Foundation for Arable Research FAR has two staff members working within the cereal industry. Nick Poole is FAR’s Research Coordinator with particular research interests in reduced tillage techniques, crop sequences and disease management. Nick also coordinates FAR’s research programme in Australia which is funded by the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC). (021 544 411). Rob Craigie is the cereals Project Manager. Previously he has had research, agronomy and management roles in the potato and wasabi industries. Rob liaises with farmers to proactively assess their needs and identify research priorities. He then works with the research team to implement the research. The delivery of research findings back to the farmer base is an essential part of his role. (021 575 303).
Prioritising research FAR invests in a range of research projects which aim to provide benefits to arable farmers. Although most of the research is shorter term field trials which aim to improve crop productivity, there is an increasing
demand for FAR to provide information which will help farmers in the environmental, climate change and new opportunities areas. This research tends to be longer term and have a broader less crop specific focus than much of the research FAR has invested in in the past. Often this research has significant co-investment from the government and other primary sectors. FAR has recently formed a Strategic Research Committee (SRC) to help ensure FAR invests in quality strategic research and extension activities which will deliver benefits to New Zealand arable farmers. FAR staff now have significant expertise in ensuring the best research on individual crops is undertaken. FAR will continue to use members of the Arable Research Groups (ARGs) in deciding on the future research, the detail of the research and reviewing existing research. The SRC is comprised of selected farmers, FAR staff, research and industry personnel who are expected to provide the range of skills needed to have robust discussions and making decisions in relation to research investments in this area. Member John Wright Russell Fleming Hugh Ritchie Jim Macartney Craige Mackenzie Stephen Goldson Kevin Marshall Peter Stone Ken Taylor Nick Pyke Nick Poole Andrea Pearson
Representing Chairman and grower Grower Grower Grower Grower Industry/Research Industry Industry Environment Canterbury FAR FAR FAR
The SRC meets three times a year to visit field trials and meet with research providers, review project results and decide on research investment. Contact details for the SRC can be obtained from FAR.
Cereal research strategy Each season FAR has about 30 cereal research projects in progress. These cover the range of agronomic topics including nitrogen, weed, disease and insect management. Some examples of current projects include: • Disease management in newer cereal cultivars. • New technology to manage nitrogen in cereals (by analysing the nutrient status of the crop canopy with remote sensors). • Ryegrass control in wheat with the latest herbicide chemistry. • Investigate the carry over of Take-All inoculums following different cereal species. • Sowing depth and Gardoprim timing on winter sown wheat. 1. National cultivar evaluation Each year FAR produces two cultivar evaluation booklets (autumn and spring editions). The booklets compile yield, quality and disease resistance traits of established and new cultivars, collected from trials in the main growing regions of the country. 2. Farming systems As well as specific in-crop cereal projects, FAR has increased its investment in farming systems research, looking at relationships between different crops in the rotation. The MAF SFF/FAR non-inversion agronomy and cropping sequence projects are examples of this work. 3. Environment (water, soil and air quality, contaminants, climate change) This sector is gaining in importance as the industry gets to grips with the potential effect of climate change and increasing pressure on the water resource. Examples of investments include: