blog

Lincoln Agritech Role: Precision/Digital Agriculture Senior Scientist

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:42:40 +1200

A Precision/Digital Agriculture Senior Scientist permanent full time role is currently open at Lincoln Agritech.

- Do you have a relevant PhD in Agronomy/Crop Production, Horticulture/Speciality Crops, or Agricultural Engineering or related scientific areas with a strong drive for technologies?
- Do you have a proven track record in scientific and technical achievements?
- Are you interested in joining a highly skilled team, leading projects at the forefront of Precision Agriculture and being part of an innovative research and development company?

Lincoln Agritech seek an enthusiastic senior scientist interested in leading-edge precision/digital agriculture (PA) research focusing on crops as well as farm integration. The role will support the development and application of sensors, concepts and information-based management systems from an agronomic perspective (plant production) and for automation of agricultural production, including robotics. You will work at the forefront of precision/digital agricultural R&D. This is a senior role within the team and will support the Group Manager for Precision Agriculture with the strategic direction and management of the Group, with a potential future opportunity to lead the Group.

They are offering a permanent position in a unique, successful, tech-savvy, fundamental and commercial research organisation. You will benefit from working with skilled colleagues in a highly interdisciplinary R&D company that thrives on the input of specialists like you, who understand the science of complex areas combined with a practical understanding of biology, agriculture, food production and environmental management.

For further information, including the full position description and to apply, please visit the Lincoln Agritech website - https://www.lincolnagritech.co.nz/about/careers/.

Applications close 5pm, 16^th August 2019.

Publication - Precision Agriculture for Sustainability

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 09:40:55 +1300

A collection reviewing current research on key technologies in precision agriculture, new publication 'Precision Agriculture for Sustainability' is out now and talks about how by using resources more efficiently, Precision Agriculture can make farming more productive and sustainable.

About the author: Formerly a scientist at the internationally-renowned Silsoe Research Institute, Dr John Stafford is well known as a leader in precision agriculture technologies. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, Co-Editor of the journal Precision Agriculture and past President of the International Society.

To order your copy or for more information, click here.

"Congratulations to the authors for putting together a comprehensive collection of key themes in precision agriculture. When appropriately augmented with local material, specific to the country/production system of relevance, this text is a very valuable, foundational learning tool. First principles can only go so far. In a rapidly evolving sector, a survey of the latest developments in these key areas is a must for students, teachers and researchers alike."
Dr. B.A. Stewart, Director Dryland Agriculture Institute and Distinguished Professor of Agriculture, West Texas A&M University, USA

New Precision Agriculture Association Chair Named

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 11:48:17 +1300

Roger Robson-Williams has been elected as chairman of Precision Agriculture New Zealand, taking over from Craige Mackenzie.

Originally from the UK, Robson-Williams, who is Plant and Food Research’s general manager of science - sustainable production, brings a wealth of arable and horticultural science and innovation experience to the role, as well as a deep interest in what he describes as the primary sector’s digital revolution.

He will a bigger board - now totalling 12 – with four new members joining. They are Dr Warwick Catto, science and strategy manager Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Ina Draganova, a senior lecturer at Massey University’s New Zealand Centre for Precision Agriculture, Dr Callum Eastwood, a farming systems scientist at DairyNZ and Kenneth Irons, chief executive and shareholder of Precision Farming Ltd and Precision Tracking (NZ) Ltd.

“We have increased the size of the board to get the breadth of experience and perspectives we need to move the organisation forward,” Robson-Williams said.

Among PAANZ’s priorities is determining how the organisation can enable – and increase – the uptake of technology by farmers, growers and industry stakeholders.

“We are looking hard at what tangible activities we can engage in that will benefit both members of PAANZ and the wider community of stakeholders.”

Robson-Williams said among the challenges facing the precision agriculture in NZ is ensuring the primary sector can access and evaluate the technology that is suited to this country’s specific environment, farming systems and value-chains.

Often just associated with global positioning systems and variable rate application, Robson-Williams said these are only part of the precision agriculture story.

“There is a lot to be gaiRoned when various players along the value-chain are willing and able to talk to one another and share data. Precision agriculture in its broadest meaning has a key role to play in enabling this connectivity and joining together stakeholders right along the value-chain.”

Pasture Management: The New Technology

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 11:40:47 +1300

Dairy NZ scientist and PAANZ Committee member Dr Callum Eastwood gives us information around the potential for pasture management in this article, published on the NZ Farmer site this week. With drones, area surveying and satellites used for crop monitoring, why aer we not measuring our pasture from the skies?

Source: www.nzfarmer.co.nz

PA17 - A Big Success

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 12:00:54 +1300

Earlier this month around 500 delegates from across the globe convened in Hamilton for PA17 – an international tri-conference featuring the 7^th Asian-Australasian Conference on Precision Agriculture (7ACPA), the 1^st Asian-Australasian Conference on Precision Pasture and Livestock Farming (1ACPLF) and Digital-Farmer and Grower 2017 (DF&G). Alongside 428 attendees, the event attracted 56 exhibitors. Half of the delegates were from overseas drawn from 14 nations including Asia, Europe and the US.

Over 3-days a wide range of PA topics were covered, including sensing and precision management, data analytics, robotics, postharvest systems, technology transfer, adoption and on-farm adaptation. There were also a number of high quality keynotes, including talks from Sjaak Wolfert (Wageningen UR) on the Internet of Food and Farm 2020, Simon Blackmore (Harper-Adams University) on the role of robotics and Miriana Stephens (Wakatu Incorporation) on new sustainability models being implemented there.

Many of the presentations are available via a PDF here (please note that the links through to presentations are indicated by a red box around the name of the speaker):

https://precisionagriculture.org.nz/news/pa17-conference-presentations

Click here to see the published conference proceedings.

Additionally, view photos from the PA17 conference here.

Best regards,
Roger Williams
PAANZ Newsletter Editor

Left: Miriana Stephens outlines Whakatu’s plans to transform their business model.

Left: Simon Blackmore points to some of the problem with ‘bigger’ and why it isn’t always ‘better’.

Left: Sjaak Wolfert talks about the Internet of Food and Farm 2020.

PA17 International Tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture: Presentations & Photos

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:49:24 +1300

Thank you to all who attended and supported the PA17 - The International Tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture 2017 at Claudelands Conference and Exhibition Centre in Hamilton. It was our great pleasure to host you.

Thank you to all members, sponsors and exhibitors who made the conference a memorable conference to attend.

Please review the available presentations from PA17 here.

For photos from the PA17 Conference, click here.

Note: Speakers who have given permission to have their presentations available are indicated in a red block on the link above.

The Internet of Things: Wireless internet for the 100 plus hectare farm office

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:37:26 +1200

The Internet of Things (IoT) will offer farmers easy access to low-cost farm-wide wireless data coverage, suitable for most technology monitoring purposes, across the hundreds of hectares that make up the farm office.

In this article, DairyNZ research engineer Brian Dela Rue considers whether the Internet of Things will really be the best thing since sliced bread,

Article source: NZ Farmer.co.nz - http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/

Fertiliser Update: News & Views

Fri, 05 May 2017 11:04:49 +1200

Welcome to the first edition of Fertiliser Update - news and views about fertiser and crop nutrition.

This new initiative by the International Fertiliser Society is intended to provide you with interest and enjoyment about developments within the fertiliser industry, carrying articles that explain, evaluate, critique or comment upon topical issues.

It will provide a platform for the views and activities of IFS Members, which we hope you will find stimulating, even if you don’t always agree with them!

AgfunderNews: What is Precision Agriculture?

Mon, 01 May 2017 10:17:43 +1200

From AgFunderNews, this article centres around Remi Schmaltz, CEO of Decisive Farming, which is a Canadian software program for farms offering precision agronomics, data management, crop marketing, and telematics services. Schmalz has extensive agriculture knowledge after taking over his family’s ag retail company Dynagra Corp with his brother where he started incubating new technologies in farming resulting in the launch of Decisive Farming in 2011.

In this article, Schmaltz writes about precision agriculture, what it means and how it’s changing.

To read the article, click here.

Article Source: AgfunderNews, https://agfundernews.com/
AgFunderNews is affiliated with AgFunder, a leading online investment platform for accredited investors looking to invest in curated food and agriculture technology companies.

AgFunder, Feedif

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:00:31 +1200

We thought this website link might be useful for our members and interested parties.

https://feedit.agfunder.com/

2017 NZ Hi-Tech Awards: Entries Now Open

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:00:00 +1300

Entries for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards are now open!

The Hi-Tech Awards give recognition, publicity, networking and an opportunity to refine your company's value proposition in addition to exposure to investors. All entries are securely reviewed by NZ Hi-Tech's panels of local and international judges; it’s a great opportunity to get your business in front of some of the biggest names in the business.

For the first time you can also nominate a company or individual who you think is worthy. NZ Hi-Tech will follow up with the nominee as they will still need to complete the entry process online.

To find out more about how to enter or nominate a company or individual, take a look at the website. There are details on entry categories and criteria, important entry and event dates, and tips on making the most out of being an entrant, finalist and winner.

Entering also gives you the opportunity to take part in events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - finalists are announced over three simultaneous events in each city on 29 March 2017. Following this, a Gala Awards Dinner and an exclusive NZ Hi-Tech Awards Alumni Event for 2016 & 2017 entrants will also be held. For more information on these events, visit the website.

Important dates:
- Nominations of a third party close 5pm, Monday 13 Feb
- Entries close 5pm, Monday, 6 March 2017

If you have any further questions, contact Bob Pinchin or Liz Fox at NZ Hi-Tech via email or phone 09 984 4140.

Event website: http://www.hitech.org.nz/

PAANZ AGM 2016, Chairman's Report

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 09:00:00 +1300

PAANZ Chair Craige Mackenzie provided attendees at the recent AGM with an update on what PAANZ has achieved over the last year and an idea of what’s to come. The PAANZ AGM took place on 9th November 2016 at the Cantebury A&P Showgrounds.

As a starting point I would just like to take this opportunity to outline the goals of PAANZ. These are to:

• increase and influence the adoption and direction of Precision Agriculture by land based primary industries in New Zealand;
• facilitate the technology transfer of Precision Agriculture developments between researchers, advisers, land users, industry facilitators and others;
• engage in, promote and support research & development undertaken for the purpose of advancing the adoption of Precision Agriculture systems in New Zealand land based primary industries;
• improve the understanding and management of in field variability and validate Precision Agriculture systems for increased profits and protection of the environment;
• connect all participants in the Precision Agriculture value chain to one common organisation. This includes land users, researchers, commercial companies, Regional councils and students.

To all of our members and those who have joined us this year. It is your continued support that makes it possible to run this organisation and allow it to support improved outcomes for agriculture in New Zealand through the use of Precision Agriculture. PAANZ has 26 Foundation members, which include industry, research and farmers. We thank you greatly for your on-going support.

Earlier this year we spent some time refining our strategic document to reflect where we believe we can go as an organisation and how we can partner with other sectors and groups to have the best possible outcome. We have shared this with MPI to create a strong partnership going forward. We feel this is an exciting opportunity for the organisation.

We have noticed a significant increase in the interest in Precision Ag this year, being driven by the desire to improve efficiency but also by the need to meet targets now required in things like farm environment plans and overseer budgets. It is also been very pleasing to see a significant increase in interest in Precision Agriculture across a range of larger companies who now see that PA provides a way to better support their farmers into the future.

PAANZ has also been approached by Central government, as they seek to better understand how Precision Agriculture can help New Zealand, both here and overseas. Our challenge is to turn this interest into increasing our member base and increasing the value we provide to the agricultural sector.

In April several of our members went to Silicon Valley on an Ag Tech tour. For PAANZ participants it was interesting to see how well the Ag Tech group is aligned with PAANZ. There was a desire to connect these two groups and our organization has picked up some members as a result of this tour. We have also noticed increased collaboration, which has to be great for our organisation.

Technology is moving very fast at the moment. Some instances of this are the availability of radio mesh networks at realistic prices and more recently the first trials with Spark’s LoRa network where it is possible to connect 1000 devices to a single gateway. This will allow you to measure everything on a property that you could possibly think of and can cover 15 KM from one antenna. These and other new systems will be a game changer but the challenge will be to make use of all the data collected.

Data ownership and quality continues to be a hot topic around the world and we are no different. There are groups coming together to look at standards in this area and some of our members are part of this discussion.

We have been involved in many events throughout the year where our members or committee have presented on Precision Agriculture. We have also supported and promoted other events where we have common goals.

We ran one event this year in the South Island with two more scheduled in the North Island. The topic was one of nutrients and water, with the focus being to demonstrate what is available today in the way of Precision Agricuture solutions which can help effect change and provide better outcomes, with the final sessions of the day focussing on a view to the future. We had good numbers attend and real mix of industry and farmers. We would have liked to have had a greater number of farmers at these meetings but all of the feedback from those who attended has been extremely positive and when asked if they would attend another event one farmer said “definitely and I will bring 20 farmers with me next time.”

From these meetings we have seen some farmers take up some significant investments into PA which is a great result.

Some of our members attended the MobileTech conference in Rotorua which provided an interesting look at some of the new Precision Agriculture technology being introduced and how it might be of value to the agricultural sector.

Several of our committee and members attended the International Precision Ag Conference (ISPA) and Info Ag conference in St Louis, Missouri in August this year. It was interesting to note that there was really nothing new that was not being used or tried in NZ. But there was a huge number of data management platforms and drones and this will continue to be a busy space. Of special note is that Professor Ian Yule from Massey University is now President elect for ISPA and will take the chair in 2018. Congratulations Ian.

I was fortunate to receive the International Precision Ag Farmer of the year for 2016 which really just demonstrates that New Zealand is right up there with the rest of the world.

PAANZ attended and supported the LandWise conference in Hastings. As usual Dan Bloomer ran a very interesting conference. It is good to be able to support the work Dan is doing.

UAV’s continue to be a hot topic and as an organisation we have attended several events and hosted demonstrations of several of the new additions to the market. These will continue to be of interest as we find ways to get useful data from them.

The development of new Precision Agriculture software which has integrated affordable satellite images as well as being able to send and receive application files to give proof of placement is ongoing. The use of such software to store and handle data will continue be more important as the technology use increases in the field.

In October 2017 PAANZ are hosting the 7th Asian-Australian Conference on Precision Agriculture (7ACPA) to be held in Hamilton. This will be the first time the event will be held outside of Asia so it will be important to make a success of it. Planning is well underway with an organising committee doing a great job. We are now at the point where we are about to ask for abstracts for the different themes of the conference. This event will include the Spatial Livestock conference (1ACPLF) for NZ and Australia and also Digital Farmer (DF2017) sessions which will add further value to the one event.

With the conference in mind we have put together a partnership document which will be available for potential sponsors in the very near future. We have had some very positive interest already and if you or anyone you know is interested please contact one of the committee and we will follow up. This will be a large event and I would like to acknowledge the significant work that has already gone in by those involved. Armin Werner from Lincoln Agritech will chair the conference and if you would like further details please do not hesitate to contact Armin or any of the committee.

I would like to thank all of the committee this year and appreciate all the time that you give up both personally and also from the organisations that support you. Without this support we would be unable to function,

I need to make special mention of Jim Grennell who is standing down from the Committee this year. Jim has given an enormous amount of time and support which is greatly appreciated. Fortunately Jim is taking on a part-time role with us so we will still have access to his expertise. We have also received significant support from Canterbury Development Corporation which is very much appreciated.

Once again thank you to all of you who have attended today and your ongoing support.

Precision Ag Practices Boost Operating Profits, USDA Says

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 12:44:12 +1300

A recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study on Farm Profits and Adoption of Precision Agriculture is discussed in this article. The study focused on three precision agriculture practices: guidance or auto-steer systems, variable-rate technology (VRT), and GPS-based mapping systems.

To read the article: http://www.agriculture.com/news/technology/precision-ag-practices-boost-operating-profits-usda-says?esrc=agex102116&did=86434

Technology's Role in Farms of the Future

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 08:07:08 +1300

This article, published by istart.co.nz provides insight into technology and how it is being applied successfully to agricultural practise in New Zealand.

Precision agriculture has a lot to offer - and that doesn’t mean rubber chicken…

Agriculture, forestry and fishing contributes a good 6.1 percent to the country’s GDP. At the same time, the information and communications technology sector contributes some 8 percent, according to NZTech. What happens when the two are brought together?

Not necessarily an easy one to answer, but there are people working on that, among them Craige Mackenzie, chair of Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ). “There is growing interest in the benefits of precision agriculture for environmental and financial viability of our New Zealand farms but we have a challenge ahead to get greater engagement with more farmers and companies in this sector,” he said in a statement.

That’s consistent with a view expressed recently by TUANZ CEO Craig Young.

Article source: istart.co.nz

New Zealand: World leading agri-tech researcher is appointed top global role

Sun, 25 Sep 2016 10:40:38 +1300

We have been delighted to hear that one our PAANZ committee members, Professor Ian Yule, has been appointed to a top global role in the field of agri-tech.

Massey University’s Professor Ian Yule, one of the world’s leading agri-tech researchers, has been voted president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture for 2018-2020.

Professor Yule, a Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) committee member, will be a key speaker at the seventh Asian-Australasian conference on precision agriculture in Hamilton later next year. It will be the first time the conference has been held outside Asia.

Much of his research is centred around sensors and imaging to help expand New Zealand’s export agriculture and food production. He is looking to develop pasture measurement tools, aerial topdressing, irrigation, precision dairying, horticulture, viticulture and cropping.He has a PhD in agricultural engineering and has a passion for remote and hyperspectral sensing, as well as finding practical, usable solutions to problems within the agriculture space.

His agriculture technology studies include a $10 million portfolio of research activity. His global-first research is at the forefront of developing practical applications for remote sensing and imaging that has worked towards New Zealand’s largest jointly funded remote sensing project. The research is expected to result in $120 million a year in export earnings by 2030 and net economic benefits of $734 million between 2020 and 2050.

To read news on the full appointment, click here:
http://livenews.co.nz/2016/09/25/new-zealand-world-leading-agri-tech-researchers-appointed-top-global-role/
http://www.happynewzealanders.co.nz/index.php/2016/09/25/world-leading-agri-tech-researchers-appointed-top-global-role/

Technology set to play big part in NZ agriculture

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:14:18 +1200

This article talks about the role of technology and the positive impact of this on New Zealand's agricultural exports.

Ultimately, for New Zealand to diversify its export base, technology will play a critical role in improving value-add in agricultural exports, a leading New Zealand agri-tech expert says.

Craige Mackenzie, chair of Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ), says precision agriculture has a lot to offer the bright future of the second biggest New Zealand industry sector.

“There is growing interest in the benefits of precision agriculture for environmental and financial viability of our New Zealand farms but we have a challenge ahead to get greater engagement with more farmers and companies in this sector.

“We are also being approached by local and central government for advice and we are seeing some exciting new technologies being introduced to agriculture. We are excited about the development of new precision agriculture software which has integrated affordable satellite images as well as being able to send and receive application files to give proof of placement. The use of such software to store and handle data will continue to be as important as the technology used in the field.

“Next year we are hosting the seventh Asian-Australasian conference on precision agriculture in Hamilton. This will be the first time the event will be held outside of Asia so it will be important to make a success of it. This will be a landmark occasion for our New Zealand industry to showcase the best of what we do.

“Global agritech investment is growing rapidly, with investment in 2014 estimated at over $US2.36 billion making the sector larger than the global fintech market. With our traditional strengths in agriculture and our growing strengths in tech this is an opportunity we should pursue with vigour.

“There is an enormous opportunity for New Zealand to use technology as a means to support the economic growth of our agri sector and to also work with the sector to become a world leader in a fast growing agritech market.”

NZTech and Precision Ag NZ helping agriculture grow faster

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:24:58 +1200

PRESS RELEASE, 8TH SEPTEMBER 2016

New Zealand has an enormous opportunity to use technology as a means to support the economic growth of its agri sector and become a world leader in a fast growing agritech market, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.

The country is achieving good agritech export growth rates relative to other nations. Global agritech investment is expanding rapidly, with VC investment in agritech firms in 2014 estimated at over $US2.36 billion making investment in agritech higher than fintech.

“With our traditional strengths in agriculture and our growing strengths in tech, this is an opportunity we should pursue with vigour. Agriculture is a big user and creator of technology.

“Tech sector innovations are being adopted in many agricultural areas with examples such as the application of precision agriculture on-farm and industry-wide information capture and utilisation through activities such as the development of the Dairy Data Network.

“Reigniting productivity in the rural sector is critical for both farmer profitability and New Zealand's global competitiveness. A trend of reducing agricultural productivity is typical across most other high-income nations, with one exception being the Netherlands. Despite being a third of the size of the North Island and having 26 percent of the country below sea level, it is now the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world by focusing on innovation and value-add.

“Production costs have placed pressure on the competitive position of New Zealand agriculture in world markets. Reversing a slowdown in productivity growth is critical given the challenges the sector faces with strengthening environmental regulation.

“Previously, productivity growth was driven by open market reforms in the 1980s and then changing land use, particularly conversions from sheep and beef farming into dairy production. Significant expansion of irrigated land, which has doubled every 12 years since 1970, has also contributed to land use change and increased productivity. Future expansion, particularly in dairy, is now challenged by the impact of land use on water quality.

“Digital agriculture, in the form of precision farming, big data, sensor technology and drones, delivers a new potential for productivity gains across rural New Zealand.

“To help Hew Zealand agriculture we have formed an alliance with Precision Agriculture Association NZ. We recognise the growing interest among stakeholders, from farmers, high tech firms and the government, to understand the scope of activities being undertaken by various organisations and individuals using tech to grow the agri sector," Muller says.

Precision Agriculture NZ connects participants in the precision agriculture value chain to one common organisation; land users, researchers, commercial companies, regional councils, primary industry organisations, rural professionals and students.

The chair of Precision Agriculture NZ, Craige Mackenzie says the focus is on increasing the uptake of technologies in land-based primary production systems, developing initiatives to promote and support the allocation of additional funding for research and the development of PA technologies, building capability within the sector and promoting adoption of precision agriculture through industry events, symposiums and field days.

Mackenzie recently travelled to St Louis, Missouri, to receive the award of Precision Agriculture Farmer of the Year from the United States-based International Society of Precision Agriculture. “We believe both organisations working together will contribute to the future prosperity and success of the New Zealand economy and particularly with the profile and sustainability of NZ primary sector exports,” Mackenzie says. The tech sector is the country's third largest and fastest growing export sector, worth over $6.3 billion in 2015 and employing 5% of the New Zealand workforce.

For further information contact
- New Zealand Technology Industry Association, Chief Executive: Graeme Muller on 021 02520767
- Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand, Chair: Craige Mackenzie on 0217 96092
- Make Lemonade, Editor-in-Chief: Kip Brook on 0275 030188.

Good Farmers Show The Way

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 10:20:01 +1200

The Morgan Foundation recently posted this blog, talking to Craige & Roz Mackenzie about how they've applied Precision Agriculture practices successfully to their farming operation in mid Canterbury. And at a time when ECan is working to "identify environmental risks and provide farmers with information on how to improve farm management", the type of operation that the Mackenzie's are running shows profitability and sustainability can be achieved without breaching water consents.

To hear more, click here: http://morganfoundation.org.nz/good-farmers-show-way/

Craige and Roz have been acknowledged for their approach by receiving a Ballance Farm Environment Award in 2013. Craige has also recently been appointed to the Ministry for the Environment’s Water Allocation Technical Advisory Group.

Source: morganfoundation.co.nz

Landcare Research 'Discovery' Edition: Nitrogen Leaching, Waterways & more

Mon, 16 May 2016 12:07:47 +1200

Landcare Research's recent edition of 'Discovery' looks into some areas of Precision Agriculture that we thought could be of interest. Read on for more details.

In this issue:
Protecting our waterways
Dr Bill Lee, an ecologist at Landcare Research, says a national riparian plan would have “major benefits” for our waterways.

Nitrogen leaching breakthrough
It’s hard for farmers to turn a profit at the best of times, let alone while reducing their nitrogen footprint. But a study by Landcare Research has found farmers can achieve both.

Tiny beetle ravages ragwort
Ragwort’s distinctive bright yellow flowers used to be a familiar sight across New Zealand farmland. But thanks to a tiny flea beetle the weed, which is particularly toxic to cattle and horses, is now largely under control saving farmers millions in control costs.

Planting to protect our waterways
With dairy farmers well on the way to ensuring stock are excluded from waterways by the government’s deadline of July next year, attention is turning to the industry’s next efforts to improve water quality – riparian planting. Industry body, DairyNZ, and Landcare Research have created a web-based tool to make this next step easier for farmers.

Moth project enlightens students
There are more than 2000 species of moth in New Zealand but little is known about these important insects. Students from schools across Otago are helping researchers change that.

For more information and to read the full edition of Land Research 'Discovery', click here.

Technology to Reduce N Leaching: PAANZ Workshop Presentations

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +1200

PAANZ recently hosted a workshop in Ashburton which was aimed at dairy and arable farmers struggling with ways to mitigate N leaching and improve efficiency and profitability, particularly in Canterbury.

The programme included speakers: Andy Macfarlane, Profs Keith Cameron & Hong Di, Dr Carolyn Hedley, Prof Ian Yule, Dr Tony Davoren, Dr Ants Roberts, Dr David Chapman, Dr Paul Johnstone, Craige Mackenzie (PAANZ Chair) and Mike Manning (PAANZ committee member). Details on the programme are below.

For copies of the presentations from the day, click on the name of the presenter below.

Click here to download the workshop flyer.

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

• Andy Macfarlane:
- Where are we and what can we do with Canterbury
nitrate leaching limits.

• Profs Keith Cameron and Hong Di:
- What soils and what farming activities in are leaching hot spots and why.
- What can be done now about the Nitrate leaching hot spots
- The benefits of understanding your soils to reduce leaching

• Dr Carolyn Hedley with Prof Ian Yule
- The ability of EM and Variable rate irrigation to reduce N leaching
- Case study on risks, costs, benefits and providers as to what can be achieved in reducing nitrate leaching.

• Dr Tony Davoren
- The ability of soil moisture sensors, Irrigation scheduling and water metering to reduce N leaching
- Case study on costs benefits risks and providers.

• Dr Ants Roberts
- Nitrogen Fertilisers
- Applying the right amount at the right time and what happens to N leaching when we get it wrong.

• Dr David Chapman
- Farm Systems
- What dairy farm systems can one adopt to materially reduce the nitrate leaching whilst maintaining or improving profitability.

• Prof Ian Yule
- Emerging PA Technologies in 1 to 3 years to reduce Nitrogen Leaching
- Emerging PA Technologies in 3 to 8 years to reduce Nitrogen Leaching

• Dr Paul Johnstone
- Flux meters in arable systems

For more information on the event, please contact PAANZ on info@paanz.co.nz.