Water, soil monitoring, irrigation and weather systems will be hot topics at this year’s East Coast Farming Expo, as the region battles the effects of another summer drought.

Technology used by archaeologists to find artefacts in the ground is now being trialled by New Zealand soil scientists to see if it can help mitigate nitrogen leaching on farms.

Given this is the 100th issue of New Zealand Winegrower magazine, it seemed timely to bring out the crystal ball and consider just where the industry is likely to be by the time we produce our 200th issue.

South Auckland farmer Tony Walters is not a computer buff, instead relying on his teenage children to help him navigate the internet.

Farm data monitoring has risen to a new level using technology that ensures compliance with a new code, says one such system supplier.

Researchers at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) are developing a system that tells you when to irrigate your pasture, then goes ahead and does it for you.

While many will argue whether the best silage is made by self-propelled harvesters or loader wagons, there's no doubt the latter has become popular over the last decade.

The so-called mother of precision agriculture in New Zealand, Methven's Ros McKenzie, was instrumental in getting Spark to install 4G wireless broadband in rural Canterbury.

With strong indications of an El Nino this summer, farmers are being urged to plan how they will use their seasonal irrigation volume.

The fourth MobileTECH conference early next year will bring together technology leaders from across New Zealand’s agriculture, horticulture and forestry sectors.