Cut the Crop!

Levy payers wanting to have more say in FAR’s research priorities and activities now have a great opportunity to be more involved. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR Board chair Steven Bierema says nominations are open to participate in your local Arable Research Group (ARG), a direct communication link between growers and FAR staff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With herbicide resistance rising in NZ, arable farmers are being warned not to continually rely on the same chemical products. In this week’s Cut the Crop, FAR senior field officer Ben Harvey tells Alison Stewart about the latest results from a multi-year trial assessing the efficacy of commercially available and experimental herbicides against a range of key grass weeds. See omnystudio.com/...

Waikato dairy farmer and maize grower Alan Henderson shares some insights from a United States no-till conference he attended. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Alison Stewart that US farmers’ expertise in growing maize is ahead of ours. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to three growers in Wairarapa, Mid Canterbury and South Otago about how they are dealing with the delayed harvest and whether this is having an impact on crop yields and quality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visiting farm data expert Dr Sagi Katz talks about the value of farm data and the development of tools that can use it to support on farm decision making. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visiting UK agricultural engineer and soil expert Philip Wright says soil compaction can cause significant yield losses. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Alison Stewart that while roots and biology can do most of the repair work, sometimes mechanical action is also needed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A number of pests and disease have blown into New Zealand from Australia. We can’t stop them from arriving this way, but work is underway to provide us with a better idea of what might arrive, and when. In this episode of Cut the Crop, we hear from Ilze Pretorius, part of a Scion  team developing an Aerobiologial surveillance and prediction system (ASAP). See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Maize silage in the UK is not just grown for beef and dairy feed, it is also used as an energy crop to generate bio-gas and electricity. In this episode of Cut the Crop, visiting UK maize expert Jon Myhill tells Anna Heslop that challenges include a short growing season, loss of agchem including bird repellents, and a nitrogen cap. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Visiting US herbage seed researcher Nicole Anderson is here to test a new rapid seed moisture testing device for grass seed under New Zealand conditions. In this episode of Cut the Crop, she tells Anna Heslop that herbicide resistance and the grass seed market oversupply are issues globally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Populations of maize pest fall armyworm are two to three weeks more advanced than in previous seasons. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR biosecurity officer Ash Mills says that crop scouting is key, to assess not only fall armyworm, but also natural predator activity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting the best value from maize management is the focus of FAR’s premier annual maize field day at its research site near Hamilton on February 4. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Dirk Wallace of FAR says that it is a chance to catch up on the latest in maize nitrogen management and weed strategies, as well as with other growers, before the maize harvest starts. See omnystudio.com/listener...

FAR has just implemented a new regional strategy aimed at increasing grower engagement and feedback in the regions. This will be based around FAR’s seven regional Arable Research Groups, with support from facilitators. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR Communications Manager Anna Heslop encourages growers to have their say on FAR activities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Arable growers are invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of the UK-YEN programme, which measures nutrients in grain and seed. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR regional facilitator Donna Lill tells Alison Stewart that this provides another way to measure the effectiveness of fertiliser applications and crop uptake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, FAR adopted AI to make it easier to search its website, had another successful round of combine set-up workshops, and initiated YEN grain testing, as well as continuing to provide a wealth of resources on agronomy, crop protection, biosecurity, soil health and the environment. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR ceo Alison Stewart wraps up the highlights of 2024. See omnystudio.com/lis...

Arable farmers are experts at growing crops, but not as skilled at capturing value beyond the farm gate. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Federated Farmers arable group chair David Birkett talks to Alison Stewart about a new arable strategy which aims to assist farmers with the financial skills, quality assurance and infrastructure needed to get out of the commodity trap. See omnystudio.com/listen...

The Government is ending New Zealand’s nearly 30-year ban on genetically modified and edited organisms outside the lab next year. So how informed are you on the topic? In this episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to Emeritus scientist at AgResearch Tony Conner about some of the potential positives and challenges for arable growers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seed cleaners are reporting increasing dressing losses in ryegrass and other small seed crops, with losses often as high as 25%. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Methven farmer and seed cleaner John McCaw and FAR technology manager Chris Smith talk about the importance of combine harvester set-up, which will be examined at a series of December workshops. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

In this week’s Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to three growers in Manawatu, Southland and South Canterbury about how the season and market prospects are looking. With the sun finally coming out in some regions and the lift in dairy payout, has the outlook turned a corner? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FAR’s biggest annual event of the year, CROPS, is being held at the Chertsey Arable Research Site on Wednesday November 27. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s Communications Manager Anna Heslop says the range of topics covered means there is something for everyone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By factoring in soil-available nitrogen when making fertiliser decisions, maize growers can save money on input costs as well as benefit the environment. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior environment researcher Abie Horrocks says trials show no maize yield or quality differences when soil N is used. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, increasingly the conversation is about “Scope” emissions. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior environment researcher Dirk Wallace explains what this means and its implications for arable growers, particularly those supplying dairy farmers with feed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inclination of farmers to be “tidy Kiwis” by repeatedly spraying the vegetation along fence-lines is increasing the risk of herbicide resistance, says FAR senior field researcher Charles Merfield (Merf). In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Alison Stewart about a demonstration trial at Kowhai Farm looking at alternative approaches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marton maize and cereal grower and contractor Simon Nitschke is the 2024 Arable Farmer of the Year. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Alison Stewart that his family’s decision to move up the value chain and expand their maize grain storage, drying and blending business means better understanding and meeting the needs of end-users. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FAR has summarised 15 years of research into cocksfoot seed production into a guide for growers. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior herbage seed researcher Richard Chynoweth says the aim of the guide is to bring all the information together in one place for growers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Cyclone Gabrielle study has examined the ways growers dealt with silt on their land and their return to profitable cropping. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior environment researcher Dirk Wallace tells Alison Stewart that it is hoped the study can assist future growers by documenting what worked and what didn’t. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.