Crops and Forage

Fodder beet is high-energy feed that can be grown for relatively low cost if the yields are good, Kerry Dwyer writes.

Annual reviews of forages and crops for sheep and cattle will mean better results. By Dr Ken Geenty.

There’s no rule book on the Taggarts’ farm in North Canterbury, and they don’t mind the debt because it keeps them pushing. Story and photos by Annabelle Latz.

With increasing costs and lower returns, the wash up of the 2022-23 season has seen a review of alternative cropping enterprises that have some synergy with sheep-dominant farming operations. By Simon Glennie.

Pastoral farmers tempted to grow cereals on their farms as a result of recent high prices are being urged to tread carefully as the market returns to a more normal demand and supply situation. By Glenys Christian.

Not so long ago RPR was seen as the new fertiliser saviour, but science and experience has shown it to be less of a success than first predicted and promoted. By Dr Doug Edmeades.

Independently run cereal performance trials have given arable growers confidence that the cultivars they are selecting have been tested in commercial conditions and their performance rigorously analysed.

With the right timing and a bit of patience, catch crops can reward growers with high-yielding supplementary feed crops that can generate gross margins of more than $1000/ha. By Sandra Taylor.

A leading United States crop scientist told delegates at February’s FAR conference in Hamilton that maize growers need to have the basic requirements of soil structure, drainage, season-long weed control and foliar disease protection right if they are to chase high yields.

Look for the sweet spot when buying fertiliser, soil scientist Dr Doug Edmeades says.