Arable Farmers Turn to Precision Tools as Input Costs Surge
With arable farmers heading into the busy planting season, increasing fuel and fertiliser prices, driven by the Iranian conflict, are a daily and ongoing concern.
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) says it has named one of its own as their 2019 Researcher of the Year.
Diana Mathers, who, joined FAR as cropping systems research Mmnager in 2010, has worked to support cropping farmers in the areas of economic and environmental sustainability.
FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says Mather’s award recognises the significant impact she has had in these areas.
Working with growers around the adoption of new technologies is a current focus for Mathers, who helped to test and calibrate DIY Quick N testing kits as part of the MPI SFF Nitrogen - Measure it and Manage it project.
The results of this project have confirmed that Quick N testing strips are an efficient and inexpensive tool to help growers understand exactly how much nitrogen is available to their crops at any given time, and therefore, how much they need to apply to reach target yields.
New research is helping farmers better understand and manage fertility, with clearer tools and measures to support more robust, productive herds.
Southland crop farmer Mark Dillon took out his fifth New Zealand conventional ploughing title at the NZ Ploughing Championships held over the weekend at Methven.
Ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive and up to date because as a rural contractor you don’t know what’s around the corner.
Waikato farmer Walt Cavendish has stepped down as the spokesman for a controversial farming lobby seeking greater protection for New Zealand farmers against inferior imports.
A verbal stoush has broken out between Federated Farmers and a new group that claims to be fighting against cheaper imports that undermine NZ farmers.
According to the latest ANZ Agri Focus report, energy-intensive and domestically-focused sectors currently bear the brunt of rising fuel, fertiliser and freight costs.

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