Disease and pest free animals and crops rely on agrichemical use. Pesticides, detergents and sanitisers are a critical component of New Zealand’s $48 billion agricultural sector. The recently released and updated ‘NZS 8409:2021 Management of agrichemicals’ provides guidance for spray operators, farmers, growers and other users to manage a range of chemicals safely, responsibly and […]
crops
Managing pesticide resistance threat
Pesticide resistance is a serious challenge for the farming sector – decreasing its ability to manage pests and diseases such as Blackspot (apples), powdery mildew (a fungal disease affecting a wide range of plants), diamond back moth and weeds affecting ryegrass. Farmers, industry and government all have a part to play to manage it. Farmers […]
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 […]