Category Archives: Research

AgTech, Drainage, Orcharding, Plant Health, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research, Soil

Smart tools to improve orchard drainage

Inadequate orchard drainage, highlighted during the 2017 autumn harvest period, is an extreme expression of a common problem that can occur anytime of the year. Muddy conditions increase disease, increase labour costs and hazards and increase storage fruit rots. Despite numerous attempts to rectify puddles and mud, the problem remains.  

LandWISE has joined with New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc in a project which has gained support from the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund.  Over the next three years, this project will draw on experience from other sectors and access to new precision agriculture technologies to address the problem through precision surface drainage, particularly in established orchards where it is especially difficult.

Orchard inspections have shown infrastructural factors are limiting surface drainage on at least 25% of the inspected orchard blocks. The microtopography in orchards creates ponding areas that stay wetter for longer. When sprayers and other traffic pass through, the surface is damage and soil smeared. This further reduces natural drainage and the problem spreads.

This project will adapt and pilot use of precision technologies to survey, design and implement surface drainage plans that minimise ponding risk and reduce these negative impacts. These will be supported by guidelines for wheel track management to provide a secure base for harvest traffic. This will become even more critical as the industry automation with picking platforms and robotic harvesters.

As well as designing effective drainage, we will determine the degree of compaction on orchard blocks and assess root development under the permanent wheel tracks.  We will develop ways to restore a good working surface in the inter-row that has strength to carry traffic without unduly compromising root development.

For more information, contact Rachel Kilmister Rachel Kilmister Rachel at applesandpears.nz or Dan Bloomer at LandWISE.org.nz

    

Agronomy, AgTech, Nutrients, Projects, Research, Soil

Future Proofing Vegetable Production

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Future proofing vegetable production requires ongoing rapid change in farm practice to meet cost pressures and increasingly stringent demands from regulators and markets for enhanced environmental performance and water quality. 

It will not be easy but with support from the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund, industry and regional councils, we’re about to start the journey.

LandWISE is partnering with growers and our funders to develop and test new production and nitrogen mitigation techniques.  The project draws on and supplements recent and current research to develop new generation good management practices. 

We have four main areas of focus:

    1. precise nutrient prescription (how much is required)

    Test strip used to determine available N in a soil sample
  2. precise application (is it going where it is needed when it is needed)

    Ensuring the prescribed rate of fertiliser is applied
  3. maximising retention (ensuring leaching is minimised)
  4. recapturing nitrates that move beyond the root zone (constructed wetlands and wood-chip bioreactors)

    Installing a wood-chip bioreactor (Lincoln Agritech image)

We will draw on previous LandWISE work including  On-Farm Fertiliser Calibration, Arawhata Sediment and Drainage, and other projects including current research on quick tests for soil nitrate, fluxmeter monitoring of leaching and the use of wood-chip bioreactors to strip nitrate from drainage water.

The research side will be supported with considerable extension and training. We are aware that numerous computer based decision support tools have been developed, but we have identified that many growers need considerable support and upskilling to have the knowledge, skills and experience to effectively use them. 

To stay in touch about this project, subscribe to our newsletter for updates!

This project is funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund, Horizons Regional Council, Gisborne District Council, Ballance AgriNutrients, Vegetable Growers and LandWISE.

               
    

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, LandWISE People, MicroFarm, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research

LandWISE OnionsNZ Project on TV

We invite you to watch telly. Here’s a link to Rural Delivery, broadcast on Saturday 21 April.

At the end of January, we had a visit from director Kirsty Cooper and camera and sound operator Richard Williams of Showdown Productions.

Why did they come?

They were filming for Rural Delivery and wanted to discuss the Onions New Zealand MPI Sustainable Farming Fund project we have been doing with Plant & Food Research. Now drawing to a close, the three year project has investigated ways to map crop variability at field scale and where variability originates.

The story began four years ago when we had a crop of onions at the MicroFarm. To get a good look at the crop LandWISE Manager, Dan Bloomer climbed up the irrigator.

“The view when you get 7m up in the air and look down is very different to what you see walking around, and I saw massive variability throughout the crop,” he said.

Wide variation within the area new to onions does not follow artificial rain or topographic drainage patterns.

“I could understand some of it but a lot more I couldn’t explain. A colleague was playing around with imaging and smart phones and he made an application where we could drive up and down the rows and map the percentage canopy cover.  I talked about it with  Onions NZ Research Manager Jane Adams who thought it would be quite useful and could lead to greater understanding of variability in onion crops.”

We then partnered with Plant and Food Research with support from Onions New Zealand and the Sustainable Farming Fund to do a project aimed at studying that variability.

Bruce Searle, crop scientist with Plant & Food Research, designed a research approach to get the data we needed to make some practical applications. 

“We wanted to figure out where the variability comes from and how much of it is something that a grower can control.  So we looked at the different factors that might influence variability and worked through the contribution of each to the overall variability,” he says.

“A lot of it comes down to individual plants growing at different rates – something that the grower can’t do a lot about.  However, factors that influence getting good crop establishment are critical to reducing variability, and once the crop is up you can look at poor performing areas within in the crop.   The tool that Dan has been working on captures that information so that you can map the field and make some decisions.”

Bruce showing Richard the Quick Test for Soil Nitrate

We have done items with Showdown Productions before and have enormous respect for their work. You can see the result of the onion interviews on Rural Delivery, TVNZ1.

 

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!

 

AgTech, Conference, Drainage, LandWISE People, Orcharding, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research, Soil

Tim Herman

Tim Herman is Technical Manager – Crop Production at New Zealand Apples & Pears Inc. which he joined in 2013.

His role includes managing the R&D portfolio for the industry and ensuring the outcomes from it are integrated into commercial crop management programmes.

Tim has a strong track record as a technical researcher and advisor in crown research and in industry. LandWISE first worked with Tim to understand slug migration patterns in no-till and strip-till cropping paddocks.

In his LandWISE 2018 presentation, Tim will introduce  “Smart tools to improve orchard drainage“.  This is a new MPI Sustainable Farming Fund project, in which LandWISE is partnering with NZAPI to investigate high precision drainage in existing orchards.

Severe wheel ruts are common especially in wetter seasons. The immediate problem of tractor access for bin shifting is compounded by poor conditions for pickers and the less obvious impact of fruit rots increase. In more severe cases the ruts greatly increase picking costs as the use of mobile hydraulic picking ladders is made difficult, unsafe or impossible. In some cases, harvest costs are reported to have doubled. 

Despite numerous attempts to rectify puddles and mud, the problem remains. The project will adapt and pilot use of precision technologies to survey, design and implement surface drainage plans that minimise ponding risk and reduce these negative impacts.

These will be supported by guidelines for wheel track management to provide a secure base for harvest traffic. This will become even more critical as the industry  automation with picking platforms and robotic harvesters.

 

Agronomy, AgTech, Conference, Data Analytics, LandWISE People, Nutrients, Research

Bruce Searle

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Bruce Searle is well known to LandWISE regulars having been on the Board for many years and an active contributor at many conferences and other events.

A crop physiologist in the Integrated Crop Production Systems group, Bruce leads the Plant & Food team researching onion crop development and modelling. His group is responsible for recording the life histories of 2,000 individual onion plants!

These data have informed development of an on-line tool to assess crop performance and help growers understand if crop development (and yield) is limited by established population, plant growth or both.

The collaboration with LandWISE has combined detailed plot scale work with whole paddock surveys to help Onions New Zealand growers understand the drivers of crop variability.

A small trial within this project looked at fertiliser rate and timing options when canopies are variable. Can we reduce rates in small canopy areas and still get the potential yield?

Agronomy, AgTech, Conference, Irrigation, LandWISE People, MicroFarm, Precision Agriculture, Projects, Research, Sensing, Soil, Water

Dan Bloomer

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Dan Bloomer is the Manager of LandWISE having been instrumental in our formation and evolution since 1999. He and partner Phillipa established the Centre for Land and Water in Hastings and host the LandWISE MicroFarm.

The 2018 conference sees the wrapping up of three years of Onions NZ research in partnership with Plant & Food, much of the activity being undertaken at the MicroFarm. LandWISE has captured numerous paddock scale images of the onions crops using satellites, UAVs, sensors and smartphones. This has given insights into which tools have strengths for what purposes at what crop growth stages.

Using algorithms proposed by Plant & Food, LandWISE developed the on-line tool SmartFarm which allows smartphone captured crop development data to identify different management action zones and give guidance to the degree of variability.

Dan is particularly interested in soil and water issues, how we can continue to benefit from farming while maintaining or enhancing profitability and environmental health.

Dan has developed many resources for irrigators to check their systems. He spent many years on the Board of Irrigation New Zealand, developed Codes of Practice for Performance Assessment and has run many training programmes.

In recent years his attention has been drawn to precision drainage technologies, and he uses OptiSurface to understand and quantify ponding and erosion risk in paddocks and to design solutions for surface drainage. 

Dan actively scouts people,  technologies and problems, identifying opportunities to bring them together to effect change on farm. As such, he has initiated LandWISE’s research and extension programmes including some new initiatives to be launched at LandWISE 2018.

Dan represents LandWISE on the Precision Agriculture Association of New Zealand Executive Committee and is a frequent presenter at conferences and seminars.

When not working for LandWISE, Dan is an independent consultant at Page Bloomer Associates.

 

Agronomy, AgTech, Automation, Conference, Data Analytics, LandWISE People, Precision Agriculture, Research, Robotics, Sensing, viticulture

Armin Werner

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Armin Werner has a background in crop production sciences and as director of an Institute on Land Use Systems at ZALF in Germany worked on enabling new technologies for sustainable development.

Since 2013 Armin has headed the Precision Agriculture Science group at Lincoln Agritech (LAL), a subsidiary of Lincoln University in New Zealand. This covers Precision Farming (arable crops, pastures), Precision Livestock Farming, Precision Horticulture, Precision Spraying as well as Agricultural (Outdoor) Robotics.

Armin’s work has led him to create strong linkages and collaboration projects between various scientific disciplines and sectors including academic institutions, researchers and farmers.

Current projects  include trans-disciplinary and technology-based research in NZ for various high-value crops; e.g. on fruitlet counting and sizing for apple crop load management. He manages also the Robotic Spearhead project of the National Science Challenge ‘Science for Technological Innovations’ that develops new knowledge for small, highly adaptable and flexible robots.

At LandWISE 2018 Armin will update delegates on the “Precision Grape Yield Analyser”, a research project on vineyard sensing and yield forecasting that Lincoln Agritech is undertaking.

Armin says,

“The ‘Precision Grape Yield Analyser’ is an ongoing interdisciplinary MBIE-project, supported by NZ Wine Growers and several vineyards. Grapevine yields can vary between seasons by a factor of 2 and New Zealand grape growers are keen to avoid unplanned high yields. To assess the expected yield on the block level very early in the season we develop sensing tools and computer models. AI-based sensor fusion combines data from optical and microwave ‘scanners’ and feed the results into a continuously learning, predictive computer model.

Listen to Armin and discuss his work with him and others at LandWISE 2018 in Havelock North on 23-24 May.