Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the Ministry for the Environment’s report Net emissions and removals from vegetation and soils on sheep and beef farmland is valuable because it recognises there is significant sequestration happening on sheep and beef farmland in New Zealand and is part of an ongoing process to build understanding of this […]
Environment
Hotter, drier, CRISPR: editing for climate change
Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland. Biotechnologist Dr Karen Massel from UQ’s Centre for Crop Science has published a review of gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 to safeguard food security in farming systems under stress from extreme and variable climate conditions. […]
Farmers help identify solutions to reduce farm footprint
New DairyNZ research shows farmers can identify ways to increase efficiency and reduce environmental footprint – but there will be challenges for some. The Greenhouse Gas Partnership Farms research project worked with farmers to identify and model how their farms might reduce both nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas emissions. “Making these gains will be the […]
NZ Dairy is ready for a decade of change, opportunities
In his address as Chairperson to the Federated Farmers Dairy Council in Wellington on Tuesday, Wayne Langford canvassed where he thinks the sector is heading and what challenges are coming over the horizon… We are entering a new era for New Zealand dairy, in a decade where the world will never see change as fast […]
White paper sets out pressing regenerative agriculture research priorities
A new white paper says there is significant overlap on the continuum of practices between mainstream and regenerative agriculture. Among its conclusions is that there is a pressing need for scientific testing of the limited evidence and anecdotal claims being made by regenerative agriculture practitioners and proponents. Lead author Dr Gwen Grelet, a senior researcher […]
New face at the helm of Poplar and Willow Research Trust
Iain Maxwell from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is the new chairman of the New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust. Iain says he’s excited to be asked to chair the Trust and is impressed with its impact on supporting New Zealand’s sustainable land management challenges. After gaining degrees in zoology and ecology, Iain was […]
New weaponry for war on wasps
Approval has been granted to import and release two new organisms, a hoverfly and beetle, in a bid to reduce plague populations of invasive German and common wasps in New Zealand. The Tasman District Council applied to introduce the wasp-nest beetle, Metoecus paradoxus, and a hoverfly, Volucella inanis, for biological control of the wasps Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris. The […]
New leader for Climate Change Ambassadors
Award-winning dairy farmer Fraser McGougan has been appointed chair of the DairyNZ Climate Change Ambassadors. Climate Change Ambassadors are leaders for climate change action on dairy farms. They help communicate the challenges and opportunities dairy farmers face in playing their part to address climate change, alongside the rest of New Zealand. “The 13 ambassadors are […]
NZ needs its own Project Warp Speed on climate change
by Peter Griffon, founding Director of the Science Media Centre. This article was first published in BusinessDesk. OPINION: The good news about the Climate Change Commission’s draft plan to meet our Paris Agreement commitments and avoid the worst of climate change is that it doesn’t hinge on technology yet to be developed. The commission has […]
Knowing your fertiliser includes understanding how it spreads
With the summer season being a busy time for farmers and growers keen to get the fert’ on, there’s often a tendency to focus on getting the job done, rather than think too much about what’s in the product or how it’s being applied, says the Fertiliser Quality Council. The organisation, which overseas Fertmark and […]