 kg m⁻², compared to 1-2.3 kg m⁻² for the other irrigation waters and emitter devices. The highest water productivity WPI (kg m⁻³) across all three crop outputs resulted from Aquabrine applied by pressure-compensated drippers. Gross economic water productivity (GEWP₁, $ m⁻³) was assessed based solely on gross revenue. The highest GEWP₁, at US$5.8-6.2, was achieved with AQ applied through PCD and SUB, primarily due to revenue from fresh tips. Notably, the GEWP₁ significantly exceeded the cost of desalination at $1.5 m⁻³. Drainage and leaching were measured using fluxmeters. The greatest salt load into the groundwater, at 135-195 kg m⁻², was observed with BUB irrigation. For PCD and SUB, the salt load ranged between 14-36 kg m⁻². Simple mass-balance calculations of these salt loadings were then employed to predict the impact on the saline quality of aquifers. An exemplar loading of 75 kg m⁻² was used, resulting in a projected annual salinity rise of 2.6 dS m⁻¹ y⁻¹ for an aquifer with a saturated depth of 100 m. This significant increase in groundwater salinity would represent a continual decline in the resource's utility. This simple mass-balance arithmetic highlighted the need for modelling. New data from the following year’s experiments highlighted the economic value of using nitrogen-rich saline waters, either from groundwater or reject brines from desalination units, to irrigate the halophytic crop Salicornia bigelovii for food, fodder, and fuel in a hyper-arid environment. The greatest benefit was, again, achieved using pressure compensated drippers. Field measurements of drainage and leaching under the crop showed that, in sum, all of the salt, as well as the nitrogen drawn up from the groundwater were returned back to the aquifer as leachate. The only loss of water to the system was through crop evapotranspiration ET𝒸. A simple heuristic model of groundwater quantity and quality was developed to infer the environmental impacts of irrigating crops with saline and high-nitrate groundwater in a hyper-arid environment. The time-rise in solute concentration in groundwater is found to be a hyperbola. The parameters needed for this simple model are the fraction of the land above the aquifer that is irrigated, the initial depth of the saturated thickness of the aquifer, the saturated water content of the aquifer, and the annual rate of crop evapotranspiration. An indicator of the rate-of-rise in solute concentration, akin to a half-life, is the numbers of years to double the solute concentration in groundwater. This can be found as Ө hₒ /2 ET𝒸, where Ө is the saturated water content, hₒ is the original thickness of the saturated layer, and ET𝒸 is the annual rate of crop evapotranspiration. The general model is simple and straightforward to parameterise. It is easily understood and useful for assessing the impacts and trade-offs of policy and regulatory options. The knowledge gained from these experiments and the predictions resulting from the heuristic modelling have been used to highlight future needs to be addressed for the critical issues at the food-water-energy nexus in hyper-arid regions.Item Land use constraints to increasing horticultural production in the western Bay of Plenty : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Horticultural Science in Horticultural Economics and Marketing at Massey University(Massey University, 1981) Wakeford, Raymond JamesThe Western Bay of Plenty, because of its climate, resources, and infrastructure, is an ideal place for the development of horticultural enterprises. The development of the horticultural industry, and especially Kiwifruit, over the last 10 years, has resulted in dramatic changes in land use. These changes have been particularly noticeable in Tauranga County. In contrast the rate of horticultural development in Whakatane County is still very small compared to total land in agriculture. The beneficial effects of the changing patterns of land use, i.e. increased economic activity, labour opportunities, and rural re-population seem to outweigh the costs in terms of social friction, effects on dairy companies, and land speculation. In the period from 1972 to 1979, Tauranga County District Planning Schemes were found to have restrained horticultural development within the area. However in the present second review of the Tauranga County District Scheme, the Council was found to have liberalized its attitude towards land subdivisions for horticulture. Although land for horticultural uses, especially in the county's Rural B zone, must satisfy certain conditions as set out in the code of ordinances. In the Whakatane County, with little demand for horticultural lots, horticultural subdivisions have been based on the productive capacity of the land. Subdivision plans are approved on merit. An economic analysis of three orchards in the Tauranga County revealed that fruit production, especially Kiwifruit growing, is a profitable use of land. Orchard net farm incomes increase as orchard sizes increase and as orchards become more specialized. Financial benefits are accruing to the orchard owners through both income and property value appreciation. Small areas used for orcharding, e.g. 1 hectare of Kiwifruit, can be more profitable than 48 hectares used for dairying. In 1983, the total area in horticulture in the Western Bay of Plenty could exceed 7,000 hectares. Kiwifruit plantings will comprise 68 per cent of this area. Ninety per cent of these expected plantings will occur in Tauranga County and the balance in the Whakatane district. Tauranga County has 38,500 hectares of land potentially suitable for horticulture. The majority of this land is in the County's Rural B zone. The ordinances regulating horticultural subdivisions in this zone will be amended to encourage further horticultural development when horticulturalists and farmers demand change. In 1990, the financial benefits from the region's proposed horticultural plantings to 1983, at current prices and costs, could reach $319 million. In the period from 1980 to 1990, the casual labour requirements for Kiwifruit pruning and training in the Western Bay of Plenty is expected to increase by 1370 persons. The numbers of fulltime persons (this includes working owners and/or managers) will increase by 1330 persons. Casual labour for Kiwifruit harvesting and packing will increase by 10,000 persons.Item Applications of mathematical programming on four New Zealand horticultural holdings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Horticultural Science in Massey University(Massey University, 1968) Rae, Allan NThe objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of horticultural management plans formulated by linear and nonlinear programming. Such an evaluation will include the feasibility of the plan itself, the nature of additional information (such as the imputed value of resources) obtained from the programmed solution (which is not easily provided by the simpler budgeting methods), and the extent to which profits may be increased if the programmed solution was put into practice. Rather than comparing the programmed profits with those the horticulturalist received in the previous season, they should be compared with the expected profit, using the prices, yields and costs assumed in the programme, for the management plan the horticulturalist considered best before being presented with the programmed solution. This is considered desirable due to the wide fluctuations in horticultural incomes that may occur from one year to the next - it is possible that a linear programme may show a lower level of profit than that obtained the previous season, simply due to high prices the previous year. It will be possible, then, to see just how near the horticulturalist's management plan is to the optimum and dependent on this, how useful mathematical programming may be in horticultural management advisory work.Item Factors affecting strategic marketing decisions in agriculture : a study of fruit farmers in Thailand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agribusiness at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Chiamjinnawat, BhawatThe transformation of agri-food marketing systems worldwide has implications for small-scale fruit farmers in Thailand. Effective strategic marketing decisions (SMDs) of farmers are essential elements in response to market transformation. Based on the theory of strategic decision making, SMDs are made in regards to the availability of internal resources, the dynamics of the external environment and the goals that need to be accomplished. Previous literature mostly explains the SMDs of individual farmers in developed countries. Research work in developing countries generally concentrates on SMDs, in order to link small-scale farmers to markets. Characterised by small-scale operations farmers in Thailand were not considered as being leading actors in agri-food value chains. As a result, available research on SMDs, which reflect farmers' strategic capability, was scarce within a Thailand context. This study employed a quantitative survey-based approach to determine key factors that affect the SMDs of fruit farmers in Chanthaburi province of Thailand. Qualitative data was also collected in a pilot study, in order to develop the conceptual model and the foundation of the questionnaire. The survey data was collected from 216 fruit farmers, through the use of face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed to describe and compare the fruit farmers who used traditional marketing channels (TM users) with those who used high-value marketing channels (HM users). Furthermore, factor analysis was employed to identify factors included in the conceptual model, and logistic regression was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that SMDs towards high-value market participation were positively related to business size, experience in fruit farming, perceived importance of market requirements, and farmers' goals in regards to effectiveness. The results suggest that small business sized farms need to improve their productivity and increase their business capacity, via collective actions that would allow them to benefit from collective learning with experienced farmers, which could lead to updated market information. It was also noted that some farmers aimed to achieve their production goals by focusing on efficiency, while others desired a simple lifestyle by focusing their lives on self-sufficiency. This implied that different types of farmers needed to be encouraged in different ways, in order to develop their strategic capabilities as important stakeholders in the fruit industry of Thailand.Item Evaluation of Massey twist tester for textural assessment of fruits and vegetables : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Agricultural Engineering at Massey University(Massey University, 2000) Tautakitaki, Tevita PasinamuThe Massey Twist Tester is an instrument developed to assess the texture of fresh fruit and vegetables rapidly. Since its original development in 1990, the Twist Tester has been modified extensively and numerous prototypes have been developed. In principle a small rectangular flat blade is rotated inside the fruit, and the torque required is measured. The current version incorporates a motor driven unit rotating inside a set of needles which hold the fruit firmly. Although measurements of fruit properties have been reported in previous studies, these have all been based on earlier designs, and no data on the new version of the Twist Tester have yet been published. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of the new version of the Twist Tester by comparing it to the standard penetrometer, which has been widely used in many parts of the world for several years. Samples of fruit and vegetables were stored in different conditions to vary the level of firmness in order to expose how well each instrument performed in detecting the changes of textural properties. Generally, both Twist Tester and Penetrometer readings declined with storage time. In the testing of Braeburn apples, the Twist Tester has highly correlated with storage time as compared to penetrometer, The Twist Tester and Texture Analyser produced results for the Royal Gala apples which were highly correlated with those obtained from the penetrometer, suggesting that this test could be used, as it is more reliable for determining the maturity of apples. For plums, the correlation of the Twister with storage time at three storage conditions were high (r =0.92, 0.95 and 0.92), compared to the correlated of penetrometer with storage time which was (r = 0.83, 0.44 and 0.77). The penetrometer has a slightly higher degree of correlation with storage time for pears, compared to the Twist Tester. Pears declined in crushing strength and penetrometer readings with storage time, but over the last 7 days the value of firmness increased. The literature review showed that when water loss from the fruit is extreme, it forms a rubbery texture, produces a higher degree of firmness. Further research work would need to be done to obtain a more reliable result. The Twist Tester performed well in predicting the changes of textural properties of nashi, which showed a stronger correlation with storage time than the penetrometer relationship with storage time. During storage of kiwifruit, the penetrometer could not detect any changes after 14 days, while Twist Tester obtained a reliable result. This showed that penetrometer could not test the firmness of texture of any soft fruits. The relationship between the crushing strength and storage time produced a high coefficient in all three storage conditions (r = 0.91, 0.89, 0.80) while the penetrometer readings showed the following correlations with storage time (r =0.77, 0.76, 0.44). Thus the Twist Tester can determine the maturity of kiwifruit as well as any soft tissue products. Changes in the textural properties of potatoes also were well detected by the Twist Tester, which showed a stronger correlation with storage time than did the penetrometer. Firmness and crispness as measured by both the Twist Tester and penetrometer readings were highly correlated, while other variables showed only a poor relationship with instrumental measurement. Further research is needed to improve these results by using a well-trained taste panel. Changing the speed of Twist Test has no significant effects on the crushing strength of fruit and vegetables within the range of 5-10 rpm. The Twist Tester is more accurate, easy to operate and may be used to determine the quality and maturity of a wider range of products than penetrometer.Item Linking smallholder vegetable farmers to high value markets in the Manokwari region, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of AgriCommerce at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Maspaitella, Marcus RonaldoThe expansion of modern markets, such as supermarkets, may have critical implications for agriculture and rural development. For smallholder farmers, this phenomenon can provide opportunities to gain economic advantages by being linked into the supermarket channels. However, there are also challenges limiting the participation possibilities of smallholder farmers, since the supermarket channels require such high standards regarding the quantity and quality of agricultural produce supplied. Considering that market channels are a dichotomous choice for smallholder farmers, this study aims to identify and analyse key determinants affecting farmers’ participation in the supermarket channels, using a comparison to the traditional market channels. A structured questionnaire was designed and face-to-face interviews were conducted with a random sample of 126 smallholder vegetable farmers in the Manokwari region, Papua Barat province of Indonesia. Factors influencing the market channel decision about whether to supply to supermarkets or traditional markets were analysed using binary logistic regression. Chi square analysis was used in comparing key factors between the supermarket and traditional market channels. Furthermore, a bivariate correlation was also run to find out the impact of market channel participation on farmer household income. The empirical results suggested that education level of farmers, vegetables cultivated area, and farmers’ membership of the farmer groups were some of the key determinants that had significant and positive effects on the farmers’ decision about market channel participation. The results also revealed that the supermarket channel suppliers received higher average prices and paid more for transportation costs, compared to the traditional market suppliers. In addition, the results suggested that market channel participation and the household income generated from vegetable farms were positively correlated. The results cannot be generalised to other contexts due to the nature of the study design. However, they may contribute to some useful implications. Since farm production capacity was essential for being linked to supermarket channels, technical innovations need to be prioritised in agricultural development strategies. Also, collective actions through farmer groups should be encouraged to broaden the roles, especially in accessing new emerging markets.Item Impacts of climate change on New Zealand horticulture and the effectiveness of government policy at production level : a case study : a thesis prepared in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of AgriScience in Horticulture at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2013) Kim, ChoulClimate change has a significant influence on New Zealand horticultural production and therefore, relevant adaptation responses should be taken to cope with the impacts of climate change. The New Zealand government has introduced several policies on climate change for the agricultural industry, such as the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), Fund and technology development and transfer in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate farmers’ adaptation responses. However, many of these policies are related to dairy rather than horticultural production. Therefore, it is not certain whether these policies are being implemented effectively at horticultural production level or not. The purpose of this research is to identify the impacts of climate change on horticultural crop production and how government policies on climate change have been implemented at horticultural production level. The study used qualitative research methods and a case study approach to collect and analyse data. The case study was implemented at seven farms: a citrus orchard in Gisborne, a vineyard in Nelson, four vegetable farms in Manawatu, and an apple orchard in Hawke’s Bay. Primary data were mainly obtained from semi-directive interviews with farmers and government officers and field observations. Secondary data were collected through literature reviews. The literature reviewed showed that climate change is occurring in New Zealand. Annual average temperatures have increased by 0.9°C over the last 100 years and annual rainfall has been changing with an increase in the west. However, field interviews revealed that most farmers felt that climate was not changing and didn’t change their farming activities. Also, there was no significant impact of climate change on horticultural crops, including citrus, wine grapes, apples, and vegetables. As a result, most farmers interviewed had little concern about climate change and were not doing any particular adaptation responses for climate change. In addition, from field interviews, government policies and activities seemed to be less effective at horticultural production levels. Many farmers interviewed had little knowledge on government policies on climate change and were not involved in those government policies and activities. This is because the farmers tend not to pay strong attention to long-term issues or threats, such as climate change. And, many New Zealand government policies on climate change are focusing on mitigation of GHG emissions from livestock and pasture. Also, local councils’ resources and finance are generally insufficient to meet the full demands around the issue. In addition, New Zealand policies on climate change have a limited comprehensive approach. Thus, it is recommended that the Government needs to develop broader policies for enhancing horticultural industries’ adaptability and resilience to climate change. Also, the Government needs to develop comprehensive and long-term strategies including considering relocation of production to new regions. In addition, the central government needs to provide more financial support to local government in order to improve their capability of undertaking adaptation activities to climate change.Item Fruit quality and productivity on apple replacement branches : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Horticultural Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 1991) Volz, Richard KThree different bud types were identified on vigorous horizontal to upright (replacement) branches growing on the outer tree canopy of several apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars ('Granny Smith', 'Royal Gala' and 'Braeburn '). These bud types were termed two-year spur, one-year lateral and one-year terminal buds. Fruit quality and productivity characteristics of these bud types, and those of old spur buds (>three years) located inside the canopy, were investigated and compared. Final fruit set on the replacement branch was consistently greater for buds on two-year old wood than for those on one-year wood. However, there was little difference in budbreak or flowering characteristics between wood ages. When three different bud types were compared, fruit set was greatest on two-year spur buds, intermediate on one-year terminal buds and lowest on oneyear lateral buds. A similar pattern in the timing of flower bud opening during bloom was also measured for the different bud types. In contrast, flower number per bud, primary leaf area at bloom and bourse leaf area after bloom were greatest on one-year terminal, lowest on one-year lateral and intermediate on two-year spur buds. Fruit from two-year spur buds were larger at harvest than those borne on one-year lateral buds. Differences in average size ranged from 1 2 to 36%, depending upon cultivar and year. Fruit on one-year terminal buds were intermediate in size ('Granny Smith' only). There was no difference in seed number per fruit between fruit of various bud types. Fruit on old spurs were also consistently smaller than fruit on two-year spur buds. Cumulative fruit growth followed a-sigmoidal curve for fruit from twoyear spur buds and one-year lateral buds (fruit from one-year terminals were not considered). Absolute growth rate was greater for fruit from two-year spurs compared with fruit from one-year laterals, although relative growth rates were similar. Flower receptacle size at bloom was consistently larger on twoyear spurs than on one-year lateral buds. These differences in receptacle size probably accounted for differences in fruit size at harvest. Fruit from two-year spur buds had higher internal ethylene concentrations and starch index score at commercial harvest and were softer and had yellower flesh ('Royal Gala' and 'Braeburn') or skin colour ('Granny Smith') than fruit from one-year lateral buds. There was little influence of bud type on fruit soluble solids concentration, amount of red blush coverage on the fruit or intensity of red blush ('Royal Gala' and 'Braeburn'). Fruit on old spurs inside the canopy had lower internal ethylene concentrations than fruit from two-year spurs or one-year lateral buds for all cultivars at commercial harvest. Fruit from old spurs also had lower soluble solids concentration, poorer red skin colour development and intensity ('Royal Gala' and 'Braeburn'), greener flesh colour ('Royal Gala' and 'Braeburn') and greener skin colour ('Granny Smith') than fruit on the replacement branch. Fruit mineral concentrations from different bud types of 'Braeburn' and 'Granny Smith' were also compared at commercial harvest. One-year terminal buds on 'Granny Smith' produced fruit which had higher calcium, potassium and magnesium concentrations than fruit on two-year spurs, one-year lateral and old spur buds. When fruit of the same size was compared, fruit calcium concentrations, Ca:K and Ca:Mg ratios were generally highest for one-year terminal buds, lowest for one-year lateral buds and intermediate for the other bud types. For 'Braebum', fruit on the replacement branch had similar mineral concentrations, but had lower calcium concentrations than fruit from old spurs inside the canopy. One-year lateral buds had the lowest fruit calcium, magnesium and potassium contents for 'Granny Smith' and 'Braebum'. One-year terminal buds produced fruit with the highest fruit mineral content for 'Granny Smith' whilst for 'Braebum' two-year spurs had the highest mineral content. Differences in 'Granny Smith' fruit calcium content between bud types on the replacement branch were associated with similar differences in bourse leaf area. Manual reduction in leaf area at bloom on two-year spurs reduced fruit calcium content on 'Gala' and 'Royal Gala' throughout the season. Partial removal of primary leaves reduced calcium accumulation earlier than total bourse shoot removal. On a per leaf basis, removal of primary leaves was more effective in reducing calcium uptake than removal of the bourse shoots. However, neither fruit growth, magnesium nor potassium accumulation during the season were generally affected by such treatments. These results are discussed in terms of (1) physiological limitations to productivity and fruit quality on apple replacement branches and trees; (2) refining current management techniques. so that yield and fruit quality are maximised on such branches and trees.Item Hokia ki te whenua : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2007) Roskruge, NickThis thesis aIms to produce a distinctive model for the sustainable horticultural development of Maori resources, primarily land. It is inclusive of tikanga Maori and indigenous production systems based on the unique body of knowledge aligned to Maori. The integration of this knowledge with western science is both argued and applied through the model itself. The hypothesis applied was that matauranga Maori relevant to horticulture and pedology can inform and add value to the future development of Maori land resources. The thesis is bui lt on a unique set of contributing knowledge bases aligned to soils and horticultural management supported by three case studies, identified through their common association i.e. whakapapa links. The format of the thesis intentionally follows science principles in structure and presentation and some assumptions are made regarding base knowledge surrounding Maori cultural factors and the science disciplines relative to soils and horticul ture. The indigenous element, including Maori knowledge, is incorporated into the model using a triadic kosmos/corpus/praxis approach. Where kosmos is applied as Te A o Miiori, corpus as miitauranga Miiori and praxis as tikanga Miiori, the relationship between each element is clear and the interpretation of the associated knowledge becomes more apparent and can be applied to cultural assessments of resources, i ncluding land. The crux of the cultural assessment model is the quality of information used to assess Maori resources, especially from the cultural perspective. The Maori cultural paradigm, traditional horticulture and pedology, and various decision systems are purposefully accessed to act as contributors to the assessment model and to highlight the diversity and quality of information land managers have at their disposal. The ability to apply a cultural layer drawn from a body of knowledge not previously included in decision models relative to land utility in New Zealand is the key point. of difference of the model. The model is discussed from the perspective of its beneficial role for future use by Maori and how it can be continuously refined to meet the needs of Maori land owners and thus contribute to the rangatiratanga of Maori.Item A New Zealand regional work‑related sprains and strains surveillance, management and prevention programme: study protocol(BioMed Central Ltd, 31/12/2022) Laird I; McIntyre J; Borman B; Adank R; Ashby LBackground: The impact and costs associated with work-related sprains and strains in New Zealand and globally are substantial and a major occupational and public health burden. In New Zealand around one-third of all sprains and strains workers compensation (ACC) claims (2019) are for back injuries, but shoulder and arm injuries are increasing at a faster rate than other sprain and strain injuries (ACC, 2020). A need exists for a change to current approaches to sprains and strains prevention, to more effectively manage this significant and persistent problem in workplaces. Designing out hazards is one of the most effective means of preventing occupational injuries and illnesses. This paper outlines the study protocol of the surveillance, management and prevention programme and describes the utilisation of prevention through design principles in the prevention of work-related sprains and strains in agriculture/horticulture/ food production in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. Methods: This is a prospective mixed methods study incorporating the collection of quantitative data to describe the epidemiology of work related sprains and strains injuries presenting to the regional health centre (Hastings Health Centre) over a period of 24 months and qualitative data from participants presenting at the health centre to identify high risk industry sectors/ occupations/ workplaces and tasks and design, develop and apply prevention through design principles/ solutions/ interventions to critical features of the work and work environment and undertake an outcome evaluation during the last 6 months of the project. Discussion: The purpose of this project is to establish an epidemiological surveillance programme to assess the incidence and prevalence of work-related sprains and strains according to age, sex, industry sector and occupation to target efforts to prevent work-related sprains and strains, by applying prevention through design (PtD) principles in selected workplaces in agriculture. The collection of more detailed case, occupational and work history data from a sample of patients presenting at the HHC clinic will identify high risk industry sectors/occupations/ workplaces and tasks. Assessment techniques will include comprehensive design, design thinking and human factors/ergonomics methodologies through co-design and participatory ergonomics techniques. The PtD solutions/ interventions implemented will be evaluated using a quasi-experimental design consisting of a pre-test/ post-test with-in subjects design with control groups that do not receive the intervention.