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Canterbury is becoming a hub for growing commitment to regenerative farming. The region’s tapestry of farming regimes and a new generation of farmers keen to try alternative approaches mean regenerative practices are becoming more commonly accepted, and widely discussed. Ashburton farmer Ryan Cockburn is part of the movement, taking the family’s long-time cropping and livestock farm down the regenerative pathway.

Once home to one of the country’s leading red deer herds, Mark and India van der Wilt have put Bangor Farm back on the map, transforming it into a thriving wedding venue and function centre.

For many people around the world, farewelling 2020 came with the hope that 2021 would somehow bring a break to the gloom and depression of the Covid-19 epidemic.  But many in Europe and North America may well have felt 2021 has so far offered little such respite, particularly as winter descended. Meantime in New Zealand the sense of being a lifeboat country amid the tumultuous global epidemic continues. This was only heightened amid the swirl of festive events and holidays as the country enjo...

Recent data from Rabobank provided a very upbeat overview of how well the primary sector has weathered the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amidst that turbulence, New Zealand growers and farmers are poised to enjoy the fifth consecutive year of profitability in 2021. Whether it is milk solids, Manuka honey, wine, kiwifruit, or red meat prospects appear sound as the world’s consumers align their diets with good quality, healthy food from a country increasingly seen as an oasis against th...

New rules soon to come into force mean getting the most from nitrogen (N) applied is more important than ever. The rules, which apply from 1 July 2021 for the 2021/22 season, cap synthetic N use at 190 kg N/ha/year on any grazed hectare of pasture (excluding forage crops).

The risk of nitrogen (N) leaching from urine patches, deposited while stock are grazing winter crops, is considerable. Soils that are left fallow, post-winter grazing, create a high probability of soil drainage and nutrient losses, which in turn may affect spring and annual production. Catch crops are used to cover the fallow ground and take up the urinary N deposited during winter grazing, reducing the risk of nitrate leaching.

Latest independent performance trials for New Zealand pastures have reinforced what farmers have already discovered for themselves with one of Seed Force’s leading perennial ryegrasses.

There’s a convenient, cost-effective way to keep your nitrogen investment in the ground for plant use.

For the next 3 months we will look at the following: fodder crops, pre-emergence sprays on autumn sown crops, grass grub control in pasture, and use of gibberellic acid to increase pasture growth.

Cultivation and drilling of pasture and autumn sown crops are underway with the long-term forecast through March looking good for regular rainfall, and if sunshine hours and soil temperature remain positive these crops should establish well.