Cut the Crop!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 In this week’s episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to three growers in Southland, Mid Canterbury and Manawatu about how spring and crop market prospects are looking.

Travelling the world as NZ’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Methven arable farmer Hamish Marr says that what we consider “normal” for agriculture here is different elsewhere. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that everywhere he goes, the main talking points are climate change and emissions.

The 2024 Arable Awards’ Positive Environmental Impact winner, Waikato maize grower Daniel Finlayson, has fully integrated environmental considerations into his farming system. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that profits and yields are up, and greenhouse gas emissions down, through actions like switching to strip till and trying alternative nitrogen sources.