Agriculture

IrrigationNZ calls for 350,000 ha more land to be irrigated by 2025, lifting total by 50%

IrrigationNZ is calling for a dramatic escalation in irrigation, saying New Zealand could bring water to an additional 350,000 hectares by 2025, boosting agricultural production and providing a buffer against weather events such as El Nino-induced drought. The lobby group wants a 50 percent increase in irrigated land in the next 10 years, according to its industry snapshot released today. New Zealand currently has approximately 720,000 hectares of irrigated land, and IrrigationNZ has produced a map showing where irrigation could be expanded, pushing total watered land to more than 1 million hectares. Chief executive Andrew Curtis said New Zealand’s primary production growth is being hampered by a lack of a reliable water supply, which ultimately holds back economic growth. “Much of regional New Zealand’s future success is reliant on community water infrastructure developments that create wins for both the economy and environment,” Curtis said. New Zealand currently extracts around 2 percent of available water, excluding the 3 percent used for hydro-power, and taking another 1 percent “would significantly grow the wider economy,” he said. Irrigated farm land generated an estimated $2.7 billion to the New Zealand economy, the lobby group said in 2012. New Zealand is “a water-rich country” and water extraction “is extremely low” compared to other countries, where irrigation can account for 50-70 percent of water use, Curtis said. Irrigation for agriculture and horticulture currently uses around 60 per cent of New Zealand’s extracted water, according to IrrigationNZ. Half of New Zealand’s irrigated land is used for dairy farming, a quarter is taken up by sheep and beef finishing, and the remaining quarter is made up by vegetable and arable crops, along with fruit and wine growing. IrrigationNZ’s map of future irrigation adds a potential 200,000 ha to the existing 444,777 ha of irrigated land in Canterbury. In […]

Weed killing weevil revealed at field day

With support from MPI’s Sustainable Farming Fund, an invasive weed may soon be controlled with the help of a British Weevil. Field horsetail – a weedy fern, is spreading throughout wetter regions, competing with grasses, reducing the productive potential of land and impacting both grazing and cropping farmers. Landcare Research, supported by the Rangitikei Horsetail Group, has been investigating potential biocontrol solutions to help control it and revealed last Friday a weevil (Grypus equiseti) has come out as the best candidate for the job. “We are extremely pleased to hear they’ve found a weevil that, if approved, can help tackle the field horsetail issue affecting mainly the Rangitikei region. This will enable land to be returned to more productive use,” said MPI Acting Director Aquaculture, Growth and Innovation Alice Marfell-Jones. “Around $300,000 was invested over three years from the Sustainable Farming Fund which has gone towards understanding the effects of the field horsetail and investigate potential biocontrol options.” Landcare Research researcher Lindsay Smith talking about the findings at a Field Day held in Bulls on Friday 6 November. “Throughout our testing, we found the weevil to be one of the most damaging biocontrol agents causing significant damage to field horsetail,” said Smith. “The plant is attacked by both larvae and adult weevils, with the larvae burrowing down the weed’s stems and into its extensive root system.” “Over the last three years we have been testing the weevil in our biocontainment facility at Lincoln to confirm it is ‘host specific’ to horsetail and so will only damage horsetail and won’t pose a threat to other flora here in New Zealand. We will now be submitting an application to the Environmental Protection Authority to seek permission to release the weevil from containment. If we are successful, the weevil will be able to […]

FAR announces new North Island cropping event

North Island farmers are being invited to update their cropping knowledge at a new one-day field event on Thursday 10 December. The field day, run by FAR, is being held at FAR’s Northern Crop Research Site at Tamahere, near Hamilton. CEO Nick Pyke says FAR, which carries out levy funded research and extension for the cropping industry, holds similar events in the South Island, but has not attempted an outdoor event of this scale in the North Island before. “Generally, our Northern Crop Research Site hosts a series of smaller, subject specific, field days, but this year we have responded to the interests of our farmers and increased the scale and information to be presented at the event. The event will run to a similar schedule as our South Island Arable Research in Action event (ARIA), which is held at our mid-Canterbury research site every second year. “Visitors on the day will have the opportunity to hear up to 12 presentations on subjects ranging from Overseer® and forage rotations, to slug control and precision agriculture. Each session will run twice, once in the morning and again after lunch, to allow those who are short on time to attend for only half a day and still have access to a range of topical speakers. “The day will also provide a great opportunity to tour the Northern Crop Research Site, meet FAR staff and learn more about FAR’s crop research strategy.” Mr Pyke says he hopes to see farmers and industry personnel from across the Waikato and beyond at the event. “While this event is being held in the Waikato, the topics being discussed on the day will be of relevance to farmers from across the North Island. Around 400 people attended our last ARIA event in the South Island, and we […]

Identifying insect species crucial to protect the environment

Students at Lincoln University are covering the length and breadth of New Zealand to discover new insect species and keep ahead of potential threats to agriculture and the environment. Bio-Protection Research Centre students, Francesco Martoni, Samuel Brown and Hamish Patrick have visited mountains, grasslands and forests to collect insect specimens. They have identified about 50 new species. “This research, to understand what [insects] are present in New Zealand, is vital for us to recognise any change. Especially if it involves the introduction of species that may become pests, or spread disease,” says Dr Karen Armstrong, a Senior Researcher at Lincoln University, and the students’ supervisor. “The only way to stay ahead of this, and to detect damaging interactions, is to know what is here. And for that, we need to produce experts in traditional taxonomy who are also trained to use modern technological approaches to describe and discover [insect species],” says Dr Armstrong. Martoni has collected psyllids from more than 200 locations, identifying more than 60 different species. Brown has described more than 40 species of native weevil. Patrick, besides having found and identified one new species of picture wing fly during a Lincoln Summer Scholarship, and four new species of New Zealand’s rare black mountain ringlet butterflies during his honours degree at Lincoln, is now researching how species that are very closely related to the highly invasive Queensland fruit fly can be distinguished. Expertise in taxonomy is vital for the future acknowledges Dr Armstrong. While most of the insects identified by the students are native to New Zealand, one weevil is a relatively recent introduction from Europe not previously known to occur here. By comparing this weevil with unidentified specimens held in local collections, Brown discovered that it first arrived in New Zealand in 1996. This research was published […]

Expert group supports Landcorp in putting environment first

Landcorp is bringing strong, independent environmental leadership to its management table by establishing an advisory group of environmental experts. The Environmental Reference Group (ERG) will guide Landcorp’s environmental focus, taking a leading role in implementing sustainable agricultural strategies that put environmental best practice first across all of Landcorp’s operations. The group comprises six of the country’s leading primary sector experts across a range of fields – Nelson-based environmental strategy expert Guy Salmon (chairman), sustainable farming adviser and veterinarian Dr Alison Dewes (Cambridge), water quality scientist Dr Mike Joy (Palmerston North), agricultural economist and Maori agribusiness consultant Dr Tanira Kingi (Rotorua), primary sector marketing expert Dave Maslen (Christchurch) and inventor and entrepreneur Angus Robson (Matamata). Landcorp chief executive Steven Carden says the ERG, which had its first meeting in July, is advising senior management on environmental activities with absolute independence. “The members of this group have outstanding credentials in environmental management. That expertise will be invaluable as we continue moving our business to a new model characterised by higher value products, sustainable earnings and environmental best practice. “By bringing independent environmental experts to the management table, we’re giving them the opportunity to challenge us. The ERG is helping us think about how we can drive environmental rejuvenation and future proof our farming activities while enhancing our profitability. ” Mr Carden said the group demonstrated a new model for the primary sector, with environmental leaders collaborating in business decisions. The ERG will directly advise the Landcorp board and Mr Carden, helping Landcorp think about how it can change its farm systems and adopt new technologies in some of the country’s more sensitive farming regions. One project the ERG is assisting with is a review of the Wairakei development on the Central Plateau. “With the right thinking, science and technology, we believe we […]