From the Ground Up, Issue 76

The Autumn Cereal Cultivar Evaluation Book for 2024/25 is now available to read.

Planting a crop consisting of multiple cereal cultivars (cultivar mixtures) enhances genetic diversity, which can improve both seasonal and long-term agronomic performance and slow or reduce disease spread. To assess the viability of this approach for feed wheat production under current commercial conditions in New Zealand, FAR conducted a series of field trials in Chertsey, Mid Canterbury, between 2021 and 2024.

This FAR Focus outlines the key practices required to grow cocksfoot seed crops, covering topics such as crop establishment, nutrient requirements, crop management and harvesting. Topics outside the scope of this booklet include emissions profiles and off-farm considerations such as seed cleaning etc.

Watch the recording for a webinar with FAR Senior Field Officer Ben Harvey on managing herbicide resistance pre-autumn sowing, covering what is herbicide resistance and methods to reduce the risk of herbicide resistance.

Find out regional information on Fall armyworm as of April 4 2025.

Seed and Grain Readiness and Response Incorporated (“SGRR”) is a biosecurity entity for the arable sector. It was established in 2020 under the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity (GIA). It is currently collecting levies to cover the costs of the two biosecurity incursions, black grass and fall armyworm. 

Read the booklet for the 2025 autumn round up series here. 

This arable extra discusses trial results from the 2024 herbicide screening trial at Kowhai Farm in Lincoln, Canterbury. 

Harvest Snippets provides a harvest season summary. Find all the 2024/2025 season harvest snippets here.

Check out the latest fall armyworm update here.