This project is built on the previous Future Proofing Vegetable Production project and presents a series of on-line workshops and tutorials and make the lessons available to the wider fresh vegetable production industry. We previously published our first courses and have seen uptake. Give them a try. We have published the next two courses in our series of…
Category: Nitrate
Carbon Positive Update
The Carbon Positive project is progressing well. We harvested the first crop, sweetcorn for McCain Foods, on 11 April. It was planted just before Christmas and given the season we had, we were reasonably happy with an average yield of around 16 t/ ha. We have not had time to analyse all the data yet,…
Carbon Positive
Can we regenerate soil carbon in soils used for intensive field cropping? To scientifically test regenerative farming principles within a typical New Zealand cropping system, we have established a six-year trial on the Heretaunga Plains. The trial at the LandWISE MicroFarm is a collaboration with the Hawke’s Bay Future Farming Trust. The information produced will…
Vegetable Production Nitrogen Management
A long time in gestation, this project began in July. A follow up to the Future Proofing Vegetable Production project, Vegetable Production Nitrogen Management Workshops was intended to run a series of workshops and field days around the country. Tripped up by Covid and growers with lack of staff, the project was redesigned as creating…
Welcome Alex
LandWISE Board member Alex has changed her role and is now also our Project Manager: Sustainable Systems at LandWISE! Since starting at the beginning of October, she has been very busy establishing trials at the MicroFarm and at eight local process cropping farms. We are delighted to have Alex on board, with her strong background…
Asparagus Nitrogen Management
Together with the New Zealand Asparagus Council, we were fortunate to obtain funding from “Our Land and Water” to investigate nitrate best practice management. We surveyed a number of growers about fertiliser and nitrate management practices. We find growers generally have good management for transport, handling and storage. We see a wide range of practices…
Update – BMPS for process vegetable crops
Run in conjunction with McCain Foods, Heinz-Watties and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council with support from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, this project builds on work started under the Future Proofing Vegetable Production project. Focusing on sweetcorn, tomatoes, beetroot and green beans, we are comparing current farm practice with either the “Nutrient Management for…
Bram, our 2022 Summer Intern
With support from Callaghan Innovation, we were delighted to welcome Bram Paans to LandWISE for the summer season. Bram has just completed a B Hort Sci and Massey University, and is returning to undertake Master of Horticultural Science studies in 2022. Bram spent much of the summer sampling the asparagus and process crops we are…