ADDING VALUE TO THE BUSINESS OF ARABLE FARMING · 2016. 1. 14. · ADDING VALUE TO THE BUSINESS OF ARABLE FARMING™ From the Ground Up ISSUE 71 I Spring 2012 ™ ® In this issue:

A D D I N G VA L U E T O T H E B U S I N E S S O F A R A B L E F A R M I N G ™

From the Ground UpISSUE 71 I Spring 2012

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®

In this issue:

Wednesday 5 December 2012 9.30am - 8.00pm

FAR Arable Site, Chertsey

This is a not to be missed event - mark it in your diary now!

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Contents

This Issue

3 Hello from Anna Heslop

4 Will New Zealand have to grow all its own grain?

5 Thank you to Stuart Wright

6 What’s up with AIMI?

7 AIMI maize and cereal survey

8 Biosecurity and the Government Industry Agreement (GIA)

9 Farming within limits

10 Setting limits for nutrient losses - an update

12 Proposed Canterbury land and water regional plan

14 Crops 2012

16 Taking the cost out of maize production

17 OP and carbamate update

18 Problem weeds to look out for in maize this coming season

19 Post emergent herbicide programmes for maize

20 Taking Care of Business 2012

21 Taking care of business ... in the kitchen

Section 01

Air Water Land elements

Illustration

Environment Canterbury P © STRATEGY Design and Advertising 2009

Everything is connected

Proposed Canterbury Land & Water Regional PlanInformation Sheet

August 2012Water quality in CanterburyThe Land & Water Regional Plan provides the framework to facilitate delivery of the community’s aspirations for water management in Canterbury - as set out in Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The Strategy is the first time that the quality of water from various sources has been comprehensively addressed in Canterbury – in both urban and rural areas. When it is in place, the Land & Water Regional Plan will establish the mechanisms to enable all the key outcomes of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy – environmental restoration via biodiversity programmes, more reliable water through infrastructure, and improved land and water management within collaboratively agreed limits.

The Land & Water Regional Plan is a new planning framework for Canterbury, replacing most of the Natural Resources Regional Plan.*When the Land & Water Regional Plan becomes operative in early 2014, it will provide clear direction on how land and water are to be managed and help deliver community aspirations for water quality – in both urban and rural areas.

Issues coveredThe Land & Water Regional Plan addresses six key issues: 1. Competing demands for water in Canterbury2. The need for integrated and consistent management of water and land uses

3. Issues arising from interconnected water and land resources4. Soil conservation, gravel resources and biodiversity5. Natural hazards6. Managing new and existing activities.

Important areas of focus We need to:• Use a collaborative approach to deliver community aspirations for water management• Set water quality and quantity limits, with timeframes• Meet Resource Management Act responsibilities, the requirements of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011, and the principles and targets in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. At the local level, communities through their zone committees will develop integrated solutions for water quality and quantity and water infrastructure in their area. These solutions will be reflected in the sub-regional sections of the Land & Water Regional Plan. This process will put the limits in a catchment context and link nutrient discharges to the outcomes set by the zone committee.

* The Land & Water Regional Plan replaces chapters 1 and 4-8 of the Natural Resources Regional Plan, and Parts l, ll and lV of the Land and Vegetation Management Regional Plan.

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Hello!I am the new FAR Communications and Events Manager, replacing Rachel Greenwood who is settling in very well to life in Western Australia.

My husband Geoff and I have a mixed cropping and horticulture farm at Brookside, near Leeston, growing all the usual grain, seed and process crops you would expect to see in Canterbury, as well as quite a few blackcurrants. We have two teenage children, Thomas and Frances, who fondly remember FAR as the people who sent them colouring pencils and lollypops!

I have been involved in agricultural-science communication for around 20 years, having originally trained as a journalist and worked for Radio New Zealand. My first ag-sci job was with MAFTech and involved everything from pasture pests to high country sustainability. With the transition to CRIs I shifted to AgResearch, where the work had a similar focus, although it expanded to include what had been the DSIR Grasslands group of plant breeders. Hello Phil Rolston! I have also worked with Merino Inc, the levy-funded branch of the Merino industry. Most recently I was working at the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, which of course includes the Lincoln University Seed Research Centre run by Prof John Hampton. The research focus there was very much on fundamental science, so it is nice to get back to a seriously applied, gumboots on the ground, organisation.

I have been on the receiving end of FAR technical material for many years, but it is only since starting here at the end of July that I have gained a true appreciation of the huge amount of work FAR carries out, and of the strength of its grower and industry links. I enjoyed meeting a group of you at the Taking Care of Business workshop in Akaroa in August, and look forward to seeing many more at CROPS 2012 in December. I’m also busy planning next year’s International Conference, to be held in Ashburton in August, and having a look at how to make the website a bit easier to navigate.

Please let me know if there are any issues you think should be addressed in newsletters or other communications. Like all the FAR staff, I find your feedback very valuable.

Anna Heslop

22 FAR Australia - September update

24 Arable kids

25 Spring crop update

25 Focus on fungicides for cereals

26 Levy setting 2012/2013

27 FAR Board

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Will New Zealand have to grow all its own grain?In the US the drought is having a serious impact on maize and soybean production. The drop in maize grain yield from average yields is greater than in the dustbowl years. This is an on-going theme in relation to cropping throughout the world with weather. These weather impacts are markedly influencing prices, with US maize prices reaching record highs and New Zealand prices, as shown in Profarmer, increasing by 6% within the last six months.

But the weather isn’t the only thing that can markedly impact on world grain availability and prices. There are other aspects of the world market that New Zealand farmers should be considering.

I recently attended the Australian Grains Conference. This conference contained a significant amount of discussion on the markets for Australian grain. The focus was clearly on exporting grain to South East Asia with Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines being their key target markets.

Why not China? Their data indicated that at 180gm/person/day, flour consumption in China is already relatively high, as compared to Australia at 200gm/person/day, whereas Indonesia’s consumption is just 50gm/person/day and Vietnam’s even less, at 25gm/person/day. Indonesia consumes only 1.7kg bread/person/year, less than 20% of their flour consumption, whereas Malaysia consumes 6kg bread/person/year, so a there is huge potential to increase consumption. In Vietnam, due to the French influence over time, bread consumption is well accepted, but still relatively low. The population in Vietnam is currently increasing by 1.2 million people per year and Indonesia by 2.5 million people per year, whereas the indication is the population in China is starting to stabilise. Thus these South East Asian countries have been identified as the growth markets for Australian wheat.

If each of the 90 million people in Vietnam doubled their consumption of flour, demand for wheat would increase by an extra 1 million tonnes per year. If consumption in Vietnam and Indonesia reached the same level as China, this would require an extra 16.5 million tonnes of wheat per year - over half Australia’s best year of production ever. Although China’s flour consumption may not increase markedly, it is forecast that China will increase its use of feed grains by 7 million tonnes per year.

Meanwhile, the population in Australia is increasing by 250,000 per year, so if consumption remains static they will require an extra 2 million tonnes of wheat to feed their own people by the end of the decade. Will Australia worry about exporting to New Zealand in the future, or will we need to become more self-sufficient in flour? Will we only be offered poor quality wheat? Only time will tell.

The conference also raised some interesting issues around canola. The Australian Oilseeds Federation has our dairy industry firmly in its sights as an export market for canola meal. Australian canola production has increased from around 1 million tonnes in 2006 to approximately 2.8 million tonnes in 2011. Given that there is research out there which indicates that milk production is more efficient from canola meal than soymeal, then what should the New Zealand industry be doing? Should we be finding ways of combining New Zealand grain with imported canola meal to create suitable rations for our dairy industry?

Nick PykeCEO

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Thank you Stuart WrightMany thanks to outgoing FAR Board Chairman Stuart Wright for 13 years of sterling service to FAR, and to the industry as a whole. As outlined in the last edition of From the Ground Up, FAR has undergone many changes in that time, including a gradual shift of focus away from on farm applied research and towards broader macro issues such as water, tillage and nutrient management.

Among those who have worked with Stuart over the years are growers Jim Macartney, Colin Hurst and new Board Chair, David Birkett. Here is what they remember of working with him.

I was privileged to be on the FAR board for a good part of Stuart’s Chairmanship. I appreciated his ability to clarify issues, keep the board members focused on the subject at hand, make sure all members’ views were canvased and get a meeting finished on time. Stuart’s time as Chair saw new crops on the levy order, more expertise on the staff, a permanent trial site and cementing FAR’s Australian connection. All those who have served on FAR boards would have found the job most interesting and rewarding, thanks in a large part to the dedication of CEO and Chairman. Thanks Stuart.- Jim Macartney

Stuart always gave the board strong leadership and provided a clear distinction between governance and management. He led the Board over three referendums, including the decision to include industry good activities in the 2011 referendum. This decision has been very timely as arable farmers are under increasing pressure from regional councils as more stringent land management rules are forced on us.- Colin Hurst

I would like to recognise and thank our past Chairman Stuart Wright for the contribution he has made to the development of FAR over the 13 years he has served on the Board. Stuart’s organisational skills during his time as Chairman have led to an effective, friendly organisation that is in a stronger position as we move into the future. Thanks Stuart for your leadership and guidance of the organisation and we wish you the best in your future endeavours.- David Birkett

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What’s up with AIMI?The Arable Industry Marketing Initiative, better known as AIMI, started in September 2010 after industry consultation indicated that a lack of up-to-date market information was the most critical of a number of key issues confronting the New Zealand cereal grains industry. Consequently, one of the proposed action areas of the AIMI Survey is to remove that market uncertainty through the capture and reporting of market information on the production, sales, plantings and on-farm stocks of wheat, barley, oats, maize grain and silage in New Zealand. Maize silage in particular has always been an unknown commodity.

Industry consultation has identified four key areas where it feels that action is required. These are: improving market information, finding ways of developing longer-term contracts, improving supply chains and increasing consumer demand for New Zealand cereal products. This article outlines progress to date in each of these areas.

Improved market informationThe AIMI Survey is designed as an industry intelligence and collating tool. The survey was conducted four times for the first year and three times (1 October, 1 April, 1 July) for the second and subsequent funded years, with 120 arable growers and 62 maize growers participating as the panel. The AIMI group are very grateful to the support of these panelists for the time they spend completing the surveys. The AIMI Survey report provides the industry with market intelligence regarding cereal crop area, and volumes produced, stored and sold. This information is useful for strategic industry planning and decision making. Survey results are circulated to FAR Levy Growers and Industry, and can be found on the FAR website www.far.org.nz/index.php/arable-industry-marketing-initiative.

The Profarmer Grain & Feed fortnightly magazine started with the onset of the AIMI group as a way of supplying regular information with the Grain market scene including New Zealand prices. It has now been running for over 12 months so can show comparisons to six and 12 months ago, percentages and changes and 12 month averages. ProFarmer Grain New Zealand, [email protected] July 12, 2011 1

www.nzxagri.co.nz/agrifax 12 July 2011 Vol. 1 No.18 Ph +64 6 323 1517

NZ PRICES - week ending 8 JulyFree Prices Last week$/t Range Average 2wks ago Change 3wks agoWheat-Milling Low HighCanterbury 450 470 460 458 0.5% 455Wheat-FeedCanterbury 440 460 449 443 1.4% 440Southland 450 450 450 435 3.4% 430Manawatu 440 485 463 460 0.5% 453Barley-FeedCanterbury 420 440 434 429 1.3% 429Southland 440 450 445 430 3.5% 425Manawatu 420 475 448 445 0.6% 443Oats-FeedSouthland 370 410 390 380 2.6% 380Canterbury 360 400 373 373 0.0% 373Maize-GrainManawatu 450 475 463 462 0.4% 458Waikato 465 475 470 455 3.3% 450Currency Last week 2 weeks ago Change 3wks agoUSD 0.833 0.828 0.5% 0.814AUD 0.774 0.773 0.1% 0.773

NATIONALWinter is taking a firm grasp of the whole country now, the first real taste of winter with almost no regions being let off the hook. This could see end users take note of the feed they have available to them for all conditions. As in the previous report a fortnight ago buyer enquiry still exists, however buyers have been reluctant to pay what producers are looking for right now, thus creating a fairly quiet market for most. There is more news of North Island processors looking hard and even going further than that and importing grain from Australia to guarantee supply. It is essential that they are able to keep a steady supply of grain available to ensure that they have end product available when it is needed. And until price increases in domestically supplied grain are able to be passed on to end users feed processors importing will remain the most logical choice. There are still end users looking to secure feed grain for the spring, these users have the luxury of being able to wait and see how the market pans out. The sudden onset of winter now will no doubt push a few closer to accepting the prices sought by producers and create a little more urgency for all in the market.

FAR WINTER SEMINAR SERIESScott Lee, who spoke for the ANZ bank in Palmerston North last week, pointed out that while globally the diet trend is towards protein and fat, grain will be essential to feed stock to produce these products. So while grain may be declining in most diets of those in developing nations, in particular Chinese diets, the fuel that goes into producing the animal fats and proteins is mostly grain. Any shift towards higher animal fat and protein diets will essentially feature grain in the production systems.

AUSTRALIAN CEREAL AREA UPVery early results from the Annual Profarmer Planting Survey are indicating that farmers have well and truly maintained their cereal acreages (wheat and barley) within this year’s cropping program, and have increased total area planted to canola.The crops that look like losing acreage are all the pulses, with lupins down in WA and chickpeas down in northern Australia in particular.Canola is a clear winner at this stage. The big increases are in the mallee in Victoria and in the Murrumbidgee region in NSW. Both regions are not big for canola, but with good subsoil moisture, good prices, and the need for break crops, growers have taken the plunge. A small increase in sheep numbers is also being indicated, which is consistent with the better feed conditions this year, and the flock rebuild that other livestock data is saying is now underway.

*Source: Agrifax Growers bids- Prices-Delivered nearest Store or Mill

GRAIN-MARKET SCENE

PKE - REGIONAL PRICESLast week 2wks ago change 3 wks ago

Canterbury 278 274 1% 298Manawatu 294 294 0% 301Waikato 267 265 1% 293Southland 292 290 1% 314

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May May Jun

300320340360380400420440460480500

Canterbury-­‐Barley

Canterbury-­‐Wheat  

Southland-­‐Wheat

Manawatu-­‐Barley

Manawatu-­‐Wheat

Waikato-­‐Maize

NZ  Feed  Grain  Price  -­‐  Current  Season

Profarmer Grain & Feed is available by subscription through NZX Agri.

Longer-term contractsGrowers felt that longer-term alternatives to traditional growing contracts would provide flexibility in pricing, thus removing risks from markets and exchange rates, as well as creating stronger relationships between them and the end users of their products. Work to date in this area has involved the development of Grain Sale Contract templates for the buyer and grower/suppliers. These forms, which can be found on the FAR website at www.far.org.nz/index.php/forms, have been checked by a lawyer for accuracy. Discussions have been made with mills around new flexible contracts for milling wheat.

FAR and DairyNZ have also jointly run grain workshops in Canterbury and Southland. These have addressed issues such as understanding what products dairy farmers need and why, and managing successful trading relationships. Further workshops are planned for the southern North Island in early November.

Logistics/supply chainConsultation with transport companies, freight handlers, grain agencies and farmer workshops suggests that logistics, or getting New Zealand grain to where it is needed, when it is needed, all year around, is still a problem. This is being addressed by Tony Zwart and Craig Rust who are developing a Logisitcs/Supply Chain Strategy on behalf of the AIMI group. To date this has involved discussions around using container freighting, ports and mills as well as on-farm issues such as grain quality.

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Congratulations to Peter and Arthur, we appreciate your support, and the support of all the survey participants.

Contact Rob McGregor, NZ Moisture Meters. Phone: 0800 213 343 Email [email protected]

Increasing consumer demand The lack of information on how much New Zealand grain is eaten by humans in New Zealand makes it difficult to set targets around increasing consumption. The FAR/ MPI SFF funded project, ‘Grow GraiNZ: Adding value to the New Zealand grains industry whilst raising awareness of the importance of grains in the human diet’, is a two year project which will now come under the umbrella of the AIMI group. This project aims to bring together existing data on grain consumption, survey New Zealanders to fill in any gaps in that data, and from there, develop strategies around educating manufacturers, health professionals and

AIMI maize and cereal surveyReliable information produces reliable results, and in the case of the Arable Industry Marketing Initiative survey of cereal areas and volumes, the information comes from you, the growers.

Twice a year, a randomly selected group of around 120 arable farmers and 60 maize growers fill out questionnaires on harvest production, sales channels and on-farm storage, and outline their plans for the next season’s plantings of wheat, barley, oats and maize.

This valuable industry snapshot would not be possible without grower co-operation, so it is with great pleasure that we announce the winner of two lucky draws, for farmers who have participated in the survey groups.

Peter Letham, who farms at Lauriston in Mid Canterbury, is the winner of a $1650 DICKEY-john Mini GAC+® moisture meter kindly donated by Rob McGregor from New Zealand Moisture Meters.

Arthur Balck, from Takaka in the Tasman Region has won a Hills Laboratory package of two full silage profile kits and analysis.

Dave Saville Senior Biometrician

Saville Statistical Consulting LimitedP O Box 69192, Lincoln 7640, New ZealandEmail: [email protected]: (64-3) 325 2520

SavilleStat

ultimately consumers about the benefits of incorporating grains into their diets. This project is still in development, but is likely to follow the lines of the Australian Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council (formerly Go Grains Health and Nutrition) which reviews and communicates the latest research findings about the nutrition and health benefits of grains, grain-based foods and legumes.

AIMI is funded by the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund (MPI SFF), AFIC, Federated Farmers, UWG, Industry groups, Farmers and Local Councils and managed by FAR.

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Biosecurity and the Government Industry Agreement (GIA)The New Zealand arable industry is constantly threatened with biosecurity incursions. An advantage in producing many crops is our relative isolation and absence of some problem pests, weeds and diseases. It is very important that we have a biosecurity system that provides the best feasible protection and also has effective systems in place to recognise, manage or eradicate incursions.

Government has asked industry to have a greater involvement in prioritising risk organisms and pathways, and in the awareness of, and response to, incursions. In practice, this means we have been asked to be involved in a GIA. The key advantage of being involved in a GIA is that when it comes to managing an incursion, industry will have a say in the process. The down side is that government will expect industry to contribute, in some cases, up to 50% of the costs. While this may be a significant cost to an industry in the case of an incursion, at least they will be involved in the decision making. Also if there is an arable pest, weed or disease incursion, but we are not involved in GIA, government could elect not to take any action at all, or take whatever action it deemed best and still claw money back from industry through the Biosecurity Act.

Arable industry involvement means we can do our best to ensure that any responses are as cost effective as possible.

Thus currently the Arable Food Industry Council through FAR and Federated Farmers are developing a list of high risk organisms, so that if there is an incursion, its importance, and guidelines for action are already in place. Defining risk involves factors such as the availability of entry pathways, pest establishment requirements, potential impacts and the existence of control technologies. The highest risk organisms for the arable industry are likely to enter the country on, or in, seed or soil associated with grain or seed imports, or on second hand machinery unloaded in rural areas.

FAR see it may be necessary to have some funds available in case of a biosecurity incursion but having the resources to do something is only part of what is required. It is critical that farmers manage biosecurity on their own farms. This should involve having your own biosecurity plan which may involve who people report to when they arrive on the farm, how machinery is cleaned or how to ensure that seed lines are pest free prior to sowing. As well as this, it is extremely important that farmers are on the lookout for anything that is different or new on their farms and that these are reported to Ministry for Primary Industries, FAR or your seed company.

Good biosecurity in New Zealand needs you to be on the lookout for incursions.

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Farming within limitsscience behind them, demonstrate our industry’s resolve to farm efficiently and minimise our environmental footprint.

The rules and policies that will enforce these limits are being, or have already been, developed by your local regional councils. Council consultation processes will provide you with an opportunity to ensure their rules are practically achievable. If you are able to participate in these consultations, please do so. It is important that the arable sector’s voice is heard.

As an industry we have responded to the need for better efficiencies in both nutrients and water. For example, if we compare the rates of nitrogen applied to ryegrass seed crops 10 years ago with the rates being used today, a considerable reduction is evident. We have also developed methods to identify the correct rate for the best yield, and the most economic and environmental outcome.

Fine tuning our nutrient and water management systems allows a win/win situation, as financial gains go hand in hand with benefits to the receiving environment.

The pressure to produce food for an ever increasing population while maintaining or improving the environment is a challenge to all sectors of the agricultural community.

FAR finds itself in a difficult situation when dealing with these highly political “right to farm” issues because we are an independent, non-political organisation. However, we are very aware that issues, such as nutrient limits and water allocations have the potential to significantly impact on your farming business.

FAR’s current research portfolio identifies the tools arable farmers use to minimise effects on the receiving environment. These include nutrient efficiencies, matching crop nutrient requirements, efficient irrigation management, deep N testing, variable rate applications, the Wheat and Maize calculators, and AquaTRAC™. These tools, and the

Introducing the new FAR Chair David Birkett farms a 180 ha fully irrigated arable farm at Leeston, 40km south of Christchurch. The property has been irrigated for 40 years, and produces a range of cereal, herbage and vegetable seeds with around 12 crops in the rotation. He has hosted many FAR trials and before moving into the role of Chairman was on several project committees.

David considers effective monitoring and management to be vital in maximising crop returns. Farming within the Selwyn-Waihora irrigation red zone has led to active involvement with nutrient and irrigation issues. This work has included research projects, the formation of an irrigation society to deal with local ground and surface water consent issues, and current involvement with the nutrient limit setting process.

David is Vice Chairman of the Herbage Seed Sub-Section of Federated Farmers, a member of the Seed Quality Management Authority Committee and a founding member of the Ellesmere Irrigation Society. He is married to Justine and they have three children, Abby, Jack and Millie.

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Water quality and nutrient discharge limitsLoss of nutrients, especially nitrate and phosphate, from farmland to surface and ground water can reduce farm productivity, harm the environment, and, in the case of nitrate, impact on drinking water quality. Due to concerns about the quality of freshwater across New Zealand, the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2011) requires councils to set freshwater quality limits for all bodies of freshwater in their regions and to set out a process and time frame to achieve these quality limits.

In response to this, regional councils throughout the country are developing regional plans aimed at reducing agriculturally-derived nitrate and other nutrient levels in water. The favoured approach is regulation of nutrient losses from farmland rather than capping nutrient inputs per se. As discussed in the winter

edition of From the Ground Up (Issue 70), this approach offers the greatest flexibility for farmers to use nutrients efficiently and maintain or improve productivity. However, at least in some regions, it is likely to lead to the setting of nutrient discharge allowances for specific catchments and possibly for individual farms.

Modelling nutrient lossesIt is impractical and would be very costly with current technology to attempt to measure nutrient losses at the farm scale. Instead, computer simulations are necessary to estimate likely losses under different scenarios of land management, soil type and weather. One tool for doing this is a decision support system called OVERSEER®, which was originally developed as an expert system for evaluating fertiliser strategies on pastoral farms and later developed

Setting limits for nutrient losses – an update

The OVERSEER® expert panel: Hamish Brown (Plant & Food Research), Doug Edmeades (agKnowledge), Reece Hill (Waikato Regional Council), Roger Williams (FAR), Alister Metherell (Ravensdown), David Wheeler (AgResearch), Mike Dunbier (Chair), Peter Thorburn (CSIRO), Clive Rahn (PlantNutrition Consulting) and Mike Shepherd (AgResearch).

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Dr Clive Rahn, PlantNutrition Consulting, UKDr Rahn is a soil scientist specialising in nutrient management and its implementation in the arable and horticulture industries. He has co-ordinated EU projects investigating the environmental impacts of nitrogen fertiliser and developing decision support systems for field vegetable crops, and is currently responsible for the revision of national fertiliser recommendations for field vegetable crops in the UK.

“In England and Wales rules regulating nitrogen use in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones to protect water from nitrate pollution have been in place since the late 90s. Nitrogen from manufactured fertiliser or organic manures and slurries is allowed up to a maximum limit. Nitrogen should only be applied when crops are likely to benefit, taking into account nitrogen that is already in the soil. There are closed periods during autumn and early spring when nitrogen applications are not allowed. The Fertiliser Manual (RB209) published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs (Defra) in 2010 is the main tool of compliance but other tools can be utilised provided the limits are not exceeded. Farmers must also keep good records of their nitrogen applications.”

Clive Rahn and Roger Williams

as a nutrient budgeting tool for the livestock sector. More recently, there has been considerable development of OVERSEER® to improve its applicability to arable farming systems and version 6 was released in early August.

Many regional councils are proposing the use of OVERSEER® for determining and managing on-farm nutrient discharge allowances. For example, Environment Canterbury’s recently notified Land and Water Regional Plan (see also page 12) specifically refers to use of the OVERSEER® decision support tool for recording estimated nutrient discharges from individual properties. Other regional councils are also looking at using OVERSEER® in this way.

Peer review of OVERSEER®

Given the implications that OVERSEER® could have for nutrient management across farming sectors and throughout New Zealand, it is imperative that the model is robust and appropriate for this use. For this reason, FAR has commissioned an expert peer review of the arable cropping module of OVERSEER®. The review panel, chaired by Dr Michael Dunbier, involves national and international crop modelling and soil science experts including Dr Clive Rahn from the UK (see insert) and members of the OVERSEER® development team.

The review commenced in late August and it is anticipated that a final report will be published at the end of 2012. Alongside the expert team of international scientists commissioned to undertake the peer review, FAR has established a wider stakeholder group to consult regarding the direction and findings of the review. This group will meet regularly to discuss progress of the review and help communicate findings as widely and quickly as possible.

Setting nutrient discharge limitsAs well as evaluating OVERSEER®, FAR is working with partners representing other parts of the primary sector to inform discussions at national and regional level regarding the setting of nutrient discharge limits. It is critical to ensure that farmers using good farm practices can continue to farm effectively, within the nutrient discharge limits that are set. Alongside the work that the primary sector industry bodies are doing, it is important that individual farmers get involved in their local community consultations and are aware of nutrient management policy developments in their regions. In most areas of New Zealand nutrient discharge limits for catchments and farms have not yet been set by regional councils and there is still an opportunity to have your say.

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Section 01Air Water Land elementsIllustration

Environment Canterbury P © STRATEGY Design and Advertising 2009

Everything is connected

Proposed Canterbury Land & Water Regional PlanInformation Sheet August 2012

Water quality in CanterburyThe Land & Water Regional Plan provides the framework to facilitate delivery of the community’s aspirations for water management in Canterbury - as set out in Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The Strategy is the first time that the quality of water from various sources has been comprehensively addressed in Canterbury – in both urban and rural areas.

When it is in place, the Land & Water Regional Plan will establish the mechanisms to enable all the key outcomes of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy – environmental restoration via biodiversity programmes, more reliable water through infrastructure, and improved land and water management within collaboratively agreed limits.

The Land & Water Regional Plan is a new planning framework for Canterbury, replacing most of the Natural Resources Regional Plan.*

When the Land & Water Regional Plan becomes operative in early 2014, it will provide clear direction on how land and water are to be managed and help deliver community aspirations for water quality – in both urban and rural areas.

Issues coveredThe Land & Water Regional Plan addresses six key issues:

1. Competing demands for water in Canterbury

2. The need for integrated and consistent management of water and land uses

3. Issues arising from interconnected water and land resources

4. Soil conservation, gravel resources and biodiversity

5. Natural hazards

6. Managing new and existing activities.

Important areas of focus We need to:

• Use a collaborative approach to deliver community aspirations for water management

• Set water quality and quantity limits, with timeframes

• Meet Resource Management Act responsibilities, the requirements of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011, and the principles and targets in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

At the local level, communities through their zone committees will develop integrated solutions for water quality and quantity and water infrastructure in their area. These solutions will be reflected in the sub-regional sections of the Land & Water Regional Plan. This process will put the limits in a catchment context and link nutrient discharges to the outcomes set by the zone committee.

* The Land & Water Regional Plan replaces chapters 1 and 4-8 of the Natural Resources Regional Plan, and Parts l, ll and lV of the Land and Vegetation Management Regional Plan.

Everything is connectedFacilitating sustainable development in the Canterbury region

www.ecan.govt.nz

Environment Canterbury offices

Christchurch PO Box 345Christchurch 8013

P: 03 353 9007F: 03 365 3194

Timaru75 Church StreetPO Box 550Timaru 7940

P: 0800 324 636F: 03 687 7808

Augu

st 2

012-

E12/

68 2

678

Water qualityFor the health of the environment, nutrients entering groundwater and waterways need to be managed. Effective and practical rules to manage nutrient loads are therefore required.

The Land & Water Regional Plan sets a direction for the whole region and provides the tools communities need to help them establish nutrient limits in their own areas.

A two-step approach will ensure that these aims are met:

• Region-wide measures – “holding the line” (including introducing limits on 1 July 2017)

• Establishing limits with communities (which will then override region-wide measures).

Water quantityThere are a number of measures in the Land & Water Regional Plan relating to water quantity, particularly in catchments where surface or ground water allocation limits are exceeded. Resource consents are unlikely to be granted if water quantity limits are breached or over-allocation occurs.

Efficient use of water To maximise the economic and social benefit of water from rivers, groundwater and lakes, it must be conveyed and applied efficiently, and only an amount reasonably needed for the intended use is taken.

InfrastructureInfrastructure development, such as storage and irrigation, will be important for the future of the Canterbury economy. Storage is also important to deliver environmental outcomes. An integrated approach is the aim. The Land & Water Regional Plan includes a range of provisions to ensure that development is appropriate and that required environmental outcomes, particularly in terms of water quality, are not compromised.

WetlandsWetlands have become rarer in Canterbury, particularly on the plains. The Land & Water Regional Plan provides for the enhancement of wetlands while limiting the adverse effects of infrastructure activities that need to occur in or near wetlands, and avoiding further loss of significant wetland values.

Lakes and riversActivities in the beds of lakes and rivers are essential in providing for Canterbury’s safety and economic wellbeing. These activities range from managing the risk of flooding, bridges, pipes and cables crossing beds of lakes and rivers, to extraction of gravel from riverbeds.

Some key questionsQ: How does the Land & Water Regional Plan give effect

to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011?

A: The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011 requires regional councils to set water quality limits and a process and timeframe to achieve them via notified plan changes. The Land & Water Regional Plan accordingly includes limits on water quality and water quantity.

Q: Does the Land & Water Regional Plan apply in urban areas as well as rural?

A: The Land & Water Regional Plan takes a “from mountains to sea” approach, meaning it deals with water quality and quantity and land use issues – and covers all water users – throughout Canterbury. It places strong controls on urban stormwater and sewerage overflows – and other urban discharges.

Q: What does the Land & Water Regional Plan mean for access to drinking water and other community water?

A: The plan provides for community drinking water as a priority with a condition that the group or community water provider has an operative water supply strategy that addresses how the scheme operator will restrict water use when the source is under stress or other restrictions are in place.

Q: After 2016 the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority will be gone and this plan will dictate many recovery activities. Are earthquake recovery activities enabled?

A: Earthquake recovery activities are recognised and written into the Land & Water Regional Plan and other plans, which under the Earthquake Recovery Strategy are required to deploy an “earthquake lens”. Further, Environment Canterbury is leading the Natural Environment Recovery Plan which is part of the Earthquake Recovery Strategy.

Next stepsThe Land & Water Regional Plan has been notified and public submissions will be received until 5 October 2012. The hearing of submissions will be completed by mid 2013.

More informationTo read the plan and for more information, including how to have your say, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp

Other provisionsOther Land & Water Regional Plan measures cover these topics:

• Wastewater treatment

• Hazardous substances

• Offal and rubbish pits

• Animal effluent disposal

• Stock exclusion from waterbodies

• Stormwater and land drainage

• Sewage, industrial and trade waste

• Drinking water

• Christchurch groundwater protection

• Bores

• Water takes

• Water transfers

• Dams

• Soil erosion and riparian controls

• Aquifers – excavation, deposition

• Natural disaster recovery.

Waddells R

d

Main South Rd

Rakaia Hwy

1

CHERTSEY

FAR’s annual Crops Expo is approaching fast and planning is now well underway to ensure that our biggest and most popular field event runs smoothly and has something of interest for everyone.

Amongst the plots on show this year will be trials on the effect of N on milling wheat, late season management of ryegrass, managing white clover bulk and the efficacy of new fungicides on barley. Project manager Richard Chynoweth says all the autumn sown trial plots are looking good and the spring sown ones are establishing well.

“The white clover came through the winter particularly well and is showing a lot of early season growth. This is ideal for us as we are investigating ways of manipulating bulk. The cultivation trial, demonstrating ways of moving from grass to linseed will also be very interesting.”

Also on show will be trials from platinum agronomy sponsors PGG Wrightson, Dow Agrosciences, Agronica, Syngenta, Bayer Crop Science, and BASF, and of course, demonstrations by platinum machinery sponsors CASE IH, Power Farming, Murray Implements, CB Norwood and Landpower.

As in previous years there will be a mixture of scheduled talks and demonstrations as well as plenty of time to view sponsors’ sites and chat to presenters one on one. The

field day will conclude at 5.30pm followed by drinks and a barbeque dinner. A full programme and entry tickets will be sent to all levy payers and industry subscribers in the coming weeks.

Sponsorship OpportunitiesSome sponsorship sites are still available. If you wish to find out more, please contact Anna Heslop to request a copy of the sponsorship and exhibition opportunities proposal.

The countdown is on…

Wednesday 5 December 20129.30am – 8.00pm

FAR Arable Site, Chertsey

x

14

Grain

Seeds

Sponsors of Crops 2012

15

Taking the cost out of maize production

The value of our maize grain is closely linked to the activities in the global grain market and it is important that we maintain our competitiveness by keeping up with global production trends.

Farmers around the world are maintaining their competitive edge by reducing their production costs; they are doing this

by increasing the size of their farms, in some cases by double cropping, investing in machinery and improving their work productivity. American, Australian, Canadian, and Argentine farmers have invested in no-till machinery and are increasingly adopting precision agriculture. There is a global trend to simplify soil tillage. In New Zealand, we cannot double crop or increase the size of our farms, but we can improve our work productivity by reducing tillage.

FAR is continuing to promote single pass planting systems for maize and there has been a slow, but steady uptake by silage and grain growers. Those farmers that have made the transition successfully are saving up to $300/hectare on their establishment costs, whilst maintaining their yields.

Planter modifications for reduced tillage showing chains, spiked closing wheels and reduced inner diameter press wheels.

16

OP and carbamate updateIn late July, FAR made a further 30 page submission to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) requesting continued use of the following organophosphates:• Diazinon• chlorpyrifos (Lorsban/Suscon green)• oxamyl (Vydate)• pirimphos–methyl (Actellic formulations for silo disinfection)• phorate (Thimet, Phorate 20G) and for the carbamate pirimicarb (Pirimor, Piritek, Prohive, Aphidex).

The EPA is now analysing our submission along with those from other sectors and has recently revised the deadline for completion of the OP/carbamate reassessment to June 2013. Their proposed timeline includes the following milestones:• Application documents for each compound to be notified by 2 November.• Six weeks for consultation (close 14 December).• Hearing within 6 weeks of close of submission (sometime in February).• Decision 6 May.

These new timeframes will put everyone involved under a lot of pressure, but it seems that they are not negotiable. In the meantime, industry will meet with EPA in early October and we have arranged for EPA staff to have escorted visits to grain silos in order to give them further insights into the safe and responsible use of the Actellic silo disinfection formulations.

Anyone requiring further information on this process can contact Mike Parker on 021 960078.

The demonstrations that FAR set up last season showed that maize can be established with single pass planting systems on a range of soil types with modified planters. Attention to detail before planting and during early establishment ensured success.

Farmers and contractors considering reduced tillage for maize must ask themselves four questions.1. Is my paddock suitable? a. Are there problems with drainage? b. Are there areas with compaction and pugging? c. Are there persistent perennial weeds such as dock, couch, or convolvulus? d. Is there a build-up of crop residues from previous crops? e. Do I need to apply lime or other major nutrients?

2. Is it the right season? a. Has planting been delayed because it is cold and wet?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then there may be problems from reducing the tillage. Consider remediating paddock problems and addressing weed and nutrient issues before changing the cultivation system. Cold, wet soil conditions never favour good establishment.

3. Is the planter set up to do a good job? A fully modified planter has pairs of: a. Residue removers b. Reduced inside-diameter gauge wheels c. Press wheels d. Chains

These additions to a precision maize planter give the best opportunity for even establishment.

4. Am I prepared to monitor my crop during the establishment phase and deal with any weed and pest problems before it is too late?

Early identification of establishment problems, such as cutworm damage enables timely remediation.

If you are considering a reduced tillage system for your maize this year, you can contact either Diana Mathers [email protected] or Mike Parker [email protected] for more information.

17

Velvet Leaf/Butterprint (Abutilon theophrastri)Currently this weed has only been found on five properties (Waikato and South Auckland) and it is hoped our ongoing eradication programme will be successful.

The leaves are similar to Noogoora Bur but are much more round in shape. Flowers are a distinctive yellow. It prefers areas with more light, so is usually found on headlands or where crop plants are absent.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum)This weed is distinguished by very broad leaves and its large drooping seed head with large black seeds. While now common in the sweetcorn/maize areas of Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Marlborough, it has not as yet been found in other areas.

Noogoora Bur (Xanthium strumarium)Note the presence of 25-30 mm long burs which can break off and adhere to clothing/animals etc. Areas found to date are isolated parts of Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)Although reasonably widespread in Northland it has only recently been found in Bay of Plenty Maize paddocks. It is a sprawling quick growing perennial often found in or along drain margins from where it spreads to paddocks.

Problem weeds to look out for in maize crops this coming seasonOver the last three seasons there have been a number of new infestations of weeds, and growers are reminded to be vigilant and scout crops to ensure these weeds do not gain a foothold.

For further assistance in identifying these or other potentially problem weeds please contact either Diana Mathers [email protected] or Mike Parker [email protected].

18

Post emergent herbicide programmes for maizeWhen pre-emergent herbicides are degraded by microbes, maize growers must switch to post-emergent herbicide programmes for effective weed control.

As part of a FAR/SFF project, AgResearch scientists have been investigating the “post-emergence window of opportunity” for post-emergence herbicides and their mixtures, for a weed-free maize crop. Trials were carried out at two sites; one with a high broadleaf weed pressure and the other with high grass weed pressure.

Effective control of broadleaf weeds was achieved by one post emergence herbicide application.

At the high pressure grass weed site, two post emergence applications were necessary for effective control, because of a second flush of grass germination.

Herbicides with new chemistry for grass weed control are being tested in the trials this year.

Best treatments at the broadleaf weed site, assessed at 11 weeks post emergence

Herbicide treatment % weed control

% weed cover

Untreated (no herbicide) 0% 100%

Latro + Bonza, applied 4WPE@ 80g + 0.5% 90% 11%

Callisto + Gesaprim + Synoil applied 2.5 WPE @ 200ml + 1000ml + 1% 95% 7%

Best treatments at the grass weed site, assessed at 10.5 weeks post emergence

Herbicide treatment % weed control

% weed cover

Untreated (no herbicide) 0% 100%

Sharpen + Gesaprim + Hasten – 2 applications @ 2.5 and 6.5 WPE 300 ml + 1000 ml + 0.5% 99% 1%

Callisto + Gesaprim – 2 applications @ 3 and 6.5 WPE 200 ml + 1000 ml + 1% 94% 8%

Latro + Bonza – 2 applications @ 3 and 6.5 WPE 80g + 0.5% 86% 34%

Profarmer Grain & Feed New Zealand, [email protected] July 24, 2012 1

www.nzxagri.co.nz/agrifax July 24, 2012 Ph +64 6 323 1517

NZ PRICES - week ending 20 July

Free Prices Last week

$/t Range Average2 wks ago

weekChange 6 mths ago 1 yr ago

12 mths Average

Wheat-Milling Low High

Canterbury 410 420 413 413 0.0% 440 458 443

Wheat-Feed

Canterbury 345 375 359 351 2.3% 430 454 409

Southland 400 415 405 395 2.5% 450 455 427

Manawatu 420 445 435 398 9.2% 438 485 438

Barley-Feed

Canterbury 335 365 349 342 2.0% 373 444 399

Southland 400 405 402 392 2.6% 445 455 424

Manawatu 385 420 408 382 7.0% 473 482 439

Oats-FeedSouthland 420 425 423 413 2.4% 413 398 405

Canterbury 400 420 407 407 0.0% 350 367 381

Maize-Grain

Manawatu 390 420 405 378 7.0% 451 468 441

Waikato 400 440 418 403 3.9% 445 463 439

Currency Last week 2 weeks ago change 6 mths ago 1 yr ago Average

USD 0.803 0.803 0.0% 0.802 0.835 0.802

AUD 0.770 0.781 -1.4% 0.771 0.798 0.778

MARKET WRAPThe holding pattern is

still in effect in the NZ grain

trading market. The winter

lull in trading has continued,

but prices have started to

lift in most regions, largely

in response to rising global

prices. There has been a

relatively wide spread in

prices received over the past

week, but some significant

upwards movements have

been recorded. So, although

little is currently trading, if

you need grain now, you’re

now going to be asked to pay

more for it.There are suggestions

out of Canterbury that there

seems to be an expectation

that prices need to increase

and we may now be seeing

that slowly starting to

eventuate. But after a bumper

season on the grain front

in Canterbury - particularly

the dryland areas - reports

suggest there is still a lot of

grain in silos on farms.

In Southland most people have

covered their grain requirements, though

it is reported that there is not a lot of fat

in the system.

Interest in 2013 contracts would seem

to be coming out of hibernation with

large end-users that usually import grain

starting to make enquiries in response to

higher international pricing.

The dairy sector continues to play the wildcard in the situation

with end-users waiting to see how the season will start.

PKE SOARSTight supply and skyrocketing international demand are

reported to be driving a palm kernel expeller (PKE) price revival

– and that’s before NZ demand starts to ratchet up for the

spring.Demand for palm oil seems to be dragging the chain

translating to negative crush margins for processors. With PKE

being a by-product of the palm oil manufacturing process,

supply conditions are tightening. Some relief may be on the

horizon with the palm harvest scheduled from September to

November but this could be tempered if palm oil returns remain

depressed and international demand continues to grow for PKE.

European farmers appear to have clicked on to the cost

*Source: Agrifax Growers bids- Prices-Delivered nearest Store or Mill

GRAIN MARKET SCENE

PKE - REGIONAL PRICES

Last week 2 wks ago change 6 mth ago 1 yr ago Average

Canterbury 343 291 17.9% 239 262 278

Manawatu 358 314 14.0% 250 283 297

Waikato 333 286 16.4% 224 254 269

Southland 343 291 17.9% 239 274 284

Grain & Feed

effectiveness of PKE as a supplemental stock feed. With the

United States drought impacting on grain, corn and soya

pricing, PKE appears to be the next cab off the rank.

PKE pricing in NZ is starting to reflect the international

markets with price series going up $30-$40 over the last two

0  

50  

100  

150  

200  

250  

300  

350  

400  

Jul-­‐11   Sep-­‐11   Nov-­‐11   Jan-­‐12   Mar-­‐12   May-­‐12  

NZD

/ton

ne  

PKE  prices  (last  52  weeks)  

NZ  Spot  ex-­‐store  PKE  NZD   PKE  FOB  ex  Malaysia  NZD  

Taking Care of Business 2012Staff retention, integrating new technologies and revenue streams into the farm business, the implications of legislation around nutrient management, reacting to unexpected threats and opportunities…30 growers listened to, and questioned, expert speakers on all these topics as part of FAR’s annual Taking Care of Business workshop in August.

The use of dairy effluent as fertiliser also created a lot of discussion, thanks to presentations from Plant & Food Research’s Dirk Wallace and Te Awamutu farmer Chris Stacey, who, with the addition of dairy effluent to his maize growing ground, has reduced fertiliser costs by $562/ha.

The most topical debate was left to the last day when Roger Williams from FAR, Peter Constantine from Environment Canterbury and FAR Chairman David Birkett outlined the current situation around nutrient management and ‘farming within limits’. The suitability of OVERSEER® for use on arable and mixed cropping farms was questioned and the importance of reliable and accurate ‘look-up’ tables was emphasised.

FAR CEO Nick Pyke was impressed with the level of understanding and interest expressed by some of the younger members of the group and says the two day workshop was very successful.

“All the farmers involved in this workshop contributed some great ideas and discussion. In previous years there have been some great initiatives evolve from these two days which FAR has taken out to all our growers. The interest and enthusiasm in some key topics this year indicates there will be some valuable ideas and information for farmers throughout the country.”

The two day event is designed to challenge those attending to think beyond the day to day management of their farm businesses, and consider a range of issues from the perspective of individual growers and the industry as a whole. Discussion groups highlight knowledge gaps and areas of interest, which in turn provide the FAR team with valuable information for use in planning future research and communication projects.

The 2012 group was made up of growers from each of the FAR regions, including a good representation from Arable Ys and Women in Arable. This ensured a range of viewpoints from youthful enthusiasm to informed experience.

As with all such events, some talks provoked more discussion than others. Charlotte Westwood, a vet and animal nutritionist from PGG Wrightson, fielded numerous questions on the nutritional value of different types of dairy supplements in general, and on cereal supplements versus palm kernel in particular. In her opinion, cereals are more beneficial than palm kernel as they increase the production of milk proteins rather than milk fat. She believes that while the New Zealand dairy industry is now highly reliant on palm kernel, there is still plenty of room for the addition of more cereal into the diet of cows at all times of the year.

20

Taking care of business ...in the kitchenA deathly hush spread across the room as the Taking Care of Business attendees were told that they would be not only cooking the evening meal, but that their efforts would be judged by professional chefs Ant and Lou from The Akaroa Cook School.

Akaroa Salmon on a Lemon and Lentil Salad with Yoghurt Sauce(Serves 6)6 x 80g pieces of hot smoked Akaroa salmon (or baked/barbecued salmon fillets)400g puy lentilsJuice of 1 ½ lemonsRind of 1 ½ preserved lemon (or fresh lemon zest)Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper3 handfuls of mixed herbs (flat leaf parsley, basil, mint) choppedGood quality olive oil5 large handfuls of baby spinach roughly chopped

To serve300ml natural yoghurtJuice of 1 ½ lemonsSea salt and freshly ground black pepper

While salmon is cooking or smoking, put the lentils into a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and then simmer until tender. Drain and while still warm season carefully with salt, pepper, lemon juice, preserved lemon/zest and lots of olive oil. Just before serving, stir the herbs and spinach into the lentils.

To serve, place the lentils into the centre of the plate, top with the salmon and finish with a drizzle of lightly seasoned yoghurt and lemon juice.

The menu was inspired by the arable industry, and included lentils, oats and beans as well as salmon and pork which are fed on cereal products. The group was divided into three teams, with each team having to produce entrée, main and dessert courses for 12 people by 7.30pm sharp! Once all the food was prepared it had to be plated up to restaurant standard and presented to the judges, who after taste testing (and, some of us suspect, a lot of bribery), declared the all-male team, Pulse, led by Stephen Caunter, the winners.

Every group presented wonderful food and proved to the slightly dubious judges that farmers, of all ages can cook anything with a little bit of help!

Recipes for the salmon and pork are below.

Pork Chops with Cream and Mushrooms(Serves 6)6 large pork chops or pieces of pork fillet, trimmed of excess fat25g butter2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tspn dried) 175g mushroomsJuice of 2 large lemons3 tablespoons plain flour75ml double creamSalt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 180oC and line a roasting dish with two layers of foil, leaving enough to wrap over the top after the meat has been added.

In a frying pan, brown the chops in butter, and transfer them onto the foil. Season them with salt, freshly ground black pepper and thyme.

Chop the mushrooms roughly and fry them in the same pan in which the meat was browned, adding a little more butter if you think it needs it. Pour in the lemon juice, let it bubble for a minute, then sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a rather soggy-looking mushroom mixture.

Spoon the mixture over the pork chops, then pour a little cream over each one. Wrap loosely in foil and bake for 1 hour. Serve with the self-made sauce and accompanied by green vegetables and potato or kumara mash.

MenuHot smoked Akaroa salmon on puy

lentils and wilted salad greens

Seared pork with a creamy mushroom sauce, kumara puree and green vegetable

Apple, pear and berry crumble

21

As you read in the last issue of From the Ground Up, FAR Australia was set up as of July 1 2012 as a subsidiary not-for-profit organisation based in Southern Victoria. The organisation’s primary objective is to enhance research and development links between research in Australia and New Zealand.

FAR Australia

Riverine Plains September Field DayRiverine Plains Inc is a farmer driven organisation situated west of Albury on the border of New South Wales and Victoria.

A recent Riverine Plains spring paddock walk attracted 75 people and was led by FAR Australia. The event focused on results generated over the last three years. Discussion covered the influence of row spacing under full stubble retention in wheat and canola rotations, and yellow spot (tan spot Pyrenophora tritici-repentis) control which is particularly problematic where wheat stubble is retained. The field day was held with the backdrop of the fourth year of trials in a five year research programme.

The research programme is evaluating the performance of different drill openers and row spacings in no-till full stubble retention rotations, with the aim of improving water use efficiency by 10% and reducing the risk associated with no-till stubble retained systems. This research is part of the GRDC national water use efficiency project where funding is directed to the farmer groups across Australia to enable a focus on the conservation of soil water and the efficiency of use of available soil water within the regions. The research programme also involves precision agriculture activities focused on making better crop nitrogen decisions with the use of crop sensors.

22

New Fungicide ActivesWork has now started on the new nationally funded GRDC (Grains Development Corporation Australia) project, looking at the performance of new fungicide active ingredients. The research programme, which is a collaboration between Curtin University, FAR Australia, and Kalyx Agriculture, aims to work with agrichemical manufacturers in order to extend the fungicide options available for growers.

This confidential project was set up in response to increasing fears of diseases becoming resistant to the existing narrow range of chemistry. As part of the research programme, FAR Australia are coordinating 18 field trial across Australia, each one targeting specific diseases of cereals (wheat and barley) and pulses (lentils, chick peas, faba beans and peas).

“In order to ensure that the target disease is present, a number of trials in the series have been specifically inoculated with the pathogen from that region,” explains Tracey Wylie (Project Manager, FAR Australia).

For the time being, the exact nature of the fungicides has been keep confidential with products identified purely by a GRDC code.

Nick Poole, FAR’s Director of Research and Extension says the project offers an excellent opportunity to work with Curtin University, who are currently the lead organisation in a number of projects looking at the sensitivity of various pathogens to fungicides, particularly the necrotrophic diseases. The Curtin University group, led by Professor Richard Oliver, is at the forefront of research into powdery mildew triazole resistance which was discovered in Western Australia in 2009.

Collaborating Organisations involved in the GRDC funded project:

Preparation procedures for inoculation of Septoria leaf spot (or speckled leaf blotch, Mycosphaerella graminicola) at Westmere, Victoria, carried out by Tracey Wylie.

23

Arable kids

Edible birds’ nests2 large shredded wheat biscuits¼ cup coconut1 tablespoon brown sugar¼ cup melted butterBerries, grapes or jelly beans to use as eggs

Crumble shredded wheat biscuits; stir in coconut and sugar. Drizzle with melted butter; toss to coat.

Line six muffin cups with foil. Press mixture onto the bottoms and up the sides of lined cups.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool in cups.

Remove from cups by lifting foil. Peel foil from nests.

Decorate by placing the ‘eggs’ into the baskets.

Farm animal word search

Do you have a clever or unusual pet?We would love to hear about your fantastic pet friends. Send us a drawing along with a short story telling us what you think is great about your pet.

Junior dot to dot

24

Spring crop updateAs I write this in early September, soils are beginning to dry out and many spring sown crops and experiments will be planted in the next 7-14 days, weather permitting. Generally speaking, grass and clover seed crops are now actively growing.

At the FAR Arable Site, Chertsey, we have March sown white clover which is intended for a bulk management and plant growth regulator trial. The aim of this experiment is to produce more flowers/m2 and to produce those flowers within a condensed time period. This clover, like many others observed in Mid Canterbury, has established well and if we continue to get spring rainfall will require some form of ‘holding back’ come early October/November. The same is true for earlier planted ryegrass seed crops. Currently in Mid and North Canterbury, ryegrass growth rates appear high, so managing crop bulk though grazing and/or silage options will be vital for optimising the response to Trinexapac ethyl applications in October/

November. If you are intending to use a silage technique for defoliation of seed crops, be careful not to extend the period between cuts too long, or a number of growing points will elongate. This is likely to make closing date, and other subsequent growth stage decisions such as PGR applications, difficult.

Be aware that if the warm weather experienced during early September continues, crops which have already committed to reproductive development e.g. growth stage 30 in cereals and ryegrass, could ‘fly’ though their next few growth stages. Don’t get caught out and miss key PGR and fungicide timings. Diseases and pests will also be completing their life cycle generations faster than if weather conditions were cooler, so monitor crops closely for both growth stages and disease if it stays warm for the rest of spring.

Richard ChynowethProject Manager

Focus on fungicides for cerealsThere is more and more evidence to suggest that New Zealand crops respond differently to fungicide management than their counterparts in Europe, where many disease management strategies originate.

This, combined with four years of FAR research results, provided the impetus for the September series of Focus on Fungicide workshops run by FAR Director of Research & Extension Nick Poole and FAR Cereal Project Manager Rob Craigie.

Nick Poole says the these workshops are the culmination of four years of FAR research, including new product evaluation, on irrigated and dryland cereal crops.

“It is important that these trials are carried out here as growers need to know that the information they are getting is appropriate for New Zealand’s climate and conditions.

A key part of the workshop is the session on fungicide strategies. These strategies provide growers and advisors with a list of disease management options that have given the greatest economic returns of the last 10 years of FAR trials. This information will be available to all growers soon in a special Cropping Strategy book form. This strategy booklet follows on from the FAR Focus 2 publication (Cereal Growth Stages: The link to disease management) which carries a summary of trial results to 2009.

Around 80 growers and industry reps have attended the workshops in Timaru, Rolleston and Palmerston North, and they have proved so popular that a further two will be held in Southland and at Lincoln at the end of September. These high turnouts reflect industry understanding of the important role that fungicides play in managing crop-yield and quality.

Nick Poole joins the audience, as Rob Craigie discusses fungicide trial results at the Rolleston Focus on Fungicide workshop.

25

Levy setting 2012/2013Arable Crops LevyPursuant to section 4 of the Commodity Levies (Arable Crops) Order 2012 (“the Order”), a levy has been imposed on, and shall be payable by, the producers of any arable commodity grown in New Zealand.

In accordance with section 13 of the Order, the Foundation for Arable Research Incorporated has determined the levy rates for 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 are set as follows:• Herbage and amenity seed – 0.8% of sale value.• All other grain and seed crops (cereals, pulses etc) – 0.8% of sale value.• Open pollinated vegetable seed crops – 0.8% of sale value.• Hybrid vegetable seed crops – 0.5% of sale value.• Onion seed crops will be zero rated.

Cereal Silage LevyPursuant to section 4 of the Commodity Levies (Cereal Silage) Order 2012 (“the Order”), a levy has been imposed on, and shall be payable by, the producers of any cereal silage commodity grown in New Zealand.

In accordance with section 10 of the Order, the Foundation for Arable Research Incorporated has determined the levy rates for 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 will be: $10.00 per hectare harvested.

Levy RatesThese levy rates will be reviewed again in 12 months time.

Deduction The deduction of the 5% commission is optional. Some companies are choosing not to deduct this commission and look on that as their contribution to arable research. We are very appreciative of their support in this regard.

Late payment of levyUnder the new levy orders 2012, FAR is able to enforce a 5% late penalty for companies that do not complete and forward the levy. Levies are due to be paid by 21st of the month following purchase.

Declaration forms At the beginning of January each year growers and wholesalers are sent an Annual Compulsory Annual Trading Return. This is a legal requirement and must be filled out and returned by March each year. Although this is a big undertaking each year, the purpose of the form reminds both the growers and wholesalers of their obligation to pay or forward the levy by declaring all sales of grain and/or seed for the year of 1 January to 31 December of the previous year. With the introduction of the Cereal Silage levy this will also be included in the next form. A levy form will also be sent out with the Declaration form if required.

We are looking at ways to make these easier for you, and hope that to be able to incorporate an on-line form onto the FAR website. Until this is worked out, please fill out the form and return to us as soon as you receive it.

Levy AuditsFAR randomly selects a number companies and growers for a compliance audit. The legislation provides for compliance procedures to determine: • The extent to which those required to pay a levy have done so; • That appropriate amounts have been collected and paid; and • The records to support the levy payments have been properly kept

This is undertaken by an independent Auditor, who will make recommendations to FAR on improvements that can be made for the collection of levy payments.

26

DISCLAIMER From the Ground Up was prepared by the Foundation for Arable Research™ staff. If you require any further information on any topics or on FAR please contact us. FAR offices are located at 185 Kirk Rd, Templeton. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Foundation for Arable Research™. ©This publication is copyright to the Foundation for Arable Research™ and may not be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from FAR.

Members of the FAR Board

DAVID BIRKETT (Chairman) Northern South Island 03 324 4499

COLIN JACKSON Northern North Island 07 873 8561

RUSSELL FLEMING Southern North Island 06 324 8641

DAVID GRANT Mid Canterbury 03 302 8580

PETER MITCHELL South Canterbury/North Otago 03 434 9244

To get all the latest arable information and updates visit

www.far.org.nz

HOWARD CLARKE South Otago/Southland 03 236 9825

BARRY McCARTER Appointed Member 09 307 0000

Dr MIKE DUNBIER Appointed Member 03 358 6479

HUGH RITCHIE Appointed Member 06 856 8279

PROFESSOR TIM REEVES Appointed Member 0061 352 412 827

A D D I N G VA L U E T O T H E B U S I N E S S O F A R A B L E FA R M I N G

Foundation for Arable Research™ PO Box 23133

Templeton Christchurch 8445

Phone: 64 3 345 5783 Fax: 64 3 341 7061

Text: 64 275 ARABLE Visit: www.far.org.nz

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