LandWISE 2012 – 10th Annual Conference

Put 22, 23 and 24 May 2012 in your diary for the 10th Annual LandWISE Conference.

The title is Site Specific Management: growing within limits. We are looking at the changing requirements for farming, in particular the increasing need to demonstrate that farming has minimal environmental impact. Look for a focus on soil water management, irrigation, monitoring and drainage.

For the first time we also have a day focused on Smart Viticulture. This builds on current LandWISE work with local viticulturists investigating the benefits, costs and logistics of applying zone management using precision viticulture techniques.

• People with viticulture interests will find Day 1 extremely useful. They will also see there are great presentations on the other days.
• LandWISE traditionalists be assured; Days 2 and 3 follow the usual pattern. But do have a look at the Day 1 programme – you’ll find a lot there that can give you completely new ideas.

The draft programme and more details are available here http://www.landwise.org.nz/events/landwise2012/ . This page will be updated as conference draws nearer, and you’ll receive direct messages too.

Conference Speakers

We are extremely pleased to have support of a number of excellent speakers – returning and new. Here are a few to start the list:

• Rob Bramley CSIRO Adelaide
• Tim Neale precisionagriculture.com.au
• Craig Ross Landcare Research
• James Peck PX Farms, UK
• Alistair Bisley Land and Water Forum
• Caine Thompson Mission Estate
• Mark Krasnow Eastern Institute of Technology – Viticulture
• Graeme Cox OptiSurface, Australia

More soon . . .

Conference Registration

Conference registration is available on the LandWISE website, click here>. As usual, discounted rates for members.

Conference Platinum Sponsors

We are very pleased to announce CASE IH has joined Eastern Institute of Technology as a Platinum Sponsor for Conference 2012. Case IH has been a willing LandWISE supporter in the past and their continued support is appreciated. Ivan Wilbore and colleagues will be about during the conference and at the field session for those wanting to catch up about Case IH products.

Conference Gold Sponsors

A number of organisations have taken up Gold Sponsorships. We are grateful to returning sponsors Trimble GPS Control Systems, AgriTurf John Deere, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Product groups of Horticulture NZ. We are pleased to welcome a new sponsor, GPS-It.

Secondary School Students

Apatu Farms is sponsoring two Lindisfarne student conference attendances again this year. They are joined by WaterForce who are also sponsoring two school student attendances which are yet to be allocated. EIT is supporting some of their viticulture students to the Viticulture day.

LandWISE believes giving top students the opportunity to see farming at its best is one of the best ways to attract top people into the sector. Anyone else who wants to sponsor either secondary or tertiary students please contact us info@landwise.org.nz or talk to us at 06 650 4531.