Cut the Crop!

18:09

Are non-microbial biostimulants worth a try?

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/10/03

With fertiliser prices at high levels, some arable farmers are being encouraged by sales reps to try out biological alternatives such as seaweed extracts. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Ballance Agri-Nutrients science strategy manager Warwick Catto says a lack of replicated NZ data on these products means growers need to try them out for themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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16:32

Maize growing in an El Nino year

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/09/26

The maize planting season is rapidly approaching and with a strong El Nino weather pattern forecast for this season, what actions can growers take to maintain yields despite the livelihood of hot, dry conditions? In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s senior maize researcher Rene van Tilburg provides some advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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29:18

2026 Arable Farmer of the Year John McCaw

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/09/19

2026 Arable Farmer of the Year John McCaw specialises in ryegrass and cocksfoot seed production as well as owning a seed dressing business at Methven. As a herbage seed industry leader he has been at the forefront of making growers and seed merchants aware of the full costs of growing grass crops and the impacts of a lack of profitability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

15:29

Danish growers integrate non-chemical weed control

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/09/12

Danish arable growers have few ag-chem active ingredients available, so have no option but to adopt integrated weed management, says visiting Danish weed expert Mette Sonderskov who led a series of FAR weed workshops. In this episode of Cut the Crop, she says that weed management requires a long-term approach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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10:14

Lessons from NZ arable

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/09/02

Taylor McGill, a masters student from Oklahoma, has been working with the FAR communications team for her international experience. In this episode of Cut the Crop, she says that coming from a notoriously dry US state makes it hard to comprehend that some places need drainage tiles for excess water.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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15:34

Sprayers 101: hitting the spot

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/08/29

Two Canadian spraying experts Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau have just completed two weeks of FAR spraying workshops across NZ. In this episode of Cut the Crop, they reflect on how spray set-ups and coffee are different in NZ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

18:40

High-tech weed sprayers are here

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/08/22

FAR is running a series of weed workshops looking at all the tools available for weed control so growers don’t have to just rely on herbicides. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Kyle Baxter of Ecorobotix details a high-tech option, available in NZ, which can identify and spray weeds from about 2mm in size.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

23:10

Growing high-value crops under solar panels

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/08/15

A new solar farm at Lincoln University aims to show how productive land can be optimised to grow high-value crops while generating commercial-scale solar energy. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Lincoln lecturer in arable crop production Pieter-Willem Hendriks says that microclimate changes under the panels will be researched while growing arable crops, blueberries, Chardonnay grapes and even kumara.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

27:30

Taking time to connect with others

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/08/08

Craig ‘Wiggy’ Wiggins has numerous roles in the rural sector but is best known for being the driving force behind several rural health and wellness initiatives. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that it is about connecting with and supporting people and not being afraid to ask someone if they are not feeling okay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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16:52

Fall armyworm: four years on

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/08/01

It is more than four years since maize pest fall armyworm was first detected in NZ. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s biosecurity officer Ash Mills, who leads an SFFF long-term management project, says one of the biggest knowledge gaps is fall armyworm overwintering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

17:57

New FAR Strategy launched

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/07/25

FAR has just launched its new five-year strategy, setting a clear direction for the organisation. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR chief executive Scott Champion says the strategy reflects the organisation’s commitment to connecting growers with science and information to support successful arable farms and a valued arable sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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11:14

South Australian grower goes from drought to rain

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/07/18

After battling severe drought, early-season rain means South Australian grower James Venning has had a perfect start planting this year’s crops. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that while he hasn’t suffered the mice plagues of some areas, he still needs to lay poison bait when planting canolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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19:39

Visiting experts target spray accuracy

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/07/11

Canadian spray experts Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau are leading a series of Sprayers 101 workshops organised by FAR, in the first two weeks of August. In this episode of Cut the Crop, they say they will be discussing everything from water volume and droplet size to spray pressure, while raising a note of caution on drone spraying.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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18:55

Cereals UK 2026: what’s new?

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/07/04

Hawkes Bay arable and vegetable grower Hugh Ritchie was one of a contingent of NZ growers who attended the Cereals UK event, as well as some in Europe. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that more accurate spraying equipment being widely adopted there, as well as AI weeding for specialist crops particularly caught his attention.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

11:17

FAR director Michael Tayler optimistic on arable

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/06/27

South Canterbury grower Michael Tayler is one of three new FAR board members. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says that while crop margins are tight at present, he’s optimistic about the arable industry’s future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

19:01

Arable under pressure, but full of possibility

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/06/20

Andrew Laming, a founder and director of farm finance and advisory business NZAB, recently wrote a report on the arable sector. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says it is not a question of arable farmers’ capability to grow crops, but more about business management and positioning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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15:36

Ploughing champion Mark Dillon sets it straight

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/06/19

Southland mixed arable farmer Mark Dillon has turned part of an arable farmer’s toolkit – ploughing – into an artform. He has won the NZ Ploughing Champs in the conventional ploughing category five times, qualifying him for world events. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says the straightness of furrows is key.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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16:43

Ploughing champion Mark Dillon sets it straight

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/06/13

Southland mixed arable farmer Mark Dillon has turned part of an arable farmer’s toolkit – ploughing – into an artform. He has won the NZ Ploughing Champs in the conventional ploughing category five times, qualifying him for world events. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says the straightness of furrows is key.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

11:14

NZ Grown Grains gains momentum

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/05/30

The NZ Grown Grains logo is starting to appear on products in bakeries, supermarkets and online, as well as on vehicles and shop windows. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie says the campaign feeds into increasing consumer interest in domestic food security.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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12:11

FAR director Ed White on closures and costs

Cut the Crop! ·

2026/05/23

Central Hawkes Bay farmer Ed White is one of three new FAR board members who started on January 1. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he talks about the role of FAR, rising costs and the repercussions of both Wattie’s and McCain Foods closing frozen vegetable processing factories in the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en

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