Given the continued success of the FAR Arable Site at Chertsey, FAR is pleased to announce the opening of a second site based in the heart of the Waikato.
Lease documents for the 2.4ha block on State Highway 1 at Tamahere, just south of Hamilton, were signed in June, after a 12-month hunt to find the right piece of land.
The new arable research site is great news for growers, according to local board member and farmer Colin Jackson.
Colin says benefits for levy-payers will be two-fold. “Having the site here gives us NZ research work which is directly applicable to arable crop production. “It also gives us independent, grower-funded research, the results of which will complement all the other commercially driven projects.” The site itself – with a high visibility main road location – will also be good for increasing FAR’s profile in the North Island, Colin says.
Mike Parker, FAR’s Project Manager for maize says the Maize Research Committee (MRC) realised the value of location in setting criteria for finding the right spot. “It had to be at least 2ha in size and the main road site means it is readily accessible. As from September 2006 maize silage growers are now also paying a levy to FAR on their maize seed, and it will be good to show especially the dairy farmers the value of our research and extension to their farm operations and profitability.
“Grain growers know who we are, but we need to capture the attention of silage growers – you’ve got to remember around half of the maize in New Zealand is grown for silage. So we need to be easy to locate.” With Horotiu silt loam, it is representative of the main soil types in the region, and at only 5 km from Mystery Creek, it’s very handy not only for the FAR maize conference but also for FAR field days and general trial management.
With hands-on responsibility for trial management, Mike says he’s looking forward to having a tightly controlled environment available to work in. “The benefit of having a research site is capacity for tighter crop management control, especially for research providers who are doing complex trials for us. Also it provides us with greater flexibility for conducting trials that may not fit within the management of a commercial crop, for example long term trials or crop rotations.” Mike Parker says on-farm trials are and will continue to be an important part of FAR’s research and extension program, whether they are run by FAR or contracted research providers.
As with the South Island site, it is essential to have the financial support from our industry to assist with ongoing research projects. Should you wish to find out more about the sponsorship packages available, please contact Rachel Greenwood at the FAR office on 03 325 6353 or email greenwoodr@far.org.nz. For more details on the new arable site phone FAR 03 325 6353.