Pasture growth rates at Woodlands Farm in Southland have been tracked to deliver insights for farmers and researchers for more than 50 years.
Mr Smith had worked on the project since it was launched, relocating to Southland to work as a field technician for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
He recently retired from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, calling time on a more than 50-year career.
The project was originally part of a nationwide series of monitoring trials and due to funding cuts, most of them were discontinued in the 1980s.
He fought hard for the continuation of the Southland trial, which tracks pasture growth and records climate conditions.
"The data is critical for understanding climate impacts and helping farmers make informed decisions."
Despite climate change models predicting increased pasture growth under higher carbon dioxide and warming, the long-term data told a different story, he said.
"The models suggest growth should increase over time, yet the data to date shows it’s been relatively unchanged."
Mr Smith’s contribution to agricultural science extended beyond leading the country’s second-longest pasture measurement project.
He had worked on projects including grass grub mitigation, nutrient management and environmental impacts.
Research priorities had shifted during his career.
"The first 20 years of my career were largely focused on research that helped increase productivity, and the last 30 years have been researching the effects of that on the environment. Now, it’s about maintaining productivity within environmental limits."
Ensuring the pasture growth rate research continued was a priority and senior research associate Anna Taylor, of Canterbury, was now leading the project, he said.
"It’s peace of mind knowing it’s in safe hands and will continue."
Mrs Taylor said she was committed to honouring the work.
"It’s been a real honour to work alongside Chris and to now take on responsibility for this legacy project.
"He has been an exceptional mentor to me and to so many others and I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned so much from him." — Allied Media
