Tools and guidelines are an important way to support evidence-based decision-making to improve productivity and environmental outputs. They can lead you through clear steps and suggest optimal decision paths or may act more as information sources to improve the evidence base for decisions. Whether it is to help determine how much nitrogen fertiliser should be applied to crops to achieve potential yield within environmental limits or a good management tool for irrigation scheduling.
Tools
AmaizeN Lite AmaizeN Lite is an online calculator that helps you enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of maize silage and grain production. Find out more
Economic Cost of Nutrient Loss A spreadsheet which can calculate the economic value of nutrients lost via straw removal from your farm. Find it here
Mini-VSA: Visual Soil Assessment Guide Soil changes over the rotation are important indicators of how management decisions are impacting soil quality. This mini-VSA is a DIY assessment that can be done in any paddock at any time. Find out more
Nitrogen Quick-Test Mass Balance Tool and Guide The QTMB Tool and User Guide show you how to: Measure the soil nitrogen supply with nitrate quick test strips and Use the test-strip result to make an informed fertiliser decision for the crop. Find out more
ProductionWise® ProductionWise® is an online crop record keeping and support tool for arable farmers and advisers. Find out more
Soil Water Budget Tool and Guide A soil moisture budget can be used as an alternative to soil moisture monitoring and is acceptable in your farm environment plan and with a number of irrigation schemes. Find out more
Winter Grazing Risk Assessment Tool FAR, alongside four other industry-good organisations, has put together a winter grazing checklist to help farmers literally tick all the boxes of good management practice. Read it here
Resources
Catch Crop Guidelines – Forages for reduced nitrate leaching This guide focuses on the use of catch crops after forage crop grazing to take up nitrogen (N) during the coolest months of the year. Read it here
FAR Focus 14, Nitrogen: The Confidence to Cut Back FAR Focus 14, has been written to help growers make nitrogen decisions that will pay off financially and environmentally. Read it here
He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) HWEN is a partnership between primary industries, iwi and government. It has been tasked with identifying a way of pricing on-farm greenhouse gas emissions as an alternative to New Zealand agriculture entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Find out more
He Waka Eke Noa Guidance This document, produced by He Waka Eke Noa, is a guide for farmers and growers to help them measure, manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read it here
He Waka Eke Noa Tools and Information Links to webinars, fliers, factsheets and the latest tools and information for farmers, growers and rural professionals. Find out more