Cut the Crop!

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.

Weeds, pests and diseases and herbicide resistance are just some of the key issues that FAR is researching to provide arable growers with more options for crop management. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s R&D general manager Andy Pitman says that as well as an ongoing programme to increase crop yields, FAR is also looking at ways growers can reduce inputs, and so costs.See...

During his Nuffield study travels, Central Otago farmer Carlos Bagrie was blown away by the scale and sophistication of arable farming in Brazil. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Anna Heslop that this shows the need for New Zealand to focus on value rather than commodity markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FAR’s graduate programme provides an introduction to all aspects of arable, from research and agronomy to marketing. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Anna Heslop talks to FAR’s current graduate Catherine Harper and a past participant Sonja Vreugdenhil about how applying for the role has opened up many opportunities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.