New tool to reduce fertiliser use

“Recent nutrient management laws introduced by the Government require them to pay if they are predicted to breach certain levels of fertiliser run-o in waterways, and the advice we’ve received from farmers is that there is strong demand for a tool that accurately measures actual phosphate levels in waterways,” she says.

“ at’s exactly what we’re planning to deliver.”

Associate Professor Crittenden says currently there isn’t a simple, chemical-free way of monitoring phosphate levels.

“Phosphate is a very tricky compound to detect - it’s odourless and colourless, both to the naked eye and to sophisticated instruments. But we’ve already developed very sophisticated ways of sensing phosphate in our bodies – so we are going to learn from nature to develop novel light-sensitive biosensors.” e new devices will be designed to be reusable and contained in an easy-to-use, portable marker-pen size device that can be put into rivers and streams. ey could boost Aotearoa New Zealand’s agritech exports and generate up to $8 million a year in export earnings while also cleaning up local waterways, e underlying technology could also have applications in medical, industrial and veterinary settings.

University of Canterbury Associate Professor of Physical and Chemical Sciences Deborah Crittenden says farmers want and need a user-friendly device that will allow them to accurately test for phosphates, a compound formed when fertiliser run-o gets into waterways.

“Phosphates can cause damaging algal blooms, but we want to provide farmers with real-time, accurate test kits that will allow them to better monitor and control fertiliser use on their land, with test results sent instantly to their computer or phone.

Associate Professor Crittenden says.

“ e modular design of our bio-nanosensors means that this approach can be extended to detecting other pathogens and environmental contaminants.

“Our end goal is to produce and manufacture our phosphate sensors in New Zealand, creating local jobs and ensuring all of the bene ts of our technology are fully realised in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

POWERTARPS ARE NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING RETRACTABLE TARP SUPPLIER

We specialise in high quality, mesh and PVC covers to suit trucks, trailers and farm bunkers. All of our covers can be easily operated from the ground using a silky smooth cable system, eliminating health and safety risks.

I am going to start that trilogy in reverse order this month so I nish on a good note!

e ugly ere’s something wrong with this country’s animal welfare law when farmers operate under an understandably strict regime of care for the animals in their charge yet two ‘men’ in the Wellington region are found guilty of ring crossbow arrows into a bull (killing it) and a steer (which survived) and are awarded name suppression and discharged without conviction. e bad - potential recipe for disaster e ground is water-logged and, with soil temperatures were 8.5 degrees for the rst week of July (compared to 9.7 degrees for the same time last year) which is a drop of 1.7 degrees. We are simply not getting the sunshine and warmth we need to dry the soil out in time for spring. And that is a warning to all farmers – particularly those with low-lying farms.

Weather forecasters saying we are experiencing normal temperatures around the country belie the reality most people on the land are experiencing.

As you will see from the rainfall and temperature statistics (sidebar) volumes of rain were down in June compared to the same time last year at both the yard and the farm (65ml and 113ml respectively) but for the year to date we had 817ml more rain at the yards and 1192 at the farm which equates to more than double for the rst six months of the year!

Grass growth has slowed and cows coming home – some up to one month earlier because graziers have run out of grass – and the potential for severe pugging of saturated ground equates to a recipe for disaster.

I recently spoke to one silage contractor who has sold all his bales and our stocks are getting down so I want to urge farmers that – if they haven’t already – relook at those feed budgets and take remedial action now to prevent a dramatic feed pinch when the cows come into production. It’s time for transport operators to work with industry.

On the home front, In Tauranga, the spiralling cost of transport infrastructure is having a downward impact on business. It’s now cheaper to import wheat from Australia into the North Island than it is from the South Island thanks to ongoing increases in transport costs compromised by ferry breakdowns etc. It is a spiral which simply cannot continue and the industries need to get together to realise that we need to work together so we all come through this as strong – or stronger – than we went into this cycle.

E Good

ere is, nally, some sunshine on the horizon for New Zealand’s agricultural exports! Zespri has signed an agreement to increase fruit sales to China by 50 per cent over the next three years.

Comvita increased its revenue in sales to China by 50 per cent from 2019 to 2022 and is looking to increase it further.

e Alliance Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand sales of grass fed lamb, mutton, beef and venison across China.

Silver Fern Farms has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $18m in sales of chilled beef and lamb exports to China.

Rainfall and temperatures

At the yard in Paengaroa:

June 2023: 203mls

June 2022: 268.5 mls

July 1-6 2023: 8.5mls

Jan 1 - 1 July 2023: 1049.5 mls

Jan 1 - 1 July 2022: 817.4 mls

1st week July 2023: avg temp 8.5*

1st week July 2022: avg temp 9.725

At the farm in Ohauiti:

June 2023: 253.5 mls

June 2022: 366 mls

July 1-6 2023: 26.5 mls

Jan 1 - 1 July 2023: 2528 mls

Jan 1 - 1 July 2022: 1192.2 mls