Agriculture

Treotham presents igus roller e-chain for targeted irrigation with savings potential

New precision irrigation carriage reduces water and fertiliser consumption by 75% – e-chain in a trough guides hoses with additional energy saving The aim of the precision irrigation carriage from Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik is to use water resources sensibly whilst protecting the groundwater at the same time. With the new automatic irrigation system, the water reaches exactly where it should: directly to the plants. For the safe and compact guidance of hoses and cables, the developers rely on an igus energy chain system consisting of roller chain and guide trough. Water shortage is a major problem worldwide, which is why solutions are needed, especially in agriculture, which bring water in a targeted manner to the plant. For this purpose, Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik has developed a precision irrigation carriage together with Landwirtschaftskammer NRW. Whereas conventional irrigation carriages with a continuous jet stream waste a lot of water, the precision watering carriage irrigates and fertilises in a stipulated way. The unique system is especially suitable for outdoor potted plant cultivation and ensures that water is delivered precisely into the middle of the plant’s growing pot. By using this new technology, savings of 50 to 75 per cent are possible in irrigation water, plant protection and fertiliser, depending on the pot size. This also reduces the nitrogen input into the groundwater. The precision irrigation carriage has a span of 40m and a travel of 208m. The cables and hoses for the water supply were pulled behind the carriages until now. A loop was created, which required about 2m of space between the carriage guide and the plants. A safe and space-saving hose with cable guidance was required. Therefore, Ralf Hormes, CEO at Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik, contacted igus. “Together with the igus experts, we decided to design a roller energy chain in a guide trough”, explains Ralf […]

Guardian Everywhere Hub: reliable safety for remote workers

Guardian Angel Security has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with US-based Everywhere Communications for their global product suite for communication, location and monitoring solutions for remote workers. Guardian Angel Security, industry-leading provider of lone and remote work solutions in Australasia, has launched the Guardian Everywhere Hub for robust and secure 24/7 communication, monitoring and local response co-ordination for remote workers; incorporating dual-mode cellular and satellite communications technology solutions from US-based Everywhere Communications. Guardian Angel Security has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island with Everywhere Communications for the use of their global suite of product solutions for communication, location and monitoring of remote workers via satellite devices, smartphone apps, a web portal, location-based services, and APIs using patented deployed technology. Everywhere Communications’ fully integrated multi-mode communications solutions utilise the Iridium satellite constellation, including the newly launched Iridium NEXT satellites, as well as Wi-Fi and cellular networks, to provide always-on connectivity globally, including the over 80 per cent of the world beyond the reach of cellular service. The Guardian Everywhere Hub, compatible with the Garmin inReach Mini, SE+ & Explorer+ devices, allows users to view a snapshot of their entire remote workforce. Colour-coded teams enable users to see the current location of each member or see a historical bread crumb trail. Remote workers can communicate via a chat-style text messaging interface or, when equipped, voice text. Workers with equipped devices can also share geo-tagged pictures, video clips and audio clips. Proactive health and welfare check features include requests of a user’s status – I’m OK, or I’m Not OK. Users can create a virtual geofenced perimeter to surround key worksites for the safe management of personnel in specific zones, and entry and exit alerts can be sent […]

TAMA announces 2021 Scholarships

The Tractor & Machinery Association Inc (TAMA) is offering to industry trainees who are studying towards a certificate or diploma. There are several $500 scholarships available to industry trainees who can demonstrate their commitment and potential contribution to the industry. Applications for 2021 open on 18 January and close on 5 March with successful applicants advised in May. TAMA general manager Ron Gall said the scholarships are part of TAMA’s wider efforts to encourage younger people to stay working in the industry and take advantage of the valuable career path it offers. More information on the scholarships is available at https://tama.org.nz/industry-training-scholarships/.

Only two in ten consumers say their food is safe to eat

On average less than 40% of food and beverage industry decision-makers place complete trust in the industry to ensure food and beverage safety Zebra Technologies Corporation , an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced the results of its Food Safety Supply Chain Vision Study. The study highlights the views of consumers as well as food and beverage industry decision-makers worldwide from distribution and warehouses to grocery stores and restaurants around safety, traceability and transparency. Surveyed consumers reported their top food safety concerns include restaurant kitchen and wait staff hygiene, foodborne outbreaks, illness from contaminated food, and food and beverage recalls. Consumers can be quite unforgiving if they experience a food incident as approximately six in 10 reportedly would never eat at a restaurant again if they contracted a foodborne illness or food poisoning. Slightly more than 80% of surveyed consumers said companies have an important role to play in implementing food safety solutions and an ethical responsibility to ensure the safe handling of their food. Most consumers (70%) said it is important to know how their food and ingredients are manufactured, prepared, and handled, while 69% agreed knowing how their food is sourced is also important. Given the increased focus on health and wellness, it’s unsurprising both consumers and industry decision-makers are showing a great level of interest in the source, quality and safety of their food. However, a disconnect exists between what consumers believe and what industry decision-makers think. Almost seven in 10 (69%) decision-makers say the industry is prepared to manage food traceability and transparency, but only 35% of consumers agree. Furthermore, only 13% of consumers felt the industry was extremely prepared today to manage food traceability and be transparent about how food travels through the […]

Bringing RSE workers back the right move

BusinessNZ welcomes the announcement that New Zealand will welcome back 2,000 international workers under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says the move is timely. “Our exports industries have weathered the Covid storm well to date, but it would have been devastating to let fruit rot on the ground and cause economic damage to regions if access to workers was constrained by border restrictions. “The relatively low unemployment rate is both a signal that New Zealand’s economic fundamentals are holding up well, and also a red flag that the prospect of skill shortages could create more hardship for companies than the impact of Covid and lockdowns. “International workers make a significant contribution to the New Zealand workforce and ensure companies are able to continue to operate and keep New Zealanders in work. Companies are also taking up opportunities to attract and upskill New Zealand workers for these roles and in some cases local workers have the opportunity to upskill alongside RSE workers. “We have a number of industries that need international skills and expertise to supplement the New Zealand workforce, and it is critical for the Government to work rapidly and constructively with industries to understand these workforce pressures and find the right solution, as horticulture, viticulture and the Government have done today.”

New precision irrigation carriage reduces water and fertiliser consumption by 75%

A roller energy chain in a guidelite guide trough ensures safe guidance of the hoses and cables in the precision irrigation carriage. The aim of the precision irrigation carriage from Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik is to use water resources sensibly whilst protecting the groundwater at the same time. With the new automatic irrigation system, the water reaches exactly where it should: directly to the plants. For the safe and compact guidance of hoses and cables, the developers rely on an igus energy chain system consisting of roller chain and guide trough. Water shortage is a major problem worldwide, which is why solutions are needed, especially in agriculture, which bring water in a targeted manner to the plant. For this purpose, Rathmakers Gartenbautechnik has developed a precision irrigation carriage together with Landwirtschaftskammer NRW. Whereas conventional irrigation carriages with a continuous jet stream waste a lot of water, the precision watering carriage irrigates and fertilises in a stipulated way. The unique system is especially suitable for outdoor potted plant cultivation and ensures that water is delivered precisely into the middle of the plant’s growing pot. By using this new technology, savings of 50 to 75 per cent are possible in irrigation water, plant protection and fertiliser, depending on the pot size. This also reduces the nitrogen input into the groundwater. The precision irrigation carriage has a span of 40m and a travel of 208m. The cables and hoses for the water supply were pulled behind the carriages until now. A loop was created, which required about 2m of space between the carriage guide and the plants. A safe and space-saving hose with cable guidance was required. 343 sqm of more usable space The main advantage of the system: by guiding the hoses and cables, the usable area is increased by 343 square metres. It […]

Self-Watering soil makes farming viable everywhere

Scientists from UT Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a new type of soil that can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants. As novel as it sounds, this soil could help expand the map of ‘farmable’ land around the globe to previously inhospitable places, and reduce water usage in agriculture at a time of growing droughts. According to associate professor Guihua Yu, the team’s unique atmospheric water irrigation system uses super-moisture-absorbent gels to capture water from the air. When the soil is heated to a certain temperature, the gels release the water, making it available to plants. Moreover, when the soil distributes water, some of it goes back into the air, increasing humidity and making it easier to continue the harvesting cycle. According to Yu, each gram of soil can extract approximately 3-4 grams of water. Depending on the crops, approximately 0.1 to 1 kilogram of the soil can provide enough water to irrigate about a square meter of farmland. The gels in the soil pull water out of the air during cooler, more humid periods at night. Solar heat during the day activates the water-containing gels to release their contents into soil. During a four-week experiment, the team found that its soil retained approximately 40% of the water quantity it started with. In contrast, sandy soil had only 20% of its water left after just one week. In another experiment, the team planted radishes in both types of soil. The radishes in the hydrogel soil all survived a 14-day period without any irrigation beyond an initial round to make sure the plants took hold. On the other hand, radishes in the sandy soil were irrigated several times during the first four days of the experiment – but none of them survived more than two days after […]

New funding recognises rural sector’s strong focus on sustainability

The Government’s investment of more than $6 million into farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and Otago reinforces the important sustainability work already undertaken by the rural sector says Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Leeann Watson. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced that the funding will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in the two regions, as well as improving long-term land management practices. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have been allocated between $176,000 and $2.3m over the next three years, including $362,000 for a North Otago sustainable land management riparian project, $2.2m for the Tinaku project in Ellesmere and $176,000 for the Pomahaka wetland restoration project. An additional $2.9m will go towards helping about 300 Hurunui farmers work towards land and water improvements through the application of farm environment planning and sustainable land management practices. Ms Watson says the funding for the environmental improvement work is recognition of the significant work undertaken by the rural sector to date. “The majority of farmers are very focused on improving and protecting their land for future generations, and many have been early adopters of environment management plans for the last seven or eight years, so it is good to see this recognised through this funding support. “Environmental stewardship is also an important area in terms of securing market access for food and fibre, so this funding will play a role in helping to boost our agriculture exports – a key economic driver for the region, which was particularly evident through COVID.” Ms Watson says the Government’s prioritisation of sustainability issues sends a strong signal that this issue has not been overlooked in the COVID environment. “Preserving the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity has always been […]

David-Surveyor-Alliance-Group-NZ-Food-Man-website-1

Energy-saving technology a first for sheep and beef industry

Alliance Group is investing in a range of initiatives to improve its environmental footprint including a heat pump to reduce diesel use. The new energy-saving high temperature heat pump at the co-operative’s Nelson plant, which will help cut carbon emissions, recycles waste heat from the plant’s refrigeration systems. A first for the New Zealand sheep and beef processing industry, the heat pump has been installed in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Meanwhile, Alliance is also examining fuel options for its other plants. It is currently looking at upgrading the existing boiler at its Mataura plant in Southland to provide a number of benefits including improvements to emissions and efficiency, and considering further opportunities for other sites in the future. “Alliance has a comprehensive sustainability programme in place to improve our impact on the environment and we have the financial strength to invest in these improvements,” says Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor. “We recognise we have to play our part and improve our environmental footprint. Our customers and consumers have high expectations for how the co-operative manages the natural environment and they also expect transparency and ethical food production. “As a 100 per cent farmer-owned co-operative, we are committed to meeting high standards of environmental practices and we are constantly looking ahead to make sure our practices allow us to be in business for the long term so we can continue to support our farmers and rural communities. “It is fantastic that the high temperature heat pump makes sound environmental sense and good business sense too.” Alliance’s seven processing plants, which employ almost 5,000 people at peak season, have annual performance targets for fuel and electricity use, which make up the majority of the co-operative’s annual emissions (107,877 tonnes of CO2 equivalent). “We regularly monitor our […]

Launch of the New Zealand Agritech Story

New Zealand has a new story to tell, one that highlights the nation’s ingenuity, development of cutting-edge technology, and care for its people and place. The New Zealand Agritech Story provides a compelling way of promoting New Zealand’s agricultural technology internationally, to build awareness and preference for New Zealand solutions and ultimately help more New Zealand agritech businesses succeed on the world stage. The NZ Agritech Story includes a comprehensive suite of free promotional materials that highlight New Zealand’s leading edge in the sector. Peter Wren-Hilton, the executive director of Agritech New Zealand, said the story would make a key difference for export companies. “The sector is highly competitive, with companies from around the world all promoting their products. The New Zealand Agritech Story will provide us with a distinctive voice, a way to engage with customers and communities and explain to them why Kiwi companies are different, both in the way we have developed our innovative solutions and the way we operate as partners. “Agritech has a significant value for New Zealand’s export economy – it currently contributes about $1.5 billion to our export receipts – and campaigns like this will support its growth. “We’re excited to share the Story for the first time internationally this week as part of New Zealand’s presence at Ireland’s National Ploughing Championship, where we’ll also be showcasing some cutting edge Storytelling with the Agritech Mixed Reality experience.” The development of the agritech story fits within the framework of the New Zealand Story and was informed by the gathering of comprehensive market insights, to better understand current perceptions of New Zealand agritech – areas of strength, weakness or possible misconceptions. The Story is designed to help respond to these issues. Central to the New Zealand Story is the Māori concept of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship, for […]

«‹ 8 9 10 11 ›»

News Ticker

Agriculture