Category Archives: events

Agronomy, AgTech, Conference, events, Projects, Research, Weeds

Weed Workshop – 2019 technical session

On the 24th May, a small group of leading researchers, farmers, and tech developers will come together at the LandWISE MicroFarm to discuss New Strategies to Manage Weeds. The discussion will centre around the challenges with existing weed management. These challenges include herbicide resistance becoming increasingly more common, international markets demand increasingly lower chemical residues, and consumer and community expectations of low environmental impact.

In a new MBIE and FAR funded AgResearch project “Managing Herbicide Resistance” alternative weed control technologies will be trialled and monitored – with the aim of managing ryegrass in arable crops. Some of these technologies being researched and demonstrated in the Technical Session are:

Hot Foam Weeding

Weedingtech’s FoamStream Machine – Using Hot Foam to Kill Weeds

Abrasion Weeding

Frank Forcella’s Abrasion Weeder – Using Walnut Shells to Blast Weeds

Electric Weeding

The Weed Workshop will be a collaborative session where farmers can express the operational challenges they face day-to-day, and scientists can understand the areas of research needed to tackle them. Technology developers in the weed management sector will provide valuable knowledge and insight in bridging the gaps.

If you’re interested in applying to attend the Weed Workshop on Friday the 24th May please contact us here – there are limited spaces available.

events

Field Events Coming Up

Levin Field Walk

In conjunction with Potatoes NZ, we have a field event in Levin on Wednesday 27 February. The content will be of interest to all growers and supporters – it’s not just potato topics. Of note will be discussion about the Teralytic probes that have been installed. Plant & Food will demonstrate the Nitrate Quick Test. We’ll be updating people on the Future Proofing Vegetable Production project (co-funded by Horizons Regional Council, Potatoes NZ, Gisborne District Council, Ballance AgriNutrients and LandWISE).

2.30pm Chris Pescini’s Farm
52 Kimberley Rd, Levin (old Hort Research station)

R & D TOPICS
Teralytic Probes Trial, TPP Spray Trials, Tamarixia Release Trials, Regreening, Powdery Scab, PMTV Update, Future Proofing Vegetables, Urea fertilsers for Vegetables, Quick N Test, Climate Change, Monitoring nitrates in drainage water
Call Gemma 027 2404682 or Iain 027 2401092 with any last minute queries

Installing Teralytic probes in Levin potato paddock

Gisborne: Early March

We have not yet set a date or place, but we will have a similar vegetable field day in Gisborne in early March. It will cover the same topics, omitting specific potato issues. Newsletter subscribers will get a notice soon.

Call Pip with any queries: 022 507 1355

Subscribe to receive the free newsletter here

Future Proofing Vegetable Production Funders

events, LandWISE People, Membership

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2018

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2018 Annual General Meeting

Notice to Members

The Annual General Meeting of LandWISE Inc. will be held during the 2018 Annual Conference “Technologies for Timely Actions”

When: 2:30 PM on Wednesday 23 May 2018
Where:  Havelock North Function Centre

Business

  • Minutes of Previous AGM
  • Annual accounts
  • Subscriptions
  • Constitution changes completed
  • Retiring Board members – Mark Burgess, Simon Wilcox
  • Board Elections – Analeise Murahidy and Simon Wilcox nominated
  • Activity reports
  • General Business

Minutes of 2017

2017 Minutes available here

Revised 2017 Constitution available here

Financial

  • Annual accounts will be presented at the AGM
  •  Subscriptions – recommendation of the Board

Retiring Board Members

Simon Wilcox (three year term completed) is retiring by rotation, but offers himself for re-election

Mark Burgess has retired from University of Auckland and is stepping down from the Board

Board Elections

The remaining Board members are:

  • John Evans – farmer/grower (arable) CHAIR
  • John van der Linden –  farmer/grower (viticulture)
  • Oliver Knowles – Precision Ag Extension (support industries)

Two positions are vacant.

For re-election

  • Simon Wilcox  – farmer/grower (vegetables)
    • nominated John van der Linden, seconded by John Evans

A new nomination has been received

  • Analeise Murahidy – University of Auckland (research)
    • nominated Mark Burgess, seconded by John van der Linden
Brief Bio.Analeise Murahidy

Business Development Manager – Environment
Auckland UniServices Ltd.

Analeise has been working within the Higher Education Sector for over 15 years’ in various business development, contract management, and operation management roles. Analeise is currently working at UniServices and is responsible for the client engagement and business development strategy within the Environment and Industries portfolio with a focus on AgriTech, CleanTech and Climate Change. Prior to joining UniServices, she worked at Imperial College London in both the Medical and Natural Science Faculties in research and business administration roles.

General business

If you wish to make comment or have items added to the AGM Agenda, please contact Dan@landwise.org.nz

Agronomy, AgTech, Automation, Conference, Drainage, events, Nutrients, Plant Health, Precision Agriculture, Robotics, Sensing

LandWISE 2018: Technologies for Timely Actions

In 2018, our sixteenth conference addresses the topic of “Technologies for Timely Actions”. We are delighted that LandWISE 2018 is officially part of Techweek, a festival amplifying New Zealand innovation that’s good for the world.

The intention behind Techweek is simple – New Zealand’s technology and innovation sectors are growing rapidly, and Techweek fosters that growth by providing a week-long opportunity for connection and cross-pollination.

Registration

Registrations for LandWISE 2018 are open and you can book your place via the Techweek link. LandWISE members can also contact our Conference Admin if required.

Programme

The draft programme will be released soon. Members will receive regular updates, but for now pur 23-24 May in your diary.  Then come along, listen, discuss:

  • How can managers and other decision makers get the information they need, process it, and decide what to do?
  • What is the information they need?
  • What tools help them make sense of it?
  • What’s available (or coming) to make it as easy and reliable as possible to do the right thing, in the right place at the right time?

It’s not just robots and computers : the quick Nitrate test promises rapid determination of available N while standing in the paddock – considerable help when deciding “do I put more now or can I hold off?” Combine that with smart crop zoning (that does involve computing) and maybe we can lift quality and reduce impacts.

We look forward to once again greeting delegates at the LandWISE Conference in Havelock North on 23-24 May 2018.

How to stay in touch

If you’re not already a subscriber, click here for the free e-newsletter. Remember too, members get conference discounts so click here to join.

AgTech, Data Analytics, events, LandWISE People, Plant Health, Precision Agriculture, Research, Robotics, Sensing

2018 Technical Session: Implementing new technologies to manage crop health

The Technical Session is an opportunity for lead farmers, researchers and technologists to workshop a topic, hearing from different perspectives and seeking opportunities for collaboration.

Looking for answers – LandWISE 2015

In May 2018, the topic is “Implementing new technologies to manage crop health”. The day will start with presentations from lead farmers followed by presentations from research and tech perspectives. There will be much discussion, connections will be made and links forged.

The Technical Sessions are “by application” events with numbers limited to ensure good dialogue and quality discussion.  If you would like to be part of the 2018 Technical sessions, contact us and explain why you need to be there! (See below)

Programme:

Scoping research and farm technology needs and creating networks of people.

  • 60 second introductions (all)
  • Lead presentations
  • Defining future farm problems and challenges
  • Discussion of key issues

From an earlier event:

“LandWISE was one of the best forums I’ve participated in. The sense of goodwill and teamwork was extraordinary” Professor David Lamb, University of New England, Australia

Your investment for this event:

  • 2018 Conference Attendees:  $75+GST
  • Others: $150+GST

Apply and pre-register here>

Agronomy, AgTech, Automation, Conference, Data Analytics, Drainage, events, LandWISE People, MicroFarm, Nutrients, Orcharding, Plant Health, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research, Robotics, Sensing, Soil, viticulture, Weeds

LandWISE 2018 Conference Speakers

We are absolutely delighted at the calibre of speakers coming together for LandWISE 2018 – Technologies for Timely Actions. They have a wide range of backgrounds, work in a range of different sectors looking at a wide range of different things. 

We’ve put information about the speakers on our discussion (blog) posts. Here, they are presented as a list with links so you can follow as you please.

We are grateful for the support of AGMARDT, McCain Foods and Heinz-Watties for helping bring our international speakers to New Zealand.

Invited Overseas Speakers

Dan Drost – Utah State University, USA

Will Bignell – DroneAg, Tasmania

Michael Nichols – Redbank Farming, Tasmania

Sarah Pethybridge – Cornell University, USA

Invited Local Speakers

Dan Bloomer – LandWISE

Tim Herman – NZ Apples and Pears

Wade Riley – GPS Control Systems

Mark Bart – Metris

Dan Clark – Eagle Technologies

Bruce Searle – Plant & Food Research

Matt Norris – Plant & Food Research

Aldrin Rivas – Lincoln AgriTech

Taylor Welsh – Plant & Food

Matthew Warner and Nicholas Woon – Acuris Systems

Matty Blomfield – Hectre

Armin Werner – Lincoln AgriTech

Shane Wood – Vinea

 

 

Agronomy, AgTech, Automation, Conference, Data Analytics, Drainage, events, Membership, MicroFarm, Nutrients, Orcharding, Plant Health, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research, Robotics, Sensing, Soil, viticulture

LandWISE 2018 Conference Sponsors

We are delighted to present our 2018 Platinum Sponsors, BASF Crop Protection, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Power Farming.

BASF Crop Protection and  Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are long term loyal supporters of LandWISE and their contributions are highly valued. Power Farming is a new Platinum Sponsor in 2018 and we look forward to our relationship with them. AGMARDT sponsored our international speakers.

 Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has been part of LandWISE since 1999, when some farmers, scientists and industry people got together to try and improve soil quality, stop wind erosion and improve irrigation efficiency and of course yields. Our Mission doesn’t change so much, but the tools to help us along the way certainly have!

BASF Crop Protection has been a foundation sponsor of the LandWISE MicroFarm as well as our annual conferences.  They show ongoing enthusiasm to help us help farmers and that is greatly appreciated.

Our new Platinum Sponsor is Power Farming. We’ve had help from them in several of our projects, most recently with the Canterbury field work and field events that were part of our FAR/SFF Fertiliser Spreader Calibration project.  The Power Farming catalogue matches well with our conference delegates’ and members’ interests.

We are grateful to our long-term Gold Sponsors, Horizons Regional Council, Process Vegetables NZ and Vegetables NZ, and AGMARDT.

Horizons Regional Council has supported our conference field sessions for a number of years and is a key partner for some of our major research and extension projects including “Integrated Storm Water Management” and “Holding it Together“.

AGMARDT has funded travel expenses to bring many international speakers to our Annual Conferences, as well as several projects including “Soils First Farmers” and “Validating Field Robotics“.

Process Vegetables NZ and Vegetables NZ have been conference sponsors for many years. As the levy funded industry research bodies they represent the farmers in our membership and nationally. These bodies also co-fund research projects including a number of our Sustainable Farming Fund initiatives.

Our conference delegates are well supported by our meal sponsors and trade displays. In addition, Apatu Farms sponsor high school students to attend, and McCain Foods and Heinz-Wattie’s are sponsoring keynote Sarah Pethybridge‘s travel.  Thanks everyone!

 

Agronomy, Conference, events, LandWISE People, Nutrients, Plant Health, Soil, Water, Weeds

Dan Drost

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Professor Daniel Drost is a vegetable researcher and extension specialist from Utah State University.

Dan Drost grew up on a small diversified animal and crop farm in Michigan (USA). He graduated from Michigan State University with a BS and MS degree in Horticulture. In 1983, he moved to New Zealand to teach Horticulture at Massey University. He returned to the US in 1987 to study at Cornell University where he was awarded a PhD in 1991 in Vegetable Crops and Plant Physiology. 

Dan’s research and outreach efforts focus on small intensive production systems, sustainable and organic agriculture, and how land-use management impacts field and farm scale productivity. In his 25 years at Utah State, he has authored more than 150 extension and scientific articles on vegetable production and management practices, shared his understanding of farming systems with producers, scientists and industry leaders around the world, and focused his attention on sustainable vegetable cropping systems that are farm appropriate, socially acceptable, and economically viable.

One of our invited international keynote speakers, Dan was bought to New Zealand in conjunction with Onions NZ and Plant & Food Research to discuss sustainable production systems. His presentation to LandWISE 2018 was titled “Sustainable Crop Production: Field and Farmscape Management for Sustainability”.

Dan says,

“Insects, diseases, nutrient management, and weeds pose yearly threats to vegetable productivity and sustainability. This presentation will address how to best manage the farmscape (whole farm) to protect and mitigate these risks in field and farm settings. Using examples from a variety of vegetable crops (annuals, perennials, intensively managed) grown in a range of settings, I will outline how modern farms adapt to and deal with yearly uncertainty.“

Dan and colleagues have completed a lot of work on high tunnels for crop production. See a video here.

You can hear and discuss sustainable production with Dan at LandWISE 2018 in Havelock North on 23-24 May.

 

 

Dan’s attendance at LandWISE 2018 was supported by AGMARDT

AgTech, Automation, Conference, Data Analytics, events, LandWISE People, Precision Agriculture, Research

Matty Blomfield

Matty Blomfield co-founded Hectre, a company developing and offering orchard management software.

From launch, Hectre  expanded to NZ and Australia and helped track over 50,000,000 apples in its first 10 weeks of operation.

A LandWISE 2018 invited speaker, Matty’s topic is “Understanding the customer to make orchard data easy”. That’s a concept that applies across all sectors. 

Matty tells us, “We believe technology is moving rapidly and will impact the way we grow tree crops forever. There’s no limit to what’s possible. We are a small agile team that are committed to helping growers realise leverage future technologies to the fullest – the same way technology has changed the office environment. We are excited to do our part to feed the world!”

Hear Matty speaking at https://techweek.co.nz/whats-on/2018/landwise-2018-technologies-for-timely-actions-80/

Agronomy, events, MicroFarm, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research

Onions Update Field Walk

LandWISE MicroFarm
21 Ruahapia Rd, Waipatu, Hastings
Monday 11 December 2:00pm

In our final year of “Benchmarking Onions” we have again planted a crop at the MicroFarm. It went into a suitably moist soil, emerged reasonably evenly but has shown increasing variation. We now have very good areas and very disappointing areas. 

We’ve mapped the crop with our CoverMap system again this season so we can compare 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 growth patterns. Are there areas that consistently perform better or worse? What is driving the variation we see?

We also have a few different varieties we are tracking to see how canopy development fits our web calculator. We want to know if the same calculations can be applied to phone images or if variety-based tweeks are necessary.

In a couple of fertiliser application trials we comparing standard and late application because we understand most nitrogen is taken up at or after bulbing. And based on our mapping, we are comparing the effects of full and half rates on areas where canopy cover is low. Maybe we can cut back, save fertiliser and leaching and get the same yield with improved bulb quality.

Come along and see for yourself!

Note: This field walk follows the HotGrass electric weeding demonstration, see more here>

Our Onion Research is in conjunction with Plant and Food Research. It is funded by Onions NZ and the Sustainable Farming Fund. This season we are being aided by Apatu Farms who are helping with field operations and harvest and we are very grateful for their support.