PLANT FOR SUCCESS

Kaniere

Crisphead lettuce for late autumn up to mid winter harvest (location dependent). Well wrapped with dark green leaves. Producing flat/round head with nice internal colour. Kaniere cuts cleanly and has a small-medium butt. Bl 1-28, 30-32

Kumble

New addition to our early onion range. Excellent shape, skins and size. Good storage ability for an early. Use as a replacement for Shinto types. Sow May 1 – 15 and harvest November.

Spinach

Grow yield with the best spinach: Sioux: versatile, spring-autumn, semi savoy, Pe:1-15,17,19. Onyx: spring & autumn, semi savoy, Pe:1-19. Skarne: autumn-winter, semi savoy, Pe:1-19. Dallas: autumn-winter, smooth, Pe:1-18. PV 1582: winter, Oriental, Pe:1-15,17,19 different soil types at PFR’s Hawke’s Bay research centre. Canvassing nutrient release characteristics is an important first step to understanding alternative sources of crop nutrition and how they might complement or offset conventional fertilisers.

“Where we can, we would like to create a circular use of our waste and otherwise use 100 percent local products,” Gordon says. “Compost can be variable, so we need to create both as consistent a process and raw material as possible, as well as a robust testing and measurement process.

“Currently, we’re working with a local compost producer. We’ve also got several sources of compostable raw materials from our own operations.”

The project will also focus on the role of perennial plantings in facilitating ecosystem restoration, engaging with staff, community and iwi to create practices that work with and for the wider community.

“We will have some perennial plantings occur within the project window, but measurement of their impact will mainly occur beyond the project timeline,” Gordon says. “As those plantings have to fit within the overall restoration of the farm environment, the project team are currently evaluating what is known about interactions between possible perennial plantings and crop pest and beneficial species. That evaluation includes pests and their natural enemies of possible service crop species.”

Much of New Zealand’s existing research on regenerative agriculture has been focused on pastoral land use so it is hoped the project will provide an invaluable evidence base for the horticulture sector.

Plant & Food Research general manager science –sustainable production, Dr Paul Johnstone, says it is an exciting programme to be working collaboratively on with Countdown and LeaderBrand.

Growers To Make Informed Decisions

“It provides a great opportunity to test regenerative practices based on scientific evidence that could be successfully adopted at a commercial scale to improve production and environmental outcomes linked to vegetable growing,” Paul says.

Countdown’s director of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability, Kiri Hannifin, says that the retailer is proud to be supporting the innovative project which will push the boundaries of conventional vegetable growing, and support the work of one of their key produce suppliers on how they can farm for the future.

LeaderBrand Produce and Countdown each invested $300,000 in the project, with research and data support from Plant & Food Research.