Precision N application test costs 'outweigh returns'
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
It's being recommended that consumers add an additional two servings of fruit a day to their diet during winter.
With winter chills hitting, getting at least two servings of fruit each day is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing.
That's according to 5+ A Day trustee and principal scientist, Dr Carolyn Lister. She says that in addition to the recommeded five servings of vegetables, winter fruit such as kiwifruit, lemons, Navel oranges and tamarillos provide important immunity support.
"Fresh is best when it comes to winter fruit. With the huge variety of fresh fruit available through the winter months, it's easy to grab a kiwifruit or a Navel orange for a healthy snack on the go, but why not try adding your favourites to a main meal?"
Lister says that buying the varieties that are in season now will not only provide consumers the biggest nutritional punch, but also the best value.
"The delicious fruit grown here in NZ are one of the best sources of the essential nutrients our bodies need. They're packed full of vitamins, anti-oxidants, fibre and water that support repair and recovery, immunity, energy levels, and mental wellbeing."
Lister adds that incorporating fresh fruit into your evening meal is a great way to make sure the whole whānau gets at least two servings of fruit every day for optimal health.
The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust website has a database with recipes and suggestions for in season fruit and vegetables at https://www.5aday.co.nz.
Thirty years ago, as a young sharemilker, former Waikato farmer Snow Chubb realised he was bucking a trend when he started planting trees to provide shade for his cows, but he knew the animals would appreciate what he was doing.
Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
New Zealand’s national lamb crop for the 2025–26 season is estimated at 19.66 million head, a lift of one percent (or 188,000 more lambs) on last season, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) latest Lamb Crop report.
Farmers appear to be cautiously welcoming the Government’s plan to reform local government, according to Ag First chief executive, James Allen.
The Fonterra divestment capital return should provide “a tailwind to GDP growth” next year, according to a new ANZ NZ report, but it’s not “manna from heaven” for the economy.

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