FAR Annual Expo 2011

An Ashburton Guardian Advertising Feature

Wednesday, December 7 FAR Arable Site, Chertsey 9.30am

Page 2

WELCOME A

woman charged with encouraging more Australians to eat grain is a key-note speaker at the Foundation for Arable Research’s big day out, Crops 2011, at Chertsey next month.

Robyn Murray is the CEO of Go Grains Health and Nutrition, which is reviewing science-based evidence on the health benefits of grains and legumes, and promoting these foods to consumers.

A study commissioned by Go Grains found Australians were eating less bread and other grainbased food because of a misconception they would gain weight.

Go Grains says grains, especially wholegrains, are nutritious and an important source of carbohydrates.

FAR spokesperson Rachel Greenwood said Ms Murray would talk about how Go Grains was working with health professionals and the media to

encourage more people to eat grains.

About 500 farmers are expected at Crops 2011.

It is the biggest arable event in New Zealand and a chance for farmers and industry people to be in the field, instead of a meeting room.

Topics this year range from cultivation and hessian fly problems, to growing forage cereals and maize for dairy cows.

Ms Greenwood said topics and speakers at the field day reflected dairy’s increasing influence on the arable industry: what qualities should dairy farmers look for in grain feed, how can arable assist with pasture renovation programmes and grazing canola and cereals.

She said many of these presentations were scheduled in the middle of the day to better suit dairy farmers’ schedules.

The open day will include demonstrations, discussions and hands-on workshops, with the cropping agenda beginning at 9.30am. The field day will conclude at 5.40pm, followed by a barbeque dinner and guest speaker.

Nick Pyke, FAR’s chief executive officer, says the crop day was a key event in the calendar for farmers and industry personnel who were serious about the arable sector.

“The day will provide attendees with the latest information on a broad range of topics which will help growers farm more productively.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for their continued support; their collaboration makes it possible for us to bring along experts in areas which are important for the future sustainability of New Zealand arable farming.”

Making research work for you

Cereals Herbage Seeds

F O U N DAT I O N F O R A R A B L E R E S E A R C H

Break Crops

FAR’s Four Distinct Research Goals

Maize

New Innovative Products…

Vegetable Seed Crops

Building Better & More Robust Farms…

Feeding Environmentally Friendly Dairy & Intensive Livestock Industries…

Delivering Benefits & Outcomes

Crop Establishment Precision Agriculture

REDUCING COST Projects that focus on removing cost from the production system.

IMPROVING YIELD Projects that focus on increasing yield or reducing yield losses.

Irrigation

ADDING VALUE

Biodiversity/ Pollination/Birds

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Projects that build relationships with other sectors and seek to add value to the harvested product.

Projects that contribute to improved environmental sustainability.

INNOVATION

International Links

Projects that are new, novel and higher risk.

“

FAR gives you an independent view. To me, they’re not pushing anything specific like a certain variety or a chemical. Better still, they undertake generic research such as looking at a management technique. A commercial company would struggle to capture the benefit from that type of research so wouldn’t undertake it. FAR communications are really good too. Through the growing season you’re getting an email once a week, which I find very helpful. I’ve got a lot of time for the organisation.

– Murray Taggart, Cust

”

Are you growing crops for grain, seed or whole crop silage?

If so and you’re not registered with FAR, contact the FAR office now or visit www.far.org.nz to subscribe so you too can benefit from FAR’s research and extension activities.

WWW.FAR.ORG .NZ

Extension

PO Box 80, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand Tel: 03 325 6353 Fax: 03 325 6354 Email: far@far.org.nz

Health Laboratory Lincoln TOPICS AND SPEAKERS A diagnostic service

> Seed health testing - diseases carried by seed are known as seed-borne – Forage cereals – We will discuss species, – Hessian fly –The role of naturaldiseases predators and may be caused by pathogenic for seed and plant cultivars and agronomy of autumn and and cultural practices on hessian What micro-organisms fly. such as fungi, bacteria, viruses or spring sown cereal silages. have we learnt from last season? diseases caused nematodes.

Pathogens are detected and identified in Ross Hanson and Andy Hay – Plant & Nick Pyke, FAR and Abie Horrocks, Plant Food Research laboratory seed health tests by fungi, bacteria & Food Research – Forage maize – Where does forage maize and viruses, and– fit into Canterbury rotations for dairy support / livestock. Single pass planting physiological systems – is precision plant spacing important?

Diana Mathers, FARdisorders. and Andrew Fletcher, Plant & Food Research – – Beans and lupins – Latest agronomy results on faba beans – effect of inoculants. Could a new raft of European lupin cultivars offer a new break crop option for New Zealand?

Tracey Wylie, FAR and Nick Brooks, PGG Wrightson – – Grazing canola and cereals – Can we make more of our arable crops in early spring for grazing or silage? What are the latest dry matter results?

Jen Linton and Richard Chynoweth, FAR

– Cultivation – Yield results for this longterm trial will be presented. How are dependent quality assurance services cultivation practices changing and what are the opportunities and implications?

Nick Poole, FAR

> control Grass–endophyte testing Grassweed Getting the best of our new active ingredients for grassweed > Disease diagnostics control. Why did they work so well lastof trees, shrubs and vines, herbaceous autumn? crops, produce, grasses, quasi-grasses and legumes Nick Poole, FAR and Pramda Lalu, Independent Consultant > Root pathogen and commensal analyses of soil/potting mix media and of bore/dam/stream waters

Arable and dairying – What qualities should dairy farmers look for in grain feed? How can arable assist with pasture renovation programmes and what can we do to ensure better relationships in the future?

Dawn Dalley, Dairy NZ

Call us today to discuss your requirements

Disease – Why is Conquest now susceptible to leaf rust and what are the implications for the cereal breeding programme? What diseases are currently on the move?

Steve Shorter and Matthew Cromey, Plant & Food Research

– 20:20 – The root to 20 tonnes of wheat per hectare by 2020.

Rob Craigie, FAR

– Clover root weevil – A serious threat to – 22N on ryegrass – New avenues for nitrogen clover seed production or a transient pest management in perennial and Italian moving south? st-and-disease-labs.cfm ryegrass seed crops | pathology@asurequality.com Mark McNeill, AgResearch Richard Chynoweth, FAR

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Page 3

Page 4

INTRODUCING ARABLE Ys F

AR’s Arable Ys group is planning a trip to Europe to coincide with Cereals 2012, the UK arable industry’s leading event.

Communications manager Rachel Greenwood said at least 10 young farmers were needed to make the trip feasible and the foundation was currently gathering interest in the adventure.

A number of farm visits would also be included, as well as visits to FAR’s industry counterparts HGCA and TAG. Cereals 2012 will take place on June 13 and 14, and is based at Lincolnshire.

It is the leading technical event for the UK arable industry, with over 64ha of stands and live demonstrations including crop plots,

working cultivations, sprays and sprayers, postharvest technology, business alley, potatoes and renewable.

Over 470 suppliers can expect some 26,900 visitors over the two days.

Arable Ys was set up to target arable farmers under the age of 35, to build confidence in and create opportunities for the next generation.

The problem is 90 per cent of growers who attend FAR field days and events are over the age of 35. The Arable Ys attracts younger farmers and staff to meetings which can be tailored to the audience. Â Workshops cover topics such as succession planning, crop growth stages, the basic principles

of chemical application, record keeping, communication, weed identification plus many more. Meetings are usually monthly, with the occasional meeting planned on-farm. All meeting details are available on the far website at www.far. org.nz/events.

Co-ordinator Richard Chynoweth said it was an excellent opportunity for younger arable farmers, staff and industry personnel to up-skill in a comfortable environment whilst also having the opportunity to socialise with your industry counterparts.

The meetings are free and there’s no need to register.

ACL workshop A

void down-time with prevention. Don’t let a mechanical malfunction cost you production time and money this summer.

There is still time to service your irrigation generator and farm vehicles to avoid expensive break-downs.

ACL can service all makes and models of generators, and can assist by placing you on a routine servicing programme.

Some models require regular cam belt replacements, let ACL’s thorough service plan ensure your generator runs smoothly and is dependable.

Ashburton Contracting Limited has a fully equipped workshop specialising in the service and repair of trucks and trailers, for added reliability during peak production times. Its modern workshop contains advanced equipment to ensure a thorough and efficient service.

TALK TO US ABOUT

The knowledgeable team is happy to assist with pre COF inspections and repairs, as well as full engine overhauls, and component overhauls. With a proactive service programme arranged with ACL, you can ensure that all of your trucks, trailers and utilities are in top condition before the busy season begins.

ACL has the expertise to service and repair all makes and models of trucks, as well as certified welders to conduct professional repairs on trailers.

A diverse range of excavation equipment can also be repaired or serviced by the ACL workshop, including excavators, graders and rollers.

It has the knowledge and expertise to service or repair a large range of farm machinery, including mobile spray equipment and fertiliser spreaders.

Should an inconvenient break-down occur, ACL has an on-call mechanic available 24 hours a day,

seven days a week, including public holidays, if the unexpected occurs and you need an emergency repair to your generator, truck, trailer or excavator.

Repairs can be conducted at our workshop on South Street, or ACL can visit you on the road or farm with a fully equipped service vehicle.

For those who prefer to change their own fluids on the farm, ACL stock a range of Caltex oils, lubricants and Baldwin filters at competitive prices. From hydraulic to transmission fluids, if it’s not on the shelf, ACL can place the order in the morning and receive the product that same afternoon. ACL’s knowledgeable staff can recommend what is best for your vehicle, and some products are available in bulk up to 200l drums.

Book your engine maintenance or overhaul with our expert servicemen.

You may save more than money.

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Take size

10 November 2012 10 November 2014 10 November 2016

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Page 5

PROMOTING GRAINS A

ustralians are being encouraged to eat more grains in a campaign organised by bakers and Australian grain growers’ research body.

Go Grains, a collaboration between the Grain Research and Development Corporation and breadmakers, is reviewing the science around grain foods and legumes and communicating a healthy “four serves of grain a day” message to the masses.

Go Grains commissioned a national study tracking the consumption of grain-based foods, like breads, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta and noodles, and legumes over a two-year period to 2011. It found Australians were failing to meet the minimum dietary requirements of certain carbohydrate foods and that the alarming decline in consumption was the result of misunderstanding about the nutritional benefits of these foods.

Although current dietary guidelines recommend consuming at least four serves of grain-based foods a day, with at least half of those being wholegrain, the research shows that most Australians mistakenly believe that the recommendation is only 2.5 serves per day. This was of concern as grain-based foods significantly contribute to Australians’ intake of iron, zinc, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, fibre, protein and carbohydrates.

“Over the past two years, our consumption of bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, noodles and rice has declined while mixed meals and takeaway foods and snack bars have increased. Almost a third (28 per cent) of grain-based food intakes currently come from mixed meals and takeaway foods, cakes and pastries,” says Robyn Murray, CEO of Go Grains.

Worryingly, the study also highlighted a misconception that consumers, particularly young (15 to 24-year-old) women, believe

consumption of grain-based foods may contribute to weight gain and could be putting their health and wellbeing at risk by missing out on essential nutrients.

“We need to reduce confusion between the nutritious refined core grain foods like white rice, white bread, white pasta and breakfast cereals and less nutritious refined non-core grain foods like cakes, biscuits and pastries to help Australians make better choices to achieve a balanced diet,” she said.

Eating more grains would have obvious spinoffs for Australian grain growers.

Grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet, rice and corn are used to make a wide range of foods including bread, crispbreads, crackers, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, muesli, porridge, rice, pasta, noodles and couscous. These foods contribute many nutrients to our diet including energy-giving carbohydrates, dietary fibre and protein. They are generally low in fat and provide good sources of B-group vitamins, vitamin E and many minerals.

Wholegrain varieties are especially nutritious as they contain all the goodness of the grain including the bran, germ and endosperm.

The bran and germ contain many beneficial components including fibre, vitamins, minerals and protective substances such as antioxidants and phytonutrients.

A diet high in wholegrain foods can protect against heart disease, diabetes and some cancers and can also assist long-term weight control. It is for this reason that wholegrain foods are top notch within the nutritional ranking of grainbased foods.

Examples of wholegrain foods include mixedgrain and wholemeal breads, wholegrain breakfast cereals, rolled oats, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

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If you’re currently mixing Proline® and strobilurins by hand, it’s time to think about Mogul.

Mogul controls stripe rust, leaf rust, powdery mildew, scald, ramularia and net blotch in cereals. In ryegrass seed crops Mogul controls stem rust and blind seed disease. It’s the perfect mix for wheat, barley and ryegrass seed crops.

Just think, less risk of spills, or wrong mixes, and just one product to stock. Mogul gives you time to do more, like making a profit.

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Page 6

VARIABLE RATE IRRIGATION V

ariable rate irrigation has become a viable economic choice in recent years due to restricted allocations of freshwater to some irrigators. When freshwater for irrigation is limited the ability to “move it around� to “where it is most needed� has become part of best practice management.

New technologies have enabled these advances in variable rate irrigation, and these include: – Farmer investment in new sprinkler irrigation systems which can apply small depths of water very accurately. – GPS and electromagnetic (EM) soil mapping which provides digital maps which quantify soil spatial variability. – Variable rate modification of sprinkler irrigators so that irrigation depth can be varied along the length of the irrigator, with a precision of less than 10 metres. – Canterbury alluvial soils are often highly variable and stoniness under one irrigation system can vary between no stones and very stony (70 per cent stones). In this case, it is preferable to irrigate the stony soils (with smaller AWC) earlier than less stony zones.

Variable rate irrigation varies the timing of irrigation to these contrasting soil zones in comparison to conventional uniform rate irrigation (URI) which irrigates the whole area once the most droughty soil zones require irrigation.

Key points: – Where variable soils exist under an irrigator then water can be saved by varying irrigation schedules according to these soil differences. – Water saved can be directed elsewhere, increasing efficiency of dry matter production per millimetre of water applied. – Soil moisture is maintained at optimum range

Carolyn Hedley of Landcare Research provided a run-down of variable rate irrigation for farmers attending a field day on Eric and Maxine Watson’s award-winning farm recently. Eric is a member of FAR’s Mid Canterbury arable research group and has invested in variable rate irrigation technology. Research is being conducted to see how effectively this technology can improve irrigation efficiency.

Photo Kirsty Graham 211011-KG-090

Simon Connolly (left) and Grant King check out soil and pasture samples at Eric and Maxine Watson’s farm field day last month. in the root zone, minimising plant stress and maximising crop yield. – VRI scheduling delays irrigation to soil zones with larger available water-holing capacity (AWC), utilising the natural ability of these soil zones to hold and supply more water to plants. – Run-off and drainage are reduced, which also

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reduces the risk of nitrate leaching. – Also useful for mixed cropping under one irrigator, or staggered planting dates, eg potatoes. – Additional benefits include better control of applied water at either end of the pivot and sitespecific chemigation and fertigation.

Page 7

SMARTER IRRIGATING I

nvestment in large-scale storage ponds, centre pivot irrigators, soil moisture monitoring equipment and new pastures is proving of great benefit to Landcorp’s Maronan Pastures.

Centre pivot irrigators have been in use across part of Maronan for three seasons, supported by a substantial pond built on the property in 2008. Water goes on to pasture whenever needed to maintain 2030 per cent moisture content in the soil. The latter is monitored automatically by probes carefully placed across the pivot-irrigated area.

“Basically, we use a third less water than we used to and get a third more grass, all with a higher stocking rate,” said farm business manager Kevin Clucas.

He and dairy farm manager Steve Woods aim to maintain optimal moisture levels in the top 200mm of soil as the basis for sustained grass growth through a season that is typically 240 days.

Centre pivot rates of spray and rotation are set in response to soil moisture readings. The system is designed to promote pasture growth and ensure grass never reaches the stage of wilting, which generally occurs after 14 days without irrigation or rain.

Landcorp plans substantial further development of Maronan. This will include the addition of more centre pivot irrigation to replace border dykes and enable the conversion to dairying of newly-acquired land. The farm milked 1100 cows in 2010-11.

The pond holds the equivalent of 8.5 days’ continuous supply to the existing two pivots, using water drawn periodically from the Rangitata Diversion Race through the Valetta Irrigation Scheme. The scheme, dating since the 1930s, is currently being rebuilt as a network of gravity-fed pipes that will bring continuous supply to Maronan and other Valetta-member properties (within their existing water rights).

In 2012-13, this will effectively turn the pond into

Landcorp is raising production of grass and milk on its Maronan Pastures farm through big efficiency gains in irrigation. The company’s bold move into precision systems makes far more productive use of finite water supplies from the Rangitata River.

Maronan’s dry-year back-up supply, giving further assurance to productive capacity on the complex.

Mr Clucas has high goals for production and profit growth at Maronan, based on solid gains from precision irrigation and his rigorous approach to farm management. Maronan produced above 400kg of milk solids per cow during 2010-11 and the goal is

MARK GRENSIDE Senior Rural Manager DDI 03 307 6003 0272 333 195

450kg within the next three years.

Landcorp Farming is a state-owned enterprise, owning or leasing 374,948 ha of land, with 105 properties and 1.5 million stock units. The company made a $42.2 million profit in the year to June 30, CEO Chris Kelly saying it was the result of best practice farming and higher produce prices.

Ashburton Rural Banking

mark.grenside@nbnz.co.nz

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Rural Manager DDI 03 307 6013 0274 375 847

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michael.arnold@nbnz.co.nz

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Helping you grow your business.

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If you’d like to find out how we can help you achieve your goals, call our Ashburton Rural Team today on 0800 80 77 11.

The National Bank of New Zealand, part of ANZ National Bank Limited.

Page 8

RESEARCH IMPORTANT P

lant & Food Research is a partner in many of the presentations at FAR’s big crops field day on December 7.

What does it do?

Plant & Food Research is a governmentowned Crown Research Institute, providing research and development that adds value to fruit, vegetable, crop and food products.

It has over 900 people based at sites across New Zealand, as well as in the US and Australia. The organisation’s goal is to underpin the growth of plant and marinebased industry through the successful application and commercialisation of research-based innovation.

How does is work for arable farmers?

The sustainability and growth of New Zealand’s arable food industry is underpinned by research and development of new products and technologies.

Meteorus pulchricornis hunts down a tomato fruit The arable industry is predominantly a worm. Exploiting natural enemies of plant pests domestic market, producing cereal grains offers growers a chance to protect their crops for use by the food industry and as feed for without chemicals. livestock. The industry has two key targets for the future – adding value through new products targeted for specific uses, performance, resulting in higher yields and reduced and innovative farming practices that improve input requirements, also contribute to the long-term environmental and economic sustainability. sustainability of the arable industry.

There is increasing demand from premium Plant & Food Research is working with the consumers for foods tailored to their lifestyle and arable industry to ensure sustainability through personal preferences. the development of new cultivars with increased Cereal grains with novel characteristics – such as agronomic performance and production systems low gluten or high protein – allow the New Zealand that optimise inputs. Its breeding programme food industry to develop new, innovative products develops new wheat, barley, triticale and oat with increased consumer appeal for export markets. cultivars with increased resistance to pests and The industry also recognises a requirement for diseases and higher yields, as well as root systems efficient production systems that optimise the that maximise water and nutrient input efficiencies. use of chemical inputs – including carbon, water, Researchers are also developing feed and forage nitrogen and pesticides – and maximise soil cultivars with increased nutritional value for health. New cultivars with increased agronomic livestock. Integrated production systems allow

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Plant & Food’s research into gut health and satiety allows us to develop new concepts for foods with added value for both consumers and the industry.

Using that knowledge of food digestion, scientists identify specific characteristics of the grain that result in increased nutrition in processed foods.

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Page 9

THE JANGLER IN ACTION F

urther refinement of the — the “jangly bits” — hanging award-winning bird-scaring on at intervals. The wire is system, The Jangler, is taking anchored at one end to the place this cropping season.

Jangler machine, which Version 4.0 is undergoing randomly jerks the wire in a trials at the developer AB particular way.

Annand Co’s Osterley trial farm, This sets in motion a wave Lincoln. that progressively flings the This latest iteration of an jangly bits into the air. The already-proven concept optimum jerk of the wire — incorporates smart circuitry the key to the invention’s that keeps the machine going success — is achieved by a in the field, clearly displays its rotating disk with the wire status and provides some new anchored to its the outer features. edge: one timed rotation of Meanwhile, about 40 Jangler the disc produces one wire set-ups are being readied this wave. season on several properties “It’s chaotic and birds don’t around Canterbury and in the like it. They fly away. Our trials Manawatu. show The Jangler keeps a Christchurch International paddock 99 per cent free of Airport recently started a trial birds,” says Ms Doherty. to see how the Jangler fits in The Jangler team has with its other animal deterrent established that the wire strategies. works well at 500 metres in Jangler project manager length but has also developed Leanne Doherty says the Jangler machines with lines effectiveness of the Jangler that work on even longer runs. system in protecting high-value The system is cheaper than seed crops from birds is beyond netting and far more cropdoubt among growers now, and user-friendly in that it and Annand is scoping volume Project manager for The Jangler, Leanne Doherty, with a test machine at AB Annand does not need to be removed production.

Co’s Osterley trial farm, Lincoln. The Jangler was recently cited by Lincoln University from the crop to make way for The Jangler took the top mechanical operations such as Professor John Fairweather in an opinion piece as an example of what he called Innovation Prize at the 2011 irrigation or harvesting. “user innovation” which he believed deserved greater support in New Zealand.

South Island Agricultural More information is Field Days this past April. The available from http://www. invention was cited by the thejangler.co.nz. Leanne and growers. The machine is deceptively simple. The SIAFD judges for combining simple technologies to the Annand team invite you to contact them via this Jangler includes a length of wire run in lines down a achieve terrific economic effect for seed and fruit website. crop, with a series of visual and acoustic distractors

Page 10

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Page 11

WOMEN IN ARABLE W

omen in Arable (formerly known as Active in Arable) was formed in 2001 when a cluster of Canterbury women promoted a business orientated discussion group for rurally based women involved in arable farming.

The group has been jointly funded by the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) and MAF Sustainable Farming Fund (MAF SFF). Now in its seventh year it continues to receive the exceptional support of arable women in the Canterbury region.

Women in Arable consists of more than 70 members with an average of 25 members attending each monthly meeting.

Historically these meetings have taken place in

Ashburton, a central location for most members.

Rachel Greenwood of FAR is the group’s facilitator.

FAR provides an array of presentation opportunities from high profile and well respected industry representatives, which in turn have allowed the women to become more involved in the day-to-day running of their businesses.

Topics that have been covered include weed identification, time management, record keeping including an overview of the Plantrac software, ECan, health and safety on farms, growth stages, human resources and employing staff, contracts and good employer responsibilities and sales and marketing.

Rakaia farmer Olwyn Lochhead is a dedicated group member. She says she enjoys attending the meetings. “They not only provide a great opportunity for me to network with other arable women, but also enable me to develop a clearer understanding of those slightly more technical issues associated with arable farming.”

Tash Williamson is a trainee farm manager on her family farm in Ashburton and says she has learned a lot from the different speakers, in particular crop farmers. “I’ve also found that the nature of the group has given me the confidence to be upfront when asking questions which can be difficult when surrounded by men.”

FAR HAS REVAMPED WEBSITE

A

C Ja om ng e le & r ® Se In e Ac Th tio e n

survey was conducted with a number of users to see how the current site could be improved and made more ‘user friendly’.

Visual appeal and ease of navigation were the two main areas users wanted to see improvee.

As a result, major changes have been made to the site to help improve these factors, at the same time giving it a crisp new look and ensuring that the wealth of technical information has been retained for the use of FAR levy payers and industry subscribers.

All technical information (for FAR levy payers and industry subscribers only) now lies beneath the ‘intellicrop’ menu item; this is currently presented in

the same format as it was previously.

However, work throughout phase two of the rebuild will provide a more comprehensive search facility which aims to narrow searches down to exactly what the user is looking for.

The site also allows you to receive only the FAR information that is relevant to your farming business. You can update your personal options by amending these details in the ‘profile’ page of the site.

All updates will be sent to you upon publication by post or email, whichever is your preferred option.

As previously, FAR events and industry-related

events will be advertised on the events page of the site.

You can now register for all FAR events by clicking on the ‘click here to attend this event’ at the bottom of the event page. This will automatically appear in ‘your events’ on the home page of the website along with ‘your updates’.

You will also receive an automated email acknowledging that you have registered to attend along with a reminder a couple of days before.

The website provides information about FAR, its structure, events, news, a shop as well as providing an array of technical resource tools in the restricted members’ area.

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Page 12

SUSTAINABILITY THE KEY

Dave Grant

Photo Carmen Rooney 280710-cr-117

Arable farmers and representatives cross an irrigation channel on the Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Scheme during a FAR field day on Dave Grant’s Methven farm. Two turbines in the irrigation race are used to generate electricity from the water’s gravity and flow rate.

By Linda Clarke

M

s For all your farm accounting requirements.

s Contact John or Aaron

206 Havelock Street PO Box 103 Ashburton Phone: 03 308 9194 Fax: 03 308 3519 Email: john@falloons.co.nz

ethven arable farmer Dave Grant says much of the work undertaken by FAR and its farmer research groups is about helping the industry be environmentally and economically sustainable.

He has four trials under way on his 465ha cropping farm, including a Grass 2 Crop trial involving cultivation and the effect of tillage methods on crop, and another involving variable rate nitrogen application.

Around 80 per cent of the farm is irrigated with water supplied by the Barrhill Chertsey and Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Schemes.

He grows cereals, mostly wheat and some barley, and a lot of rye grasses, both forage and turf. He also grows sprouting raddish and, for the first time this year, potatoes.

The research work was important, he said.

“It is all precision agriculture-type stuff. The trials are important to help maximise your return but it is also important to put on the correct amount of product, like nitrogen or chemical.

“Quite a lot of the work now is environmentally-driven. You are doing nitrogen trials to make sure you are using all the nitrogen that goes on (so it won’t leach into waterways).”

Mr Grant said farmers were increasingly incorporating precision agriculture, or precision agronomy, into their farming practices. “What we are doing is calculating what the crop needs and applying it to make sure target yields are met.”

He said tools like moisture probes and soil testing helped farmers diagnose crop needs.

Some were taking it to the next level, using crop scanners to identify deficiencies within a given area of the paddock.

Research trials helped decide whether it was worth investing in more technology.

“We may go down that track and find we are already doing it good enough.”

Mr Grant heads FAR’s Mid Canterbury arable research group, which includes fellow farmers Barry Austin, Tim Dale, Brian Leadley, Graeme Jones, Craige Mackenzie, Ross Polson, Eric Watson, Randal Hanrahan, Joel Hewson, Bede McCloy, Steve Bierema, John

Evans, Colin Maw, Malcolm Cairns, Lynette and Philip Lovett.

They meet regularly to discuss research projects, host field days and visitors.

The work is valued by arable farmers, he says. The litmus test was once very six years when growers voted to keep the organisation going via a compulsory level imposed on the crops they grew.

Mr Grant said the fourth referendum this year showed 80 per cent support by Mid Canterbury growers.

He became interested in FAR’s work himself a decade ago after attending a field day. By 2003 he was on the board, and instrumental in establishing the Chertsey trial site, the home of FAR’s big South Island field day in December, Crops 2011.

He said the event was a great chance for farmers to catch up with neighbours or talk to like-minded farmers about what was happening on their farms. Crops 2011 will update farmers on research trials under way and present a selection of guest speakers.

FAR’s Chief Executive Nick Pyke said the organisation’s research was a mix of production, environmental and social resarch, aimed at delivering benefits which could be measured in the increased productivity, profitability and opportunity for the farm.Mid Canterbury farmers Lynette and Philip Lovett crop 80% of their 491ha livestock and arable property and are huge FAR supporters.

Lynette has belonged to Women in Arable, FAR’s specialist discussion group for women, for many years. She sais that without the support and expert knowledge she has gained from the group, s it would have been hard to continue farming after her husband Rod died in 2002.

Son Philip, 28, has become part of Arable Ys, a group for younger arable farmers.

“This is a very important focus. The next generation is our future, and the future of our industry. Arable Ys has good support and I think it’s a really positive step.”

FAR has helped with everything from cultivar selection and chemical programmes to machinery purchase and a move towards minimum till, Lynette said.

Page 13

NEW VISION NEEDED F

armers in the future need a new “testament” involving agro-ecology and organics, says the head of a new Future Farming Centre at Lincoln University.

The centre is part of the Biological Husbandry Unit, which was set up in 1976 to research and promote organic farming.

Unit head Dr Charles Merfield says farming cannot continue down an industrial path and needed a new vision.

He is proposing a new vision for agriculture, horticulture and wider society to ensure the future prosperity of both farming and humanity. “It has to turn to ‘alternative’ paradigms such as agro-ecology and organic agriculture to ensure future generations can meet their food and fibre needs.”

The Future Farming Centre is dedicated to permanent, organic, sustainable and ecological science and extension to provide practical tools to help mainstream agriculture transition to these new production systems.

A key element of the centre is a strong participatory extension system, to ground and inform the science, especially research aimed at solving practical farming problems, and also to ensure researchers understand real-world farming.

The dissemination of knowledge to farmers needs to be both new science and the collation and synthesis of whole areas of existing knowledge.

Permanent and related agricultures represents a shift in the location of knowledge from specialists, such as biochemists, to farmers. Lincoln University’s Chancellor Tom Lambie, himself an organic farmer, officially launched Future Farming Centre recently.

He said it was an excellent step forward in creating “a better place for all of us to live”. It was focused on working collaboratively with the farming community and key stakeholders ensuring solutions are found to meet long-term needs, he said.

While science and extension will be the centre’s main work, it also aspires to higher academic and intellectual goals by promoting the philosophy

Photo Carmen Rooney 130511-cr-065

Alternative farming, including organics, will be part of farming’s sustainable future, says the Biological Husbandary Unit at Lincoln University. and history of agriculture and agricultural science.

Dr Merfield said he wanted the centre to be as independent from commercial and business interests as possible, so it could offer impartial advice to farmers.

“Globally, organisations that used to be noncommercial have increasingly commercialised the intellectual property that they had previously given away for free, to make up for funding

shortfalls. However that has often come at a loss of impartiality, both at the level of the individual, and the organisation. “Farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to find impartial advice and I want to ensure the centre is as free of such biases as possible, and where they exist, to clearly declare such conflicts of interest.”

For more information about the centre, visit www.bhu.org.nz/index.php/future-farming-centre

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Page 14

COLLECTING CROP DATA T

he New Zealand arable industry has suffered from unstable prices and markets in the past few years, but with the help of an Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI), the arable sector hopes to soon be back on track.

Funded by the MAF Sustainable Farming Fund (MAF SFF) and co-funded by the Foundation for Arable Research, Federated Farmers, Arable Food Industry Council (AFIC) and United Wheat Growers, the AIMI has been developed with the objective of ensuring future sustainability and improved competitiveness for the industry.

In order for the New Zealand arable industry to improve, it is vital that growers produce high specification products, specifically with the end user in mind.

Here in New Zealand we are extremely fortunate to have access to one of the most versatile and most diversified land, not to mention water; this gives New Zealand an advantage in the global markets. We are smaller than many other grain growing countries and are able to grow and change production relatively quickly. Arable is also pivotal to the meat, dairy and horticultural production which can often be disregarded.

As part of this initiative, meetings with end users have taken place to ascertain their perception of the industry and find out what the main issues are that they see.

We need to ensure we can deliver what the end user wants. It’s all too easy for them to get what they want from Australia; we need to make certain they can do that here. At the moment we have no idea what’s grown year on year or what’s stored in the silos. We need to overcome these plus many other issues before we can start to deliver what the end user wants.

The lack of up-to-date market information is currently the most critical of a number of key issues confronting the industry. One of the prepared

action areas of the AIMI is to capture and report on market information that is not currently available.

A quarterly survey collects information on the major cereal crops grown in New Zealand including wheat, barley, oats; maize data is also captured. It will include areas sown, harvested as grain crops and harvest volumes, volumes in storage at the end of each quarter, volumes sold, marketing channels and end users. The results from the survey are published regularly.

We need to ensure that growers, end users and all market participants are able to take advantage of world markets and business opportunities that arise. With efficient distribution, better information

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and appropriate contracts we should be able to do this.

The fourth AIMI survey of cereals, carried out in July this year, asked growers about their planned autumn plantings.

The total area of wheat intended for harvest next year is 9 per cent higher than last year, but showed a significant swing towards feed wheat at the expense of milling wheat.

The total area of barley planned to be planted by survey participants is 16 per cent higher than last year, with feed barley increased at the expense of malting barley.

Maize is similar to last year.

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