The Farmlander - October 2021 South

Page 51

FORAGE AND ARABLE

Wise product choices do two jobs at once If you look at the challenges farmers face in protecting their crops, there are several solutions to most of them. Comparative trial results show the options have similar efficacy. That’s why you sometimes have to dig a little deeper to find the important advantages of one product or method over another. From packaging that reduces waste and risks to human health to new molecules that can control target weeds or pests or diseases with much lower application rates, there are benefits that go beyond what any graphs show. Often the more innovative solution does double duty, solving the immediate issue plus protecting the long-term profitability of your crops. We all know the importance of introducing new chemistry to the rotation to help keep the older chemistry viable too. That helps keep the levels of control up and overall input costs down, because the cheaper options don’t get run into the ground and can be used for maintenance control once the more advanced products have done the heavy lifting. Another factor rapidly growing in importance is the superior marketability of ‘cleaner, greener’ produce. It has been a slow build over the decades but ‘eco-friendly’ positioning has now jumped into the mainstream. Both local consumers and our export markets are more insistent that produce come with minimal use of chemistry and a low environmental impact.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

| Insistence is growing that produce come with minimal use of chemistry and a low environmental impact.

New Zealand farmers are better placed than almost anyone to deliver on those expectations and there are plenty of industry partnerships working to reinforce our green credentials. BASF, for instance, has been a strong supporter for many years of Agrecovery, New Zealand’s solution for the safe disposal of unwanted agrichemicals and the recycling of empty containers, drums and IBCs. Now the company has introduced Eco-Packs for selected products that take the war on waste another step forward. The polyethylene containers have 25 percent less plastic than standard drums and are recyclable. They are also designed to reduce handling, prevent ‘glugging’ during pouring and eliminate the need for foil seals, all of which reduce the risk of spills and hazardous waste. So when barley growers are considering the best product to use against Ramularia, BASF’s Revystar ticks an extra box. As well as introducing an innovative DMI

molecule that will control pathogens no longer susceptible to older DMIs, it reduces packaging waste by at least 25 percent. What next? Poncho VOTiVO seed treatment’s suppression of nematodes using beneficial bacteria points the way. Integrated pest management already uses ‘softer’ chemistry to complement the introduction of beneficial species. BASF and other companies are developing more and more biological solutions that can replace chemicals for part of the rotation for both pest and disease control. As you put together your crop protection programmes for next season, why not consider the environmental dimension as well? For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by BASF

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © October 2021. All rights reserved.

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Articles inside

Clean water storage reaches new heights

4min
pages 61-64

Century Farms – Five generations call farm home

2min
page 65

Technology helps take strain out of fencing

2min
pages 59-60

From field tiles to smooth-wall pipes

2min
pages 57-58

Wise product choices do two jobs at once

4min
pages 51-54

‘Blanket’ keeps lid on open-stored water

3min
pages 55-56

Angus breeders embrace tissue sampling advances

4min
pages 46-48

Lifestyle blocks offer path to biodiversity

4min
pages 42-44

Mating’s trifecta: bulls, heat and AI

2min
page 45

New research proves deferred grazing works

2min
pages 49-50

Variety the spice in pig genetics recipe

2min
page 41

Smooth weaning puts calves on good path

2min
pages 39-40

Head start for NZ in sustainability drive

5min
pages 16-17

Restoring the magic on marginal land

2min
page 23

NZ dairying leads in lowering emissions

4min
pages 28-30

Growers in good heart over hazelnuts

5min
pages 20-22

Connections central to innovation park's vision

6min
pages 18-19

Flexibility needed in feeding broodmares

2min
pages 37-38

5 minutes with Tanya

4min
pages 6-7

When biodiversity thrives the environment thrives

7min
pages 24-27
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