Wednesday 8 December 2010, FAR Arable Research Site, Chertsey
This 'not to be missed' annual expo has become a key event in arable growers' diaries with audiences growing from just 60 in 2002 to more than 450 growers and industry personnel in attendance in 2009.
Steven and Freda Bierema farm just outside of Rakaia and have been attending FAR field days for some years now. Steven says "having previously farmed in Europe under very intense cropping systems, FAR has been critical in helping me to develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices, especially around cultivation techniques.
"We as farmers may think we know lots, but I believe there is always room for improvement. FAR's Combinable Crops event provides a platform for growers to have open discussion with world experts, and the added bonus of being amongst the trials is a real plus; I find there is always something for me to bring away which can add value to my own farming operation.
Combinable Crops' keynote speaker is Mr Mick Faulkner, Principal Consultant, Agrilink Agricultural Consultants.
Mr Faulkner works with farming businesses in the northern Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and Murray Mallee to produce profitable, resilient and adaptable farm outcomes. Agrilink Agricultural Consultants also conducts research, most notably in the areas of water use efficiency, understanding canopy management, nitrogen use, plant growth and integrating cropping and livestock systems. Mick has conducted research for the export hay industry since 1989 and has developed the protocols for conducting research in this industry. The research has been collaborative with growers, state and federal agencies and suppliers of processed hay to the Asian markets. Agrilink Agricultural Consultants manages the Mid North High Rainfall Zone Trial Site, a showcase of innovation and natural resource management in the higher rainfall areas of South Australia. Mick is also a part owner of vineyards in the Clare Valley where premium grape production is the ultimate outcome.
Combinable Crops 2010 will include demonstrations and discussions. A one hour time period has been allocated to allow growers the opportunity to take a closer look at the research trials with both FAR staff and a number of local speakers on hand to assist. The range of topics will be of foremost interest for all arable farmers.
With registration at 1pm, there will be ample opportunity for delegates to attend presentations running throughout the afternoon, sessions will include:
- Soil sensors:Are there faster ways of characterising water holding capacity and pH in your soils? Do you have more of a problem with pH in your arable cropping rotation than you realise.
- Pollination:How can you be sure you're hiring a good quality bee? What goes on inside a hive and how can you determine hive strength.
- Saving energy on farm:What can we do to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint?
- Drought proofi ng your cereal agronomy:What are South Australian growers doing to combat dry seasons?
- Irrigation on ryegrass:How does water stress infl uence seed yield in perennial ryegrass?
- Milling wheat:Meeting our customers' requirements - what do we need to do to maximise yield and quality?
- Non chemical forms of weed control:What can we use for weed control in our reduced tillage systems?
- End use:What do we need to do to ensure we meet end user specifications?
- Biological farming:What is it and what evidence is there to suggest it works?
The day will also see the announcement of the FAR Researcher of the Year Award along with an award for the FAR Student of the Year.
The evening will conclude with a light hearted and entertaining address from Mark Inglis, best known for being the first double amputee to stand on the roof of the world - Mount Everest.
Nick Pyke, FAR's Chief Executive says Combinable Crops is a key event in the calendar for farmers and industry personnel who are serious about the New Zealand arable sector, "the day will provide attendees with the latest information on a broad range of topics which will help growers farm more productively".
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for their continued support; their collaboration makes it possible for us to bring along world experts in areas which are important for the future sustainability of New Zealand arable farming."
Ongoing sponsors of the FAR Chertsey Arable Site: BASF, PGG Wrightson, Zelam, CASE, Norwood Agriculture, Plains Irrigators Ltd and Plant & Food Research.
Sponsors of Combinable Crops 2010: Abron, AgRecovery, Agrimedia, Agrioptics, Ballance, Biodiesel NZ, Environment Canterbury, Gough Agritech, Hydroservices, NZ Seedlab, The National Bank, Trimble and Syngenta.