Travelling the world as NZ’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Methven arable farmer Hamish Marr says that what we consider “normal” for agriculture here is different elsewhere. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that everywhere he goes, the main talking points are climate change and emissions.

The 2024 Arable Awards’ Positive Environmental Impact winner, Waikato maize grower Daniel Finlayson, has fully integrated environmental considerations into his farming system. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that profits and yields are up, and greenhouse gas emissions down, through actions like switching to strip till and trying alternative nitrogen sources.

To assist growers to make the most of new tools and technology, FAR has developed a wide-ranging research strategy. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR technology manager Chris Smith tells Anna Heslop that this includes everything from independently evaluating opportunities with digital tools to a back to basics look at maximising farm machinery.

Description: Understanding whether any of the invasive fall armyworms which were found in New Zealand earlier this year have survived the winter is the first step in deciding the next course of action in this biosecurity response. Anna Heslop talks to biosecurity researcher Scott Hardwick, from AgResearch, about what's being done, and how you can be involved.

FAR has a busy schedule of research focused on maize production. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher David Densley tells Alison Stewart that as well as being focused on building resilience to financial, climate and environmental changes, some of its future-focused research is the first of its type in New Zealand.

A new FAR Focus called “Good Soil is Good Business” will be released soon. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Anna Heslop talks to the book’s author FAR’s Abie Horrocks about why the time is right for a guide like this how arable farmers can influence the soil quality on their farms.

It’s generally accepted that clay soils and wet springs make minimum tillage too challenging when establishing maize in many parts of the lower North Island. Marton farmer David Lee-Jones tells Alison Stewart how his Growers Leading Change group is trying to alter this.

Maize growers are facing the headwinds of increasing cost of production, climate changes and environmental considerations, says FAR researcher David Densley. In this episode of Cut the Crop he outlines to Anna Heslop some of the key messages from a series of winter maize workshops on how growers can sustainably achieve higher yields.

FAR board chair Steven Bierema talks to Alison Stewart about the challenges and opportunities facing the arable industry and FAR's goals for the coming year.

Celebrated senior researcher Phil Rolston reflects on his long career and says that despite retiring from FAR he enjoys the industry too much to walk away entirely. In this episode of Cut the Crop he tells Anna Heslop about how New Zealand’s natural advantages and collaborative industry approach are the envy of the world’s other seed producing regions.

A Methven-based Arable Growth Group are experimenting with biological products as a way to become more environmentally and financially sustainable. Anna Heslop talks to farmer Steve Sim about how the group are trialing the use of biologicals and liquid injectables in autumn-sown cereals on their farms.

Rapidly rising international consumer demand for plant-based protein provides arable growers with a potential new market opportunity. In this episode of Cut the Crop Alison Stewart talks to Ivan Lawrie of FAR about a new report looking at the feasibility of developing a pea and fava bean protein extraction plant in New Zealand.

Australian integrated pest management expert Paul Horne has just spent a week in New Zealand. In this episode of Cut the Crop Alison Stewart and Paul define IPM and discuss how it can work in New Zealand arable systems.

A Mid Canterbury Growers Leading Change group is looking at ways to reduce applications of synthetic nitrogen to maintain profit and contribute to environmental compliance. In this episode of Cut the Crop, group member Darryl Oldham says that nitrogen alternatives including biological products and legumes are promising.

What do you do when you’re worried about the influence of climate variability on disease and grain quality in your region? A group of Hawkes Bay cereal growers set up an Arable Growth Group to address their concerns. Anna Heslop talks to group leader Simon White about what they are trying to achieve.

Alison Stewart and Ivan Lawrie from FAR discuss the ongoing biosecurity response to fall armyworm, the likelihood of it establishing in New Zealand and the plan for monitoring its potential spread in the coming year.

Rocketing prices and environmental responsibility are two key factors leading arable growers to think carefully about nitrogen inputs. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Anna Heslop talks to Growers Leading Change facilitator Donna Lill who is looking for growers to join a national project trying out some of the new and alternative N options on the market on-farm.

 Find out more about the alternative N project here www.far.org.nz/articles/1673/reducing-synthetic-n-use-with-alternative-n-sources

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to Fiona Burnett, from Scotland’s Rural College about Ramularia. They cover current chemical control options and possible future solutions for this “complex beast” which has a nasty back record of breaking fungicides.

Grass weeds are a big headache for many grain and seed growers. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to Hugh Wigley, farmer leader of a Growers Leading Change group that has declared war on grassweeds about their on-farm weed management trials and results.

He Waka Eke Noa has provided the government with a recommendation on how to introduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions pricing. They're recommending a split-gas farm level levy. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR CEO Alison Stewart explains what this means, and what happens next.

In a worst-case scenario, new fungicide actives may ‘break’ within three years. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Fiona Burnett from Scotland's Rural College discusses mixing and dose rates, stressing that taking some very simple steps on-farm will help preserve fungicide efficacy.

Right now, is the key risk period for the introduction of YDV into cereal crops, which means it’s a key time for decision making around aphid management. In this episode of Cut the Crop, we talk to FAR Cereal Researcher Jo Drummond about aphid monitoring and what actions should be considered in the next couple of weeks.

For more information visit:

Latest aphid and beneficial numbers

Aphid monitoring guide 

A group of young North Otago arable growers are working together to understand how to reduce costs and increase profitability on their farms. Alison Stewart talks to Henry Mitchell about what they’ve learned in their first few months together.

For more information on Growers Leading Change visit, www.far.org.nz/growers_leading_change

Many people think that IPM is complex and is something that you either do or don’t do, on-farm. But Fiona Burnett and Harry Creissen from the Scottish Rural College disagree, saying IPM is a continuum, and that most arable growers are already on-board, even if they don’t know it! Alison Stewart talks to them about their research.

FAR is holding five maize winter workshops in the North Island in July. To encourage growers to head along, FAR senior environment researcher Dirk Wallace tells Anna Heslop in this episode of Cut the Crop about research which shows that legumes can reduce and even eliminate the need to apply nitrogen to a maize crop.

Consent objections, Jobs for Nature, chainsaw safety and Growsafe courses. One Canterbury Catchment Group, Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc, is active in a range of activities aimed at making members’ lives easier. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR CEO Alison Stewart talks to ESAI member David Birkett about how the group formed, and how it has grown in the last 20 years.

Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc www.esai.co.nz

Project Tinaku www.esai.co.nz/projects/

Scottish farmer and agronomist, Gordon Rennie, aka “The Oatfather” talks to Alison Stewart about the how the war in Ukraine is affecting friends living there, UK fuel and fertiliser prices and world food security. He also takes time to remind us that “we don’t know how lucky we are”!

Three months into 2022 and there’s been a lot going on for FAR and the arable industry. FAR CEO Alison Stewart joins Anna Heslop to talk about the weather, harvesting trials, greenhouse gas consultations and biosecurity incursions.

In the last four seasons, cocksfoot seed growers have been battling an unknown disease that has reduced yields by up to 75%.

Today we’re talking to Richard Chynoweth from FAR about the work that went into identifying the mystery disease, and the management plan’s that are emerging.

A Growers Leading Change group in Eiffelton, near Ashburton, is investigating options for improving both environmental issues and farm profits. In this episode of Cut the Crop we talk to neighbours Will McKenzie and Angus McKenzie about why they set up the group and what they’ve learned in their first year.

For more information visit, https://www.far.org.nz/growers_leading_change

Do you know your anions from your cations? Can you rely on the release of anaerobically mineralisable N? Do your consultant’s recommended application rates make sense? In this edition of Cut the Crop we talk to Jeff Morton, from MortonAg about understanding and optimising your farm’s soil fertility.

Links

FAR Focus: The confidence to cut back

Managing soil fertility on cropping farms

FAR Strategy: Nitrogen application in wheat and barley

FAR Strategy: Nitrogen application in perennial ryegrass seed crops 

You can’t do much about the weather, but you can choose a cereal cultivar that will be better able to cope with whatever the seasons throw at it.

That’s the message from FAR Cereal Researcher Jo Drummond in this episode of Cut the Crop, which identifies some potential disease hangovers from the most recent harvest season and how they might affect following crops.

The wet summer didn’t help harvest much, but it’s been great for slugs, grass grub and weed seed set. In this edition of Cut the Crop, Richard Chynoweth advises arable growers to monitor pests before and after sowing and make sure they have access to the chemicals they need for weed control.

From 2025 farmers will have to pay for agricultural greenhouse gas emissions – now is your chance to have your say about what that payment system should look like.

In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR CEO Alison Stewart outlines the three pricing options being considered and urges you to give us your feedback on the pros and cons of each.

The consultation closes at the end of March, so have a listen, and have your say.

Complete the emissions pricing survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CGR67Q7

Cultivation practices, winter fallows, setback widths and planting plans can all impact on just how much soil a farm may lose during a major rainfall event. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to FAR’s Abie Horrocks about the findings of recently completed research project call “Good management practices for setbacks on arable farms.

Visiting United States Professor of Agricultural Communications Dwayne Cartmell says that US farmers, like their Kiwi counterparts, often feel that the general public doesn’t understand what they do. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that farmers need to tell their stories without getting bogged down in science, or getting defensive.

Techniques to beat climate change, different approaches for different soils and even for different Islands, Alison Stewart talks to FAR’s David Densley, who outlines some ‘new to New Zealand’ maize research and updates her on the long term maize research programme, in the North and South Islands.

For more information visit,

2022 Resilient Maize Systems conference booklet

A lot of vehicles are coming on and off-farm at this time of year.

Do you have a biosecurity plan for your business?

How do you plan to evade weeds and pests that are new to your farm?

 For more information visit, www.far.org.nz/articles/1217/arable-biosecurity-risk-register

www.far.org.nz/articles/1606/black-grass-detection

New Zealand farmers have one month to express their opinions on a greenhouse gas emissions pricing scheme as outlined in the He Waka Eke Noa agricultural emissions pricing options.

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Alison Stewart talks to Dirk Wallace, Senior Environment Researcher at FAR about how the consultation will work for arable growers during the very busy harvest period.

For more information, visit: https://www.far.org.nz/environment 

https://www.far.org.nz/articles/1610/he-waka-eke-noa-pricing-options-for-agricultural-emissions

David Densely outlines five key reasons why anyone associated with the New Zealand maize industry should attend FAR’s Maize Conference in Hamilton on February 2 and 3 2022.

International speakers, New Zealand-first maize research, benchmarking, learning from your peers, and more.

Get online and register now…registrations close on Wednesday 12 January.

Register online now  or via the Events page on the FAR website www.far.org.nz/events.

FAR’s Owen Gibson takes Alison Stewart on a virtual tour of this year’s herbicide screening trial at Chertsey and talks about some glitches in the herbicide supply chain.

To watch the video to see the photos explained in this podcast episode, visit: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/655915328

FAR CEO Alison Stewart talks to Hugh Ritchie about his three years as Board Chair… what’s worked and what’s still a work in progress.

FAR’s Jo Drummond explains why now is a good time to start preparing silos for the upcoming harvest…and how to do it right!

For more info:

Understanding stored grain pests - https://www.far.org.nz/articles/71/c210-understanding-stored-grain-pests 

Regular monitoring protects grain quality - https://www.far.org.nz/articles/72/c211-regular-monitoring-protects-grain-quality

FAR is involved in a range of international, national and on-farm biosecurity initiatives aimed at protecting our sector. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s GM R&D, Andy Pitman, outlines some examples of this work.

For more information, B3 - Better Border Bioprotection

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Irrigation NZ Chief Executive Vanessa Winning talks to Alison Stewart about the organisation’s three big issues: policy, perception and industry training.

   Irrigation NZ website

Ramularia is everywhere. Soonie Chng from Plant & Food Research explains the latest New Zealand research findings on this disease and ponders what future management might look like.

 FAR Cereal Disease Strategy, 2020

Birds provide biodiversity, but on arable farms can cause significant crop losses and farmers have few options for effectively controlling bird damage. In this episode of Cut the Crop, University of Canterbury masters student Fergus Lowen outlines his study comparing common bird deterrents and bird activity in exotic and native hedgerows.

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Anna Heslop talks to rural mental health advocate and Will to Live founder Elle Perriam about Will to Live’s latest venture…the Rural Change Programme, which is funding counseling services for New Zealand farmers and farmworkers. It’s inspiring and it could be the help that you, or someone you love, needs right now.

Links: www.willtolivenz.com/i-want-help

www.rural-support.org.nz/

https://farmstrong.co.nz/

A seven year project measuring just how much nitrogen is lost from arable systems has found that there are no good or bad crops, but there are definitely good and bad years. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s Diana Mathers discusses the findings of the fluxmeter SFF project, and how they can be used to support on-farm decision making.

Link: https://www.far.org.nz/articles/1545/nitrogen-the-confidence-to-cut-back-far-focus-14

Drone flies are great pollinators of hybrid vegetable seed crops. In this episode of Cut the Crop we talk to Dr. Brad Howlett from Plant & Food Research about just how easy it is to support honey bee pollination by breeding drone flies in the paddock where you need them.

For more information, visit  https://www.far.org.nz/articles/1564/managing-drone-flies-for-pollination