Cut the Crop!

The maize planting season is rapidly approaching and with a strong El Nino weather pattern forecast for this season, what actions can growers take to maintain yields despite the livelihood of hot, dry conditions? In...

2026 Arable Farmer of the Year John McCaw specialises in ryegrass and cocksfoot seed production as well as owning a seed dressing business at Methven. As a herbage seed industry leader he has been at the forefront of...

Danish arable growers have few ag-chem active ingredients available, so have no option but to adopt integrated weed management, says visiting Danish weed expert Mette Sonderskov who led a series of FAR weed workshops...

Taylor McGill, a masters student from Oklahoma, has been working with the FAR communications team for her international experience. In this episode of Cut the Crop, she says that coming from a notoriously dry US state...

Two Canadian spraying experts Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau have just completed two weeks of FAR spraying workshops across NZ. In this episode of Cut the Crop, they reflect on how spray set-ups and coffee are different in...

FAR is running a series of weed workshops looking at all the tools available for weed control so growers don’t have to just rely on herbicides. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Kyle Baxter of Ecorobotix details a...

A new solar farm at Lincoln University aims to show how productive land can be optimised to grow high-value crops while generating commercial-scale solar energy. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Lincoln lecturer in...

Craig ‘Wiggy’ Wiggins has numerous roles in the rural sector but is best known for being the driving force behind several rural health and wellness initiatives. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that...

It is more than four years since maize pest fall armyworm was first detected in NZ. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s biosecurity officer Ash Mills, who leads an SFFF long-term management project, says one of...

FAR has just launched its new five-year strategy, setting a clear direction for the organisation. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR chief executive Scott Champion says the strategy reflects the organisation’s...

After battling severe drought, early-season rain means South Australian grower James Venning has had a perfect start planting this year’s crops. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that while he hasn’t...

Canadian spray experts Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau are leading a series of Sprayers 101 workshops organised by FAR, in the first two weeks of August. In this episode of Cut the Crop, they say they will be discussing...

Hawkes Bay arable and vegetable grower Hugh Ritchie was one of a contingent of NZ growers who attended the Cereals UK event, as well as some in Europe. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that more accurate...

South Canterbury grower Michael Tayler is one of three new FAR board members. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that while crop margins are tight at present, he’s optimistic about the arable...

Andrew Laming, a founder and director of farm finance and advisory business NZAB, recently wrote a report on the arable sector. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says it is not a question of arable farmers&rsquo...