Agricultural drone use soars among NZ contractors
Use of agricultural drones by contractors in New Zealand is soaring.
Ag-tech company Consumer Physics is introducing SCiO Cup – said to be the world’s fastest, portable, lab-grade forage dry matter analyser.
It uses near infra-red spectroscopy to allow dairy and beef producers to analyse forage dry matters within a few seconds.
The ease of use offered by the smartphone-operated device allows dry matter analysis to be carried out frequently in-field, for planning harvesting at optimal moisture levels, while also keeping an eye on dry matter intake for animals during feed-out. The process is said to be instant and simple, requiring the user to fill the SCiO Cup with the crop or silage, click the button once to receive results on a smart device or phone within 10 seconds.
SCiO Cup supports dry matter analysis of grass and maize silage (green or ensiled), legumes silage, small grains silage and mixed silage. Silage calibrations are seamlessly and continuously updated in the cloud to ensure seasonal and regional accuracy. SCiO Cup also enables users to track past dry matter results and trends across time, per field or feed bunker/ silage pit.
SCiO Cup is powered by a rechargeable battery and can scan more than 1000 samples on a single charge. Rugged and shock-resistant, designed for in-field applications, the unit comes with a protective carrying case.
Nominations are open for three positions on the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board.
Lydia Goodman has been crowned the Central Otago 2025 Young Grower of the Year regional winner.
Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to deliver on its pre-election promise to change the KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the farming ladder.
A breakthrough in the understanding of Facial Eczema (FE) in livestock could bring New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s impact.
The Meat Industry Association (MIA) have announced the dates for the 2025 Red Meat Sector Conference.
A Massey University researcher and veterinarian says it may be possible to reduce the percentage of ewes culled or that die each year on some New Zealand farms.
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