Nominations sought for 2026 Arable Awards

It’s time to recognise arable’s high achievers, with nominations being sought for seven categories in this year’s Arable Awards. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR Communications Manager Anna Heslop says that a tough season shouldn’t diminish the opportunity to celebrate the arable industry and i…

Make every pass pay

High diesel and fertiliser prices are front of mind for growers during this busy autumn planting season. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s Technology Manager Chris Smith says easy savings of up to 20 per cent can be made by picking the right-sized tractor for the job, as well as using GPS guid…

Growers react to higher diesel and fertiliser prices

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Scott Champion talks to three growers in Southland, Canterbury and Wairoa about how autumn planting is progressing, their decision making around crop options and how they are mitigating rising diesel and fertiliser prices.

SVS nitrogen decision support tool available

Sustainable Vegetable Systems (SVS) is a nitrogen budgeting tool to help growers optimise their nitrogen management practices. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Andrew Barber of Agrilink tells Scott Champion that while the tool was initially set up for vegetable growers it now also incorporates arab…

What drives wheat yield?

Are wheat yields still increasing, or has wheat hit a yield plateau? In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR cereal researcher Jacqueline Straathof and Lincoln University lecturer Mariana Andreucci discuss wheat yield trends and the components required to achieve a high yielding wheat crop.

Is the time right for solar?

About 40 solar demonstration farms have been established across New Zealand in a government-backed initiative to provide real-world data so farmers are more informed. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Chris McArthur of EECA talks through some on-farm considerations including whether it makes sense f…

SouthPAN free GPS service more accurate

A free public GPS service, SouthPAN, improves accuracy and reliability for farmers, contractors and other users. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s technology manager Chris Smith says that using GPS tools like guidance, auto-steer and variable rate application can provide savings in inputs and …

Learning ways to reduce reliance on herbicide

A large-scale research project being led by FAR aims to establish a diverse and sustainable toolkit of weed managementstrategies in the face of rising rates of herbicide resistance. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher Matilda Gunnarsson says growers need to shift to a more integrated ap…

Post-harvest management of tall fescue seed crops

Reports from growers that tall fescue seed yields fall away after the first season has led FAR to research post-harvest management of the multi-year crop. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher Owen Gibson says research to date shows three cuts rather than two have a yield advantage.

UK growers diversify income

Scottish arable farmer and agronomist Gordon Rennie likes to swap his winter for a New Zealand summer. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Scott Champion that low crop returns and fewer chemical options are leading UK growers to look at other income streams.