From the Ground Up, Issue 73

A review of New Zealand’s fall armyworm surveillance network has confirmed that crop scouting is the most reliable and informative tool for understanding fall armyworm (FAW) activity. However, it also acknowledges that scouting is time consuming and that industry personnel struggle to keep up in the height of the season.

Welcome to the revised 2025 version of  The drying and storage of grain and herbage seed, first published in 1999. The book comprises six chapters that cover grain characteristics and their reaction to climate, the importance of seed moisture, the drying system, the storage environment, storage pests and their control, and construction considerations. These have been edited and updated by FAR staff and independent experts from the original chapters written by the late Murray Hill.

Read the full arable industry code of conduct here. 

This Arable Update outlines practical strategies for using SDHIs effectively in the field while protecting their long-term efficacy.

This Update outlines the latest results on how Zymoseptoria tritici (Zt), the fungus that causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), is responding to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI - Group 3) fungicides in New Zealand wheat crops.

This Arable Update illustrates how alternating and mixing Modes of Actions and active ingredients can help sustain disease control, protect yield, and deliver financial returns.

Maize is one of the easiest crops to mechanically weed and levels of weed control comparable to herbicides can be achieved. Find out more about the options available and how they work in this maize update.

Weed related yield losses ranging from 15% to 56% for silage and 15% to 61% for grain have been observed in New Zealand maize systems. In this maize update find out management strategies for a number of common annual and perennial weeds of maize.

The Environmental Protection Authority (“EPA”) published a Notice of Direction Prohibiting the Use and Requiring Disposal of Chlorpyrifos Containing Substances in the New Zealand Gazette on 1 September 2025.

Pre-emergence herbicides have been the mainstay of maize weed management. This Maize Update discusses factors affecting pre-emergence herbicide success including application timing, modes of action and soil interactions.