Cut the Crop!

Land and Water Science director and principal scientist Dr Clint Rissmann is one of the creators of Landscape DNA, an interactive, online mapping tool which provides a new approach to water quality modelling. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Scott Champion that what’s underneath our feet can cause variations in water quality between neighbouring farms and even paddocks.See...

Some FAR trials and projects involve taking risks with new management practices and technology, so farmers can be armed with plenty of data before taking the leap themselves. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Owen Gibson talks about the Future Farms demonstration, while Jo Drummond discusses rationalising pesticide applications through the A Lighter Touch multi-sector project.See...

Nitrogen is a key input to achieving optimum crop yields, but how much can growers source from the soil? In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior environment researcher Abie Horrocks says that by testing and calculating their soil’s available N supply, growers can reduce their fertiliser spend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaft Foods is a Canterbury-based start-up focused on extracting a special protein called Rubisco from the green leaves of plants. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Maury Leyland Penno and Monica Schwass of Leaft Foods say that while Rubisco is in every green leaf, they have selected to grow lucerne for its production and environmental attributes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FAR senior maize researcher Rene van Tilburg says that when visiting maize crops, he often finds yield-limiting factors such as soil compaction, weeds and pests such as nematodes. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop what he has been doing since taking on the role.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some maize growers worry that if they factor in soil N supply when applying fertiliser, this will deplete reserves for future seasons. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior researcher Dirk Wallace tells Anna Heslop that soil N is continually being replenished and that by measuring and utilising this, growers can save money without impacting on yields.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Ahead of the new irrigation season, FAR regional facilitator and Canterbury irrigation management consultant Cindy Lowe provides some tips on irrigation scheduling. In this episode of Cut the Crop, she says that done correctly, it can save thousands of dollars and improve crop yields.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since starting as FAR’s new CEO on July 1, Scott Champion has been meeting growers and industry leaders. In this week’s Cut the Crop episode, he tells Anna Heslop that he is looking to explore areas of shared interest with other sectors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Collaborating with overseas maize experts is a good way to learn from their failures and successes, FAR senior researcher Dirk Wallace says in this week’s Cut the Crop episode. Following several visits from United States experts, a new United Kingdom collaboration is looking at maize innovations including late application of foliar nitrogen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seed and Grain Readiness and Response (SGRR) is the biosecurity entity for the arable sector and has played a key role in black-grass and fall armyworm incursions. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie talks about how the biosecurity levy is set and recent changes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.