Last year I joined the STAMP (Strategic Thinking Agri-Food Marketing Program) for young professionals working in the agri-food sector. The program is supported by Massey University, AGMARDT and FoodHQ. We meet four times a year to connect, and through workshops, case study analysis, and discussions, we are provided with a platform to gain insights into…
Category: Uncategorized
Carbon Positive: comparing crop protection choices.
The last few months has seen us researching and confirming management strategies for our spring tomato crops. A major component is crop protection planning for conventional, regenerative, and hybrid treatments. In a conventional tomato growing system, the 135 day crop typically receives about 15 spray applications, all with several active ingredients. Regenerative principles seek to…
Horticultural Automation in Washington State
In September, Dan joined the Callaghan Innovation Horticultural Automation Immersion tour with a group of like-minded Kiwis from a range of backgrounds – horticultural robotics, precision agriculture research, remote mapping and sensing, kiwifruit management, and vegetable production. The trip was part of the Callaghan Innovation Agritech Activator initiative. There was too much to cover in…
Carbon Positive Cover Crops: August 2023
Open fieldwalk – Wednesday 6 September – free registration via Eventbrite. Cover crop measurements have continued over the winter. The hybrid treatment (annual ryegrass) will be sprayed out early September ahead of strip tilling to allow for the creation of a stale seed bed. The conventional treatment (annual ryegrass) will be sprayed out three weeks…
Cyclone Gabrielle Update
Post Cyclone Gabrielle baseline sediment and sampling has been completed across impacted areas in Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Northland. This has been completed by LandWISE, AgResearch, Massey University, Plant and Food Research, Gisborne District Council and Luke Posthuma on behalf of the Northland Kumara Growers Association. Data from this sampling is being collated. A selection…
Carbon Positive Update
After harvesting the McCain sweetcorn crop, we mulched the entire paddock and also rotarty-hoed the conventional treatment plots. Winter cover crops were planted in late April after sweetcorn was harvested. We have Moata annual ryegrass planted in the Conventional and Hybrid treatments and a mix of oats, vetch and blue lupins planted in our Regenerative…
Vegetable Production Nitrogen Management
A long time in gestation, this project began in July. A follow up to the Future Proofing Vegetable Production project, Vegetable Production Nitrogen Management Workshops was intended to run a series of workshops and field days around the country. Tripped up by Covid and growers with lack of staff, the project was redesigned as creating…
Bridgette – our 2022-23 Summer Intern
We have been delighted to have Bridgette Haldane working with us this summer, with support from Callaghan Innovation. A Hawke’s Bay local, Bridgette is studying agriculture at Massey University. We have a major soil health and soil fertility programme this season. We are doing baseline measurements at the MicroFarm, and we have eight process crop…
Welcome Alex
LandWISE Board member Alex has changed her role and is now also our Project Manager: Sustainable Systems at LandWISE! Since starting at the beginning of October, she has been very busy establishing trials at the MicroFarm and at eight local process cropping farms. We are delighted to have Alex on board, with her strong background…