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Is FAR investing in the right research? Farmers play a critical role in defining FAR’s research and extension portfolio, ensuring that we invest research dollars in projects that will deliver real benefits to farm businesses. During autumn and early winter we develop the detail of research programmes for the coming season. This process includes meetings with the Arable Research Groups (ARG) in each region to discuss these ideas and options. We welcome your thoughts on what opportunities you see, what problems you have had and how you think this could be addressed by FAR research. You can discuss your views with ARG members in your area, or directly with FAR staff. What has FAR been up to this season? Bringing wheat sowing dates forward This season was the first year of a new programme 20 tonnes by 2020 and excellent progress was made towards this target. The early stage of the programme, a joint effort between FAR and Plant & Food Research, has focused on trying to increase light capture through early sowing. Changes in plant head morphology (grain positioning) and yields over 16 t/ha, have been extremely encouraging. The earliest drilling for the 2014 harvest was late February, with the second drill date in March. Cereal silage This was FAR’s first year of a cereal silage research programme which aims to extend or manage the harvest window. Trials with an awnless barley were undertaken at three sites in Canterbury and one in Southland. Early results show that nitrogen and irrigation treatments have markedly influenced the rate of dry down. Other treatments include testing the effects of PGRs and fungicides to lengthen the harvest window, and the use of glyphosate to manipulate the harvest window. This work is being carried out in conjunction with Plant & Food Research, with MPI SFF funding. Cereals in farm systems Cereal silage and cereal grain (wheat and barley) made their debut at the Waikato Arable Research Site (WARS). This research is part of a focus on developing a farming system approach, with these crops either grown in rotation with maize, double cropped with maize or grown instead of maize, to allow early pasture reestablishment. Apart from significant bird pressure, these autumn sown crops performed well both as cereal silage and grain, and this work is expected to continue. Maize establishment Previous work with direct drilling maize has had mixed results yield wise, particularly when crops were drilled in less than ideal conditions. In past years the yield from direct drilled maize at WARS has been similar to the cultivated trials. However in a dry season, the direct drilled maize yielded better than the cultivated maize. Direct drilling reduces moisture loss during cultivation and improves moisture availability to the crop, potentially through improved soil structure. This season will be a real test of the resilience of maize in relation to the tillage system. Marrowfat pea colour Trials aimed at developing techniques to improve the quality of marrowfat peas (colour) have been undertaken over the last two years. In 2012 shading treatments appeared to improve pea colour. In this last season peas were shaded at different times with different intensities of shade, as well as exposed to increased weathering treatments. The visual differences in colour between treatments were very clear and the quantitative method FAR has developed to measure colour may have potential for measuring colour in commercial pea lines. Cocksfoot Research into PGRs in cocksfoot over in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons resulted in yield increases of 50%. Unfortunately our 2012/13 trial was not helped by the weather, and yield response is down on previous years. However, PGR treatments still look promising. Barley fungicides A new fungicide seed treatment in barley is one product to watch. The disease protection results in trials at the Chertsey site in winter barley were very encouraging, even in spring barley, which moves rapidly through the growth stages. 4
Great white butterfly – what is the threat? Autumn sown oats An evaluation of N responses in autumn sown oats in Southland found very clear differences between plots. Previous FAR work on autumn sown oats was promising and further work on time of sowing in the autumn is planned. These projects make up a very small part of FARs agronomic research portfolio. We also have significant investment in environmental research (eg see the managing nutrient losses article) and improving your farm business (ProductionWise paddock recording and benchmarking software is freely available for FAR farmer levy payers www.productionwise.co.nz). All these ideas originated from discussions and consultations with growers. We look forward to hearing what has and hasn’t worked for you this season, and your ideas on what you need to know to increase business profitability and sustainability, so we can invest in the right projects to deliver benefits to you. - Nick Pyke, FAR CEO Brassica seed crop growers should be aware of the arrival of the great white butterfly (GWB) in New Zealand, but not overly alarmed by its presence. The great white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) has been declared an unwanted organism in New Zealand under the Biosecurity Act 1993, and FAR is contributing funds to the DoC led eradication programme. GWB is a serious pest of forage and vegetable brassicas in several countries, and was first identified in a Nelson garden in 2010. It is a voracious feeder and is capable of causing serious damage to all types of brassica crops. New Zealand brassica seed growers should remain informed of GWB’s presence, but FAR CEO Nick Pyke says there is no need for alarm at this stage. “The arable industry, like all primary industries is deeply concerned by any biosecurity incursion of this nature, and as the pest has the potential to affect brassica growers, we are contributing to the eradication programme. However, there are two things that growers should keep in mind. Firstly, the pest is currently contained within the Nelson/Richmond area, and a large scale project is underway to eradicate it, and secondly, if it spreads beyond that region, GWB should be able to be controlled in seed crops with the use of existing pest management programmes.” Photo supplied by Entecol. 5
Page 1 and 2: From the Ground Up ISSUE 73 I Autu
Page 3: Welcome to the Autumn edition of Fr
Page 7 and 8: The research funding pipeline - How
Page 9 and 10: 20 tonnes by 2020 It’s not that u
Page 11 and 12: Drought and dryland maize About 95%
Page 13 and 14: Tan spot Tan spot is an uncommon we
Page 15 and 16: ProductionWise ® is here! Producti
Page 17 and 18: Managing nutrient losses from cropp
Page 19 and 20: Otago winners South Canterbury/Nort
Page 21 and 22: Masters for Richard Congratulations
Page 23 and 24: Members of the FAR Board DAVID BIRK

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