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Destruction of our soil more serious than climate change

An international soil scientist says restocking the world’s arable soil with carbon is more important than climate change. While world leaders, besotted by climate change, meet in Paris, Dr John Baker says improving soil health and feeding the world is more important. “Climate change, while serious, is not going to starve you but the rape of our soil over the last 1,000 years through traditional tillage methods, is already leading to reduced crop yields and will eventually be insufficient to feed everyone.” Sadly too many people around the world treat soil like dirt when it should be revered because “our lives depend on it” Dr Baker says. He believes that because soil isn’t sexy, not on our radar and is metaphorically beneath us, it’s taken for granted by many farmers and ignored by politicians and city dwellers. Dr Baker says alarming figures provided by the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the UK Farmers Weekly suggest the quality of soil is rapidly diminishing. FAO predicts the world, on average, has 60 more years of growing crops left while the Farmers Weekly claims that only 100 harvests remain in the UK. This week the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), based in London, lamented that nearly 40 percent of soil in south west England is highly degraded and waterlogged due, in part, to poor land management and inert water runoff. Eighty percent of the world’s food comes from crops and Dr Baker says the symbiotic relationships between soil, soil biology and the wellbeing of terrestrial animals including humans is a complex but precious equilibrium that people ignore or destroy at their peril. Ironically climate change and soil health are closely related and can benefit each other Dr Baker, who has a MAgrSc in soil science and Ph.D in agricultural engineering […]

Oasis amidst the dairy paddocks

Could dairy farms become sanctuaries for native flora and fauna? A new study is showing dairy and conservation sites can co-exist, and its findings are contributing to an ongoing project restoring natural biodiversity into a dairy farming environment. ‘Persistence of biodiversity in a dryland remnant within an intensified dairy farm landscape’, looks at Bankside Scientific Reserve, a small (2.6 ha) remnant in Canterbury surrounded by dairy paddocks, which still has valuable communities of native species, despite being impacted by nitrate and phosphate encroachment, and habitat fragmentation. It concludes “it does not appear to be an intractable management issue for the interface between agricultural systems and conservation sites within a dairy landscape mosaic”. One of the study’s authors, Professor of Ecology, Nick Dickinson, and other Lincoln scientists have been tasked by Ngāi Tahu Farming and Manawhenua from Tuahuriri Marae, to turn the little triangles of land which irrigators in paddocks cannot reach into an oasis for native plants and animals on Ngāi Tahu’s Eyrewell dairy farm. Professor Dickinson says the study shows there are “means and ways” to restore natural biodiversity into a dairy farming environment, and the Ngai Tāhu Farming project was an example, covering 150 hectares on 17 reserves, with a similar additional amount of native species being planted on paddock borders and under irrigators. These create conditions for more than 65 species of plants to regenerate, and also provide corridors for insects and birds between the reserves. The research hinges on finding the benefits to the farmer of doing this, to encourage more native planting, he says. www.lincoln.ac.nz

Celebrating soils in the Hub

Scientists, students, local government and industry representatives gathered at Lincoln University last week to celebrate the International Year of Soils at a workshop that focussed on the profound importance of soils globally and to New Zealand. The New Zealand Society of Soil Science organised the workshop with the intention of bringing together Lincoln Hub partners, members of other local research institutions, industry bodies and regulatory authorities to talk about the management and protection of soil resources in New Zealand, where the growing intensity of farming is making soil-related issues more urgent. Summing up the day’s talks, Dr David Whitehead of Landcare Research said the workshop was an example of “smarter science”, connecting across disciplines and sharing resources to find solutions to common problems. Dr Whitehead emphasised the importance of collaboration in the context of global climate change, saying innovation is required to transform agricultural systems and lower the environmental footprint of agriculture without losing productivity. “New Zealand’s livelihood and economy relies on the land. We need to keep doing research on soils. We need knowledge and good management to maintain our agricultural systems and be sustainable.” The diverse range of presentations at the workshop, covering irrigation, soil borne diseases, cultivation, grazing, plant-soil interactions, technology, dairy farming, nutrient loss and greenhouse gas emissions, illustrated the crucial role soil plays in every area of life and the need for cooperation to effect change. Plant and Food Research’s Dr Trish Fraser is a member of the Society of Soil Science and helped organise the event. “We wanted to organise the day to not only raise the importance of soil, but also for local researchers in the vicinity of the Lincoln Hub to become more aware of each others’ current activities in soil research, for the students to get a snapshot of the research […]

First Seasonal Workers Swing into Action in New Zealand Orchards

The first seasonal workers have swung into action in New Zealand’s apple orchards, preparing the trees for another bumper crop. Bostock New Zealand has recently welcomed over 200 seasonal workers from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Indonesia as part of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme. Owner of Bostock New Zealand, John Bostock says New Zealanders always come first when it comes to employment. “The key for us is getting New Zealanders into full time employment rather than just seasonal jobs and we are helping up-skill our seasonal staff to give them more opportunity. “But we are challenged by a labour shortage in New Zealand because there are not enough Kiwi’s available to meet the peak season demand, so it is great that we can bring in labour from other countries to help get the fruit off the trees at the crucial times. “The RSE scheme helps so many families throughout the Pacific Islands as the money earned here is put back into their communities. “It also enables Bostock New Zealand to build a business that can create fulltime roles for Kiwis too.” Bostock New Zealand employs just under 300 RSE workers some arriving in November and others in February. They can each save up to $9000, which they take home and use to invest in things like schooling, building improvements, local churches, purchasing land, homes and businesses. Vanuatu RSE Worker Graham Nawia is returning to work for Bostock New Zealand for his sixth season. “My home was totally destroyed in Cyclone Pam so this gives me an opportunity to earn some good money to bring back to my wife and children in Vanuatu. It has been very tough for a lot of families, so it will be good to invest money back into my community to help rebuild […]

George Weston Foods in Australasia

George Weston Foods Limited (GWF) is one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest food manufacturers employing over 6,500 people across 58 sites. http://www.georgewestonfoods.com.au/our-business/

Wireless trapping pilot begins in rural Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay farmers are taking part in a predator control trial using game-changing technology. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Land Services Manager Campbell Leckie said the trial, starting in late October, will see 200 predator traps armed with wireless monitoring technology trialled throughout Hawke’s Bay. The trial is part of Cape to City, which is a wide scale predator control and ecological restoration programme covering over 26,000ha of land between Hastings and Cape Kidnappers. Mr Leckie said a small trial of the wireless technology was undertaken earlier this year, and after some modifications, the next stage is now ready to begin involving farmers, landowners and restoration groups in up to eight rural areas between Mahia and Central Hawke’s Bay. The trial will test the connectivity of the wireless technology in a range of environments and climates, as well as establishing the best way and how often users are notified that the traps have been activated. “Wireless technology will make it much more efficient for farmers to clear and check traps. Rather than having to regularly check every trap, they will only have to check the ones that have been activated. The new traps have long life lures and a wireless transponder which sends a text message or an email notifying where and when the trap has gone off,” says Mr Leckie. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Predator Control Specialist, Pouri Rakete-Stones, and his team will monitor the trial and make sure farmers find it easy and safe to use the traps. “We will be working closely with the landowners participating in the trial to see what works for them and what improvements could be made,” he says Another aim is to significantly reduce the cost of ongoing pest control through the wireless networking of traps, along with the long life lures. Currently […]

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 […]

Computer course for farmers set for national rollout

Using a computer is now an essential part of running a farm business so a course teaching farmers the basics has attracted investment from the red meat sector. Two years ago Pongaroa-based farm consultant Rachel Joblin ran the first basic computer skills course to meet demand from members of her local community. It was such a success the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) is now funding a nationwide rollout. Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is the major investor in the building people and capability component of the profit partnership, of which the computer course is a part. B+LNZ CEO, Dr Scott Champion says the course fits with RMPP’s philosophy of helping farmers develop skills to make use of existing products, rather than inventing new ones. He adds that an increasing array of services are being offered online. Having the skills to use them will help farmers make more informed decisions and better manage their businesses. “Computers are fast becoming an essential farm management tool and through its investment in RMPP, Beef + Lamb New Zealand is pleased to help make these computer courses available to farmers throughout the country.” Rachel’s involvement in setting up the computer course happened almost by accident. She explains that she was approached by farmers within her community who wanted to develop basic computer skills. She investigated options but found no trainers locally, so decided to do it herself. The course is very much aimed at developing the basic skills farmers need to run their businesses. Starting at just turning the computer on and understanding what they are seeing to sending emails and using search engines. “There are so many ah-ha moments when you see whole new worlds opening up to them.” Many farmers have been relying on family members to use the computer for […]

Grow a safer business with Primary ITO’s new Health & Safety workshop

Health and safety is the ‘hot topic’ of the moment. “How do the legislative changes affect me and business?” This is the question we’re frequently asked at Primary ITO. People are also uncertain about what is actually needed to ensure their business is safe and compliant. So, what are the answers? There are many information seminars running that will help to answer these questions, but then, what do you do? How do you begin to develop your plan, or where do you start reviewing your current plan and checking that it’s still fit for purpose? Primary ITO has developed a new workshop ‘Managing Health & Safety’ that will help you overcome these initial barriers, and get you on the road to developing a safer primary industry business. Firstly, you’ll need to bring your existing health & safety plan with you. Then, the hands-on session will help you identify what you already have that meets requirements, what you already do that is good practice and should continue doing, and the gaps in your plan and how to fill them. There’ll be an interactive discussion session on the recent changes to the health & safety legislation and what they actually mean for your business. You’ll also have time to talk to other business owners and managers about the problems they’ve faced and techniques they’ve used to overcome them. Most importantly, you’ll begin to develop your plan. At the end of the workshop, you’ll know what you need to do next and how you are going to do it. Information is useful, but knowing what to do with it once you get back to your business is absolutely key. “The workshop helped to remove the fears we have around the health & safety requirements for our business. It was also great to meet […]

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