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Funded by

MAF Sustainable Farming Fund
Foundation for Arable Research
New Zealand Fresh Cuts
Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Farmlands
Ballance Agri-Nutrients
Gisborne District Council
Horticulture NZ

 

LandWISE

LandWISE is an Incorporated Society providing leadership, support and research for the promotion of sustainable crop production in New Zealand. LandWISE brings together farmers, industry and research organisations to find and develop best practices and sustainable solutions for the process vegetable and cropping sectors in New Zealand.

Supported by the MAF Sustainable Farming Fund and our Gold sponsors, membership is open to anyone who shares our objectives. 

Members and interested groups receive newsletters and project updates and get together in May each year for our Annual Conference. Field walks and workshops are held throughout the year. 

NEWS

LandWISE on TV

If you missed Rural Delivery on 21 March, you can see it here: http://tvnzondemand.co.nz/content/rural_delivery_2009_ep1/ondemand_video_skin

Introducing the LandWISE Advanced Farming Systems Project, and

Development of Controlled Traffic Farming at Opou Station, Manutuke, Gisborne


Latest newsletter: read about ....

•  Advanced Farming Systems Project

•  Crop sensing and variable rate application field talk

•  2009 LandWISE Conference

LandWISE - Advanced farming systems project - a focus on climate change

In the last 3 months James and Dan have been meeting with 12 farmers around NZ. These people have stepped up to be involved in the advanced farming systems project.

The farmers are spread through Hawke's Bay, Waikato , Manawatu, Pukekohe, Gisborne and Canterbury . These people present exciting examples of advancing with technology on their farms.

      

Cases being developed on these farms range through advanced weed management, (RTK-GPS guided mechanical weeding and GPS controlled spraying), GPS controlled contouring and drainage and controlled traffic in arable and vegetable crops. Other cases will focus on data management, zonal management and implementing GPS into a farming system.

The common theme is increasing profitability, and improving soil and farm resilience in the face of climate change. Contact James to become involved:CLICK HERE>

Crop sensing and variable rate application field talk

In February, LandWISE and the centre for precision agriculture at Massey, hosted a talk by Jim Wilson of Soil essentials in Scotland at Hew Dalrymple 's property in Bulls.  Jim was here as a speaker at the FLRC workshop. He runs a farm in Scotland and works with farmers to bring GPS , sensing and data management onto their farms. He presents simple ways to bring technology into creating certain savings on fertiliser, fuel and steel, on the farm.

Sensing the ‘greenness' of a crop canopy, combined with sound agronomy, can be a great tool for managing nitrogen application. The key to this technique, is the efficiency with which the soil can deliver the nitrogen to a given plant or part of the crop.

A variable rate nitrogen system can be designed once any other limiting factors, such as pH and water have been eliminated. This technology has been adopted strongly in the UK because of caps on N fertilizer levels, which mean that farmers are driven to apply correct levels depending on site variability and plant needs.

To view Jim's soil essentials website see: www.soilessentials.com

At the same session, Carolyn Hedley of Landcare, presented on recent work with EM38 sensing which is being used to schedule variable rate irrigation. This is done by determining water holding capacities of soils using a combination of sensing and soils knowledge, then programming the output of centre pivot irrigation, nozzle by nozzle, according to these results.

More information about variable rate irrigation is available at: www.precisionirrigation.co.nz

LandWISE Conference 2009

The 2009 conference is in Havelock North on 13th and 14th May. It will address Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change, through advanced farming systems.

The program will include topics on bringing technology into the management of data, soil, water, weeds and nutrients. There will be a range of local and international speakers with a focus on local cases where technology is being applied in these areas. Sessions on variable rate nutrient and water management will be of interest to many others. Invite other interested growers or farmers along.

Members enjoy a huge discount, so if you are coming to the LandWISE conference and are not yet a member, consider signing up, you will be in excellent company.

Download LandWISE News as a pdf, Click here>

To sign up on-line:
www.landwise.org.nz/memberform.php

(one form per person please).

If you would like to know more about us or our activities, please contact LandWISE for more information.

Dates

13 - 14 May 2009

Hastings

LandWISE CONFERENCE 2009

CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHALLENGES WITH ADVANCED FARMING SYSTEMS

Info

Click here»

Membership

To become a member of LandWISE for 2009- 2010

CLICK HERE »