The Fertiliser Quality Council (FQC), the organisation which oversees industry standards Fertmark and Spreadmark, has recently re-elected Anders Crofoot as chairperson. At the same time, it appointed Jim Galloway to the newly created role of vice-chairperson, securing another term of strong leadership for the organisation. Mr Crofoot (left), Wairarapa sheep farmer and owner of Castlepoint […]
Arable, Grains & Seeds
Better, faster, smarter crop variety data for Australia’s grain growers
Australian grain growers are set to get better crop variety recommendations faster through a major Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) international collaborative investment. The $5.39 million five-year INVITA (Innovations in Variety Testing in Australia) investment will deliver improved predictors of variety performance, quicker access to trial data for growers, better monitoring of trial quality […]
Get your entries in for the Wheat Awards 2021
How do your wheat crops look this year? Average, good, great? United Wheatgrowers, Federated Farmers and New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association now invite entries from growers in the annual wheat awards. Crops harvested in 2021 are eligible for entry in the following classes: Premium milling wheat, milling wheat, gristing wheat, feed wheat, and […]
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. […]
A day in the life of an arable farmer…
New Zealand’s arable industry is worth $2.1 billion each year to the economy, and earns us $260 million in export sales. It also employs more than 11,300 Kiwis. It’s a diverse sector, and a world leader in both volume and quality producing the likes of radish seed, white clover seed and carrot seed. But while […]
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 […]
Glyphosate – a tool that requires care
Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group Chairperson The news that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) requires all honey exports to Japan to undergo glyphosate testing, has again generated media comment about the safety of its ongoing use. Those in the primary sector are glyphosate’s primary users, but it is also commonly used […]
Road care and courtesy needed at harvest time
Harvest season is in full swing and Federated Farmers is urging motorists and the operators of agricultural machinery to show each other some care and understanding. “Not everyone has appreciated the recent sweltering temperatures but for arable farmers in the middle of harvesting, the golden weather is both a bonus and a race to get […]
Specialty grains and pulses trialed in Canterbury
By Annabel McAleer, Senior Communications Advisor, Our Land and Water (this article is from the National Science Challenges website). Buckwheat, soybeans and quinoa trials were undertaken in Canterbury last year, comprising three of the six ‘star’ specialty grains and pulses identified by Our Land and Water research as having high potential for New Zealand farmers. […]
Improving the use of farm technology and data for applied farm management
Watermetrics is continually analyzing and improving its collection andpresentation of hard farm data so that effective farm management decisionscan be made. This year we developed Soil Moisture Analytics which is a new addition to theway data is presented. This tool helps present Soil Moisture, Rainfall andWater Meter data in an easy to understand way. For […]