New Zealand’s agricultural drone industry is doubling every year, with more than 100 drones now used for spraying and spreading. In this episode of Cut the Crop, NZ Ag Drone Association president Craig Simpson and FAR’s technology manager Chris Smith say that while drones offer plenty of potential, there are still unknowns, particularly for broadacre application and efficacy.

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For the last three years, FAR has been collecting Cost of Production data on five key crops, based on a Mid-Canterbury irrigated arable farm case study. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s Ivan Lawrie says that the data shows margins are tight, so any cost savings will have a positive impact.

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Following interest from growers, Canterbury-based Pure Oil NZ has successfully trialled spring-sown oilseed rape using new imported varieties. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Pure Oil agronomy manager Keith Gundry tells Alison Stewart that sunflower yields and planting areas are also increasing.

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As well as providing benefits such as protecting soil and reducing nitrate leaching, cover crops can also suppress weeds. In this week’s Cut the Crop, FAR senior field research officer Sam McDougall says that in a trial, use of cover crops successfully cut herbicide use from two applications to one.

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Hawkes Bay mixed arable and livestock farmers Simon and Lou White, of Ludlow Farms, have just won not one, but two prestigious farming awards. Despite the setbacks of Cyclone Gabrielle and a farm accident, Simon tells Alison Stewart that he is investing in value-add off-farm and is more positive than ever about the future of mixed arable farming.

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Profitability is an increasing concern for arable farmers, which is why FAR has chosen it as the theme of its two-day conference, starting June 30. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR Communications Manager Anna Heslop says speakers will discuss how farmers can potentially reduce costs, improve productivity, diversify and adopt new tools.

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Solar farms are popping up across New Zealand, but is this an option on high-value arable land? In this episode of Cut the Crop, Anna Heslop talks to Alan Brent, Professor of sustainable energy systems at Victoria University of Wellington about how alternative energy technology is transforming rapidly and what factors farmers need to consider.

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Canterbury rural professional and farmer Thomas Holmes last year participated in the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme, focusing his study on opportunities and challenges for arable. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Alison Stewart that arable growers need to collaborate more and consider co-ops.

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Chaff decks, attached to the back of a combine harvester to reduce the weed seed burden, are widely used in Australia, but have not been adopted in NZ. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Chris Smith and Charles Merfield of FAR outline the results of a Canterbury chaff deck demonstration and why growers should consider using one.

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After a second harvest, a FAR demonstration block at Chertsey is showing the potential gains from using more future focused approaches including direct drilling and fewer inputs where possible. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher Owen Gibson talks about the latest results as well as detailing a second similar project in Southland.

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