Issue 226 | GroundBreaker 2024 - NZ Rural Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

THE PROFESSIONALS GUIDE TO CULTIVATION AND CROP ESTABLISHMENT

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EDITOR

Paul Titus

87 Stanbury Avenue, Christchurch ph (03) 381 6912 mob 021 655 092 email titus@agrimedia.co.nz

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Paula Forde mob 027 229 0362 email paula@agrimedia.co.nz

CIRCULATION

email admin@agrimedia.co.nz

PRODUCTION, LAYOUT & DESIGN

Hannah Kincaid

email art@agrimedia.co.nz

CONTRIBUTORS

Joanna Ibell, David Hill, Everett Thomas, Kathy Davis, Heather Chalmers, Jeremy Talbot, Bert Quin, Jim Lindsay, Elisabeth Johnston, Mike Turner, Bri Dalglish.

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TECHNOLOGY

03 Art and science of pasture renewal

04 Get to know your tine weeder options

06 Just one pass to regrass with mulcher-air seeder combo

08 Inter-row cultivation technology moves ahead quickly

11 Nozzle selection and other ways to maximise spray performance

14 Clever engineering behind new high-output air seeder

15 Environmental cost is palm kernel’s Achilles heel

16 A practical map to head towards regen ag

19 Focus on better strip tillage

22 Great Plains refines its primary vertical tillage tool

24 New starter fertiliser boosts phosphorus uptake

26 Väderstad Tempo picks up the pace with new electronics, liquid fert

27 Croplands to push MagrowTec spray enhancement

29 Is conservation tillage right for me?

30 Allophane’s amazing ability to sequester carbon

32 Single-disc drill ideal tool to renovate pasture

33 Short term cover crops can tick multiple boxes

35 Science behind fertiliser placement

38 Group says high-protein diets stifling dairy production

40 Easy graze kale like money in the bank for autumn-winter grazing

43 When it’s Crucial to turn paddocks around quickly

44 Aussie farm well down the track to robotic farming

46 Native planting part of effort to protect water, cut nitrogen use

48 Breakthrough slug bait scores instant results, no unwanted harm

49 Researchers team with Ngāi Tahu to develop soil health test

50 Ag sector losses from Chilean needle grass could reach $1 billion

52 Seven things to ask when considering biologicals

53 Weed seed destructor now available on more Deere combine harvesters

55 Rubber matting a shortcut to reduce pasture damage

56 Don’t get caught short when it comes to stirring

57 Landlogic eyes fresh horizons with regenerative ag machinery

58 Winter Star II annual ryegrass proves itself after maize in Waikato

60 Soil carbon credits – it’s complicated

62 Triple disc drills unlock high seed strike rates

64 Growers give thumbs up to Trichoderma seed treatment

PROFILES

66 Across the Ditch: Fernlee station, regenerating the land and people

70 Young contractor always learning

75 Canterbury family works hard, plays hard

EUROPEAN FARMERS ARE HOT AND BOTHERED

KIA ORA. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INTERESTING IMAGES OF FARMERS IN THE NEWS RECENTLY.

Like French farmers dumping tyres and manure on a highway and lighting it all on fire. And huge convoys of tractors choking up Paris and Berlin. And farmers hurling eggs at the European Parliament.

They are, of course, upset at some of the same things that farmers in Aotearoa are upset at. That is, pressure from government to reduce their environmental impact at a time when they face higher than ever production costs, price squeezes from middlemen and low cost foreign imports, particularly from countries with looser regulations.

The thing about farmers is that they have sheds full of toys they can use to make their presence known. They also have a natural constituency that tends to support them –people who want to eat.

So, it is not surprising that the European Commission is walking back some of its ambitious efforts to reduce nitrogen and pesticide use and greenhouse gas emissions.

But, if we follow the science, the climate crisis is not going to go away. Therefore neither will efforts to decarbonise not just farming

but also transportation and manufacturing. To divert farmers’ grievances (and in some cases their drift toward hard right political parties aligned with Vladimir Putin), the European Union will try to remove some of the burden on them. This could mean increased spending to help make the transition to cleaner production easier.

It is also likely the EU will require farmers in countries that sell them agricultural goods meet the same strict standards as their European counterparts. Presumably that means the pressure on Kiwi farmers to move in the direction of lower impact production is not going to let up.

If this edition of our magazine is anything to go by, the good news is that there is plenty of effort going in to develop more efficient, less harmful ways to farm.

We have articles on mechanical weeding, biological controls of pests, more efficient fertiliser use, cover crops, and the latest direct drills and strip tillers. So read on.

We also have a couple of lame jokes. Nga mihi.

After work, a business manager drove his secretary home after she had imbibed a bit too much at an office event. Although it was quite innocent, to avoid any misunderstand-

PAUL TITUS, EDITOR

ing he decided not to tell his wife.

Later that evening, he and his wife headed out to a restaurant. As he was driving, he looked down and saw a high-heeled shoe half hidden under the passenger seat.

He waited until his wife was looking out of her window, then he picked up the shoe and tossed it out of the car.

With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. He then noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.

“Honey,” she asked, “have you seen my other shoe?”

One evening a couple were sitting in their living room, sharing a drink. Out of the blue, the wife said, “I love you.”

“Is that you or the wine talking?” the husband asked.

“It’s me,” said the wife. “Talking to the wine.”

ART AND SCIENCE OF PASTURE RENEWAL

Article supplied by Barenbrug

WHAT’S THE HIGHEST YIELDING FEED CROP YOU CAN GROW ON YOUR FARM? MAIZE SILAGE? FODDER BEET? BRASSICAS?

Think again. It is none of these. The crop at the top of the heap dwarfs even the best of these options and often produces more than 100 tonnes of dry matter per ha.

This super-abundant crop is new pasture, and if are not used to thinking of it in these terms, it is time for a new perspective.

Give new pasture the same care this season that you give to sowing other crops, and the result will amaze you. It will also do great things for your cows and your bottom line.

The way we renew pasture these days is a leading cause of its disappointing performance and persistence.

We typically sow forage crops five times more carefully than we sow new pasture. Yet they yield far less over their lifetime. This does not make sense.

Kiwis are the world’s best pastoral farmers, so why do we do this? Because our priorities are wrong. Money and time come first in this scenario and the quality of the pasture comes last.

Grass is often drilled in a rush, jammed into tight rows via machines made for very different crops, outsourced to busy contractors, and left to fend for itself. It is no wonder that a lot of new pasture never lives as long as it should, nor reaches its full potential.

Step 1: Take your time

Achieving your best-ever pasture renewal this season starts with slowing down. You cannot rush a 100+ tonne/ha crop of new pasture.

Instead of hustling to get the job done as fast as possible, plan carefully and allow three weeks to do the job. If that seems too long, just think about how much time (and money) it takes to re-sow pasture that stops growing properly years before it should. Investing three weeks to do the job properly is nothing compared to how much you will get in return.

Step 2: Set the scene

If you use a contractor, get them on board early so they know you want the job done in a way that’s best for the pasture.

Sowing date, soil and weather conditions, drilling method, seedbed preparation, seed depth, tractor speed – no detail is too small for this discussion. Micromanagement is a strength, not a weakness, with new pasture. Don’t use a contractor? Review your own timing, technique and priorities the very same way.

Once that seed is sown, there is no going back to fix things that got missed. More problems with persistence and poor perfor-

mance start before or at sowing than at any other time during renewal.

Step 3: Respect the soil

Over-cultivating is out for your 100+ tonne/ ha feed crop (especially using PTO-driven equipment in dry conditions).

Without good soil structure, new grass and clover seedlings cannot anchor themselves firmly into the ground. They will struggle for water and nutrients, and may well get yanked out of the ground at the first bite. Use minimum till to retain soil moisture and integrity, and you win twice, because those newly sown paddocks will also come through their first winter and spring in much better shape. Over-cultivation leaves them so soft they often get pugged to pieces.

Step 4: Drill right

Wide-row drills are no friend to new pasture. Designed for cereals, they leave too much bare ground for weeds to take hold. As soon as that happens, pasture is compromised.

Better options are a roller-drill, broadcast sowing, cross or diamond drill, or use a narrow-row drill. In this way, you spread the pasture seed evenly across the soil and minimise weed competition right off the bat.

OVER ITS LIFE, PASTURE IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE CROP MOST FARMERS HAVE, SO IT PAYS TO TAKE AS MUCH CARE ESTABLISHING IT AS ANY OTHER HIGH-VALUE CROP.

NARROW ROW SPACINGS OR BROADCAST SOWING ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID COMPETITION WHEN ESTABLISHING PASTURE.

Remember clover seed suffers terribly when it is shoved into the same tight row as ryegrass seed. It is smaller, so it needs to be closer to the surface. It takes longer to get going, so if you want a good result, you need to allow for this.

Step 5: Keep watch

To fulfil their potential and live long, healthy lives, newly-sown pasture seedlings need you to be a helicopter parent, alert for any sign of weeds and pests, and ready to intervene at once if needed.

They also need to be treated with kid gloves through their first and subsequent grazings. It takes at least 12 months for any new pasture to become fully established, so don’t expect too much, too soon.

If you would like a hand planning your best-ever pasture renewal this season, just let us know through the Barenbrug website: barenbrug.co.nz. We are always here to help.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TINE WEEDER OPTIONS

A WORRYING INCREASE IN HERBICIDERESISTANT WEEDS HAS LED THE FOUNDATION FOR ARABLE RESEARCH TO TRIAL THE USE OF A MECHANICAL WEEDER AS AN ALTERNATIVE CONTROL IN ARABLE CROPS.

FAR researcher Matilda Gunnarsson says that over the past five years, FAR has collaborated with AgResearch to carry out surveys on randomly-selected arable farms across New Zealand to determine the extent of herbicide resistance. These surveys find herbicide resistant grass weeds are becoming common.

Five years ago, 14 weeds in New Zealand were identified as herbicide resistant. This has since increased to 21 weeds. The number of weed species is not the most worrying aspect of the problem, however. Rather it is the frequency of resistance on farms.

In almost all cases ryegrass is resistant to Group 1 and 2 mode of action herbicides. Therefore, resistance is a bigger problem in districts where grass seed crops are grown and rotation options are limited.

So, 71 percent of arable farms sampled in South Canterbury show resistance compared with 40 percent in Mid Canterbury and 11 percent in the lower North Island.

Mechanical weeding has traditionally been a tool that organic growers use, but in the last few years it has been increasingly adopted by conventional farmers, particularly in the United States and Europe, as chemical options become more limited or are no longer effective.

To assess the potential role of a tine weeder on New Zealand arable farms, a trial has been carried out in spring barley at FAR’s Kowhai Research site at Lincoln. The tine weeder is being tested on its own and as part of a herbicide-based weed control strategy.

Of the 10 treatments, five received no tine weeding and the other five had it when needed. Two different sowing dates were used,

September 1 and later on September 21 to encourage another flush of weeds.

Plots received a range of treatments including no herbicide, glyphosate pre-sowing, and pre and post-emergence herbicide.

Among the findings of the trial is that the best time for mechanical weeding is around midday on a sunny, windy day, so the weed seedlings dry out and die off.

FAR researcher Matilda says the success of a tine weeder depends on its angle, depth and speed. The faster the tine weeder is driven, the greater its performance power and success in controlling weeds. Though travelling at higher speeds also poses a greater risk to the crop.

“Contrary to popular belief, uprooting of weeds is not actually the main method of control. It is actually throwing soil on them,” Matlida says.

“About 50-70 percent of a tine weeder’s success in controlling weeds is from burying the weeds in soil at the cotyledon stage. Pulling

CHARLES MERFIELD DEMONSTRATES AN EINBOCK SPORTSTAR TINE WEEDER AT A FAR FIELD DAY WHILE MATILDA GUNNARSSON (BY TRACTOR WHEEL) LOOKS ON.

the weeds out of the ground contributes to about 30-50 percent of its success.”

She says whereas herbicides come with knowledge comes in the can, but with mechanical weeding it will be a learning curve and mistakes will be made.

“It will be different in every soil, crop and weed spectrum. So, it is a matter of trial and error and building your experience.”

At a field day at Kowhai, an Einbock SportStar tine weeder was demonstrated by Charles (Merf) Merfield, head of the Future Farming Centre at Lincoln. Merf says that mechanical weeders up to 20m wide are now used extensively in Europe and America.

“They have developed a huge amount of knowledge and expertise. Mechanical weeding can extend the weed management window in terms of weather and soil conditions. Controlling weeds with a tine weeder is ideal in windy, northwesterly conditions. If it is too wet for a tine weeder, then you have the herbicide option,” he says.

“The earlier farmers start using mechanical weeding as a replacement for one, two or three herbicide applications the more you will keep herbicide resistance at bay on your farm.”

FAR’S MATILDA GUNNARSSON SAYS THE SUCCESS OF A TINE WEEDER DEPENDS ON THE ANGLE IT STRIKES THE GROUND, ITS WORKING DEPTH AND ITS FORWARD SPEED.

TOP CLA SS PERFORMER

JUST ONE PASS TO REGRASS WITH MULCHER-AIR SEEDER COMBO

A FARMMAX AIR SEEDER ON A FORIGO MULCHER IS PROVING TO BE AN EFFICIENT, EASY WAY TO ESTABLISH NEW PASTURE.

Justin Thompson is farm manager at Mataka Station in the Bay of Islands, a sheep and cattle station within a large private conservation and residential estate. Mataka Station runs about 2,400 sheep and 220 cattle on 660 ha of pasture.

Justin purchased the air seeder-mulcher combination from FarmShop in October 2023. Justin likes its performance because it lets him achieve a couple of jobs in one swipe. He can get new pasture in quicker by mulching old grass and seeding clover at the same time.

Mataka Station’s farm operations and business are owned by a body corporate that takes a strong interest in the farm. It is a big slice of real estate and it requires top pasture and lawn management to preserve its natural beauty.

So, while quality livestock feed is Justin’s primary goal when using the seeder and mulcher combo, the by-product is a great-looking lush green grass for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Justin says the investment in the Forigo mulcher and FarmMax air seeder will likely pay for themselves in a couple of seasons. They enable him to do his work more efficiently and deliver fuel savings thanks to the onepass operation.

Made in Ireland, FarmMax pneumatic air seeders are simple and accurate. They effectively meter and spread small seeds and can be mounted onto a wide range of tractors.

Farmers appreciate the simplicity of mulching old grass and reproducing new grass in just one pass. Along with the direct cost saving from doing fewer passes, it makes it possible to re-graze cattle in the same paddock about three times faster than traditional methods.

Justin says FarmShop is great to work with. They set up the gear on-farm and showed him how to calibrate the seeder and get the best from it.

With just four bolts to change, FarmMax air seeders can fit onto many machines, including power harrows from 3m to 8m and rigid or folding grass tine harrows. It leaves no striping or lines in paddocks so the results are very even.

Two control options are available for Farm-

Max seeders, Basic Line Control and Total Control, which has a GPS speed sensor for ground speed.

FarmMax air seeders have a 400-litre hopper and can sow fine seeds such as mustard and turnip from a rate as low as 1 kg/ha or grass seed at 80 kg/ha.

Other options are low-cost green cover crops, or with GPS you have the accuracy needed to establish oil seed rape. Applying slug pellets and micro granular fertiliser are also options.

A 12-volt, 80-nm motor drives the fluted feed rollers through a six-speed chain and sprocket arrangement. This ensures the FarmMax achieves optimum rotor speeds. High-capacity twin electric impeller fans deliver a reliable and uniform spread (unlike automotive fans used by some other air seeders).

The agitation system eliminates seeds bridging and it can be disengaged when not required.

FarmShop technician Jeff Cole says mounting the FarmMax air seeder on a mulcher is good because it is very accurate and simple to calibrate. Because it is GPS-monitored, the flow of seed adjusts to the driving speed. A calibration tray is supplied with the seeder and stored on the side of the implement when not in use.

If you are considering investing in a seeder-mulcher combo, Forigo mulchers are a good choice for their robust design. Based in Italy, Forigo was established in 1972 when the Forigo brothers made their first power harrow inside a small factory. Fast forward to 2023 and their headquarters in northern Italy is 25,000 m2 and has a strong focus on customisation.

Forigo mulchers have wide skids and a large diameter rotor, which gives excellent inertia. The wide feet sit under the body of the machine, which stops them going out of shape. The roller on the back of the mower ensures contact with the soil, which is good for one-pass operations.

Both FarmMax seeders and Forigo mulchers can be purchased through FarmShop. They can arrange delivery and they carry a large inventory of back-up parts to reduce downtime.

FarmShop also has finance options and are happy to consider trade-ins. Check out their YouTube channel for excellent ‘how to’ videos. For more information, visit the website farmshop.co.nz.

A PADDOCK AT MATAKA STATION BEFORE REGRASSING WITH THE FORIGO MULCHER-FARMMAX AIR SEEDER COMBINATION (TOP) AND THE SAME PADDOCK FIVE WEEKS LATER (BOTTOM).

Accurate spreading pattern

Centreflow spreading system

Guaranteed accuracy on slopes

Automated application rate

INTER-ROW CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY MOVES AHEAD QUICKLY

WHETHER FARMERS OR CONTRACTORS ARE DEALING WITH HERBICIDE RESISTANT WEEDS OR SIMPLY WANT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS IN THEIR OPERATION, INTERROW CULTIVATORS ARE AN INCREASINGLY VIABLE OPTION.

The latest mechanical inter-row cultivators are accurate enough to remove weeds not only in row crops but also in maize, cereals and other forage crops.

Kverneland Group area director Anthony Gaubert says last year the company acquired advanced inter-row weeding technology when it bought the French company BC Technique. BCT built a reputation for its accurate interrow cultivators and guidance interfaces.

Now the range is branded Kver-

neland, and Anthony says over the past year they have seen very good results and positive feedback from different markets.

The cultivators also provide good synergies with other Kverneland products, such as the A-Drill pneumatic seed box, front-mounted F-Drill, or iXtra Life front tank for liquid fertiliser or band spraying.

The main items in line-up include the Lynx guidance interface, Onyx inter-row cultivator, and Helios rotary hoe. The new Arcadia precision tine harrow is also on the drawing board.

LYNX GUIDANCE

GPS and autosteer make interrow weeding more efficient, and it can be even more accurate

AN ONYX INTER-ROW CULTIVATOR CAN ACHIEVE MUCH MORE ACCURATE WEEDING WHEN CONNECTED TO A LYNX GUIDANCE INTERFACE.

with Kverneland’s Lynx guidance interface. With Lynx, many types of inter-row cultivators can

remove weeds right up to the crop without damaging it.

Anthony says there are two versions of the Lynx. The standard Lynx 2000 can take implements weighing up to 1600 kg while the heavy duty Lynx 3000 can handle implements up to 2800 kg.

“The smaller Lynx 2000 can handle most situations and it represents 80 percent of our sales. The Lynx 3000 represents 20 percent of our sales and it suits wide inter-row cultivators and/or hilly conditions.”

Lynx guidance delivers accurate weeding thanks to its camera-controlled side shift. It ensures absolute accuracy in the row even in hilly conditions or curved sowing lines.

It is also is easy to operate. The Lynx’s camera can recognise colours so it gives mechanical weeding in higher vegetation. Special row sensors or feelers also refine the steering of the Lynx.

Anthony says the British-built Tillett and Hague camera system is well-proven, even in crops such as carrots on 2 cm spacings.

“Among the unique selling points of the Lynx are its versatility and its strong, reliable design. It can be used with all types of inter-row cultivators.

“In fact, we have sold more Lynx guidance interfaces than Onyx inter-row cultivators, which means some Lynx units are being used with cultivators built by our competitors.

“Thanks to its robust design, it can move not only inter-row cultivators but also some other machines, such as seeding units.”

Critical components on the Lynx, including the control box and hydraulic cylinders, are well protected against dust and other risks.

ONYX INTER-ROW CULTIVATORS

There are three models in Kverneland’s range of inter-row cultivators – the Onyx 2000, Onyx 3000, and Onyx 4000 – and they provide working widths from 2.84m to 12.1m.

“We can offer up to 500 different configurations in terms of row and tines spacing and weeding equipment so Onyx cultivators can fit all type of crops, in all sort of conditions.

“A notable feature of the Onyx is

the heavy duty double H-frame. It is ready to support as many row units as needed, whatever the row spacings, whatever the accessories.

“With our patented universal frame, Onyx can be easily built like a Lego to work in all types of crops. For example, a 6m machine can weed in crops that are laid out 12 rows 50 cm wide, eight rows 75 cm wide or 48 rows 12.5 cm wide. The farmer doesn’t need to have three machines, and doesn’t need to buy an adapted seeding unit,” Anthony says.

Thanks to its mechanical or hydraulic parallelogram with conical pins and critical steel parts, the Onyx does not have any lateral movements, which increases its accuracy.

And with its exclusive X-Control system with a pre-loaded spring in the parallelogram, each row unit can penetrate even in very hard soils.

Onyx inter-row cultivators can be equipped with finger weeders, finger harrows, ridger shares, ridger discs, cutting discs and other tools so they can work in many types of crops.

Anthony says when Kverneland acquired BCT it said it planned to launch new options to enable the Onyx to work in even more crops. In combination with Kverneland A-Drill seed box the Onyx can sow cover–crops.

Or with an F-Drill distribution head it can be linked to a Kverneland front hopper (or competitor’s front hoppers) to seed cover-crops or drill fertiliser. In combination with an iXtra Life

KVENELAND SAYS WHEN ITS HELIOS WHEEL-TYPE HOE WEEDER IS FITTED WITH REAR FINGER HARROWS, IT CAN ELIMINATE VIRTUALLY ALL THE WEEDS IN A CROP.

front tank it can band spray pesticides or liquid fertiliser.

HELIOS ROTARY HOE

While not as popular as interrow cultivators, Kverneland rotary hoes are another option for mechanical weeding. There are four models in the Helios range and they extend from a 3m rigid version to a 6.4m foldable unit.

Helios hoes are built strong with the same double H-frame used for Onyx inter-row cultivators. Thanks to their ‘back-to-spoon’ shape, the star wheels can eliminate small weeds but not the crop.

The star wheels are made of cast-iron, so the Helios can put enough pressure on the soil to water in the soil where it is accessible to the roots of the crop.

With an optional hydraulic soft-control system, the star wheels can be used for ‘blind’ weeding without destroying any of the crop that has seeded but not emerged.

While most star wheel-type hoes can achieve 60 percent weeding efficiency, if the Helios is

THE OYNX IS A ROBUST, ACCURATE INTER-ROW CULTIVATOR THAT CAN BE MODIFIED TO WORK IN CROPS ON DIFFERENT ROW WIDTHS.

fitted with the optional rear finger harrow, it can achieve virtually 100 percent efficiency.

“Kverneland is one of the only manufacturers who can provide a rear finger harrow with pressure adjustment on the rear finger harrow.”

ARCADIA TINE HARROW

Anthony says Kverneland will soon add a new option to its interrow seeding line-up, the Arcadia precision tine harrow.

“We introduced the new concept Arcadia at Agritechnica 2023. Initially there will only be a 12m foldable model. It will have 10 baskets instead of eight, which is more typical. It will also provide different management options depending on the conditions in the field. For example the lateral baskets can be lifted to avoid collisions.

It will also offer section control in headlands, aggressive hydraulic adjustment and specially-shaped tines that can work with a minimal amount of pressure.

ROBUST, RELIABLE. EASY TO SET UP AND RUN.

YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

Renovator AS3000

3 to 4 metre tine air seeder packed with features for contractors and larger farms.

• Large dual 700 litre seed and fertiliser hoppers

• Optional electric drive for full fingertip control

• Air delivery system places seed accurately on flat ground or steep slopes

Enviro DD30

Accurate double disc air seeder plants seed and fertiliser in a closed slot with minimal disturbance for fast germination.

• Customise with a crane, electric drive and press wheels to suit your needs

• Large diameter discs cut through trash and ride over rocks

• Accurate and versatile seed metering system

Eco Seeder

Tine drill for smaller farms up to 100 ha at a price that won’t break the budget.

• Strong 25mm coil tines with Baker T boots place the seeds at the right depth and encourage quick and even germination

• Suitable for sowing small or awkward shaped paddocks and can quickly convert from trailed to 3PTL

• Add tine harrows and disc openers for increased versatility

Touch screen electric drive now available for all new and used Duncan seeders for simple and accurate calibration. Talk to us today.

NOZZLE SELECTION AND OTHER WAYS TO MAXIMISE SPRAY PERFORMANCE

By Jeremy Talbot, Talbot Agricultural Machinery

OF ALL THE TOOLS USED IN TODAY’S FARMING OPERATIONS, THE SPRAYER HAS THE MOST MONEY PUT THROUGH IT AND GENERALLY DETERMINES THE CROP’S FINAL YIELD.

Therefore, if the sprayer is not set up correctly, farmers and contractors will not apply sprays as well as they could, and this means a lot of money is wasted.

Among the critical decisions the sprayer operator has to make is what nozzles to use. One test conducted by Professor Paul Miller in his spray testing laboratory at the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering at Silsoe in the UK showed that using the right nozzles can increase the amount of chemical delivered to the plant by 300 percent.

I have worked with Paul since 1987. On one occasion I had a spray failure using air induction (AI) nozzles spaying Roundup 360 on Italian ryegrass.

He simulated this in his lab and showed that the AI nozzles would have to be used at 6 bar, not the 3 bar recommended on the packet, to get good coverage. And even then it would not be as good as a standard flat fan.

So let’s look at some basic rules we should consider when deciding which nozzles to use.

The first principle is the coarser the droplet, the quicker it will hit the ground and miss the target. Therefore, drift reduction and efficacy are opposites. In other words, the lower the drift, the less effective the spray will be getting onto the plant.

In leafy crops like potatoes and brassicas as well as in cereals, big coarse droplets just bounce off the plants and hit the ground. Finer nozzles allow spray to drift about in the crop so it can get onto the underside of the plants, where disease is often found. If the targets are small – for example, grass weeds or wild oats – they are even harder to hit.

LEFT: TWO 04 SIZE NOZZLES, A LECHLER AIR AI AND LURMARK DRIFT BETA AI. RIGHT: A LECHLER TWIN CAP HOLDER WITH TWO 02 ANTI-DRIFT NOZZLES SPRAYING AT 15° FRONT AND BACK. SPRAY LAB TESTS HAVE SHOWN THE TWIN CAP DELIVERS 300 PERCENT MORE CHEMICAL TO THE PLANT BECAUSE SMALLER DROPLETS SPRAYED AT AN ANGLE HIT THE PLANT RATHER THAN THE GROUND.

This is where the twin nozzle setup excels because the plants are hit from two angles with smaller droplets.

Not all twin nozzles are the same, however. Using high speed photography in the Silsoe test lab, we found that a vortex effect occurs if the nozzles are too close together. This causes a disrupted spray pattern.

For this reason we use either the Lurmark twin cap or the Lechlier twin cap because their nozzles are spaced apart and have an air foil that separates the airstreams to reduce interference and drift.

While a standard flat fan can do a good job, it may not provide the best use of the chemical and, therefore, return on your investment.

Institutes in Europe and North America have recently come out against the air induction nozzles and low water rates. This is because they can contribute to chemical resistance due to their low efficacy or low application rate. The EU is also about to mandate 150 litres/ha as a minimum for the same reason.

ONE TRUE TOOL

Mach Till 302 High Speed Disk

MACH TILL

Mach Till is the versatile, heavy built, low maintenance tillage tool that operates at high speeds without creating compaction layers while producing an eye appealing finish.Two rows of concave discs with independent torsion springs and a corrugated rubber furrow roller work to fracture, lift, mix, break up, level, and firm the soil.

Frame weight ensures a consistent working depth and durability at high speed

Hybrid horizontal tillage tool easily transports with narrow widths of 3.9 - 4.8 meters

For more information, contact sales@kinze-export.com

Cover 12–24 hectares per hour, depending on unit size, for improved productivity

Some years ago Jim Orson from The Arable Group in the UK was in New Zealand with FAR and he advocated application rates 100 litres/ha with AI nozzles and faster travelling speeds to increase sprayer output. The two countries that followed this advice were Australia and UK, and both are now victims of the highest grass weed chemical resistance because these are the hardest to hit.

AI nozzles often achieve a kill rate of just 85 percent. Work done at Silsoe showed that an increase of only 10 percent in kill rate from 89 percent to 99 percent resulted in a 1000 percent reduction in seed in the following crop. This can be done with just a nozzle change.

The biggest effect on sprayer output is the tank size and speed of filling. In the UK many farmers use a bowser to cart clean water and chemical to the sprayer to keep it going. This can double the hourly output and farmers here need to consider it as an option.

WORKING SPEEDS

The application rate can be altered a bit to suit tank sizes, but two things are not adjustable –the size and output of the nozzles and the correct spraying speed.

Each nozzle has a specific orifice size, and you can only adjust the output slightly by changing the pressure. For efficient operation this needs to be between 3 and 4 bar.

For example, a 04 nozzle at 3 bar puts out 1.6 litres/min and at 4 bar 1.85 litres/min. The most efficient speed at application rates of 160-185 litres/ha is 12 kph. This speed has been determined after many years of

research all over the world to give the best coverage and most output.

Most operators don’t factor in the speed, however, so pressure drops off at the headlands. For example, an operator is spraying at 180 litres/ha and driving at 12 kph and they then slow to 9 kph at the headlands. If you are spraying at 3.8 bar at 12 kph this drops to 2.1 bar at 9 kph which is below best practice pressure.

Now if we raise this to 14 kph spraying speed we would need to go to a 05 nozzle as the 04 would need around 6 bar to get this rate. But when slowing to 9 kph at the headland the pressure drops to 1.4 bar, which is barely enough to get a full spray pattern. This causes poor applications of the headlands.

Also, auto rate controllers start again at the speed when they were turned off. So, if you come in fast and shut off at 14 kph, when you turn on again you would only be doing 9 or 10 kph and the rate controller would then lower the rate causing considerable lag in the application rate when speeding up heading away from the headland.

PWM AND OTHER ISSUES

This same principle applies to other types of spraying system. The new pulse wave modulation (PWM) systems can reduce this effect, but then you have a considerable higher cost and an even higher maintenance cost due to the constantly pulsing nozzle bodies.

PWM is at its best on jobs where there are a lot of curves and you are using a wider boom. You need to be doing a lot of work like this to justify the costs, however.

FOR SPRAY ACCURACY, THE BOOM HEIGHT SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THE NOZZLE SPACING. SO, A BOOM WITH NOZZLES SPACED AT 400 MM NEEDS TO BE SET LOWER THAN 500 MM TO AVOID UNDER AND OVER LAPPING.

This has become an issue with some of today’s new chemical compounds that destroy O rings, diaphragms and other elements on sprayers. This is why at the end of each day it is important to flush with a minimum of 200 litres of clean water.

Nozzle composition is also important. For example, a brass nozzle has an operational life of about 50 hours and plastic ones last 100-200 hours. Good ceramic nozzles can last more than 3000 hours and yet they are not much different in cost.

Another issue is liquid fertiliser. P, K and N are mostly absorbed through roots so they must definitely be used with proper fertiliser nozzles to avoid wastage or burning the crop.

A fertiliser nozzle provides large droplets to ensure most of the product goes onto the soil. They can be umbrella-type nozzles, dribble bars or streamer systems. They still need large orifices because fertilisers often have impurities that would block conventional nozzles. Micro nutrients are different because they often have to be absorbed by the plant.

Chemicals that need to be applied to the soil, like Treflan, also benefit from being applied with twin caps because they provide better coverage of clods and uneven surfaces.

As rule of thumb the boom height should be the same as the nozzle spacing. So, a narrow-spaced nozzle of 400 mm needs to be set lower than 500 mm to avoid under and over lapping. A lower boom height requires better boom control.

Because most nozzles are set at 110° they should be at a height of 500 mm. The effectiveness of

penetration falls off quickly at a height of 700 mm and is reduced by more than 50 percent above 1.5m. So it is also important to ensure that the boom and suspension are set up correctly.

Other basic checks to do are first ensure that the boom is actually straight and sitting square in the back frame. Next raise the boom to about 1m and push the end down 500 mm and let it go; it should return to level and not bounce up and down.

Electronic boom sensing can work well sometimes but often it fights the manual system. In crops such as potatoes it's often best left turned off as the rows interfere with the sensor's height detection.

BOOM WIDTHS

In New Zealand sprayer boom widths are often determined by the working width of the spreader. There is no point in having a 36m spray boom unless you can spread to that width. Otherwise you will have a lot of wheel marks in your crops.

After years of testing spreaders and fertilizers I strongly advocate spray booms of 24m and a max width of 30m. With 24m you may get behind and need to bring in some assistance, but there are many 24m machines available (and not as many 30m or 36m).

Recent fertiliser spreader tests have shown that the 24m rule still applies, despite claims from some sales people.

The number of tramlines also isn’t as significant as you might think. Where you have 12 x 24m tramlines, you still need 10 X 30m tramlines. On a large field with 15 X 24m this only drops to 12 X 30m runs.

CLEVER ENGINEERING BEHIND NEW HIGHOUTPUT AIR SEEDER

STOCKS AG HAVE DEVELOPED THE NEW MAXI JET PRODUCT LINE-UP TO SPREAD SEED AND GRANULES WIDER AND AT HIGHER RATES THAN EVER BEFORE.

Designed to distribute material out to working widths of 15m and at rates of between 1 kg/ha and 200 kg/ha, the new Maxi Jet is a high output addition to the proven Turbo Jet range.

One of the new machine’s advantages is its versatility. It can be used to apply seed and granular products at extremely high rates up to 6m wide. Alternatively, it can be used to spread material up to 15m at more conventional application rates, making the Maxi Jet the widest-spreading Stocks Ag applicator to date.

To achieve the extra output and maintain a high level of precision, the UK-based design engineering team had to be innovative. The new model features external distribution heads along the toolbar while small-bore pipework is kept to a minimum to permit the free flow of air and material.

Options are to use two- and four-outlet metering units to supply the standard

eight-outlet distribution heads. This makes it possible to have up to 32 spreader plates across the working width of whatever machine the air seeder is fitted to.

Another option is larger bespoke distribution heads with up to 20 outlets each.

The two-outlet version of the Maxi Jet 2 is ideal for working widths of up to 8m. Twin high-capacity electric fans are fitted as standard, although there is the option of a hydraulically driven unit.

Hydraulic drive is standard on the four-outlet Maxi Jet 4, which is designed for machines

• Multi-functional stubble cultivators, work effectively near the surface and at depth.

• DSD technology automatically changes the angle of the discs as they penetrate the soil.

• Hydraulic weight transfer system ensures uniform tillage.

• Use independently or in combination with other trailing equipment.

• Contour XL is equipped with bigger, more effective, 610mm discs. Frame is raised to ensure optimum soil flow.

• Available in both trailed and three-point linkage options with working widths from 2.5-8m.

• 5.5m Disc Roller in stock POA

WITH FOUR-OUTLET METERING UNITS THE STOCKS AG MAXI JET CAN SUPPLY UP TO 32 SPREADER PLATES ACROSS THE WORKING WIDTH OF WHATEVER MACHINE THE AIR SEEDER IS FITTED TO.

up to 15m wide.

Propelling material out to the ends of a 15m toolbar at the same rate as those in the middle and ensuring the product is evenly distributed presents a challenge.

Spiral risers that create a swirl effect in

COMBI TILLER MKII: OPTIMUM SOIL LOOSENING

• Efficiently loosens the soil and breaks up hard layers without consolidating or bringing large clods to the surface.

• Varying options of tine type and staggered placement to effectively cultivate even the hardest soil.

• Can be used independently or in combination with other trailing equipment to make optimal use of your tractor and reduce number of passes.

• Use with a Disc Roller to rip and incorporate stubble into a well-drained and structural seedbed, or with a seed drill to cultivate and sow in one pass.

• Two types of stone protection available – hydraulic and quickpush.

• Working depth of up to 400 mm and working width options from 3 – 6m in rigid or hydraulic folding.

• 5m Combi Tiller MKII in stock POA

HEVA DISC ROLLER CONTOUR SERIES

ENVIRONMENTAL COST IS PALM KERNEL’S ACHILLES HEEL

DAIRY FARMERS’ RELIANCE ON IMPORTED PALM KERNEL EXPELLER (PKE) AS A SUPPLEMENTARY FEED FACES HEADWINDS AMID SHIFTING CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS, SAYS AGFIRST WAIKATO CONSULTANT RAEWYN DENSLEY.

This will drive farmers to look for supplementary feed options closer to home, providing opportunities for domestic maize silage and feed grain growers.

“From a crop perspective and for the New Zealand arable industry that is quite an exciting thing, because crops like maize have much lower GHG emissions than PKE,” Raewyn told the Foundation for Arable Research’s maize conference in Hamilton last month.

Significant expansion in the dairy industry between 1990 and 2020 led the national herd to lift by 2.6 million cows to 5 million and production to increase by 132 kg of milksolids/ cow. An extra 730,000 hectares was converted into dairying, much of this arable land in Canterbury.

This led to a massive increase in feed demand from 9.3 to 23.6 million tonnes of drymatter a year, driven by more cows, more hectares and more production per cow, Raewyn says.

“Over time, we have gone from a pasture-based dairy farm system to one that is still pasture-based, but is also quite reliant on other feed.”

About 15-20 percent of what New Zealand dairy cows eat isn’t pasture, and their supplementary feed includes PKE, a byproduct of the palm oil extraction process, fodder beet and maize silage.

Use of harvested crops (such as maize silage and feed barley), as well as grown supplements (such as, fodder beet, kale and swedes), is increasing by 5.6 percent a year. Imported feed, particularly PKE, is increasing

the airstream are fitted within the 63-mm hoses that supply the distribution heads. These disperse material evenly before it reaches the head and ensure uniform supply to each of the eight outlets.

As with all Stocks applicators, fluted feed rollers precisely meter material out of the hopper. New high-capacity rollers make it possible to handle large and small seeds at high

even more, by 9 percent each year.

“We think we are a pastoral dairy system and relatively self-contained, but 11 percent of feed used to feed our cows is produced internationally.”

Globally, New Zealand is the biggest importer of PKE at 21.3 percent, with most coming from Indonesia and Malaysia. This brings sustainability issues, Raewyn says.

Globally, Western consumers are moving away from palm oil, and a lot of big companies are backing research into alternatives. Consumers are also turning away from dairy products made from cows fed PKE. Fonterra now places limits on the amount of PKE its milk suppliers use.

Consumers want milk products with a low GHG footprint but PKE has issues with deforestation and methane production from palm oil extraction. It also creates much higher carbon losses than pasture, maize silage and grain.

“While New Zealand farmers are just getting their head around their GHG obligations from a government perspective, the reality is that the world has moved on. Consumers are not just interested in on-farm losses - they are also interested in embedded losses associated with farm inputs,” Raewyn says.

Climate change means farmers will continue to need more than just pasture to sustain

CONSUMERS ARE TURNING AGAINST THE USE OF ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL PALM KERNEL BUT LOCALLY GROWN SUPPLEMENTS CAN FILL THE GAP.

their herds but there is likely to be a move away from internationally-produced feeds. While buying in locally-produced crops will be the preferred option for some farmers, others may investigate dropping their stocking rate and growing their supplements on farm.

An AgFirst study Raewyn Densley was involved with, funded by Our Land and Water, showed that a North Island dairy farm system using home-grown feed was generally more profitable than one with imported feed. Reducing stocking rate and growing feed on farm resulted in a 6-13 percent reduction in biological GHG emissions for farms in all regions.

RESEARCH BY AGFIRST SHOWS THAT IN MOST CASES NORTH ISLAND DAIRY FARMS THAT USE FEED GROWN ON FARM ARE MORE PROFITABLE THAN THOSE THAT RELY ON IMPORTED FEED.

rates and high application speeds.

Maxi Jet can meter difficult flowing seeds at much lower rates. The feed roller can be configured to use just one segment to meter product to each secondary distribution head, and then divide the flow to the delivery hoses and out to each of the spreader outlets.

Rates are automatically controlled in proportion to forward speed by Stock’s i-CON

touchscreen monitor. Alternatively, the Maxi Jet can be managed by the tractor’s on-board ISOBUS controller. Variable application rates are also possible with a feed from a GPS control box.

The Stocks Ag Maxi Jet was launched at Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany during November 2023 and will be available to order in New Zealand by mid-2024.

A PRACTICAL MAP TO HEAD TOWARDS REGEN AG

CAN DAIRY FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND PROVIDE MORE BENEFITS TO FARMERS, THE LAND, COWS AND THE ECONOMY? WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS PREVENTING CHANGE AND HOW DO WE HELP FARMERS OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS?

These are some of the questions Dr Bert Quin from Quin Environmentals has been asking. Bert is a soil scientist from way back and his previous company came up with SustaiN, prilled urea coated with a urease inhibitor that delivers the same effect with less fertiliser, less cost and minimal leaching.

Recently Bert raised some ideas about the dairy industry in a think-piece in LinkedIn.

“We are not moving fast enough to move dairy farming to a position where it’s going to open up big markets for New Zealand or to successfully differentiate our dairy exports from what is available elsewhere.”

He thinks we should be targeting consumers in countries such as Europe, the US, the UK and India who are already showing a willingness to pay a 30 percent premium for sustainable products.

The logic is: Why fight for the right to supply the cheapest dairy products, when we could aim for consumers who are will-

ing to pay extra for products with a credible backstory? Can we produce less, but at higher quality for higher prices?

The tricky bit is the ‘sustainable’ part and what it might mean for dairy farmers. Bert's suggestion is that we actually help farmers.

This help can come in two forms. If knowledge is a barrier to change, then let’s help them get practical knowledge.

Rather than government research farms, we could instead employ the scientists to work with dairy farmers on their own farms to support research towards regenerative ag.

“It’s great to see a lot of farmers experimenting with different aspects of regen farming, but in my perspective there is not enough cohesion between what different farmers are doing to give us the rate of development towards regen ag as a brand.”

Therefore scientists should support research that spreads information and fosters movement towards regen ag. For

example, in Southland there are already trials on working dairy farms with input from farmers and scientists on bale grazing as a replacement for winter crops.

One advantage of farmers and scientists working together is that trials happen on a commercial scale and in wider farming systems. A farm is an ecosystem, so you need to consider how a change to one aspect will affect every other part.

KIWI FARMERS WHO TAKE PART IN PRACTICAL TRIALS TO DEVELOP A REGENERATIVE DAIRY SYSTEM, SHOULD BE PAID FOR THEIR EFFORTS, BERT QUIN SAYS.

The trials will also ensure that ‘sustainable’ goes from being a rather vague, feel-good term to something with practical steps farmers can take home. It is also harder for neighbours to ignore.

“Government research farms haven’t really had enough commercial focus to act as a driver for farmers to see what could be achieved, and what they could do.”

It is much harder to dismiss a change that is making the neighbour’s farm more profitable.

BERT QUIN SAYS, WHILE NITROGEN FERTILISER IS A VITAL TOOL IN ANY FARMING SYSTEM, ITS OVERUSE IS HARMING NEW ZEALAND’S DAIRY PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENT.

CLEAN GREEN WEED CONTRO L

KVERNELAND ONYX MECHANICAL WEEDER WITH LYNX GUIDANCE INTERFACE

Inter row weeding from 12.5cm rows up

Stimulates soil life by supporting soil aeration and mineralisation

Protects soil moisture within the seedbed layer

High tech colour scanner camera

Special row sensors/feelers to support steering

Efficient and precise weeding

LYNX GUIDANCE INTERFACE

NORTH ISLAND

Another way to help farmers is financially. If financial risk is a barrier to changing farming practices, then remove it. If farmers are doing well, then the economy benefits, so let’s support them as they transition towards regen ag.

It is comparable to subsidising electric vehicles. The majority of us agree that climate change is a global threat and we need to decrease greenhouse gases, hence the nudge towards transport that decreases the use of fossil fuels.

Eventually we will not need it, but it is an inducement to change. And if we can do it for car owners, we can do it for farmers who feed us all.

“The government could guarantee a return to farmers who join the research that is no less than conventional farmers are getting. This could last for an agreed period of say five to six years.”

Also many farmers are already heading towards regen ag to lower their costs, so it is quite likely they will not need the subsidies. But knowing financial help is there, takes the pressure off.

Another barrier to change is the mindset that values production rather than profit. If production drops $100,000 but costs drop $200,000, then farmers are better off.

For example, legumes should be providing most of a pasture’s nitrogen requirements, but there are still pinch points when

an application of urea is handy.

The SustaiN fertiliser that Bert helped develop is more efficient than granular urea. But, he says, the current supplier is still selling as many tonnes of it which means farmers are using more of it.

Farmers do get an increase in production with the increased rate, but it costs more, knocks back legumes and produces more greenhouse gases. Therefore, they end up favouring production over profit.

Bear it in mind that this is a think-piece, a vision of where we could be as a country that produces high quality products in a way that improves the land and cares for people and animals. Caring for people includes caring for farmers and their future.

The joy of a vision is that even if you are not there right now, it provides a compass setting to guide choices. Bert hopes there will be interest from enough in the ag sector to give the vision momentum.

He says a key problem with dairy farming is the excessive use of nitrogen. Rye grasses have been developed that produce high yields but only with excessive nitrogen. This then wipes out the clover and other legumes.

“The levels of nitrogen required to reach the potential are in my view not compatible with grazed farming. It’s bad for the environment as the level of uptake by the plant is so high that there is excessive nitrogen in the cows’ urine.

“As it stands, it is still cost effective for the farmer, but only because we are taking into account the cost to the environment - that is the downstream costs in terms of water quality and greenhouse gas emissions.”

It is becoming harder to separate farming from those costs. That means there are incentives to move towards regen ag and give farmers choices.

This is better than being in the position where the only markets available to Kiwi dairy farmers are the cheapest with consumers untroubled by collateral damage.

THE VISION

Bert says it is difficult to define regen ag because it is more about principles than hard rules. One focus is diverse pastures.

“To me that is the real lynch pin for regen dairy farming. It does not say exactly which species, just that diversity works best, and you pick the species that suit your climate and what you are trying to achieve.”

Another principle is rotational grazing, with longer spells between grazings. This means cows are going into longer vegetation and leaving more behind, which covers the soil.

Other principles are to avoid bare soil and minimise soil disturbance. Bert’s pet hate is that so-called permanent pastures are replaced every five years or so.

“My understanding is on a typical dairy farm at any one time a

paddock has been sprayed, possibly cultivated and resown with new pasture. That is not permanent pasture. That is a crop.

“As we re-sow pastures more and more, then the inherent advantages of grazed pastures are disappearing compared to housing cows in barns and bringing grass to them.”

We lose the competitive advantage compared to many European housed herds but still have the extra transport costs to get products to our (cheap) markets on the other side of the planet.

Excessive fertiliser also results in plants with shallow roots and less resilience.

The name Bert has given to this sustainable vision is ‘Regenza’ (Regenerative New Zealand Agriculture). He has trademarked the term to protect it from those who prefer greenwashing over real change.

It is a potential brand for Kiwi farmers who are committed to producing high quality food while caring for people, animals and the environment.

“If a farming group wants to use it and they are producing regen-grown produce, then I will hand it over. In the meantime it is protected,” he says.

ELEMENTS

IN A REGENERATIVE DAIRY FARMING SYSTEM INCLUDE DIVERSE PASTURES AND LONGER SPELLS BETWEEN GRAZINGS. PHOTO COURTESY OF SYMBIOSIS.

FOCUS ON BETTER STRIP TILLAGE

WHILE STRIP TILLAGE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SOME TIME HORSCH HAS NOW TAKEN THE PRACTICE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THE HORSCH FOCUS TD SYSTEM PREPARES WELL-WORKED SEEDBED STRIPS AND CAN ALSO PLACE FERTILISER WHERE GROWING PLANTS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.

Carrfields precision and technology manager Paul Collins says the Horsch Focus TD strip tiller gives contractors and farmers the ability to do straight strip tillage or to do one-pass strip tillage, fertilising and precision planting.

The Horsch Focus is available in working widths of 3m, 4m and 6m. It is a primary cultivation tool that can be used on its own or in combination with a Horsch Maestro precision planter. The Maestro is available with a vacuum or pressure metering format.

“Strip tillage aims to reduce the amount of soil moved when establishing seedbeds for row crops such as maize, sweet corn, fodder beet and canola. The principle of the Horsch Focus is to create the perfect root zone using as little cultivation and unnecessary soil movement as possible,” Paul says.

“It uses a very narrow tine that is specifically designed to alleviate compacted soil

beneath the plant. The tine can operate at depths of 200-330 mm. It creates an ideal environment for roots to develop and it allows you to choose the depth at which you place the fertiliser to target the zone where plants will readily take it up.”

Due to the tine’s loosening effect, the crop is more drought resistant because plants can grow faster and put down deep roots.

TINES ON THE HORSCH FOCUS CAN BE FITTED WITH POINTS THAT LOOSEN THE SOIL AT DEPTH BUT DO NOT CAUSE EXCESSIVE MIXING OR BRING CLODS TO THE SURFACE.

Depending on the planter the Focus strip tiller is paired with, the distance between the

The all-new Continental Farm Tyre range has extra grip to help lower fuel costs and get the job done faster. Then there’s N-Flex resilience for extra damage resistance and a longer lasting, more comfortable ride. All backed by a 10-year manufacturer's warranty.

Technology that’s ahead of its field. So you can stay ahead in yours.

tilled strips is generally set at spacings of 30 cm, 50 cm or 75 cm for crops such as rape, fodder beet, sunflower and maize. In certain cases, it can also be configured down to 15 cm row spacing for cereals.

The TerraGrip tines on the Focus TD are the same as those on Horsch’s Terrano stubble cultivators. TerraGrip tines can be specified with several different types of points, including the LD and the ULD.

LD points loosen the soil at depth without excessive mixing and without bringing clods to the surface. The loosening effect brings moisture into the germination zone. The LD Plus is the same point with a carbide coating for more wear resistance.

ULD points cultivate and loosen the soil to a depth of 30 cm but their shape breaks the soil in three directions – laterally and upwards. The shape of the ULD point protects the tine shaft and prevents any soil or clods from reaching the surface.

When it is integrated with the Horsch seed bar, the Focus is equipped with two hoppers: one for seed, which is sown using disc

coulters, and another for fertiliser, which is applied by the cultivating tines.

“Along with a seed hopper and a fertiliser hopper, the Focus can be fitted with a 400-litre tank to apply micro nutrients, slug bait or small seeds,” Paul says.

“The system is very flexible. A simple adjustable deflector is fitted to the tine which can be set to spread a small quantity of fertiliser on the surface with the balance down the leg, depending on crop and environmental conditions.”

Other options to improve the performance of the Focus and planter are to attach covering discs or a crumbling tool, depending on the type of soils you work with.

Paul says for growers in Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki Manawatu and Canterbury, the Focus strip tiller provides the means to reduce the cost of moving between grass and maize crops.

It requires less fuel to only cultivate part of the paddock and the number of inputs needed is reduced because they are targeted rather than blanket spread. Combining the Focus

THE HORSCH FOCUS TD CAN BE COMBINED WITH A MAESTRO PLANTER TO DO ONE-PASS STRIP TILLAGE, FERTILISING AND PRECISION PLANTING.

with a planter further reduces field passes.

“People are experimenting with strip tillage, with some very positive results. One option is to sow a crop of clover to fix nitrogen and suppress weeds. You can then strip till directly into it or spray out in bands that will coincide with the tilled strips.”

Moving far less soil, fixing nitrogen, and placing nutrients exactly where they can be best utilised by the plant makes one pass strip tillage a very attractive proposition.

Carrfields will be running demonstrations with the Horsch Focus TD. The 6.50 TD is on 50 cm spacings while the 6.75 is on 75 cm spacings.

For further information or to book a demonstration, call Paul Collins on 021 0868 5577 or email pn.collins@carrfields.co.nz.

GREAT PLAINS REFINES ITS PRIMARY VERTICAL TILLAGE TOOL

GREAT PLAINS DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT OF VERTICAL TILLAGE AND NOW IT HAS UPGRADED THE MAIN WEAPON IN ITS VERTICAL TILLAGE ARSENAL, THE TURBO-MAX SEEDBED PREPARATION TOOL.

The new Turbo-Max VT1100 can be specified with ISOBUS and it has more features and options to create well-finished, uniform seedbeds with fewer passes. The new offerings include a double basket finishing reel with hydraulic down pressure, a chopper reel to size tough residues, a choice of larger diameter blades, and a longer, more robust frame.

Kubota Australia-NZ Great Plains product manager John Moloney says traditional cultivation tools, whether speed discs, offset discs or the plough, move the soil horizontally as they scrape and invert it.

These tools can bury residue effectively and leave a smooth

finish for a seed drill or precision planter. Despite this, what lies below the surface may not be ideal.

Concave discs that slice and push the soil sideways may leave a corrugated layer below the surface that disrupts the performance of a precision planter. What’s worse is repeated passes with discs or a plough can create density layers that can cause waterlogging and prevent root growth.

“As well as compaction beneath the surface, speed discs can work topsoil excessively leaving it vulnerable to erosion from wind and rain,” John says.

“With true vertical tillage the flat, wavy Turbo discs lift and spade the soil without moving it sideways. They create a consistent soil profile without density layers.

“This can lead to higher yields by removing restriction to root growth and improving water infiltration. Also the Turbo blades and finishing tools work together to cut through residue and pin it to the surface where it protects

GREAT PLAINS’ NEW VERTICAL TILLAGE TURBO-MAX VT1100 STILL DELIVERS A CONSISTENT SOIL PROFILE WITHOUT DENSITY LAYERS AND IT COMES WITH NEW ATTACHMENTS AND A LONGER, STRONGER FRAME.

the soil and prevents erosion as it decomposes.”

John says vertical tillage is best used as part of a system that begins with resetting the soil profile to remove density layers. This is typically done by deep ripping with a Great Plains subsoiler or similar deep cultivation tool. Once any pans or density layers have been broken up, a true vertical tillage tool such as the Turbo-Max can complete cultivation but still maintain the consistency of the soil profile.

“Even if you go to the expense of deep ripping density layers can quickly return if cultivation work resumes with standard cultivation tools. With a vertical tillage tool, you can maintain soil structure longer. It can easily be five or six years before you have to perform deep cultivation again.”

Like the earlier version of the Turbo-Max, the new Turbo-Max VT1100 has adjustable gangs of blades. This allows the operator to change tillage intensity and move more soil when needed, for example when levelling

in wheel tracks or ruts.

A notable feature of the original Turbo-Max is its ability to hydraulically adjust the angle of the gangs from 0° to 6° on the go. In true vertical tillage mode, the discs are set at 0° so they are parallel to the implement’s direction.

“When preparing a seedbed, the operator may confront wheel tracks or heavy residues and they have the option to change the angle of the discs up to 6° to move soil more aggressively in the style of disc cultivators with concave discs,” John says.

“Our new Turbo-Max VT1100 retains this popular feature. All models are equipped with hydraulic cylinders to make gang angle changes on-the-go. Heavy, ductile cast spools keep weight in the gangs, ensuring reliability of the C-shanks and bearings.

“The VT1100 also retains hydraulic assistance for contour following. It allows the centre section and the two wings to operate independently with consistent downforce. This makes the Turbo-Max very effective on

undulating ground.”

The Turbo-Max VT1100 can operate at 10-15 kph so can keep up the pace needed in today’s high output farming operations.

Working widths for the latest Turbo-Max are from 3m to 12m.

The demonstration model coming to New Zealand this autumn is 6m wide and it can fold to 3m for transport.

In addition to the standard 20-inch diameter Turbo blades that featured on the previous Turbo-Max, the VT1100 can be specified with 22-inch blades.

John says the 20-inch Turbo blade can work as deep as 5 inches (125 mm) but most operators run them at 2-3 inches.

“The original 20-inch blades work best in soil that is harder and drier and has a medium-toheavy texture. They are also the better option in rockier terrain, so they are preferred in New Zealand. The new 22 Turbo blades are ideal in soils with a lighter texture, where working deeper is desired.”

Great Plains listened to its customers around the world when developing the Turbo-Max VT1100. One of the things Kiwi and Australian farmers and con-

tractors wanted was more robust rear finishing reels that could deliver a fine finish but also handle tough conditions and fast working speeds.

The original Turbo-Max had a single finishing reel with flat bar construction. Now there is the option of heavy-duty double finishing reels, which can be specified with a new round bar construction. Reels with round bars

IDEAL FOR NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS, THE TURBOMAX VT1100 CAN BE FITTED WITH HEAVY-DUTY DOUBLE FINISHING REELS, WHICH CAN BE SPECIFIED WITH A NEW ROUND BAR CONSTRUCTION.

are proven to be more durable in stony conditions.

A new hydraulic down pressure system means the double finishing reels are more effective at breaking down clods.

Great Plains also offers two different intermediate tools that can sit between the cultivating blades and the finishing reels.

One option is a set of rolling spike harrows designed to brush

off any ridges left between the vertical tillage disc. This spike roller thoroughly mixes soil and residue, which helps create a smooth, uniform seedbed.

Another option is to insert a knife roller after the blades. It is designed to cut through residues, so it is ideal when working in an ex-maize paddock, in heavy cereal stubbles or potato vines.

NEW STARTER FERTILISER BOOSTS PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE

By Everett Thomas, Oak Point Agronomics

FARMERS USE WHAT’S OFTEN CALLED A STARTER FERTILISER IN MAIZE PLANTERS AND GRAIN DRILLS TO GET SEEDLINGS OFF TO A FAST START. STARTER FERTILISERS ARE AVAILABLE IN BOTH GRANULAR AND LIQUID FORMS, AND THE GRANULAR FORM IS MOST COMMON.

Phosphorus is the most important nutrient in seedling growth and early development, so starter fertilisers are high in P. The basis for most starter fertilisers is monoammonium phosphate, typically referred to as MAP.

This fertiliser can be blended with potassium or any of several secondary micronutrients to give a wide range of formulas. The most common analysis for MAP is 13-52-0, which means that 100 kg of MAP contains 13 kg of ammonium nitrogen and 52 kg of phosphate.

It has been a very long time since farmers have seen any significant changes in starter fertilisers, but a Pennsylvania-based company, Phospholutions, has developed a new type of starter fertiliser that is now commercially available in the US Corn Belt.

The product is RhizoSorb 8-390, a dry granular starter fertiliser. Phospholutions claims that its use gives plants increased phosphorus throughout the growing season.

RhizoSorb is embedded in the fertiliser granule during production. It can be used in a way similar to 13-52-0 MAP, either as it comes out of the bag or bin, or it can be blended with a potassi-

um fertiliser such as muriate of potash (0-0-60) to make a complete N-P-K fertiliser.

Phospholutions has been conducting both small-scale and field-size trials in the US for the past five years, and the reported results are very encouraging and this has led to the 2024 commercial roll-out.

RhizoSorb 8-39-0 is currently registered in every US state except California and Maryland, but as noted almost all use this year is expected to be on maize in several Midwestern states.

While the initial focus will be on maize, there is no reason why it could not be used in a starter fertiliser for soybeans, lucerne, small grains or other direct-seeded crops.

RhizoSorb 8-39-0 is reported to result in a 50 percent increase in phosphorus uptake, which can lead to a 33 percent reduction in the application rate. Phospholutions claims it can deliver a 20 percent increase in return on investment (ROI), primarily due to lower fertiliser costs with a similar crop yield.

No data is currently available on the yield response to varying rates, but it’s expected that the product would be more profitable where high rates of starter P are needed. This would sug-

gest that arable farms would have more use for this fertiliser than dairy farms, because the typical dairy farm has a positive P balance due to regular manure applications. This may also be why the initial marketing focus is on the US Corn Belt.

Phospholutions commissioned a ‘cradle-to-grave’ study by another Pennsylvania company, Sustainable Solutions Corporation, to compare MAP with RhizoSorb 8-39-0, with a focus on the environmental impact of the two products. A cradle-tograve study includes all inputs of the system from raw materials, transportation and production.

The results of this study found that RhizoSorb had significant impacts on reducing eutrophication, ozone layer depletion and acidification. Combined, this amounts to a 45 percent decrease in carbon emissions.

This was primarily due to the assumed 33 percent lower application rate used to achieve comparable maize yields. If

AMERICAN COMPANY

PHOSPHOLUTIONS SAYS ITS NEW RHIZOSORB STARTER FERTILISER DELIVERS A 50 PERCENT INCREASE IN PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A 33 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE APPLICATION RATE.

these results can be replicated in farmers’ paddocks, even if the product is only used in the US for maize production, its use has the potential of billions of kilograms reduction in carbon emissions.

Note that we are early days in the use and range of adaptability of this innovative fertiliser product and to date we are relying on data from the Phospholutions company. At this point this information should be considered as a ‘heads-up’, and a suggestion to be on the lookout for more information as it becomes available, both from the company and from neutral sources.

If it works as well in farmers’ fields as has been reported in company trials, there seems to be little to prevent this technology from eventually being used on a much wider scale, both in the US and licensed for international manufacture and sales.

THE FIRST COMMERCIAL RELEASE OF RHIZOSORB IS TO US CORN GROWERS, BUT IT COULD BE USED AS A STARTER FERTILISER FOR SOYBEANS, LUCERNE, SMALL GRAINS OR OTHER DIRECT-SEEDED CROPS.

VÄDERSTAD TEMPO PICKS UP THE PACE WITH NEW ELECTRONICS, LIQUID FERT

VÄDERSTAD HAS MADE TWO IMPORTANT UPDATES FOR ITS 2024 MODEL TEMPO HIGH-SPEED PRECISION PLANTERS. THEY ARE THE ADDITION OF NEW ELECTRONICS TO OPTIMISE ACCURACY AND A NEW LIQUID FERTILISER SYSTEM.

Tempo row units will be upgraded with Väderstad's own WSX electronic system. WSX has brushless motors and better cabling performance than the previous electronics, which will improve its planting accuracy.

Norwood imported brands manager Greg Moore says with the WSX electronics system accuracy is increased because it gives Väderstad the ability to integrate three new features into the Tempo.

They are automatic seed singulation, active hydraulic row unit downforce, and curve compensation.

With automatic seed singulation, the seed meter delivers precise seed singulation without the need for manual settings. Each row unit has sensors that continuously monitor seed singulation and automatically adjust the singulators to the optimum setting.

“Automatic singulation saves time and increases productivity

in the field which will be appreciated by farmers and contractors who are regularly changing crops,” Greg says.

Active hydraulic downforce ensures precise planting depth by increasing or decreasing pressure on the row units depending on the soil conditions. Pressure will decrease in lighter field areas and increase in harder soil conditions.

One active hydraulic row unit downforce system covers the width of the planter. Individual row units can also have their own active hydraulic downforce, which can improve tramlining and prepare un-planted tracks for the sprayer.

When the Tempo has individual active hydraulic downforce for each row unit, it can use the system to relieve pressure and lift individual row units when making the tramlines. Active hydraulic downforce works with the planter’s dynamic tramlining system so tramlines are clearly visible to the sprayer operator before the crop has emerged.

Curve compensation ensures a consistent metering output over the entire planter width when turning. Inner row units will temporarily decrease their metering rate, while outer row units will increase it.

“Gyro sensors identify when the machine is turning and adjust the metering output of each row

unit to always ensure a consistent rate over the full planter width.”

Greg says the electronic WSX system and these three new features are available for Tempo L 8-32, Tempo V 6-12 and Tempo F 6-8. They premiered at the Agritechnica international tradeshow in November 2023.

A limited series of machines will be planting for this year’s Northern Hemisphere spring planting season. Commercial production starts in the Northern summer of 2024. The first units will be available in New Zealand for planting in Spring 2025.

LIQUID FERTILISER

Väderstad's Tempo L 8-24 range can now also be specified with a liquid fertiliser system. It features easy setting, full control, and row-by-row precision.

The system has a 2000-litre plastic hopper for liquid fertiliser. It can be applied in the seed row via the row units or beside the

VÄDERSTAD TEMPO L PRECISION PLANTERS CAN NOW ALSO BE SPECIFIED WITH A LIQUID FERTILISER SYSTEM.

THE TEMPO’S NEW ELECTRONICS PERMIT AUTOMATIC SINGULATION, WHICH USES SENSORS TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST THE SINGULATORS TO THE OPTIMUM SETTING.

seed row via fertiliser coulters. Operators can use a wide range of liquid fertiliser rates without changing nozzles.

“With the new fertiliser system, the Tempo can handle standard liquid fertiliser doses from 30 to 200 litres/ha without changing nozzles, at a row spacing of 750 mm and a driving speed of 15 kph,” Greg says.

To control the liquid fertiliser metering, flow sensors constantly monitor the output rate. The system uses this real-time feedback of the output to automatically maintain the selected output rate.

“Operators can set the liquid fertiliser rate in terms of litres/ ha and monitor the flow passing through the system. The machine automatically controls the output rate on the move so there is no need for calibration,” Greg says.

The liquid fertiliser system is fully integrated into Väderstad’s E-Control iPad-based control system, which gives the operator full control of the planting operation.

Its liquid fertiliser tank can be filled using an external pump, gravity, or the on-board pump. To ensure safe operation, the Tempo is equipped with a water tank, washing system and compartments for personal protective equipment.

The new liquid fertiliser will be available for the Tempo L 8-24 from spring 2024.

CROPLANDS TO PUSH MAGROWTEC SPRAY ENHANCEMENT

AUSTRALASIAN SPRAY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER

CROPLANDS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH MAGROWTEC TO DISTRIBUTE ITS MAGNETICALLY ASSISTED SPRAY TECHNOLOGY TO FARMERS AND CONTRACTORS IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.

MagrowTec has carried out in-field crop science studies in both Aotearoa and Australia, and they have consistently demonstrated that the technology delivers significant agronomic benefits. This includes improved coverage, better canopy penetration, improved water management and drift reduction.

MagrowTec business development manager David McGrath says the company is very excited about the potential of the New Zealand market.

"Based on the results from comprehensive horticultural studies, using MagrowTec gives significant improvement in spray coverage, even at reduced appli-

cation rates. This will have major importance to New Zealand farming businesses looking to reduce waste, improve profits and safeguard the environment.”

David says the technology offers a unique opportunity to save a lot of money by boosting the effectiveness of spraying and promoting sustainable agriculture for a prosperous future.

Croplands general manager Sean Mulvaney says his company is proud to partner with MagrowTec to bring their magnetic spray technology solution to more farmers and contractors.

“Equally exciting is that the solution can be retrofitted to existing boom sprayers or on to

new builds,” Sean says.

The addition of MagrowTec’s patented technology to Croplands’ extensive range of specialised spraying solutions will provide growers with simple, leading edge technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their existing boom spray applications.

Its simplicity is not only in the benefits the magnetic fields impart into the fluid, but also in the fact the system can be installed on any boom sprayer. It requires no power, has no electronics, can be transferred to new boom sprayers, and is virtually

BY MAGNETICALLY CHARGING SPRAY CHEMICALS, MAGROWTEC IMPROVES COVERAGE, GIVES BETTER CANOPY PENETRATION, IMPROVES WATER MANAGEMENT AND REDUCES DRIFT.

maintenance free.

Croplands and MagrowTec look forward to engaging with growers and agronomists to discuss how the technology might benefit their businesses. For further information, contact your local Croplands territory manager.

Mek Series Power Harrow

Reliable, intensive seedbed preparation

Break up soil, refine it, and distribute it evenly. Models range f rom 125cm up to 700cm, all with heavy duty drivelines

• Extra heavy duty gearboxes

• Rotor stone protection

• Spherical roller bearings

NEW FOR 2024!

4-Row and 8-Row machines available for spring 2024

» PTO powered strip tiller with loosening tyne

» 30yrs experience in power strip technology

» High quality Swiss engineering

» Suitable from 200-400Hp

» Fertilizer tank packages available Industry-first European 8 Row Folding unit!

NO-TILL OR STRIP TILL MAIZE ESTABLISHMENTS HAS LOTS OF ATTRACTIONS BUT CONSIDER ALL THE ISSUES AND TALK WITH ADVISERS BEFORE MAKING THE SWITCH.

IS CONSERVATION TILLAGE RIGHT FOR ME?

By Mike Turner, Corson Maize senior research agronomist

THE SOIL IS A FARM’S MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE AND THE FOUNDATION UNDERPINNING ITS PRODUCTION. THEREFORE, DECISIONS THAT AFFECT SOIL HEALTH CAN HAVE LONG-TERM POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACTS.

Every time we cultivate there is a burst of microbial activity and oxygen levels in the disturbed soil increase. In the absence of large volumes of organic matter being incorporated through green-manure crops, this burst of microbial activity results in a flush of carbon dioxide and a corresponding net loss of soil carbon and organic matter from the soil.

Over time production systems that rely on cultivating the soil multiple times each season can suffer a significant loss of soil organic matter and productivity. Furthermore, freshly cultivated soils also have an elevated risk of erosion from wind and rainfall.

For these reasons, we should always be mindful of the need to cultivate the soil. So why cultivate? We tend to cultivate for several reasons, including:

• To reduce soil compaction.

• To aerate and warm the soil so we can sow earlier and more of the growing season.

• To prepare a fine seedbed to establish the crop (depending on seed size).

• To bury crop residues to mitigate pest and disease pressure.

• To incorporate fertilisers, green manures and, at times, pre-emergent herbicides.

• Because that is what we have done in the past and it is what most other farmers do. Reduced or conservation tillage in its various forms aims to conserve or improve soil health, organic matter, moisture availability and drainage. At the same time it seeks to reduce inputs and other costs while either maintaining or enhancing yields and/or profitability.

Consequently no-till and strip-till are gaining popularity in New Zealand maize production systems.

Both strip and no-till establishment can achieve significant savings in fuel consumption and time. It is also true, however, that no-till and strip-till systems tend to require a bit of extra effort and expense when it comes to protecting the crop from pests such as slugs, so this may offset some of the fuel savings.

In no-till systems, crops are sown directly into the soil with no prior tillage or cultivation operations. No-till cropping has been around for decades. More than 104 million acres of maize was grown using no-till in the USA in 2017. So, we know it works!

The Foundation for Arable Research has been using no-till with maize for several years now and has found it to be as profitable as full cultivation systems, providing the fundamentals are adhered to.

The thing with no-till cropping is that planting often takes place a bit later to allow the soils to warm up. Timing is critical and soil moisture must be at optimum levels

(think damp but crumbly, rather than sticky, smeary) for even crop emergence.

Pest and disease control should be at the forefront of a no-till programme. This means controlling slugs, weeds and hybrid diseases.

Under no-till it is difficult to get a true fallow period to help with pest control and ensure the roots from pasture have rotted enough to enable adequate soil-tilth.

Strip-tillage was pioneered in NZ back in the early 2000s, mainly on the East Coast of the North Island, with some very positive results. As is often the case, however, adoption is often slow unless there is a reason to change.

With more and more pressure on farmers from all directions, it is little wonder that there is renewed interest and more contractors are offering strip-till as an option.

Before jumping in boots and all, it is worth considering that some soils are well suited to no-till or strip-tillage, whereas others may not be. A heavy, compacted, pugged or wetter paddock is probably not a good place to test the waters.

On the other hand, a lighter textured or rolling paddock prone to drying out and/or erosion when heavy rainfall strikes before canopy closure would be the ideal place to start down your minimum or no-tillage journey.

As always, it often pays to seek advice before making any major changes to your operation, and there is certainly a lot to consider when it comes to conservation tillage. Your contractor is a good place to start, or get in touch with a Corson Maize rep to discuss your paddock prep options.

ALLOPHANE’S AMAZING ABILITY TO SEQUESTER CARBON

UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK FOR A DECADE, IT WOULD BE HARD TO MISS THE IDEA THAT TAKING CARBON (AS CO2) OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND INTO THE SOIL IS A GOOD THING.

This is particularly true if it holds onto nutrients and water in the soil because it reduces leaching and adds more resilience during dry conditions.

In the age of climate change caused by mankind’s greenhouse gas emissions, holding carbon in the soil is an advantage all by itself. The challenging part is how to permanently hold more carbon in the soil.

Almost all developed agricultural soils are at an equilibrium level of carbon, which is usually reached within 20-30 years

of development. At that point, inputs of atmospheric CO2, which plants and soil microbes can use for the growth, is eventually matched by respiration from the decay of soil organic matter.

So, in any given agricultural system, you can bring about permanently higher levels of soil organic C than are present now by either 1) adding very inert forms of pure carbon like biochar, or 2) by allowing deeper soil to get access to more carbon via the introduction of deeper-rooted plant species.

A third option is to apply huge amounts of very finely ground minerals that contain silica to the soil surface. This requires huge applications, however, and the sequestration of additional carbon is a very, very slow process.

Dr Bert Quin from Quin Environmentals says that a much faster and vastly cheaper option

is available for lucky countries like New Zealand that have experienced a certain type of volcanic ash shower.

He says regular surface applications of allophane-rich subsoil to developed pasture at the rate of a few tonnes/ha each year will double carbon levels over a 20-year period - and it will maintain it at this new level. How can this happen?

To explain, we need to understand a bit about allophanic

ITS HISTORY OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY AND TEMPERATE CLIMATE MEAN ALLOPHANIC SOILS ARE WIDESPREAD IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

soils, and allophane itself. Allophanic soils develop from volcanic ash that happened to have a 2:1 ratio of aluminium and silica. This also had to exist in a temperate climate.

Well, New Zealand has the

Pro is next gen science that’s building on the toughness of Metarex® Inov. And it’s a great fit for all farming and growing practices –

right climate and plenty of volcanic ash showers, particularly in the North Island. Weathering of this type of volcanic ash in these conditions produces a particular type of tiny clay particle called allophane.

Allophane is unique because it is made up of tiny (a few angstroms each), hollow, spherical and sometimes tubular particles. These have a massive surface area both inside and out which strongly binds with soluble carbon.

About half of these particles bind with carbon vastly more strongly than other soils and so the carbon is bound to them virtually permanently. This means allophanic soils end up with about double the amount of total organic C compared to other soils.

Keep in mind that this accu-

a fertile career

Bert Quin earned a PhD in analytical chemistry, biogeochemistry and water quality from Massey University in 1974.

He joined MAF’s Agricultural Research Division as a soil fertility scientist based at Winchmore, Canterbury. His research included work on RPR (reactive phosphate rock).

By 1984 he was chief scientist for soil fertility at MAF’s Ruakura Research Centre in Hamilton. In 1989 he and Grant McComb formed their own research company, QuinPhos. The company was bought by Sumitomo in 1995.

Bert and Grant continued as joint managing directors of the new company (Summit-Quinphos). Bert developed SustaiN granular urea with a urease inhibitor. He also continued research on RPR and he says he

mulation of organic carbon by allophane clay can only occur in the rooting depth of plants, as very little carbon gets below this depth. The central North Island is sitting on very large reserves of allophane-rich subsoil that has not had an opportunity to get its hands on any soil carbon.

So Bert suggests we simply start excavating the allophane-rich clay and apply it to pasture soils. Each tonne will sequester about a tonne of CO2.

He says a typical dairy farm releases about 4-tonnes of CO2 equivalent/ha/year.

“So if you want a dairy farm to be carbon-zero, then applying 3-5 tonnes of allophanic subsoil per hectare annually will achieve this. And it will achieve this state very quickly, probably within 2-3 years, as the allophane applied to the surface will immediately

THE UNIQUE SPHERICAL (AND SOMETIMES CYLINDRICAL) STRUCTURE OF ALLOPHANE NANO PARTICLES ALLOWS THEM TO BIND STRONGLY WITH SOLUBLE CARBON.

start sequestering carbon.”

There are several other benefits to an application of allophane. Allophanic soils have higher water-holding capacity, giving them more drought-resistance. They are also relatively free draining, making them less susceptible to pugging.

This is why these soils were the first to be used for dairy farming. They also hold on to soluble soil phosphorus better, so P run-off and leaching is reduced. And allophanic soils need only about half the quantity of lime to maintain the soil pH.

Bert says the allophanic subsoil could be excavated in the same way sand is taken from the Waikato now. Top soil is removed and piled up, the sand dug out for use in the construction industry etc, and the top soil is spread back out and resown. The excavation costs including rehabilitation would be as little as $10/tonne.

“Some allophanic layers are 10m deep and there are very

substantial deposits in easily accessible locations. It is a valuable resource whose time has come,” he says.

“Allophanic soil can be applied along with the usual fertiliser and to reduce total application costs.”

The difficulty of accurately measuring increases in soil carbon over time has been touted as an obstacle for getting recognition of allophanic subsoil as an accepted carbon sequestration technology.

Bert strongly takes issue with that.

“The science of what is effectively permanent sequestration of carbon by allophane in proven ratios has been well established by scientists from several countries including New Zealand going back to the 1960s, so why delay?

“From my own decades of experience in field and laboratory research, I know that there will always be those who want funding to do more and more research on any given topic before action is taken. But our planet needs action right now.”

BERT QUIN HAS HAD A LONG, INNOVATIVE CAREER IN NEW ZEALAND’S FERTILISER INDUSTRY.

is the only person in Aotearoa to have visited all commercial RPR deposits worldwide.

Bert left Summit-Quinphos in 2005 after Sumitomo sold it to Ballance, and focused on developing ONESystem (Optimised Nitrogen Efficiency System).

Bert says it improves the efficiency of urea way beyond SustaiN. He has recently sold his IP in ONEsystem to independent fertiliser importer Fert Wholesale.

Bert has continued to promote and sell RPR, and he encourages its use in regenerative agriculture. He was responsible for instigating the bulk importation of Algerian RPR into NZ in 2018.

It is now imported to New Zealand by wholesaler Dahuti Shipping. Bert, who is 76, says he has no interest in retiring, but admits he has slowed down a bit.

SINGLE-DISC DRILL IDEAL TOOL TO RENOVATE PASTURE

AS DAIRY FARMERS FACE RISING COSTS, A SINGLEDISC DIRECT DRILL ON NARROW SPACINGS IS AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION BECAUSE IT CAN BE USED TO UNDERSOW PASTURE AND AVOID THE COSTLY EXERCISE OF TAKING A PADDOCK OUT OF PRODUCTION FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS FOR A COMPLETE REGRASSING.

British company Moore Unidrill developed its first direct drills 50 years ago. The name ‘Unidrill’ is short for universal drill because it can handle a range of tasks and conditions.

With its single-disc coulters, the Unidrill cuts a slit, harrows, sows and rolls in one pass. It can undersow pasture or direct drill forage or cereal crops in sprayed out or cultivated paddocks.

FarmChief is the New Zealand distributor of the Moore Unidrill and FarmChief sales manager

Todd Murray says one big advantage it offers is the option of 90-mm (3.5-inch) row spacings in addition to the more typical 125-mm spacings.

“The Unidrill’s single-disc opener and tungsten-tipped coulter create minimum disturbance and optimum tilth while its Guttler roller delivers excellent seed-to-soil contact. This drill can handle a bigger variety of drilling jobs and soil conditions than a tine drill or triple-disc drill.

“On 90-mm spacings the Unidrill offers the advantages of a roller drill but it can also drill in different situations,” Todd says.

“A lot of dairy farmers with grass-based systems like to stitch a grass and clover mix into their existing pasture. Undersowing gives a fresh strike so you can keep grazing rather than plough the paddock under to regrass it.

“You can then turn around and use the Unidrill to sow a crop of kale, chicory or some other forage crop.”

The quality of a pasture is determined by the amount of digestible energy, crude protein, macro minerals and vitamins it gives to stock. Weeds can reduce the quality of a pasture.

A Unidrill on narrow row spacings combined with the dethatching effect of the Guttler roller can help minimise weed populations. Not only does stitching new seed into existing pasture improve the density of the stand, it can be used to introduce new species to boost its performance.

Another economic factor to consider is that simply changing to a direct drill system can reduce fuel use by up to 40 percent compared to a full cultivation system. Other benefits of direct drilling are reduced soil erosion, run off and mineral leaching and at the same time a better environment for invertebrates and earthworms.

FarmChief supplies both mounted and trailed versions of the Unidrill. Both versions come in working widths of 3m and 3.4m and all models can be specified with 90-mm or 125-mm row spacings.

The 40-mm disc coulters are

set at a 3° degree angle so they have a harrowing and levelling effect. Their design creates a mini furrow that allows air, water and nutrients to enter the soil, which creates an environment where the seed can thrive and improves drainage.

Single-disc openers cause minimal disturbance to the soil so they minimise moisture loss. At the same time, they cut the roots in an existing sward, which encourages rigorous regrowth. They also spread and incorporate surface manure and help alleviate some pugging and ruts.

Standard on the Unidrill is the ‘golden hoof’ Prisma-type Guttler packer roller. In pasture, the Guttler roller aerates and breaks up surface capping and thoroughly consolidates the soil to secure the seed. The Prisma roller touches the ground 305 times per square metre with prism points, which is the same effect as a flock of sheep walking over the field.

In an arable situation, the Guttler roller crumbles and breaks down clods. It leaves the soil surface firm but still crumbly enough to prevent capping. Todd says another advantage

THE UNIDRILL’S SINGLE-DISC OPENERS CREATE MINIMUM DISTURBANCE AND OPTIMUM TILTH WHILE ITS GUTTLER ROLLER DELIVERS EXCELLENT SEED-TO-SOIL CONTACT.

the Moore Unidrill offers is its rubber torsion suspension system. Each seed coulter is fitted to a twin disc arm with rubber suspension. It gives close contour following without the moving parts that come with a mechanical spring suspension system.

“Rubber cushions reduce the number of wearing parts, which can reduce your maintenance costs. But the heavy-duty design of the Unidrill’s suspension system still delivers high coulter pressure and the ability to release pressure and then return to work if the seeding unit hits a large stone or other obstacle.”

Moore uses an Accord metering system in the Unidrill. It delivers simplicity and accuracy with all types of seed. Todd says it takes very little time and effort to set it up, calibrate and start drilling.

SHORT TERM COVER CROPS CAN TICK MULTIPLE BOXES

‘COVER CROP’ IS AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT INCLUDES ALL CROPS GROWN TO PROTECT OR IMPROVE SOIL BETWEEN PERIODS OF PRIMARY CROP PRODUCTION.

There are many ways short term cover crops can add value in a cropping rotation. They can increase annual production by adding additional biomass, boost soil quality by adding organic matter, protect soil surfaces and reduce runoff, and improve microbial activity.

They can also add nitrogen (N) and increase N cycling or capture N that may otherwise be vulnerable to leaching (a cover crop sown primarily to reduce nitrate leaching is referred to as a catch crop).

The extent to which short term cover crops can boost soil quality by adding organic matter was a question that the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) was interested in exploring. In particular they wanted to see if a short term cover crop sown between a February harvest and an autumn drilling could compensate for some of the carbon removed by baling the prior crop’s residue.

In 2022 FAR senior researcher Abie Horrocks ran trials in Canterbury to quantify the effects of an oat cover crop grown for 9, 13 or 25 weeks compared to a fallow control.

The trials focused on carbon (C) returns and soil quality. Oats were planted at the Chertsey Establishment Trial site (CET) on 26 February 2022 and at Kowhai Research Site on 14 March 2022. The sowing rate was 120 kg/ha and no nitrogen fertiliser was applied.

The oats themselves yielded 1.9 tonnes/

ha at nine weeks, 3.2 tonnes/ha at 13 weeks, and 7.4 tonnes/ha at 25 weeks.

The question as to whether C returns from short term cover crops could compensate for the loss of post-harvest residue (via baling) was addressed by calculating to what extent the oats would compensate for the 2.3 tonnes/ha of C removed in baling the non-

LEGUMES ADDED TO A COVER CROP CAN INCREASE SOIL NITROGEN, AND FAR IS ALSO DOING TRIALS ON USING LEGUMES TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF RYEGRASS CROPS OVER WINTER AFTER THEIR SEED HAS BEEN HARVESTED IN THE AUTUMN.

grain wheat residue.*

At the CET, over the eight-week cover crop, on average 0.8 tonnes/ha of C would be returned if all the above ground biomass and residue was retained or incorporated. An additional 0.2 tonnes/ha of C would be returned via the physical below ground biomass.

At the Kowhai trial, over the nine-week cover crop, on average 1.3 tonnes/ha of C would be returned if all the above ground biomass was retained or incorporated. An additional 0.3 tonnes/ha of C would be returned via the physical below ground biomass.

From a mass balance perspective, not all the C removed by baling was replaced by the C cover crop (43 percent and 70 percent for CET and Kowhai, respectively).

“These figures are conservative because they do not consider returns from living roots. The literature shows that across an arable rotation, root contribution to soil C can be 2-13 times higher than above-ground crop residue (per unit C) due to root exudates and cell sloughing,” Abie says.

“What was more interesting was that over these short durations of time we measured significant improvements in aggregate stability which is an important indicator of soil quality. Declining soil structure can be a yield limiting factor in intensive cropping rotations so any opportunity to extend living root days can really be of benefit.”

Abie says profile C stocks (tonnes/ha) were

not significantly changed by the cover crops over these time frames.

“This was not surprising as it is difficult to measure changes in soil organic C on a shortterm basis because changes in C content generally occur slowly against a relatively large background of soil C. Longer term trials are required to see if soil carbon can be increased by incorporating short term cover crops where possible across the rotation.

“Our hypothesis is that a cereal, legume or mixed cover crop between the main arable crops can increase soil C compared to a fallow over a six-year arable rotation. The amount of C cover crops return to the soil will increase with length of growing period and will correlate with soil moisture and above ground biomass.”

LEGUME COVER CROPS

Abie says there is also an opportunity to include legumes in cover crops although she notes the amount of N that can be added with the legume will vary, so it is important to test the soil to make sure its benefits are realised.

In 2022 at FAR’s North Island research site, a winter cover crop of vetch was compared to ryegrass in a maize system. In the subsequent maize crops, there was an increase in yield of 6.4 tonnes/ha (equivalent to 77 kg N/ha) when a winter legume was used versus an annual ryegrass.

Another scenario Abie is exploring is

whether the value of ryegrass seed crops can be extended by adding legumes into post-harvest regrowth.

This would allow the ryegrass to be kept over winter, which would increase the amount of time a restorative crop is in the ground. The crop could then be used to finish lambs, then sprayed out in late spring, and, for example, sown into a spring crop.

Abie says by sowing a legume crop into the ryegrass re-growth after harvest, it can provide high quality feed and reduce N fertiliser spend in the subsequent crop.

In a trial at CET, faba beans were sown into irrigated and dryland ryegrass re-growth in March 2023.

The crop was then grazed in April. Soil tests were carried out before the legumes were sown and then again in August and biomass cuts were taken before grazing and three months after grazing.

The quality of the feed went up as did soil available N for the subsequent crop. Choosing the right legume will depend on soil conditions at the time of planting. There are more options the earlier the planting takes place after ryegrass seed harvest.

For example, if there is too much ryegrass re-growth at the time of planting a small seed legume like clover is unlikely to be successful.

*Based on a 11.2 tonnes/ha yield at the CET, harvested January 2022, with a C concentration of 42.5 percent and using a harvest index of 0.5.

Easily slices through soil, regardless of soil conditions or crop residue Places every seed at the right depth for

SCIENCE BEHIND FERTILISER PLACEMENT

Article supplied by Kuhn New Zealand

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AROUND THE WORLD NOW PLACE MORE DEMANDS ON THE USE OF FERTILISER. AT THE SAME TIME FARMERS FACE HIGHER FERTILISER PRICES, VOLATILE PRICES FOR THEIR PRODUCTS, AND MORE FREQUENT DISRUPTIVE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.

Despite these obstacles, farmers always need to focus on preparing seedbeds that are favourable for the germination and growth of young plants.

An effective strategy to meet these sometimes conflicting demands is to deposit fertiliser with the seed during drilling. It can secure the emergence of the crop and play a major role in weed management.

Placing fertiliser with the seed can reduce the total amount of fertiliser used because it is placed just where it is needed. This in turn reduces risks of runoff, leaching and evaporation.

With many of today’s seed drills, including the Kuhn Espro, it is possible to do this type of fertilisation precisely while seeding. These drills also have the versatility necessary to sow different species at the same time.

THE

ISSUES

Nutrient deficiencies may occur at emergence, and this can cause poorer growth and crop vigour. This is due to the fact that different ions are not equally mobile in the soil, so they are not equally accessible to developing plants. It was in about 1850 that Liebig’s Law (or the Law of the Mini-

A SYSTEM DRILL LIKE THE KUHN ESPRO CAN DEPOSIT FERTILISER NEAR THE SEED ROW DURING DRILLING, WHICH REDUCES THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FERTILISER APPLIED AND CUTS NUTRIENT RUNOFF AND EVAPORATION.

mum) was formulated. It states that crop yield is limited by the first nutrient that is deficient. Today farming practices are changing as there is a move toward no-till and regenerative agriculture. In France, for example 44 percent of soft wheat and 51 percent of rapeseed is planted in non-ploughed land. With minimum cultivation and direct seeding even more so, organic matter settles in the top layers (10-15 cm) of the soil and the amount of organic matter at deeper levels may be less than

ploughed soil.

Can the practice of placing fertiliser with the seed or between the seeding rows meet environmental challenges by improving emergence? Are there dangers of toxicity with this approach? First of all it is important to note that effective fertiliser use depends on the type of input, the crop, the soil’s properties, its moisture levels and the equipment used to establish the crop. When choosing the type and

PLACING FERTILISER NEAR THE SEED DURING DRILLING CAN BE A REAL BENEFIT WHEN PLANTING SPRING AND AUTUMN CROPS AS WELL AS LEGUMES.

quantity of nutrients consider:

• The crop species and its root density, which determines its capacity to absorb different elements.

• The availability of nutrients in the soil (soil analysis).

• The presence of residues from previous crops.

PUBLISHED RESEARCH SHOWS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT HIGHER YIELDS WITH FERTILISING DURING SEED PLACEMENT.

These factors will have an impact on the initial vigour of the crop, its consistency of emergence, how well it can resist pathogens, and how competitive it is against weeds.

Published research shows statistically significant higher yiel-ds with fertilising during seed placement.

One study in Alberta, Canada looked at the response of winter wheat to the placement of P and N over a three-year period. It showed that grain yield is directly correlated to the amount of nitrogen in the top 60 cm of soil. Using phosphate fertiliser results in the same yield increase as nitrogen fertiliser.

Another study examined seed-placement of P and N on rapeseed over three years. This led to better vigour at the start, more dynamic autumn growth, and higher tolerance to pests.

Finally a test in France on spring barley showed that fertilising during drilling resulted in a yield increase of 20 percent compared to applying the same elements after seeding and at mid-tillering.

NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY

The structural elements of a soil are created by tillage, climatic factors, and the volume of roots and living organisms it holds. The empty spaces in that structure determine its porosity.

Leaving plant and root residues after harvest modifies the carbon cycle. Tillage operations concentrated on the top layers enhance

access to oxygen which results in mineralisation.

As organic matter breaks down, mineral salts are formed and fertilisers become soluble and accessible to plants. The amount of mineralisation depends on the depth and frequency of tillage.

The location of organic matter in the soil shifts when crop management changes. With direct drilling, mineralisation occurs later, in late winter, compared to soils that have been ploughed or had minimum tillage.

After a few years of direct drilling, there are higher concentrations of P and K in the top centimetres of the soil.

Direct drilling also creates soils that are slower to heat and mineralise. These soils often have a high level of surface acidity. To compensate for nutrient deficiencies and imbalance, the soil should be fertilised. Fertiliserplacement can be the best solution to re-mineralize the soil.

RISKS AND REWARDS

Ammonia or urea toxicity occurs when roots absorb too much nitrogen. Cool temperatures and excess water can exaggerate this problem because they slow down the metabolism of ammonia.

Fertiliser salinity refers to the capacity of fertilisers to modify the ionic balance of the soil. When a fertiliser has a high salinity index (such as ammonium nitrate), a large amount of water is transferred from the roots to the soil to get the balance back. This is osmosis and it can lead to

root necrosis or even the plant totally drying out.

Plants are vulnerable to urea toxicity from the emergence phase to the three-leaf phase and it can greatly reduce emergence rates. Imbalances can be compensated for during the rest of the crop cycle by other yield components such as tillering, ear fertility or TKW (1000 Kernel Weight).

Precise fertiliser placement near the root under the seeding line is important for reducing the risk of toxicity as much as possible. The ideal solution is to use formulations that are not too soluble and do not disturb germination.

Another way to limit the risk of toxicity is to combine the fertiliser with milder and less aggressive organic products. This can allow the fertiliser to be placed directly in the seeding line.

Nitrogen is the indispensable element to use in the seed-placement of fertiliser. Plants consume large amounts of nitrogen but it is highly leachable.

Every situation is different, however. In limestone soils for example, warming can be slow, and it may be advisable to input phosphorus near the roots.

In other soils, reduced tillage tends to concentrate phosphorus in the top surface layers after 6-10 years.

Different crops have different requirements. When drilling after a straw crop, for example, there is a higher risk of reduced fertility. It is the same if the pre-

vious cover crop did not contain enough legumes to increase soil fertility. Placing fertiliser near the seed during drilling can often be a real benefit when planting spring and autumn crops as well as legumes.

Nitrogen-fixing plants also need nutrients at the early stages and can suffer from deficiencies in elements at emergence.

Placing fertiliser with the seed can also be helpful when planting cover crops. Cover crops are planted after crops that used up the nutrients in the soil and whose residues have not yet decomposed on the surface, therefore their conditions are highly limiting.

CONCLUSION

Factors that lead to the plant’s yield (number of tillers or grain per plant) are determined very early on in its life. Programming a crop’s future development means considering the soil’s quality and also applying fertiliser with the seed to provide optimal growing conditions.

One-pass drilling and fertilising can deliver cost savings and reduce environmental harm. Along with this, consider other practices that can be used to create a more sustainable system. Options include:

• Increasing the number of species in the rotation,

• Adding high-performance cover crops,

• Using other methods to develop a biologically active soil.

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GROUP SAYS HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS STIFLING DAIRY PRODUCTION

NEW ZEALAND’S DAIRY INDUSTRY IS A HOUSE OF GRASS. IT RELIES ON OUR ABILITY TO PRODUCE MILK SOLIDS (MS) AT RELATIVELY LOW COST BY INTENSIVELY GRAZING HIGH-QUALITY PASTURE.

While this approach allows us to make the most of our natural advantages, some in the industry say there are drawbacks, both in terms of its productivity and its environmental impact. They argue that cows cannot utilise the increasingly high levels of protein in diets based largely on pasture.

The consequences of a cow’s diet with too much protein include lower than optimal production and fertility levels. Another consequence is high levels of nitrates leaching into farmland and waterways due to high concentrations of urinary nitrogen as well as high emissions of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

A simple, proven solution to counteract this problem is readily available, however. It is to increase the percentage of low protein, highstarch feed in the diet.

This can be done with supplements of grain, cereal silage, and especially maize silage. These supplements have the added benefit that they can be grown either on-farm or elsewhere in New Zealand’s farming sector rather than imported.

Retired farmer, silage contractor and machinery manufacturer and distributor Jeremy Talbot coordinates the Sustainable Dairy Research Group. Jeremy describes the SDRG as a loose network of agricultural scientists and animal nutrition specialists who he has met here and during study grants to the UK

and other countries.

He says the group has had contributions from Dr JM Wilkinson, Dr Lucy Waldron, Peter Clarke, Dr Pablo Gregorini and others.

“We are all independent. We have no financial incentive to see a change toward better dairy farming occur. Our motivation is only to get NZ Farming Inc in a better position both environmentally and economically without anyone losing out.

“The starting point for our approach is the physical needs of the cow. The first point we make is that cows cannot utilise more than 16 percent protein in their diet. This is a basic rule of ruminant physiology and really dairy nutrition 101.

“When there is more protein than this in the diet, it is converted to ammonia. The cow’s rumen cannot handle too much ammonia so

IN SUMMER CLOVER PREVAILS IN IRRIGATED PASTURE, WHICH RAISES ITS PROTEIN CONTENT TO LEVELS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL TO COWS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

it squirts out the back end in urine or horizontal green waterfalls which causes damage to the environment.”

Today, as a result of irrigation, higher applications of nitrogen fertiliser, new pasture cultivars and better pasture management the protein levels in grass and clover pasture are higher than ever and can be as much as 40 percent. And often pasture-based diets are supplemented with relatively high protein feeds such as palm kernel.

Jeremy says in the South Island, centre pivot irrigation has increased pasture protein levels even further. This is because ryegrass shuts down when temperatures reach 25 degrees during the summer months, but clover carries on growing if it has water.

“The impact of all these factors is that nitrate losses from the dairy industry are about 200 percent above what they were before 2000. There are two negative consequences of this.

“First, New Zealand cows rank as the worst or second worst among developed nations in nitrate output per kg of feed input. And sec-

ADVOCATES OF INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MAIZE FED ON NEW ZEALAND DAIRY FARMS POINT OUT THAT, OVER SUMMER, RYEGRASS PRODUCES 5-6 TONNE OF DM/HA WHEREAS MAIZE PRODUCES 20-25 TONNE/HA USING THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER.

ond, our cows are some of the poorest performers per kg of liveweight.”

He cites figures that show North Island cows on average produce 0.7 kg/MS/kg body weight, while South Island cows produce about 0.8 kg/MS/kg. Australian cows produce about 1 kg, UK and the EU are around 1.1 kg, while in the USA it more than 1.2 kg. So on average we produce about 30 percent less per cow than our competitors.

In a 2017 published research paper by Dr JM Wilkinson and Dr Lucy Waldron say some of the reduced production figures for cows on full pasture diets are due to weight loss in early lactation, poor fertility and reduced lactation length.

Nitrate production figures are the opposite of milk production figures. Jeremy says because of our all-grass system, New Zealand cows excrete about 500 gm of N/day but it can well be over 1500 gm/day due to the surplus protein in their diet. By comparison, cows in Australia, the UK and the EU on mixed diets excrete less than 200 gm/day.

“Low protein supplements can help overcome both performance and environmental problems. Cereal silage has protein levels of 10-12 percent and maize is just 10 percent. When fed at the right amounts, it can buffer or dilute the amount of protein in the diet.”

Jeremy says the most valuable tool a dairy farmer can add to their toolbox is a Foss portable NIR feed analyser. It gives them an immediate reading of the amount of protein

in their pasture. If they combine that with readings from their plate meter, they can quickly determine how much maize silage or grain they need to balance their cows’ diet.

“When they do use maize silage, most dairy farmers feed it to their cows during the shoulders of the season. But, in fact, during the shoulders of the season the level of protein in pasture is not as high as it is during the peak of the season, so it should really be a summer feed.

“Another benefit of good silage is that it is fermented. It benefits cows much like yogurt or sauerkraut or other fermented foods do for

MAIZE SILAGE, WHOLE CROP SILAGE OR GRAIN CAN BE USED TO COUNTERACT THE HIGH PROTEIN LEVELS COWS GET FROM PASTURE DURING THE PEAK OF THE SEASON.

humans and reduces methane production.

High protein grass makes poor quality silage because it produces high levels of ammonia, which makes it hard to ensile as it kills the bacteria that make the lactic acid to preserve the silage.

“Cereal or maize silage avoids this issue.

EASY GRAZE KALE LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK FOR AUTUMN-WINTER GRAZING

Article supplied by Barenbrug

WHAT’S BETTER THAN A GREAT CROP OF KALE? A GREAT CROP OF KALE THAT ANIMALS WILL HAPPILY EAT FROM MARCH TO SEPTEMBER, DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU NEED THE FEED.

Canterbury dryland red meat producer Hamish Murray says, “It is like a six month feed bank that you can tap into at any time. I love the flexibility of it.”

Hamish breeds, finishes and trades up to 15,000 stock on his farm in Scargill Valley. He gets an average annual rainfall of 650 mm.

That six month feed bank he is referring to is Bombardier easy graze kale from Barenbrug. Four years ago Hamish started sowing Bombardier in spring to provide a buffer in his often brutally dry summers and autumns.

At that time he had been using rape and had not grown kale for about 15 years. He decided he wanted something with a longer grazing window, and better stem quality, so thanks to its high energy stalks, Bombardier got the tick.

It was ready to graze by March and, Hamish says, it has been ideal for maintaining or flushing ewes in dry seasons. It also has the benefit of being palatable and nutritious enough to winter yearling trading cattle through September if autumn is kind.

“If we do not need that feed in autumn –which we haven’t the last two seasons – we can just push it into winter, and that reduces our reliance on supplements,” Hamish says.

“It has given us a lot of flexibility and its feed quality is so much better than rape, which means utilisation is very good. The high ME stalks are what really got me into it, and the fact they stay palatable no matter when we graze it.”

Fodder beet is the only other option that could be fed over such a long window, but it’s not something Hamish has been interested in on his soils.

“I am very much aware of where I sow this kale, and we also graze it with the right type of stock. On heavy soils, it is brilliant for sheep.

On lighter soils cattle are a great fit.”

Hamish’s farm totals 1780 ha in two blocks. It carries 6500 Headwaters ewes with 1600 hogget replacements, plus 700 trading cattle.

Lambing averages 145-150 percent and in good summers Hamish aims to quit all surplus lambs on the premium Lumina Lamb programme, which means they have to be finished for 35 days on a special mix of chicory and red clover.

Barenbrug bred Bombardier easy graze kale for both quality and yield. It suits dairy, beef and sheep systems.

It delivers more energy per bite and has higher utilisation so there is less stalky residue after grazing. This makes it easier to sow the following crop or pasture.

The combination of easier utilisation, animal nutrition and high yield makes Bombardier an ideal fit with today’s winter grazing requirements. It is good for both your animals, and your farm environment, Barenbrug says.

Bombardier is a step up from Caledonian, which in itself set a new standard for high quality kale.

Like Caledonian, Bombardier is very high

BOMBARDIER KALE DELIVERS HIGH QUALITY FEED AND A LONG GRAZING WINDOW THANKS IN LARGE PART TO ITS VERY PALATABLE, HIGH ME STALKS.

yielding but it has a softer-stem. The big difference between the two cultivars is that those soft stems are palatable right to the base of the plant.

Barenbrug says the bottom third of kale stems makes up about 30 percent of the crop’s total yield. This is a much higher proportion than many people realise.

Therefore, growing a crop that animals will naturally graze well brings a whole bunch of benefits. Winter cropping land and other inputs are efficiently used, and stock are well-nourished because the Bombardier stems are higher quality than other cultivars.

In situations where you want to use on-off grazing to minimise mud, higher palatability drives improved intake over a shorter grazing time.

For more detail contact your local Barenbrug area manager.

Producing maize silage can also be good for a farm’s agronomy. It allows you to use your effluent without putting it onto pasture where it can also add nitrogen to the cow’s diet.

“If maize silage is part of your paddock rotation, you turn your soil over every five to seven years. This breaks up compaction, mixes in all the dung etc and gives the ability

to store more carbon.”

Jeremy says there are financial benefits to adding maize to a dairy operation. Ryegrass can only produce about 5-6 tonnes of DM/ha over the summer months (between November and March) whereas maize can produce 20-25 tonnes/ha without any more water.

“If more maize was grown nationwide, we could stop importing 2 million tonnes of palm

kernel, DDG, and other junk feeds every year.”

To get control of their nitrate and methane levels, some European countries limit protein levels in cows’ diets to a maximum protein of 17 percent. The Irish and Swedish governments are now trialling 14 percent protein levels, and in Ireland so far there has been no reduction in output levels at that rate, he concludes.

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WHEN IT’S CRUCIAL TO TURN PADDOCKS AROUND QUICKLY

SHORTCUTS ARE NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING WHEN IT COMES TO SOWING NEW PASTURE IN AUTUMN. BUT WHAT ABOUT A SHORTCUT THAT ACTUALLY HELPS DO A BETTER JOB?

Contractors and farmers who use the right glyphosate for spraying out ahead of their pasture renewal can fast track their other tasks and add flexibility to their programme.

That’s because paddocks sprayed with advanced technology Crucial (Group 9) can be grazed, cultivated or drilled just one day after application when spraying annual weeds and three days after spraying perennial weeds.

That is two to four days sooner than some other glyphosate formulations. This means farmers using Crucial can get new grass sown quicker with less downtime, so they can move onto other jobs sooner knowing that if their plans have to change, they have extra leeway.

Nufarm territory manager Richard Bell says now more than ever, time is money for farmers. This means getting the fastest possible turn-around at autumn sowing is a great way to farm smarter, not harder when on a tight schedule.

Crucial helps achieve this in another important way – when applied as recommended with Pulse Penetrant, it is guaranteed to be rainfast in just 15 minutes. That sets a new benchmark in terms of flexibility and knowing the job is done properly, even when conditions are unpredictable and challenging.

“A fast, reliable kill at the outset makes the rest of the process much more efficient, and helps ensure a good outcome,” Richard says.

This is especially the case for farmers or contractors using minimum tillage or direct drilling to reduce soil disturbance.

“In these situations, it is imperative to use the best option. You need your glyphosate formulation to do the job right the first time.”

Richard says another good tip to get the best out of autumn sowing is to make sure to spray when target weed species are green and growing.

“There should be enough leaf area for the herbicide to land and penetrate, so it can do

CRUCIAL COMBINES THREE GLYPHOSATE SALTS AND HAS A HIGH LOAD OF ACTIVE INGREDIENT (600 GRAMS/LITRE), SO IT WORKS FAST AND APPLICATION RATES CAN BE LOWER.

its job properly.”

Spraying out paddocks that are moisture stressed and/or newly grazed with minimal regrowth will not give a good result. Farmers really need to build this into their pre-plant plan this autumn.

Crucial is the foundation of a good preplant herbicide programme. But it is important to first take a good look at what species are present because Crucial may not kill all the weeds that are present.

“Crucial is very good at killing grass weeds, and pre-planting is the last chance to get rid of these before sowing new grass. But you might need different chemistry to get rid of some broadleaf weeds.”

Regardless of what type of system you have or what type of grass you sow this season, Richard says it is really important to tick all the boxes in terms of preparation.

“When finances are stretched, attention to detail matters more than ever. New pasture sown this autumn is essential for on-going productivity and efficiency. History tells us that without a strong home-grown pasture base, tight times become even tighter. So the job has to be done right.”

Nufarm says Crucial is the only formulation in the world that combines three glyphosate salts – potassium, monomethylamine and ammonium. It has a high load of active ingredient (600 grams/litre), meaning it has more weed killing power per litre and chemical

NUFARM’S RICHARD BELL SAYS FAST-ACTING CRUCIAL GLYPHOSATE ALLOWS YOU TO SOW NEW GRASS IN TIGHT TIMEFRAMES AND THEN GET ON WITH OTHER JOBS.

applicators can use less product per ha. It pours easily, does not foam, and tank mixes superbly with other products. It comes in a range of pack sizes, from the OHS-friendly 15-litre pack, all the way up to the larger 1000 litre pod options.

For more detail talk to your Nufarm territory manager.

AUSSIE FARM WELL DOWN THE TRACK TO ROBOTIC FARMING

A LARGE-SCALE CROPPING OPERATION IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES PLANS TO BECOME ONE OF THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN FARMS TO DO FULLY AUTONOMOUS CROPPING AND IT HAS BOUGHT A ROBOTIC AGBOT TRACTOR TO DO SO.

Dutch company AgXeed developed AgBot tractors. They can carry out a number of farm tasks, including tramline renovation, spot spraying, and spreading without an on-board operator.

Gerrit and Pam Kurstjens, together with their daughter, Marieke, own 12,500-ha Beefwood Farms between Goondiwindi and Moree.

After a successful career as an agricultural contractor, transport operator and farm machinery manufacturer in the Netherlands, Gerrit effectively retired. Then about 20 years ago his passion for gliding brought him to Australia.

Soaring over the black soil plains of northern NSW, he was impressed by the region’s potential and decided to embark on a second career in broadacre farming.

Gerrit and Pam purchased

Beefwood in 2006 and began converting the then 2500 ha livestock operation into a cropping, controlled traffic min-till cropping operation.

They have been quick to adopt new technologies, particularly those that minimise chemical use. For example, they have been using optical sprayers for 15 years.

Beefwood Farms manager Glenn Coughran says optical spraying has reduced their chemical usage by 95 percent.

“We are getting better weed control and we are putting less chemical in our farming system. The downside is that each sprayer is spending more time in the field, which is why we started looking at autonomous tractors about 10 years ago.

“Gerrit knew some people in Europe who were making self-guided mowing equipment for golf courses and highway maintenance. He had to twist their arm to come to Australia to fit the technology to a 350 hp tractor but they agreed to have a go,” Glenn says.

An engineer came over and installed the operating system on their Fendt 936 Vario and three years later they converted a John Deere 8345R. The two tractors clocked up more than 4000 driverless hours spraying more than 40,000 ha and renovating

about 25,000 km of tramlines.

Beefwood Farms was forced to abandon them after the Dutch company sold the technology, however.

Glenn says they had got the technology to where it was about 95 percent perfect, but one day they got an email saying the company had been sold and technical support would no longer be available.

“One of their technicians came out, stripped the gear out, gave us a cheque and that was the end of it.”

AGBOT ON-BOARD

Undeterred, Gerrit contacted some of his former colleagues in the Netherlands who were developing their own autonomous tractor.

After visiting several start-up companies in Europe and the USA, last year he placed one of the first orders for the commercial version of the AgBot platform.

The tracked AgBot 5.115T2 model is powered by a 4.1-litre four-cylinder Deutz diesel engine that produces a maximum output of 155 hp and 610 newton-metres of torque.

Its engine drives a generator that powers the electrically driven tracks, PTO and 700-volt external electric supply. The hybrid system delivers maxi-

mum torque and efficiency at all speeds, without the need for ballast.

“There’s a reason why diesel-electric technology has been used in locomotives for more than 50 years. It is an extremely efficient drivetrain,” Gerrit says.

AgBot 5.115T2 weighs 8 tonnes. It has front and rear linkages, high capacity hydraulics, RTK steering guidance and four separate collision avoidance systems. Two on-board cameras connected to the internet via Starlink give remote monitoring of field operations.

“It is fully autonomous. It can operate 24 hours a day, it is on a 3m track width, it is reasonably economical to run and it is low maintenance. This is a real tractor, it is just smaller,” Gerrit says.

The AgBot was immediately put to work renovating tramlines using a 6m TPOS FlaTrac renovator. It is also used with a 24m Croplands Weed-It optical spraying unit.

“So far, we are very happy with the AgBot and we have been pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to set up and oper-

BEEFWOOD FARMS’ AGBOT SPOT SPRAYING WITH A 24M CROPLANDS WEED-IT OPTICAL SPRAYING UNIT.

ate,” Gerrit says.

“It is a bit daunting that we have the only unit in Australia but the back-up from AgXeed and Landpower has been great. Setting it up for different uses is going to take a bit of work, but we plan to run this unit for as many hours as possible.

“It is expensive but we estimate we will halve our hourly operating cost by eliminating the need for a driver and doubling the operating life of the tractor,” Gerrit says.

“We also expect that maintenance and fuel consumption will be much less, because our previous experience with autonomous tractors showed that humans tend to push the machine harder.”

AgBot is ideal for tedious jobs, such as tramline renovation or round-the-clock spraying.

“Tramline renovation is the most boring job on the farm,” Glenn says. “We have about 8000 km of tramlines across six properties and we try to renovate about one third each year.

“This year we had three operators renovating tramlines all summer and some of them weren’t too happy about it.

Being able to do it automatically is not about reducing labour. It is about being able to use your resources better.

“We are 55 km from town and we only have four to six full-time employees, so it’s important to get everyone doing what’s more important.”

The ultimate plan is to run a fleet of AgBots performing

everything from 24/7 ‘green on green’ optical spraying, spreading fertiliser to shuttling 60-tonne grain bins during harvest.

“In time, we plan to retire two of our three self-propelled sprayers and let the AgBots take over. We will probably employ a manager for the day-to-day operations of the AgBots, with other

GERRIT KURSTJENS (LEFT) AND GLENN COUGHRAN WITH BEEFWOOD FARMS’ FIRST AGBOT TRACTOR.

staff going out to refuel and fill the machines each day.”

AgBot is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Landpower.

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NATIVE PLANTING PART OF EFFORT TO PROTECT WATER, CUT NITROGEN USE

Article supplied by DairyNZ

THE NUMBER OF KINGFISHERS (K Ō TARE), FANTAILS (P Ī WAKAWAKA) AND OTHER NATIVE BIRDS ARE INCREASING ON MARK AND DEVON SLEE’S SOUTH CANTERBURY FARM, THANKS TO EXTENSIVE PLANTING IN RECENT YEARS.

The couple have planted more than 12,000 native trees and plants across their farm near Hinds since 2009, including flax, pittosporum, cabbage trees and native grasses.

Trees planted throughout the farm build biodiversity and reduce their environmental footprint. They also provide shade and shelter for cows.

Mark and Devon have been farming for 33 years and bought Mark’s parents’ farm in 1995. They now own three properties, each with its own manager.

“Farming has changed a lot over the years. Decades ago, there weren’t a lot of environmental regulations and dairy farming focused more on production and product quality. Now environmental sustainability is equally important,” Mark says.

He and Devon strive to be ahead

ADEQUATE PLANTING IMPROVES WATER QUALITY BY REDUCING NITROGEN ENTERING WATERWAYS AND GROUNDWATER.

DEVON AND MARK SLEE ARE WORKING TO CUT THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND NITROGEN USE ON THEIR CANTERBURY DAIRY FARMS.

of targets set by central and local government. In the Hinds catchment, Environment Canterbury rules require farmers to reduce nitrogen loss from their farms by 15 percent by 2025 (compared to 2009-2013). They must further reduce nitrogen loss by 25 percent by 2030 and 36 percent by 2035.

Mark says they are on track to achieve this. They have reduced nitrogen fertiliser use by more than 30 percent over the past six years. The application rate is now down to 178 kg of N per hectare

per year. They did this ahead of the government’s 190-kg cap that took effect in 2022.

“As well as environmental benefits, farmers save money by using nitrogen more efficiently. By keeping our costs manageable, we can keep making improvements.”

The Slees focus on efficient water management. Mark says irrigation is one of the biggest factors Canterbury farmers can control. They only use the amount of water needed for grass growth, which is determined by real time data coming from their soil moisture monitoring system.

They are also reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, including by reducing cow numbers.

“Reducing emissions and nitrogen fertiliser is a win-win. We are reducing our environmental footprint while reducing our costs, which contributes to business viability.”

Mark and Devon work closely with other dairy farmers in the Selwyn and Hinds catchments as part of the DairyNZ-led project Meeting a Sustainable Future.

DairyNZ and its partners support farmers to develop strategies to reduce nitrogen loss. This includes more efficient irrigation and lower cow numbers.

One focus of the project is help-

ing farmers meet government regulations while ensuring financial viability.

Farmers are also planting alongside waterways, which improves water quality by reducing nitrogen entering waterways and groundwater – a key focus in Canterbury.

Planting alongside waterways provides shade for fish and other aquatic life and helps improve biodiversity in and out of the water. This is important for improving ecosystem health and mahinga kai values of waterways.

Some farmers in the project use plantain, which research shows can reduce nitrogen loss from dairy farms.

The project’s 40 partner farmers – including the Slees – trial options on their farms to reduce nitrogen loss. They share what they have learned with other farmers through field days and other events.

“It’s great to talk to other farmers about what works to meet nitrogen reduction targets and other steps to reduce our environmental footprint,” Mark says. Working with others in their catchment is widely recognised as a good way to protect the environment. It allows farmers, DairyNZ and others to explore and share effective practices.

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BREAKTHROUGH SLUG BAIT SCORES INSTANT RESULTS, NO UNWANTED HARM

COMBINING BIOGRO CERTIFICATION AND EFFICACY IS ONE THING. IT CAN BE AN EVEN BIGGER CHALLENGE TO CONVINCE CONTRACTORS AND FARMERS THAT A PRODUCT WORKS EVEN THOUGH IT POSES A LOWER RISK TO NON-TARGETS, IS SAFER TO HANDLE, AND DOES NOT HAVE A STRONG CHEMICAL SMELL.

UPL NZ Otago and Southland regional manager Tom McDonald says with Ironmax Pro slug bait, there has been something of a breakthrough.

“Before, people often had the perception that if a product didn’t smell really bad, it wouldn’t work. Ironmax Pro is not only delivering effective slug control, but its environmental strengths are winning over customers. They are definitely coming around to it.

“We have been getting some very positive feedback. For the merchants who store the product, Ironmax Pro has literally been a breath of fresh air. And there have been a lot of comments from contractors, especially, about it being more pleasant in confined spaces – like in their tractor cabs and utes.”

Tom believes there may also be lingering suspicions around some of the industry claims regarding sustainability, otherwise known as ‘green washing’. But he says French-based De Sangosse that manufacturers Ironmax Pro take their commitment to sustainability very seriously.

UPL Ltd didn’t just take De Sangosse’s word for it. They visited the factory for themselves.

“It is incredibly high tech,” Tom says “It uses 33 percent green electricity and is completely dust-free. All of the rinse water is recovered, and amazingly, it has just nine staff.”

De Sangosse also developed Metarex Inov. Ironmax Pro has all of Metarex Inov’s best aspects but is environmentally friendly.

In New Zealand, Ironmax Pro’s notable early successes include saving 45 ha of high value SovGold Ultrastrike treated kale seedlings that had come under extreme slug pressure.

Tom says Ironmax Pro, spread at 6 kg/ha, did an extremely good job and helped the crop get established. “The client rang three days later. They saw an almost instant result, and it was not the type of crop they were going to gamble with.

“The idea that juveniles won’t ingest Ironmax Pro simply isn’t true. Slugs have rasplike mouthparts. That is how they feed. They happily take this bait. Size and shape don’t matter. Taste does.”

De Sangosse’s breakthrough Colzactive technology gives Ironmax Pro exceptional palatability. Colzactive is made up of specially selected oil seed rape extracts that enhance the bait’s taste and the speed at which it works.

Ironmax Pro pellets are manufactured from durum wheat. Slugs ingest sufficient quantities of the active to cause death but don’t overeat, leaving enough bait for other slugs.

The active ingredient in Ironmax Pro contains 24.2 g/kg ferric phosphate anhydrous, referred to as IPMax. Iron phosphate is a natural component of soil. In Ironmax Pro, it works as a stomach poison on slugs and is fatal once ingested.

“With Ironmax Pro you don’t have to worry too much if the cows or the sheep break into a paddock or go through an electric fence when you are break-feeding. There’s not that element of risk,” Tom says.

“It is important to watch out for slug activity even when the weather is dry. You can’t make assumptions about the threat. Monitoring is definitely the best approach.”

UPL recently introduced a hessian detection sack that can be safely re-purposed for spuds or feed.

“We recommend putting down the dampened sack, leave it overnight and check it in the morning. Even one slug underneath could mean you have a problem.

“Slugs are a massively underestimated threat. They can cover a whole lot more ground than people think. They travel up to 13m in one night.

“They are phenomenal feeders and can consume more than 50 percent of their own body weight. Damage to plants can happen surprisingly quickly.”

Grey field slugs and their close relation brown field slugs have the potential to wipe out entire crops. Slug populations typically peak in autumn and spring, which is when damage is most noticeable. During the colder months, the pests retreat under plants or other sheltered, damp places.

Ironmax Pro has a recommended application rate range of 5-7 kg/ha. There are 60,000 baits/kg and it has excellent ballistic properties.

Tom says the uniform pellet size and the way the bait is made enable it to be spread at widths of up to 24m. This saves passes, time, and fuel, which can make a real difference at a time when farmers and contractors need to keep a tight rein on costs.

Since slugs typically flourish in damp and wet conditions, Tom says Ironmax Pro’s rainfastness is another big bonus. It is manufactured with a wet process that makes it very rainfast.

For more information contact your technical specialist or UPL NZ.

UPL NZ OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND REGIONAL MANAGER TOM MCDONALD.

UPL OFFERS A REUSABLE HESSIAN SACK TO MONITOR FOR THE PRESENCE OF SLUGS.

RESEARCHERS TEAM WITH NGĀI TAHU TO DEVELOP SOIL HEALTH TEST

A PARTNERSHIP OF RAVENSDOWN, AGRESEARCH AND NGĀI TAHU FARMING HAS CREATED A NEW WAY TO TEST THE HEALTH OF SOILS.

The study assessed the quality of soil at Ngāi Tahu Farming sites in Canterbury against a new suite of metrics designed by AgResearch and Ravensdown.

Ravensdown chief scientist Dr Ants Roberts is one of the authors of the study. Ants says the new, holistic testing approach provides a greater in-depth analysis of soil health compared with just testing for nutrients at the dif-

forestry a few years prior. The tests evaluated soil fertility, organic matter, soil physical condition, and biological activity.

The study found that a wider range of indicators gives a better understanding which can help manage soils across all pasture systems, to help ensure well-functioning and productive soil.

Ants says soil health can be difficult to gauge because of the differences between soils and the wide range of factors that contribute to healthy soil.

“Good soil is the lifeblood of any farm, but all soils are different. Understanding where to start and what to measure can be difficult.

RAVENSDOWN’S ANTS ROBERTS SAYS THE SUITE OF TESTS CAN IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT SOILS.

place. Right time. Right application.

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AGRESEARCH IS DEVELOPING CLIMATE NICHE MODELLING TO PREDICT THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF SLEEPER WEEDS, SUCH AS CHILIEAN NEEDLE GRASS, THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SERIOUS ECONOMIC LOSSES TO KIWI FARMERS.

CHILEAN NEEDLE

GRASS CAN HIT FARMS FINANCIALLY BECAUSE ITS SHARP SEEDS MAY CAUSE BLINDNESS IN LIVESTOCK, DAMAGE PELTS, AND REDUCE PASTURE QUALITY.

AG SECTOR LOSSES FROM CHILEAN NEEDLE GRASS COULD REACH $1 BILLION

IF NOTHING IS DONE TO STOP THE ‘SLEEPER WEED’ CHILEAN NEEDLE GRASS, IT COULD SPREAD THROUGH MOST OF NEW ZEALAND AND EVENTUALLY COST THE COUNTRY OVER A BILLION DOLLARS, ACCORDING TO NEWLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH.

Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana) has already taken hold in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury, and Marlborough. Its sharp penetrating seeds cause blindness in livestock, damage pelts and carcasses, and reduce pasture quality and grazing access. The combination of these can deliver a financial hit to farms.

AgResearch principal scientist Dr Graeme Bourdȏt says Chilean needle grass is one of about 22,000 species of introduced plants in Aotearoa. The scientific challenge is to identify those that pose an economic or environmental threat before they become widespread.

These sleeper weeds can then be prioritised by authorities such as regional councils and the Department of Conservation for management to prevent their spread.

“The exciting part is that our research has

ing the way we assess soil wellbeing.

“The wellbeing of soil is important because soils underpin our farming systems. Accurate measuring and monitoring of soils will remain critical to supporting efficient farming methods.”

The collaborative effort looks to evaluate the potential impact of Ngāi Tahu Farming’s current farming practices on soil fertility and health to ensure long-term land productivity for future generations.

given us the ability to develop models and tools to identify sleeper weeds. We can predict how and where they will spread in our changing climate, and estimate the economic and environmental damage that would result,” Graeme says.

“We have worked with Manaaki Whenua–Landcare Research to analyse management scenarios for sleeper pests in general. We are currently working with regional councils, DOC and the Ministry of Primary Industries to develop a web-based tool that will enable informed decisions about investing in sleeper weed management programmes.”

Graeme and his AgResearch colleague Dr Chris Buddenhagen recently published research about Chilean needle grass. Their work used climate niche modelling to estimate the potential range of the species in New Zealand and a spread model that estimates the economic losses under a ‘do nothing’ scenario. This allows them to determine the benefits of stopping the spread of a sleeper weed.

Under realistic high and low estimates of the spread rate of Chilean needle grass, it will take from 100 to 200 years to reach 90 percent occupation of its climatically suitable range. This means it would cover nearly 4 million hectares, and the loss to the pastoral sector

would be from $192 million to $1.16 billion.

These losses would justify annual expenditures to prevent the spread of $5.3m to $34m respectively.

“This bio-economic modelling reveals that a nationally coordinated approach to managing Chilean needle grass makes best economic sense. This would include surveillance in susceptible regions and control measures in the infested regions,” Chris says.

Auckland Council principal biosecurity advisor Dr Imogen Bassett welcomes research that improves our ability to tackle sleeper weeds.

“We know it is much more cost-effective for us to act early, to prevent future weed invasions than to deal with them once they become widespread,” Imogen says.

“But with so many potential weeds in the country, we are reliant on good information to help us prioritise. Auckland Council and other councils around the country are working hard to prevent the spread of Chilean needle grass, and this new research highlights just how important that work is.”

Contact AgResearch for further information or to download the full research paper, The Cost of Doing Nothing about a Sleeper Weed –Nassella neesiana in New Zealand.

Ngāi Tahu Farming general manager Matthew Keen says the study has provided the company with an in-depth assessment and given further insights into improving environmental outcomes and enhancing soil health at its North Canterbury properties.

“Building healthy whenua and soil is the backbone to much of the work we are doing at Ngāi Tahu Farming, particularly at Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizon). We are committed to rebuild

the soil for optional future land use and to protect our wai and mahinga kai gathering sites.

“We believe that measurable scientific solutions, such as those delivered by this study, will provide us with long-term benefits as we continue our work towards achieving a more sustainable farming system.”

The joint research project with Ngāi Tahu Farming, Ravensdown and AgResearch was funded by the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge.

SEVEN THINGS TO ASK WHEN CONSIDERING BIOLOGICALS

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS HAVE A PLACE, BUT TO USE THEM SUCCESSFULLY ON CROPS, FARMERS AND CONTRACTORS NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THE MARKETING CLAIMS AND IMPROVE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY WORK, SAYS VISITING AMERICAN CORN AND SOYBEAN RESEARCHER CONNOR SIBLE.

Based in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, Connor spent a week in New Zealand as a guest of the Foundation for Arable Research. He told FAR’s maize conference in Hamilton last month that the boom in biological products that has happened in the US over the last five years is about to reach New Zealand.

Biological products include technologies and management tools that enhance fertiliser use, reduce crop stress, stimulate soil microbial activity, manage crop residues and improve soil health.

While the industry has a lot of start-ups, the big agrichemical and fertiliser companies are now involved. Sales are growing at 14 percent a year, and the industry is expected to be worth US$27.9 billion by 2028.

Many of the biologicals available in the US, including nitrogen-fixing bacteria, are unlikely to be commercially released in New

Zealand, however. This is due to our stringent regulations regarding imported material, particularly products containing live and genetically-modified material.

“It seems biologicals do everything these days and they are often marketed as the magical remedy to resolve all problems on the farm. While the advertising of these products may sometimes sound too good to be true, the reality is that these new tools can have a positive influence if they are used in the proper way.”

Connor says that to achieve success with a biological input, it is necessary to understand that, while all products in this group may be considered a biological, they are very different from each other. These include biopesticides, post-harvest products, plant growth regulators, inoculants and bio-fertilisers.

Its biological efficacy depends on the type of product. To optimise the benefit, it is important to understand how the product works and where to incorporate it into your system.

“For the best chance of success, know your starting point and have a goal of what you wish to achieve.”

Connor’s mentor Professor Fred Below, also from the University of Illinois, is known for the Seven Wonders of the Maize Yield World, and now Connor has developed seven recommendations to assist growers considering biologicals.

His recommendations are:

1) Ensure the basics are covered, such as seed, fertility and pest management. Biologicals are a next step input, not a replacement for good agronomic management.

2) Know if your product is alive or dead. Beneficial microbes like nitrogen fixing bacteria, P-solubilising microbes and mycorrhizal fungi are ‘living’. Bio-stimulants, including enzymes, humic or fulvic acids, marine extracts and sugars are ‘dead’. Some products require a commitment to ensure they remain viable from delivery to application.

3) Know what biological you are working with. Go beyond the basic category and know some specifics. How does this product differ from others like it?

4) Nitrogen-fixing inoculants are a third source of N. They can help supplement when the soil or fertiliser falls short. But cutting the N rate too much may limit final yield potential.

5) Biologicals that influence phosphorus (P) need to be placed near the root. Released P may quickly be bound back to the soil, so if it is placed close to roots, uptake is more likely. These products include P-solubilising bacteria which increase the availability of mineral P.

6) Biologicals for residue management, predominantly naturally occurring bacillus species, need time to work into the residue. Spray on a cloudy day or in the evening to let an overnight dew work the microbes into the residue and soil.

7) Stress mitigating bio-stimulant applications need to be proactive not reactive. The crop needs time to build defence so it is able to tolerate the stress when it arrives.

Connor says growers should also ask sale representatives promoting biological products some critical questions. These include:

• What does the product do? And how does it do it?

• What handling procedures are needed? Detail is good. If they say ‘It should be okay if…’, this is a red flag.

• What is it compatible with? What is it not compatible with? Most have a list. If not, it’s a red flag.

• Which hectares should I place this on? The answer is almost never ‘the whole farm’.

• What is the shelf life, both unopened and opened?

And when you ask the questions look for confident replies and honesty when they do not know, Connor concludes.

INTEREST IN BIOLOGICALS IS GROWING, AND DR CONNOR SIBLE SAYS THEY CAN BE EFFECTIVE IF THEY ARE USED PROPERLY.

WEED SEED DESTRUCTOR NOW AVAILABLE ON MORE DEERE COMBINE HARVESTERS

JOHN DEERE’S X-SERIES HIGH-POWER, HIGH-CAPACITY COMBINE HARVESTERS CAN NOW JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST HERBICIDE RESISTANT WEEDS WHEN FITTED WITH A REDEKOP SEED CONTROL UNIT (SCU).

Redekop’s SCU destroys weed seeds as the chaff is processed during harvesting. It mounts to the combine chopper and injects processed chaff directly into the residue stream so it is distributed over the entire cutting width.

X-Series combine harvesters can now be specified with an SCU. This follows three years of testing with X-Series combines working in Canada, Australia and Germany, where the SCU performed with flying colours.

John Deere production system manager Ben Kelly says SCUs are available on John Deere S-Series combine harvesters and now owners and operators of X-Series can enjoy these benefits.

“The SCU is already a proven performer on the S-Series. We are excited to have worked with the team at Redekop to adapt the technology to the power and capacity of the bigger X-Series machines.”

Ben says adding a weed control system to X9 harvesters will make them a more attractive option to some farmers.

Redekop’s Trevor Thiessen says trials over the past three years clearly demonstrated the new version of the SCU can handle the additional volume presented by the X-Series without compromising harvester throughput.

“The X9 has significantly more capacity, including cleaning shoe capacity, than the John Deere S-Series. Therefore we had to make sure that the mills taking the material off the back of the harvester could handle that,” Trevor says.

“We tested the SCU in Australia and Canada, but we were most concerned with the amount of straw and material it would encounter in European conditions. Being able to prove

the X9 SCU in German wheat crops that were pushing 8-9 tonnes/ha, and some barley crops running at 11.5 tonnes/ha, gave us confidence the unit could perform anywhere.”

Redekop worked closely with John Deere engineers to fine tune and adapt air flow, shoe pressure, and load limits on the drive line in the new version of the SCU.

“To ensure the technologies work together, John Deere provided us with a pre-production X9, so we did our fit-up, fabrication and design work with that,” Trevor says.

“We had drawings for the back end of the combine that we could modify in the CAD system before we tried the physical prototypes, so that made it easier to integrate it seamlessly with the X-Series.”

HOW IT WORKS

The Redekop SCU is mounted behind the cleaning shoe and fully integrated with the combine harvester. It is designed to work in all crop conditions with one set of mills. This removes the need to swap mills in response to

THE USE OF MECHANICAL WEED SEED DESTRUCTORS ON COMBINE HARVESTERS IS GROWING AND NOW JOHN DEERE S-SERIES AND X-SERIES CAN BE FITTED WITH ONE.

THE REDEKOP SEED CONTROL UNIT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE COMBINE HARVESTER. AFTER PULVERISING THE CHAFF, IT SHOOTS IT INTO THE STRAW RESIDUE STREAM.

crop or harvest conditions.

The reversible mills can destroy up to 98 percent of weed seeds before the material is directed back to the residue stream, mixed with straw and spread evenly over the entire cutting width. Destroying weed seed in the cereal crop reduces weed pressure and gives better crop establishment in subsequent seasons.

The SCU is fully integrated with the G5PLUS CommandCenter and can be easily engaged or disengaged.

“The integration with CommandCenter was flawless. There were just some tweaks to the software to make it all work. We have a great relationship with the John Deere engineering departments, which makes it easy,” Trevor says.

In Canadian trials, farmers were very pleased with the ability of the X9 SCU to handle crops when running side by side with X9s that did not have the unit.

Trevor gives credit to Australian innovators who pioneered SCU systems that have led to the harvest weed seed control practices of today.

“Australian farmers were some of the first to understand the preventative benefits of this type of weed control. The good news is that others around the world, in the US, South America and Europe, are seeing what they are doing, so Australia should be proud of that.”

INNOVATION THROUGH REGENERATION

Facing the challenge of soil degradation head-on, Horizon Agricultural Machinery offers farmers a range of innovative solutions designed to:

• Promote soil health and regeneration through minimal soil disturbance and practices that support healthy soil ecosystems.

• Boost efficiency and yield potential with cutting-edge technology and precise planting methods.

• Increase profitability through sustainable practices that reduce input costs and improve overall farm health.

Join us in cultivating a sustainable future for our farms and our planet.

RUBBER MATTING A SHORTCUT TO REDUCE PASTURE DAMAGE

FOR WAIKATO DAIRY FARMER RICHARD VAN RAS, NUMAT’S RUBBER MATTING WAS A LIFESAVER. THE MATTING REDUCED PUGGING, ALLOWING RICHARD AND HIS SON JOHAN TO BRING THEIR FARM UP TO 2400 COVER, READY FOR CALVING SEASON.

The van Ras family has been farming for more than 40 years and several years ago they experienced one of the wettest winters they had ever seen. The area where they grazed was completely flooded.

Richard and Johan had built a concrete surface feed pad in 2013 and their initial plan was to use this and a sacrifice paddock to manage their wet pasture. But, being a concrete surface, they could only have the cows on the feed pad for a short period.

It became clear that if they continued with their initial plan, they would run out of paddocks for calving. They needed a better option.

Johan found the solution in a

RICHARD VAN RAS SAYS WITH THE RUBBER MATS ON THE FEED PAD, THEY CAN TAKE COWS OFF PASTURE AT ANY TIME, SO THEY DON’T OVER GRAZE IN SUMMER OR CAUSE PUGGING IN WINTER.

Lincoln University research paper on the benefits of rubber matting. After they were convinced that rubber mats would solve their dilemma, Richard and Johan contacted Numat Agri, which supplies rubber matting for farms and has a customised construction division for feed pads, wintering barns, and stand-off pads.

Within a couple of weeks, their feed pad was covered in 25mm thick mats. Once the matting was installed, the cows responded well to standing off on it. With the cows away from the paddocks for longer periods, their pasture was able to recover and grow.

Johan says in a few days after the mats went down, the cows were spending more time on the pads. This allowed him to adjust his management of the farm.

“In the month of June they spent 20 hours a day on the pad and I went on a 200-day round to build cover. I got the cover from 1800 by end of May to 2600 by the first day of calving.

“The pad needed to be cleaned each day, but I had no lameness and the cows ran to the feed pad each day, which they don’t do after two days on concrete.”

During the rest of the season there was above average rain fall. The farm stayed wet for a long time and the feed pad got a hammering with cows calving on there as well. But with the rubber on the feed pad he could limit pasture damage despite the high moisture levels.

“I had a higher pasture cover so than when cows went into pasture they just filled up and

sat down. It was a successful strategy and once it did dry out, we could top and get back to normality.”

Johan says three years after the rubber mats were installed they still looked like the day they went in. The mats are an essential management tool over both winter and summer.

They can take cows off pasture at any time, so they don’t over graze in summer and have no pugging in winter.

DURING WET WEATHER THE COWS ON THE VAN RAS FAMILY’S FARM SPEND UP TO 20 HOURS A DAY ON THE FEED PAD, WHICH GIVES PASTURE A CHANCE TO RECOVER.

NUMAT AGRI’S DAIRY YARD MATS REDUCE HOOF DAMAGE AND CAN CUT STAND-OFF TIMES DURING WET WEATHER.

DON’T

GET CAUGHT SHORT WHEN IT COMES TO STIRRING

THERE ARE A FEW ASPECTS TO CONSIDER WHEN DETERMINING THE RIGHT SIZE POND STIRRER FOR YOUR EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

While it is generally recommended to choose a larger sized pond stirrer than you might have initially thought, there are a few types and specifications that can help you choose the right option for your farm.

The two main aspects to consider are the length of the pond stirrer and its power capacity. The length of the stirrer is determined by the overall size of the pond and the batter of the pond wall.

If the angle of the wall slopes down at a 45° angle or steeper, then you can use a shorter 7m stirrer. If there is a gentle angle, which is often the case with lined ponds, then you will need a longer stirrer, up to 9m.

In terms of power, electric pond stirrers can range from 10 hp to 30 hp. For smaller ponds or effluent dams, a lower hp stirrer is suitable. If your pond is large, then you will want to consider a larger stirrer with more power.

In some more extreme cases, it may require two pond stirrers to manage the effluent effectively.

If you have a bigger size pond stirrer, then it is also able to stir a smaller amount. You will not be able to stir a bigger pond with a small stirrer, however.

What is often unseen are the heavy solids that do not show up on the top, which is why it is important to have a strong thrust that can get the pond stirred quickly. When in doubt, opt for the next size up.

Therefore, consider the type of material you are working with when you choose your pond stirrer. If you have to manage high concentrations of solids from feed pads or covered

areas, you need adequate power for optimal mixing.

Not every farm will have power available for a larger stirrer. Check with your electrician to see what capacity electric motor you can run.

An electrician will know if the stirrer has access to the right amount of power to run it properly. If access to adequate power is problematic, then it may take a little longer for the effluent to mix. Generally, the stirrer can run for 30 to 60 minutes prior to the pump starting.

Shore-mounted electric stirrers use horizontal thrust, which is far more efficient in propelling effluent around the pond than vertical mounted versions. This brings the solids of the effluent into suspension.

Another aspect to consider is the ability to adjust the angle of the stirrer. Angle adjustable pond stirrers can move up and down and swivel from side to side. This ensures every part of the pond is effectively stirred.

If you are unable to angle adjust, then you will require a bigger pond stirrer capacity.

Nevada electric stirrers range from 10 to 30 hp. Sizes range from 7m to 9m for electric stirrers, and 5.5m to 7.5m for PTO tractor driven stirrers. All Nevada electric stirrers can pivot.

PTO-DRIVEN STIRRERS

PTO pond stirrers can stir with enough thrust that makes it cost effective and efficient. The size of a PTO pond stirrer is determined by the capacity of the tractor and how accessible the pond is.

It is important to know the power capacity of the tractor and the efficiency of the propeller. Nevada’s Typhoon propeller delivers powerful output with minimal power input. Nevada’s smaller PTO pond stirrers require a minimum of 50 hp to run and the two larger PTO stirrers require 80 hp plus.

Extensions can make a stirrer longer for a large pond, but it requires a bigger tractor to

THE SIZE OF A PTO STIRRER REQUIRED TO DO A GOOD JOB IS DETERMINED BY THE CAPACITY OF THE TRACTOR AND HOW ACCESSIBLE THE POND IS.

support this. TurboStir 6000 pond stirrers from Nevada are suitable for most ponds and tractor sizes.

TANK OPTIONS

Above ground tanks are similar in requirements to effluent ponds when it comes to stirrer size and efficiency.

PTO driven stirrers are an option where a tractor can manage the stirrer on the frontend loader to reach over the wall. Or an electric pond stirrer can be mounted on a pedestal.

The Nevada 7m tank stirrer is suitable for most above ground tanks. Another option is the Nevada TankStir 710, which has an extended mast that reaches over the wall of an above-ground tank. The TankStir 710 is easily operated from the ground and is more cost effective than a pedestal set-up.

For bladder effluent tanks, Nevada has the TL2-85 Rovatti PTO Pump, or a large four-inch motorised trash pump that is the right size for effective mixing.

With in-ground effluent sumps there is the option to use a shore-mounted pond stirrer, but often the sump is too small. In this case, consider a submersible stirrer for optimal efficiency.

Submersible mixers come in a range of sizes, which is why it is important to get your in-ground effluent sump assessed before determining what size stirrer is suitable.

Nevada can help assess your farm to come up with the most efficient option. Give us a call on 0800 464 393 to learn more about the right size pond stirrer for your effluent system.

AN ELECTRIC POND STIRRER MOUNTED ON A PEDESTAL IS ONE OPTION FOR ABOVE-GROUND EFFLUENT TANKS.

LANDLOGIC EYES FRESH HORIZONS WITH REGENERATIVE AG MACHINERY

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY DISTRIBUTOR LANDLOGIC

HAS ANNOUNCED AN AGREEMENT WITH UK COMPANY

HORIZON AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY TO BECOME THE

NEW DISTRIBUTOR OF ITS DIRECT DRILLS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Landlogic CEO Alan Cottington says Horizon Agricultural Machinery is a company driven by a passion for soil health and innovative equipment. Adding the Horizon range of cultivators, seed drills and precision planters will boost Landlogic's ability to bring cutting-edge machinery to farmers interested in regenerative agriculture and better productivity.

"We were drawn to Horizon's dedication to building machines that promote soil health and enhance profitability,” Alan says. "This perfectly aligns with our vision and values, and we are

excited to provide these innovative machines to our dealer network.”

Horizon Agricultural Machinery head of sales Charlie Eaton says his company is delighted to be partnering with Landlogic. “We look forward to helping more New Zealand farmers transition to regenerative agriculture practices.”

Previously the New Zealand distributor of the Horizon range was Murrayfields, a company set up by Canterbury no-till farmer Murray Thomson. Murray initially used a Horizon DSX direct drill in his own operation and was

SEE EQUIPMENT IN ACTION

HORIZON DSX DIRECT DRILLS' UNIQUE SINGLE DISC OPENERS ARE SET AT AN ANGLE TO CREATE AN UNDERCUT. THIS GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO DRILL ACCURATELY IN A RANGE OF SOILS.

impressed with its ability to work in any type of soil and any conditions.

Under the new arrangement Landlogic's dealer network gains access to Horizon’s full range of advanced machinery. This includes:

• DSX direct drills. With advanced seeding technology and robust construction, the DSX tackles harsh conditions and delivers exceptional no-till drilling results.

• PPX precision planters. Featuring technology from Precision Planting and unique row units,

the PPX delivers precise seed placement and improved efficiency.

• SPX strip-till cultivators. Designed for minimal soil disturbance, the SPX provides an ideal planting environment while managing residue and improving soil health.

These products offer cutting-edge technology and customisable options to meet the different needs of farmers across New Zealand.

Alan says adding Horizon equipment offers numerous advantages for Landlogic's deal-

NEVADA DEMO DAY

26 MAR 2024

SOUTH TARANAKI

WINTER STAR II ANNUAL RYEGRASS PROVES ITSELF AFTER MAIZE IN WAIKATO

Article supplied by PGG Wrightson Seeds

WINTER STAR II TETRAPLOID ANNUAL RYEGRASS IS THE GO-TO ANNUAL RYEGRASS FOR JOHN AUSTIN, A FARMER AND WELL-KNOWN CONTRACTOR BASED JUST SOUTH OF TE AWAMUTU IN THE WAIKATO.

John has run his contracting business, John Austin Limited, for more than 40 years. It now has a client base of about 800 and covers about 2400 ha.

Along with his contracting business, John runs a 600-ha cropping farm where he produces grain and maize and grass silage. He also provides winter grazing for dry dairy cows.

To improve his own performance and that of his clients, John runs agronomy trials on his home farm to test the value of products before he uses them himself or recommends them to others.

Comprehensive testing has built John’s confidence in Winter Star II annual ryegrass and the benefits it offers. Characterised by rapid establishment and strong winter and spring growth, Winter Star II is ideal to fill the cool season feed gap between crops.

Along with its speed of establishment, its important traits are the amount of feed it provides for grazing, the flexibility it offers because it can be used for silage prior to the next crop, and its ability to soak up residual soil nitrogen after harvesting maize grain. Due to the wide variety of soil types in the Waikato, finding a product that consistently performs across the region can be challenging but Winter Star II meets this need. This includes using it as an annual ryegrass break-crop between maize plantings.

For the last 12 years, John has bought in 200-300 dry dairy cows, which are grazed through winter on Winter Star II. Sown between maize crops, the Winter Star II paddocks are grazed twice before the cows return home for calving. He then applies nitrogen, shuts the grass up, cuts it for silage and then puts it back into maize.

As we approach harvesting season, John already knows that he will sow Winter Star II

this autumn. Over the years, he has worked with PGG Wrightson Seeds and PGG Wrightson Rural Supplies in Te Awamutu to run annual ryegrass trials on his farm. In the most recent on-farm trial, Winter Star II and Tama were sown at 30 kg/ha and dry matter measurements were taken in May, June, July, August, and September.

The trial confirmed the impor-

tance of buying quality proprietary seed with Winter Star II out-yielding Tama annual ryegrass by 1,449 kg DM/ha (that is a difference of 25 percent) over the six month period. (See Tables 1 and 2.)

With Winter Star II annual ryegrass, John has found a ryegrass that works for his clients and the diversity of soil types that they have.

er network. The Landlogic portfolio already includes vineyard equipment, Freshfilter cabin air filtration systems, Firestryker

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“NZ farmers will also benefit because Horizon machinery promotes soil health, reduces input costs, and increases profitability through regenerative practices.”

He says farmers can use Horizon equipment to improve efficiency and yield, and its robust construction ensures reliable performance and durability.

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TABLE 1: SEASONAL DRY MATTER PRODUCTION VALUE ($/HA)

TABLE 2: ACCUMULATIVE DRY MATTER PRODUCTION OF WINTER STAR II AND TAMA ANNUAL RYEGRASS IN WAIKATO 2022

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SOIL CARBON CREDITS – IT’S COMPLICATED

INCREASING SOIL CARBON IS A GOOD THING. IN FACT IT IS AN EXCELLENT THING. THE MORE HUMUS IN THE SOIL, THE MORE RESILIENT AND PRODUCTIVE IT IS.

Fat, healthy soil is spongier, so it holds nutrients and mops up more water in a heavy rain event. It then takes longer to dry out when in drought conditions.

Globally, soil holds more carbon than the atmosphere and plants combined. So putting the two ideas together sounds like a winner – build your soils with carbon to make them more productive and help reduce greenhouse gases. Everyone is happy.

While it is a good idea, the problems are how to achieve it, how to measure it, and then how to use those measures to reward farmers for their soil carbon in a credit scheme. It gets complicated.

Beverley Henry is an adjunct associate professor at Queensland University of Technology. Last year she addressed the annual Farmed Landscapes Research Centre (FLRC) conference at Massey University on the complexity of soil carbon credits.

Australia has had a soil component in their national carbon credit scheme since 2014. After a slow start, so far about 450 projects have been registered in the scheme and one has actually received carbon credits.

Even this statement is complicated. Most of the projects have joined over the last couple of years, and there is an inherent time delay between registering and gaining credits. This means soil carbon projects are not a fast or easy way to add farm income.

Beverley points out that there are big differences between New Zealand and Australian soils.

THE NUMBER OF NEW SOIL CARBON PROJECTS REGISTERED UNDER AUSTRALIA’S EMISSIONS REDUCTION FUND IN EACH QUARTER OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS SHOWS THE STRONG INTEREST FROM AGRICULTURAL LAND MANAGERS IN SOIL CARBON CREDITS. (DATA SOURCE: CER QCMR DEC 2022.)

“You have to be realistic about what’s achievable in different soil types and different farm systems. The prospects for building soil carbon look to be lower in many parts of New Zealand because the soil carbon level is already good. At every location there is a limit as to how high the carbon content can go.”

CARBON CYCLING

Many soil scientists are cautious. Overall research around the world shows that how much you can build soil carbon and keep that carbon in the soil depends on your conditions.

“Long-term storage is critical for earning soil carbon credits, but if you can just maintain good soil carbon levels that’s really important for healthy soils and farm production.”

Surface soil cycles carbon quite rapidly,

BEVERLEY HENRY SAYS SOIL CARBON LEVELS ARE ALREADY HIGH IN MANY PARTS OF NEW ZEALAND AND THERE IS A LIMIT AS TO HOW HIGH CARBON CONTENTS CAN GO.

Beverley says.

“More than 90 percent of the carbon that comes into soil through photosynthesis cycles back to the atmosphere fairly quickly through plant and microbial respiration.”

While this is not directly helpful when it comes to stemming climate change, it is how agricultural land is supposed to work.

“Cycling carbon is what gives the soil fertility. It helps the soil's physical and chemical structure and its biological activity, and ultimately helps crops and pasture grow.”

Keeping carbon in the soil is helped when it is protected in aggregates within the soil. But this depends on the soil type.

“You need a percentage of clay. Sandy soil does not form stable aggregates,” Beverley says.

Assuming you do have some clay in your soil, there can still be a big seasonal effect on soil carbon. Climate influences how carbon is added to soil in organic matter and how long it stays in the soil.

In a dry season, losses are often greater than inputs, so soil carbon levels drop. You can be doing everything right, building soil carbon and then a year or two of drought and the gains are gone. It has done its job and helped hold nutrients and water and made you more resilient, but it will run down.

“Organic matter turns over quickly and you need to keep adding it to maintain levels,” Beverley says.

So, through best practice you got through a drought better, but in terms of reporting carbon for credits, you are back to the beginning. Soil carbon naturally cycles, like a working bank account. The tricky part is putting it into a term deposit.

It is much easier to measure carbon sequestered by trees, as only the carbon in the wood

PHOTO BY ANN WOOLLIAMS.

is counted – that is the term deposit equivalent. Leaf drop, root exudates and microbial activity is all ignored, but that is all the tricky stuff that has to be measured when it comes to soil carbon.

Soil management is the one aspect of soil carbon over which farmers have total control.

Adding carbon to soil is a slow, uneven progress, and it can be very easy to lose it. If you wish to deplete carbon, then the tried and true ways are to set stock and over-graze, leave bare soils, and cultivate regularly (especially on unstable slopes).

“Generally, cultivated soils have lower organic matter than permanent grasslands, but you don’t have to keep losing it,” Beverley says. “You can maintain it with good management in a cropping system by returning stubble, irrigating if there is a water shortage, adding compost if you are able to.”

SOIL CARBON SCHEMES

A factor with the Australian soil credit scheme is that farmers have to prove they are adding carbon by doing something new, something additional to their usual farming practice.

“Some farmers say you have to be a bad farmer initially, or be bad long enough to then change back.”

Changing from cropping to permanent pasture is one way to increase soil carbon. If you are growing crops for people, that could mean a decline in food production to boost carbon credits. That becomes a tricky ethical issue.

Farmers then need to stay with this new management activity long-term.

“That is a challenge for farmers because markets change and business priorities change.”

Measuring soil carbon is another issue, though this is improving.

“Newer methods are being developed and a lot of research globally is focused on combining modelling and remote sensing with in-ground soil core measurements.”

Beverley says many countries are introducing policies to improve and measure soil organic carbon.

“Over the last 10 years there has been on-going investment in science and measurement.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE

THE POTENTIAL TO SEQUESTER CARBON IN AUSTRALIAN SOILS VARIES ENORMOUSLY DEPENDING ON CLIMATE, LAND AND VEGETATION TYPES.

Hopefully increased research will bring down the cost of measurement and improve accuracy.

Soil carbon credits seem so easy – just measure soil carbon now in fixed places across the farm, and then measure again in a few years. If it has gone up then ‘yay’. Whatever you are doing is effective, here is your money, and keep up the good work.

But no, it is more complicated than that.

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New Zealand seed drill manufacturer Allen Custom Drills says seed strike rate is a useful metric to gauge successful germination and emergence, which is the linchpin for agricultural success. The precision with which seeds are placed and the conditions in which they germinate directly influence crop yield.

Triple disc systems offer a number of advantages when it comes to achieving high strike rates:

1. Minimal soil disturbance. This preserves soil structure, moisture, and beneficial microorganisms.

2. Accurate depth placement.

Seed is placed at the optimum depth for uniform germination and emergence.

3. Time and cost efficiency. Direct drilling with triple disc systems reduces the need for multiple passes over the field, saving time and fuel costs.

THE ALLEN C-D DRILL HAS 17-INCH TURBO OPENING DISCS AND GREAT CONTOURING ABILITY, SO IT GIVES OPTIMAL SEED PLACEMENT IN VARYING TERRAINS.

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The long-term benefits of increased yields, drilling efficiency, and environmental stewardship make a triple disc dill an investment well worth considering.

Allen Custom Drills have two triple disc drill options in their air seeder range the Ergonomic Drill (E-D Series) and the Contour Drill (C-D Series). Both Series feature an opening disc, seeding disc and press wheel arrangement that precisely places seeds at optimal depths and creates firm seed-to-soil contact.

E-D SERIES

The E-D Series is Allen Custom Drills’ entry level triple disc drill. It has a simple but highly productive design, and its ergonomic design gives farmers and contractors a comfortable and efficient drilling experience.

It is available in working widths of 3m to 4m, with the option of 5-inch (125-mm) or 6-inch (150mm) row spacings.

It has a low centre of gravity, a lighter weight design and low horsepower requirement.

The opening discs featured on E-D Series drills are hydraulically adjustable 16-inch Turbo discs, mounted in pairs on DuroTorque suspension. They use the latest in maintenance free bearing hub technology.

The E-D Series can be fitted with hillside stabiliser wheels (standard on the folding E-D 4000), which are a big help when working in hill country.

With running costs as low as $5 per hectare the E-D is a great allround drill.

C-D SERIES

For contractors and large-scale operations, Allen Custom Drills’ top triple disc drill pick is the C-D Series.

The heavy-duty C-D is built strong, and its reliable ability to contour gives optimal seed

placement on varying terrains so it ensures uniform germination and emergence in most conditions.

It is available in working widths of 3m to 6m with the option of 5-inch (127-mm) or 6-inch (152mm) row spacings.

Opening discs on C-D drills are 17-inch Turbo discs. They too use the latest in maintenance-free bearing hub technology. The discs are mounted individually using Duro-Torque suspension.

Behind the opening discs on the C-D Series are double seeding discs mounted in a V formation to accurately place seed and fertiliser. They are followed by a semi pneumatic press wheel.

This parallelogram system always provides each coulter with maximum ground contact.

Folding C-D models feature a

hydraulic wing float and the ability to adjust the wing pressure to ensure maximum productivity. It is effective when it comes to working in undulating terrain.

C-D Series drills are low maintenance, low-cost machines, with running costs as little as $6 per hectare.

Both E-D and C-D Series feature their own simple system to adjust the seeding depth. The E-D has an adjuster on each disc coulter arrangement, and the C-D is adjusted in two or three sections depending on the drill width.

As with all Allen Custom Drills, the E-D and C-D Series feature an Accord metering and distribution system, combined with an Allen 7115 controller or ISOBUS integration through the tractor terminal.

They can also be specified with a range of options that improve efficiency further. Along with ISOBUS, they include cranes, work lights, cameras, hydraulic brakes, small seed/slug bait bins, chain harrows and more. As the name of the company implies, Allen Custom Drills can put anything into a drill that customers want to get exactly what is needed for their operation.

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A KALE CROP SOWN INTO SPRAYED OUT GRASS WITH AN ALLEN TRIPLE DISC DRILL.

GROWERS GIVE THUMBS UP TO TRICHODERMA SEED TREATMENT

THE FOUNDATION FOR ARABLE RESEARCH’S FIRST ON-FARM TRICHODERMA SEED TREATMENT ‘TRY OUT’ SHOWS EQUAL YIELD AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES TO CONVENTIONAL SEED TREATMENTS.

Central Canterbury grower Matt McEvedy says there are enough encouraging signs to continue its use.

Matt is part of a FAR Growers Leading Change (GLC) group that is trying out the use of liquid biological products and fertilisers. Members of the GLC group members farm at Ellesmere, Methven and Barrhill, and they are looking at alternatives to conventional insecticide and fungicide seed treatments.

The aim is to find alternatives that will work as well, at a reduced cost or with a different mode of action in order to increase the number of tools they have in their toolboxes.

The Trichoderma test was carried out last season in eight paddocks of autumn sown wheat on different farms.

MEMBERS OF THE GROWERS LEADING CHANGE GROUP CHECK OUT A LIQUID INJECTION SYSTEM ON A DRILL.

It used a commercially available biological seed treatment, Platform Seed, which has the beneficial fungus Trichoderma atroviride strain LU132 as the main active ingredient. It is the first time FAR has run an on-farm grower try out of biological products.

Grower try outs are different to a standard trial because they are not scientifically replicated so they are simpler and easier to set up and monitor.

Four treatments were used: bare seed, Platform Seed treated seed, conventional treated seed and a combined conventional and Platform Seed treated seed. Trichoderma fungi live naturally in the soil and on and in the roots of plants. Research has shown that the right Trichoderma fungal strains can provide protection from disease as well as enhanced vigour and stress tolerance.

Matt farms at Southbridge and he says it was a pleasant surprise that the Trichoderma seed coating performed at least as well as the conventional treatment. He says he would try it again.

While Platform Seed was applied as a seed treatment to ensure consistency of product application across all paddocks, Trichoderma can be applied as a liquid. Some members of the GLC group now have liquid systems on their drills.

While off-the-shelf liquid injection kits can be added to drills, most farmers in the group have taken a DIY approach to their liquid systems using locally available parts and building the system themselves. The group has produced a guide for others

CANTERBURY FARMERS JAMES HALFORD (LEFT) AND TOM RUDGE TREAT SEED WITH TRICHODERMA POWDER FOR THEIR ON-FARM TRY OUTS.

looking to make similar modifications.

FAR chief executive and plant pathologist Dr Alison Stewart says that when using a microbial treatment like Trichoderma, it is important to establish high levels of the fungus on or in the roots of plants and surrounding soil.

Population counts on the Platform seed treated areas gave much higher Trichoderma numbers (30,000-40,000 colony forming units (cfu) per gram of soil) compared to the controls (128-260 cfu per gram of soil).

Trichoderma colonisation of the root ranged from 39-46 percent for the Platform Seed treatment compared with 11-12 percent for the bare seed and conventional seed treatment.

This showed that Trichoderma successfully grew and established in the soil and inside the roots of plants.

Alison says while the colonisation was significantly higher in the treated areas than the control, past work has shown that numbers closer to 100,000 cfu per gram of soil would provide better benefits from Trichoderma and this is going to be the focus for future trials.

“It was a good start. The more try outs that we do on growers’ properties the more data we can collect and the more informed decisions we can make about getting the best out of these biological products,” she says.

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REGENERATING THE LAND AND PEOPLE

“IT USED TO BE A DESERT, A MANMADE DESERT,” SAYS SUSANNAH SIMPSON ABOUT FERNLEE STATION IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES.

But the 2000 acre (809 hectare) station is coming to life after Susannah took it over eight years ago and began implementing regenerative agriculture principles.

“There was dust and dirt everywhere, and very little ground cover. The water just ran off,” she says.

Since she has focused on retaining and growing ground cover, water absorption improved significantly with the farm recovering well.

son, came back from Papua New Guinea as a soldier. He got a soldier settlement block at Augathella in Queensland.”

Both her grandfather and her father Max passed away when Susannah was young.

“We sold that country about 20 years ago and then I moved in towards this area.

“It was very rundown when I bought it. It was a man-made drought. I’ve been slowly

THE FARM USED TO BE OVERGRAZED BUT REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES MEANS IT IS RECOVERING WELL.

improving it. It was extremely overgrazed,” she says.

Despite the previous overgrazing, cattle now play a massive role in regenerating the land.

Susannah runs a working cattle enterprise that is home to a predominantly Hereford line, with some speckled park hybrids in the mix.

“I’ve got breeders and a grazing enterprise,” she says.

The approximately 300 cows in the commercial line of beef cattle acclimated well to the farm.

Susannah’s family, and her cattle, came from Augathella in Queensland.

“My grandfather, Alfred Simp -

ZARLEAH, SUSANNAH AND RYLIE.

instance, the 300 acres usually has a mob on it for a month or three weeks. I’m always watching and adjusting the system. I’m very much out in the paddock observing. Conditions are always changing,” she says.

the river, fishing holes, a fire pit and places to hike.

“We’ve been enjoying watching the transformation of grazing and regenerative agricultural principles. Four years ago, we had the worst drought in modern history. It hung on very well. Partly because of those principles that we had and tried to stick to. We’re in another drought now.”

On top of severe drought conditions, other local land holders have also had to fight large scale bushfires that have destroyed what was left of grazing in the Ashford and surrounding areas, Susannah says.

Cows now have calves at foot, but even though they are hanging on, Susannah admits conditions are tough.

Susannah does not let tough times get her down but rather focuses on what she can control.

She is a coordinator with Aussie Hay Runners and helps coordinate hay for farmers in need.

Susannah says the regenerative principles she applies are all about ground cover.

Cattle cell graze paddocks for about three weeks, and only return to a paddock again in six months, which gives the area plenty of time to recover.

The size and condition of a paddock play a part in how long cattle stay on.

Paddocks on the station are between 100 to 300 acres each, she says.

“I spin them around. For

“At the moment, with the drought, they’re on a very quick spin. It’s hard at the moment because it’s so severe,” Susannah says.

The station’s grazing is predominantly native grass species, with some improved pasture. Super and clover mixes are planted strategically in the grass country every year, she says.

“We have slowly been improving the growth.”

Because the property is “hilly”, not all areas can be tackled, but mobs are used where needed.

“It [the land] is still healing, but we saw a massive result within 12 months of buying the place and implementing that strategy, with cell grazing and regenerative agricultural practices.”

Fernlee station should get about 29 inches (700mm) of rain every year.

“We haven’t had proper rain for about eight months now,” she says.

As a drought strategy, Susannah’s partner, Jeff, is working on the Boggabri mine on a fourday-on, four-days-off schedule, which brings in a regular income.

A few years ago Susannah also began diversifying the farm income by allowing campers onto the property.

The undulating hilly country and the Severn river that snakes through the station is a prime spot to camp, she says. Campers get well manicured lawns next to

“We get really good Murray cod fishing. We also have a colony of platypus that people love seeing, and koalas. Some of our campers told me spotted quoll come up to the fire at night.”

The spotted quoll are extremely rare.

The campsite is for self-contained campers only with no ablution or shower facilities, and a ‘what you bring in you take out policy’. This is usual for camping

BUSHFIRES HAVE IN SOME AREAS OF ASHFORD DESTROYED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE DROUGHT STRICKEN GRAZING.

in such remote areas, she says.

The site draws “campers and caravaners that love remote camping and self-sufficiency”.

“We had thought to develop things further, with toilets and showers but everybody really

SUSANNAH IS A COORDINATOR FOR AUSSIE HAYRUNNERS. HAYBALES KEEP SOME OF THE FARM GOING.

ing amount of income.”

just wants to see nature. They don’t want to see structure.”

The campsite is a full-time job, on top of the cattle, Susannah says.

“It is bringing in a great surpris-

A huge benefit of the campsite is that Susannah does not have to leave the farm and can be near her four kids, Zarleah (11), Jaxon (5), Zoey (3) and Rylie (1).

The campsite draws all kinds of adventurers.

“Since Covid, there’s a lot of families that are homeschooling

their children. We get a lot of families that are on the road.

“We see a lot of grey nomads and lots of families during the Christmas holiday bringing their children to learn about nature, fishing and bushcraft.”

Besides honeymooners, there have been wedding proposals and even an elderly gentleman who brought his wife out for what would be her last trip, she says.

At Fernlee both the farm enterprise and camping is about more than just an income and is also all about giving back.

At the campsite the average citizen pays, “but anybody that is a veteran or first responder stays free. That’s how our family gives back to Australian heroes.”

Susannah has multiple reasons for giving back to veterans and first responders. Firstly her grandfather was a soldier. She has also seen search-andrescue teams perform searches in the remote areas where she

farms, and felt for them, especially when they have to deal with a fatality.

“My respect grew for them, and I thought maybe they need to get away from it all and can camp with their families or by themselves on the river.”

The parents of Australian war hero Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2013, were one of Susannah and Jeff’s first guests at the campsite and since then the campsite has become a getaway for many Australian heroes.

With the same concerns for heroes in mind, Susannah also uses horses for equine therapy with trauma victims.

It has been proven that horses are effective in helping people with trauma, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.

“I’ve helped people that have been in the police force or veterans that come back from Afghanistan. I’ve also helped women in domestic violence. I see huge results with any kind of trauma. It’s really positive what the horses can do,” Susannah says.

Susannah’s journey into horse therapy began when she introduced a police friend to her horses after suffering severe trauma.

SUSANNAH RUNS A WORKING BEEF CATTLE ENTERPRISE WITH PREDOMINANTLY HEREFORDS, BUT SOME SPECKLED PARK HYBRIDS IN THE MIX. SHE AVERAGES ABOUT 300 COWS.

A GUEST WITH A MURRAY COD.

CAMPERS NEXT TO THE SEVERN RIVER.

THE SEVERN RIVER IS A PRIME SPOT FOR CAMPING, WITH LOTS OF FISHING HOLES AND A POPULATION OF PLATYPUS TO BOOT.

SUSANNAH RUNS A WHALER HORSE STUD. WHALER’S ARE GREAT STOCK HORSES.

“She got amazing results and, from that, I’ve now formulated what I do with the horses. I will read the person’s body language a lot more than their words.”

When dealing with adults and trauma Susannah relies on a gentle giant to help her.

“I’ve got a big Percheron cross Andulisian. She’s about 16 hands but she’s gentle.”

When helping younger people or children, Susannah relies on her daughter’s miniature horses and ponies.

Susannah says people suffering from trauma build trust with horses by simply leading them around and, for example, brushing them.

They often become very emotional and begin opening up, she says.

“A lot of people come here and have the thousand-mile stare; after staying here or working with the horses there’s a twinkle back in their eyes.”

Susannah says she reads people’s body language more than listening to what they say.

“Working with horses gives them confidence,” she says. “I have been involved with horses my entire life.”

To that end Susannah runs a Whaler horse stud, with one stallion and about 19 mares.

She uses the horses wherever she can on the farm, such as mushing cattle, but says with a young family it can be hard to find time for riding.

Some of the yearlings are sold, but she often gives horses away to veterans or first responders that need a horse.

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THE KIDS HELPING OUT

young contractor

ALWAYS LEARNING

WHEN CONTRACTOR JOHNY

SHALLARD DECIDED TO GROW SOME MAIZE, HE WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE IN SOUTHLAND.

Last season Johny planted 5 ha of maize on his father's dairy runoff at Wendon in Northern Southland. He collected some data from that effort and then bought a Vaderstad Tempo precision planter to plant another 80 ha this season.

“I was talking to a guy in West Otago who had grown maize and decided I needed to try it and it went well.”

The West Otago farmer had planted 30ha of maize as a silage crop with some success. Johny contacted Pioneer Brand Products and asked it if was possible to grow maize in Southland.

He understands some Southland farmers had tried to grow maize in the past without success.

After planting his trial 5ha crop in October 2022, it was harvested in April last year, to be fed out to his father's cows.

JOHNY SHALLARD (LEFT) WITH CAMERON BASSETT OF NC EQUIPMENT AT THE 2024 SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS IN WAIMUMU.

“I was very impressed with it and the cows just took to it.”

Johny hosted a maize field day in March last year with his maize crop and was joined by Ballance, Farmlands, Pioneer Brand Products and High Country Helicopters, which had done an aerial application. Around 100 people came to get a closer look at his maize crop.

“People were in awe. They didn't expect me to get that much crop. They were saying 'I didn't expect it to be his big'.”

FOR FINISHING PADDOCKS JOHNY SHALLARD USES A BIG 6M LAND LEVELLER BUILT BY BALFOUR ENGINEERING.

He has been surprised at the attention, which has included being interviewed by a local radio station in Southland and appearing on the front page of the Southland Times.

Johny visited the United Kingdom last year with his partner

FROM HIS BASE ON HIS PARENTS' DAIRY FARM AT WENDON CREEK, JOHNY SHALLARD LOOKS AFTER DAIRY AND SHEEP AND BEEF FARMERS IN NORTHERN SOUTHLAND.

Beatrice Freer (Bea) and took the opportunity to learn more about maize, the science behind it and the new varieties. They visited the Royal Highland Show in Scotland and a major cereal event.

“There is so much to it and they are bringing out new varieties all the time. They have shorter maturities and grow quicker, so it is exciting times.”

In February, he booked a stand at Southern Field Days at Waimumu, near Gore, to show farmers what he has to offer.

“When the sites became available at Field Days, I jumped at the opportunity to have a stand with a tractor and the planter. I also have the data from last year.

“It is just to get farmers to have a look and prove that we can grow maize in Southland. It is a great business opportunity and hopefully it flows into something, because no-one else is doing it.”

BACKGROUND

Johny started his business, Wendon Creek Contracting, in 2018 while doing a diesel mechanic apprenticeship. He has slowly built it up since then.

He bought his first baler, an old, second-hand machine, for $500. He tidied it and ended up doing 400 round bales. After that he sold it on TradeMe with a $1 reserve and made a profit.

By picking up a few bits and pieces and “giving them some love”, before selling them on, he was able to put some money aside to build up his business.

Wendon Creek Contracting works mostly with clients in the

Northern Southland area. Clients are a mix of dairy, and sheep and beef farmers.

“We travel a wee way, but we try and keep it as local as possible.”

Johny says when he started off with his first round baler he also did the mowing. Since then, he has added an individual bale wrapper, a tube wrapper and silage stacking service.

He also does full cultivation and has now added the Vaderstad Tempo precision planter for maize and fodder beet.

He is weighing up whether to add a forage chopper to his fleet to diversify the business.

“We have been getting a lot of enquiries, but I am a bit reluctant because I don't want to ruin what I have already got by adding another machine and spreading myself too thin.”

Johny is running four tractors this season, including a Case IH Puma 220 and three John Deere tractors that range from 150-hp to 300-hp.

“Growing up I was Case mad and I did my apprenticeship with New Holland in Gore working on Case. My first tractor was Case and I sold that to purchase a new hay rake.”

When he was first starting out he needed an extra tractor and

CULTIVATION GEAR INCLUDES A FIVE-FURROW KVERNELAND PLOUGH AND PROFORGE MULTI DISCS.

Southland Farm Machinery was offering a good lease option. So he had a go with a John Deere 6170 and has been with John Deere ever since.

He has a John Deere 6155R, which he purchased second-hand and has had it for three seasons.

“It is a beautiful tractor and it's still running well. The tractors are all second-hand, but if you look after them, there is not a lot that can go wrong.”

The Case IH Puma 220 is a farm tractor, which Johny has hired from his father to get through the busy season. The bigger John Deere tractors come in handy for keeping the machinery stable on the steeper ground.

Johny does 90 percent of the maintenance himself, but for the more complicated stuff which

relies on computer diagnostics, he calls in his dealer, Southland Farm Machinery.

He has an ex-demo John Deere 990 belt baler, which he purchased two years ago from Drummond and Etheridge, which is complemented by a Goweil wrapper, as well as Kuhn mowers and a Kuhn GA9531 two-rotor rake.

The Vaderstad Tempo precision planter was added this year for his maize crop, so he could offer a full maize establishment service.

ALONG WITH HIS EFFORTS TO PROVE MAIZE SILAGE IS A VIABLE OPTION IN SOUTHLAND, JOHNY SHALLARD HAS USED HIS VADERSTAD TEMPO PLANTER TO PLANT FODDER BEET AND SUNFLOWERS.

“It works out well when you can work in with someone and share the workload.”

JOHNY SHALLARD RAN A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT GROWING MAIZE ON HIS PARENTS’ SOUTHLAND DAIRY FARM AND NOW HE HAS BOUGHT A PRECISION PLANTER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO FARMERS.

He says there have been a lot of enquiries, but he had figured if the maize didn't take off he could always use the planter for fodder beet, so it won't be left sitting in the shed.

The planter was even hired out to a farmer nearby at Five Rivers to plant 50 ha of sunflowers.

“That was an interesting ordeal. I didn't have the right system controls in the tractor, so it was easier to hire the planter to him, so he could do it how he wanted it. He was happy with that.”

The precision planter runs on GPS, although just one of the tractors is equipped with GPS. As fate would have it, that tractor broke a loom, so Johny has ended up hiring a tractor with GPS from a local farmer to keep going.

bigger but not too big

Looking ahead, Johny Shallard hopes to grow his maize operation and gradually expand his business. But he is also mindful that he does not want to grow too quickly, so that he can keep his personal connections with his clients.

“It comes back to keeping it simple – stick to your knitting, looking after the clients, remembering why you are here,” he says.

“We do want to keep adding to our work so we can offer the complete package, but it is all about doing it smartly.”

Next season he is looking at acquiring another tractor with GPS – especially if he adds a disc drill to his fleet.

For cultivation gear, he has a Kverneland plough and Proforge multi discs, which were imported from England.

The discs have Bourne, Lincolnshire, imprinted on them, which meant nothing to Johny until he was in England and ended up visiting the factory – in Bourne, Lincolnshire.

He has also worked alongside another contractor with a Duncan drill this year. Johny does the groundwork and the other contractor follows behind to drill kale, chicory, swedes and young grass.

The demand for the work has Johny thinking about buying his own drill for next season to keep on top of it.

“The brain is always ticking over. If I upgrade this tractor, you have got to think about what it has been doing for you and whether the next tractor will be able to do it.”

FAMILY BUSINESS

After starting out on his own, Johny met his partner Bea three years ago. She was out from England doing contracting work on local farms.

“It was a meeting of destiny. She came out for the silage season and fell in love with the place and stayed.”

Now the couple has two young children running around. Bea spends her time out in the paddock on the machinery, as well as helping Johny's mum Jo during calving. She also pitches in with milking when needed.

“Bea enjoys operating the rake and the wrapper. I have a wee conventional baler which doesn't get used much, but when we have a smaller job, she is always happy to get out and use it,”

Johny says.

This season Johny and Bea took on a full-time Kiwi and a seasonal worker from England to help them keep on top of their growing workload. He also has a few mates who are happy to jump on a tractor and help out when needed.

“It has been a fast learning

MOWING WHOLECROP WITH THE KUHN DOUBLE MOWER.

curve this year dealing with two other staff members and getting them organised.

“Sometimes I spend more time following around in the truck with tools and meeting up with farmers than I get to spend in the tractor. It has been a big change, but I enjoy it.”

He says meeting up with the farmers and understanding their goals is the most important part of the job.

“You can have all the flash machinery, but unless you can talk to your clients and understand what they want you'll go nowhere.

“I would rather have a small client base, keep it local and look after them, than be able to say 'We did 30,000 bales this year'.

One of my old bosses always told me that if you stick to your knitting, you will always have work.”

Johny says he enjoys going to a farm, learning what they do and

JOHNY SHALLARD’S PARTNER BEA FREER CAME OUT TO NEW ZEALAND FROM ENGLAND TO WORK FOR A CONTRACTOR AND SHE STILL GETS BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN NEEDED.

THE CONTRACTING OPERATION RUNS A KUHN GA9531 TWO-ROTOR RAKE.

figuring out how best to help them.

“I do enjoy learning. I didn't at school. I am practical. I am not good at theory or sitting in a classroom. I prefer to do it myself and figure it out.

“With the diesel apprenticeship we had to pull things apart and put them back together and get the machines going again. That is how I learn.”

Johny was born and bred on his parents', Murray and Jo, farm at Wendon in northern Southland, about 10 minutes from Riversdale, which is near Gore. His grandparents were sheep farmers, but Murray and Jo bred Angus cattle for a while before converting to dairying.

These days Murray and Jo run an 800 cow dairy farm. A sharemilker does the milking, and they keep the operation in-house by using their own runoff for wintering the cows.

“Dad focuses on the runoff and I am slowly doing more and more tractor work for him. It was what I did in my school holidays as a kid, helping dad out. Now that I am a full-time contractor, he gets me to come in and do some of that work.”

Johny is the oldest of three children. His brother is working on a neighbour’s farm and his sister is off to Lincoln University this year, “so we are very agricultural”.

Growing up on the family farm, he soon developed the iron bug.

WITH BALING,

“I have always been tractor mad. I have had the iron disease since I arrived. I grew up on a dairy farm, but the cows never really held much interest for me. It was the machines I loved – the planting, raking, harvesting, baling, just everything.

“I enjoyed starting in the spring with ploughing a paddock and planting it, and then coming back and harvesting it or baling it. Job complete.”

After finishing school he completed his Level 3 heavy diesel qualification, which he puts to good use by doing the maintenance on his fleet of tractors and machinery. His dealers have a good parts service, which helps him keep on top of his machinery.

He also plans to do an agronomy course to improve his knowledge of soil, seeds and crops, so

ALTHOUGH HE DID HIS DIESEL APPRENTICESHIP WORKING ON CASE IH AND NH TRACTORS, JOHNY SHALLARD’S MAIN TRACTORS ARE NOW JOHN DEERES.

he can better serve his clients.

Johny is always keen to share knowledge. He hosted another field day last year, as well as his maize field day.

It was an Environment Southland field day in September on his father's run off. Ministry for Primary Industries staff were also involved and it was aimed at contractors to help them better understand the new regulations around working on slopes, setbacks and critical source areas.

Johny says the new regulations have been a bit of a headache for contractors, who have expressed the concern about who is responsible for teaching the new rules to staff, especially seasonal staff from overseas.

“But it is the farmers I feel for. If they lose a hectare down the side of a water way, they need to find a hectare somewhere else.”

ALONG

JOHNY SHALLARD OFFERS A SILAGE STACKING SERVICE.

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• Long lasting discs

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canterbury family

WORKS HARD, PLAYS HARD

A CANTERBURY FAMILY THAT HAS BEEN CONTRACTING FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS IS LOOKING TO TRANSFER MANAGEMENT DUTIES OF THE BUSINESS FROM THE SECOND TO THE THIRD GENERATION.

Now based in Fernside, near Rangiora, BA Murray Contracting Ltd provides a full range of services – cultivation, seeding, precision planting, baling, combine harvesting and forage harvesting.

Bryan Murray started the company in 1951. He started out providing cultivation services for market gardeners on the outskirts of Christchurch.

The company was an early adapter of new technology and it has gone on to ride the ups and downs of the agricultural industry. They began bulk forage harvesting in the 1970s and even built machines to make it more efficient.

In the 1980s they got in on the ground floor of the government’s move to privatise services by

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE MURRAY FAMILY (FROM LEFT) KATE MCLEAN, BRYAN MURRAY, CRAIG MCLEAN, NATASHA MURRAY WITH BABY ELSIE ROSE, SAM MURRAY, JULIE MURRAY AND STEVE MURRAY.

picking up contracts to do roadside mowing across the top of the South Island.

Bryan’s son Steve joined the business in 1993. He spearheaded the growth of the BA Murray’s bulk forage harvesting operation, which took off in a big way when the dairy boom hit in the early 2000s.

Both Bryan and Steve are well known in the halls of Rural Contractors NZ (RCNZ), which represents the interests of Kiwi rural contractors. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Steve was vice-pres-

TO REMAIN IN BUSINESS FOR 70 YEARS, BA MURRAY HAS CONSTANTLY UPGRADED ITS EQUIPMENT TO DELIVER FARMERS A MORE EFFICIENT SERVICE.

ident of RCNZ for four years and president for two years. He and Bryan have both received lifetime membership status for their services to the association.

Now in his 93rd year, Bryan is still on BA Murray Contracting’s board of directors and he reg-

BALING STRAW AFTER HARVESTING A GRAIN CROP.

ularly attends RCNZ’s annual conference. He is also a lifetime member of the NZ Contractors Federation, from which RCNZ emerged.

All of this means that their daughter Kate McLean and his son Sam have big boots to fill now that Steve and his wife Julie are approaching 65 and thinking about how to step back from the business.

Kate has worked for BA Murray Contracting for six years and does all of the office work – accounts, wages, health and safety, social media and overseas recruitment.

Sam operates machinery in the contracting side of the business and runs the family’s leased farm near Mount Thomas. Kate’s husband Craig McLean is also in the driver’s seat, running equipment for the company.

Steve says while a succession plan has not been finalised, he and Julie are keen to take their foot off the gas and hand the steering wheel over to the next generation.

“Kate has much better computer skills than I do and by taking on all the invoicing etcetera that I used to do, I have more time to spend with our customers and to find new business.

“Rural contracting is a tough industry. There are more con-

IN THE 1980S BA MURRAY CONTRACTING RAN A HESSTON FIELD QUEEN SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER.

tractors than ever and costs have been increasing. It is not easy to find new clients but we think that Kate and Sam can take the business forward,” Steve says.

Kate joined the family business after working for years at a large Rangiora automotive repair company.

“It took a bit of adjustment to deal with invoices for $50,000 when I was used to invoices of $5000. I now understand the cost structure of the business,” she says.

“Steve is starting to hand over the reins of the business, and I am now overseeing more of the business and managing staff. I am up for the challenge of working more closely with our clients, and Sam is too. We want to build up a business that we can in turn pass on to the next generation.”

FROM THE BEGINNING

Bryan Murray says his parents bought 40 acres at Harewood on the northern outskirts of Christchurch and ran 40 dairy cows on it. In the 1940s he left school at age 15 to work on the farm.

“We had a two-horse team and a two furrow plough. In 1949 my father bought an 18-hp Massey Ferguson TEA tractor, a three furrow plough and a 1.8m grubber.

“When I was 18 I got a job at the Firestone factory in Christ-

ALONG WITH PIT SILAGE, THE MURRAYS CAN HARVEST GRAIN FOR THEIR CLIENTS.

church making tyres for tractors and cars. I am glad I left it and went back to work with my father. While I was working for him I was meant to be paid £2 per week but I never got paid, so I got to use the tractor in lieu of wages. In 1950 I started doing a bit contracting for local market gardeners.

“We got a set of harrows, a roller and a drill and in 1960 we got a hay bar, a hay rake and baler. We got a second Fergie tractor and a Booth MacDonald potato planter and a potato harvester. In those days I was also doing a milk run from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. so I was working all the time.”

Bryan says in 1977 Fletchers hired contractors to feed a big pelletising plant it set up in Ashburton to supply the Japanese market with lucerne pellets for chicken feed. BA Murray bought a self-propelled and a tow-behind forage harvester and two 14-ft windrowers to take on the work.

They developed their own set of triple mowers made up of one front-mounted and two rear-mounted Aitchison UFOs. They also built their own grouper that would transfer three rows of lucerne into one to feed the forage harvesters.

Unfortunately, the big contract with Fletchers did not last long. Fuel prices were soaring at the end of the 1970s and the pelletising operation was no longer economic.

On the other hand, Bryan learned a lot about forage harvesting and he began to offer the service around Christchurch

BA MURRAY CONTRACTING OFFERS A FULL CULTIVATION SERVICE AS WELL AS DIRECT DRILLING.

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and further afield.

The 1980s brought the economic reforms of the Lange Labour Government, which caused havoc in the farming industry but also provided new opportunities. Previously the Ministry of Works did roadside mowing, but the work was privatised and BA Murray got some large contracts.

“At one time we were mowing for the Banks Peninsula, Hurunui and Marlborough district councils, and transit roads from the Waitaki River right up to Picton and as far west as Rai Valley, Lewis Pass and Arthurs Pass,” Bryan says.

“We did that for six or seven years before we got undercut and lost the contracts.”

Steve had worked with Bryan for a couple of years in the 1970s but then took on a number of other roles outside of agriculture before he returned to the contracting business in 1993.

Initially he worked for a large family-owned transport company, and later he managed a retail sports shop in Rangiora owned by his wife Julie’s family. Then, from 1988 to 1993, he ran a local newspaper, the Northern Outlook.

“The sports shop taught me a lot about customer service and about how to approach people with confidence. The newspaper taught me about working along-

side other business owners to show them how we could add value to their business, in that case through advertising.”

When Steve rejoined BA Murray in 1993, it was expanding its forage harvesting business and that became his primary focus.

“In 1996 we upgraded our forage harvester and in 1998 we added a second one. At that time there were only a few contractors in Mid and North Canterbury who were running self-propelled forage harvesters and we each did huge runs.

“We were doing grass silage around Dunsandel and as far west as Staveley and some high country stations. We went up north as far as Hawarden, Greta Valley and Cheviot,” Steve says.

“For maize silage we harvested all around Mid Canterbury and as far to Temuka. Gradually more contractors started doing pit silage, which was good. We were spending a lot of time driving and often farmers had to wait to get their crops chopped.

“In fact, now I wonder how the hell we did it. I would be driving the forage harvester and at the same time be on the phone lining up the next job.”

In 2002 Bryan and Steve won the inaugural Rural Contractor of the Year Award, which was sponsored by New Holland, Rural Contractors NZ (then known as the

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TO BUILD SILAGE STACKS TODAY, THEY USE THREE JCB FARM MASTER AGRI WHEEL LOADERS, TWO 434S AND A NEWER 435.

PIT SILAGE HAS BEEN THE MAIN FOCUS OF BA MURRAY CONTRACTING SINCE THE 1970S.

RIGHT: STEVE MURRAY GOING IN A BIT HIGH DURING THE 2018 GOLDEN OLDIES WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT. FAR RIGHT: BRYAN MURRAY IS A LEGEND IN BOTH CONTRACTING AND WATER SKIING CIRCLES. AT NEARLY 93 HE STILL TAKES PART IN WATER SKIING COMPETITIONS

Rural and Associated Contractors Federation) and this magazine.

Dr Ian Yule of Massey University led the panel of judges who chose the finalists in the competition. Ian said at the time that the judges were impressed with their level of professionalism and the way that they acted as advisors to their clients.

SERVICES

While BA Murray is a full service contracting business, making pit silage has long been their mainstay, and they put a lot of effort into making the best possible product they can.

This includes running high performance equipment, using skilled operators and adding inoculants to give the silage (as

Sometimes you can learn something about people by their licence plates. In case of the Murray family, theirs says ‘WEESKI’ and that’s because they are about as keen on water skiing as you can get.

Both Bryan and Steve are former New Zealand champions, and Steve has represented New Zealand internationally.

“Dad started skiing in 1955 when a mate of his brought some water skis back from Singapore. It is still his passion.”

Now in his nineties, Bryan is the oldest person in the country still competitive skiing. He competes in the over 65 category, so he skis against much younger men.

An injury cut short Steve’s competitive skiing career but it didn’t stop him from playing rugby. He played senior club rugby every Saturday until he was 56 and he decided to give up playing Golden Oldies when he turned 60.

That still gave him the opportunity to take part in the Golden Oldies World Cup tournament when it was held in Christchurch in 2018. He played against teams from Argentina, Australia and Canada.

well as balage and hay) the best chance to reach and maintain top quality.

A big fleet of Claas mowers and

rakes is in hand to get the ball rolling. Three sets of Claas triple mowers as well as two four-rotor rakes and a two-rotor rake are on

hand to handle the bigger jobs.

Two New Holland self-propelled harvesters – an FR650 and an FR600 – do the chopping,

we ski and rugby

TILLAGE EQUIPMENT INCLUDES DISCS, A PLOUGH, A POWER HARROW AND A MINIMUM TILLAGE VADERSTAD TOPDOWN CULTIVATOR.

whether it is grass, direct cut wholecrop or maize.

Steve says the company has always focused on building the best possible stack by evenly spreading the crop and compacting it as densely as possible. Today they use three JCB Farm Master Agri wheel loaders, two 434s and a newer 435, for their stack work.

“If a farmer is going to invite you back next year, the quality of their silage has to be spot-on and that is all about compaction.

Until about 2004 we used two industrial loaders on each stack so that we could get the compaction wanted and keep up with our high capacity forage harvesters.

“Then someone from JCB offered to demonstrate their new wheel loader with a buck rake, which was specifically designed for silage stacking.

“At that time we had our best stack driver ever, and he wasn’t interested. He said ‘If they bring it make sure it has a bucket it on it, not a rake’. He didn’t want to use it but I made him, and two hours later he asked ‘When is ours arriving?’.

“The JCB was lighter than the 16-tonne quarrying loader we were using, but it had another 80 hp and its transmission was designed to move between for-

ward and reverse quickly. With its buck rake we could move 40 cubic metres of silage in two pushes rather than three or four. We are still using them.”

Steve says as part of their policy to make the best possible product, they use inoculant whether they are making bulk silage, balage or hay. Inoculant, he says, can make good silage better by speeding up fermentation or hindering spoilage.

BA Murray started out as a cultivation business and it has always provided the service. Today they run discs, a plough, a power harrow and a minimum tillage Vaderstad TopDown cultivator. The 6m Lemken power harrow can be paired with a Lemken Solitair seed box to broadcast seed while finishing.

They run a Horsch Avatar direct drill, which has single disc coulters and can handle a range of conditions from no-till to cultivated ground.

“Our Horsch Avatar is similar to a John Deere 750A. It can apply a lot of pressure on the disc openers and it has three tanks, so we can sow grass or crops along with fertiliser and clover seed or slug bait.

“One of the best things about Horsch drills is their metering. It is so bloody accurate,” Steve says.

THE BUSINESS RUNS TWO NEW HOLLAND FORAGE HARVESTERS, AN FR650 AND AN FR600, TO PRODUCE PIT SILAGE FROM GRASS, WHOLECROP AND MAIZE.

Precision planting is done with a 12-row Kverneland HD Optima. It is used to plant both fodder beet and maize.

In parallel with their contracting business, Bryan and Steve have always leased land to farm themselves. Along with giving them a farmer’s perspective it provides winter work and another outlet for some of their equipment.

It was their farming experience that led them to add a baling service to the business. Steve had always resisted getting a baler, because so many contractors had them, but in the early 2000s, they had trouble getting their own grass baled when they needed.

To have more control of their own work, they bought a New Holland 4x3 baler. Later some customers learned they had the baler and asked them to do their baling as well.

Today they run their New Holland 1290 big square baler and a McHale V660 variable chamber round baler to do silage, hay and straw. The wrap bales with a Goweil wrapper or an Anderson tube wrapper, which can wrap rounds and squares.

Baling clients are dairy and sheep and beef farmers plus a few lifestyle blocks. Steve reckons he could do more lifestyle

blocks if he had a medium square baler but is definitely staying away from conventional small squares even though there is a demand for them.

“There are a lot of contractors in North Canterbury now, and just last year five or six new conventional balers were sold into this area.”

Spreading is a relatively new addition to the business. Steve says a couple of years ago they bought a Fliegl 271 ASW Gigant push-off trailer. It can not only be used as a silage trailer, the rear doors can be replaced with spreading doors to spread manure or compost.

“More and more farmers want compost spread on their pasture or worked ground. They find that it helps the soil retain moisture better, and it enhances the activity of soil microbes. We can use the Fliegl ASW to apply it but we are also looking at adding another spreader so that we can have more precision, do variable rate spreading and provide proof of placement.”

STEVE MURRAY SAYS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HIS HORSCH AVATAR DIRECT DRILL IS ITS ACCURATE METERNG.

CHEAT.

Don’t worry, your tractor doesn’t love you as much as you might think.

The grass is greener.