Monday, 21 November 2016 09:55

Promises of productivity gains and environmental answers

Written by 
Professor Derrick Moot received the New Zealand Grassland Trust’s highest research accolade, the Ray Brougham Trophy, at last week’s conference in Timaru. Professor Derrick Moot received the New Zealand Grassland Trust’s highest research accolade, the Ray Brougham Trophy, at last week’s conference in Timaru.

The recent New Zealand Grassland Association “packed” its annual conference with papers promising productivity gains and environmental solutions for pastoral farmers, the organisers say.

The conference, held on Nov 2-4 in Timaru, attracted just over 300 delegates from across the country, including many leading scientists. Papers presented covered crops from fescue to fodder beet and lupins to lucerne.

Association president David Stevens, AgResearch, said it was a great event heralding ground-breaking science presented and offering popular farm-visit field days.

Those field days included two robotic dairy farms and a dryland finishing property on the first day of the conference, followed by a progressive dryland sheep and beef property and an irrigated finishing farm on day two.

The field days helped scientists see previous research being put into practice and hear what challenges local farmers face that might merit research. The morning sessions relayed the latest findings.

“What we are here for is science and that’s what we endorse,” said Stevens in his closing comments to the conference. “The association does not endorse products, processes or cultivars. We are here for debate and we welcome that.”

Increasingly pastoral research is being done, or at least controlled, by commercial entities, so Stevens encouraged these to submit their work to the independent peer-review process the NZGA provides. If it proves scientifically sound it will make it into the conference programme and the associated journal, he said.

“It’s a really important part of our future…. A lot of the pastoral sector’s science is now conducted outside our formal institutions and we welcome our industry partners putting that science up here at the conference.”

At the conference dinner the association’s sister body, the New Zealand Grassland Trust, made four awards, the top accolade going to Lincoln University professor Derrick Moot who received the Ray Brougham Trophy.

Moot had been instrumental in the economic, social and environmental transformation of pastoral farms in the dry east thanks to his outstanding research and communication skills, said Grasslanz’ John Caradus.

The farmer awards went to dairy farmers Alvin and Judith Reid, whose robotic dairy farm at Pleasant Point was among the field day stops, and sheep and beef farmers Warren and Andrea Leslie.

Former farm consultant, now Irrigation New Zealand chair, Nicky Hyslop won the trust’s regional award.

“It would be fair to say her influence has helped many farms in the region raise their productivity substantially over nearly two decades,” said Caradus.

Next year’s conference will be held in Whanganui from November 7-9. All papers from this year’s conference are posted on www.grassland.org.nz under proceedings.

More like this

Grasslanz scoops top science award

The Government's plan to merge the seven crown institutes presents exciting possibilities for plant technology company Grasslanz Technology, says chief executive Megan Skiffington.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter