Wednesday, 24 January 2024 08:55

Conference to discuss maize profitability, productivity

Written by  Staff Reporters
FAR senior maize researcher David Densley. FAR senior maize researcher David Densley.

Adapting to future consumer and environmental requirements while retaining profitability will be one of the key talking points at the Foundation for Arable Research's 2024 maize conference.

The "Maize Profit and Productivity" conference is on February 12 and 13 at the Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton.

Its programme will explore and discuss how to build profitable and resilient maize systems and will feature international speakers. It will also include an afternoon at FAR's Norther Crop Research Site at Tamahere, near Hamilton where triel work will be discussed.

FAR senior maize researcher David Densley says the conference will start with a global view of sustainability and carbon emissions targets being set by food companies like Nestle, what this means for New Zealand, and then zero in on ways maize growers can and are adapting to these changes.

Three grower panels will discuss what they are doing on-farm, including developing soils that are more resilient to climate variability, reducing nitrogen fertiliser without compromising profitability, the role of biologicals within the production system and the application of precision agriculture.

“So, these farmers are saying that it may sound daunting, but this is the journey we are on and we are continually refining our production system to make this work for us. The message is don’t be overwhelmed.

“It’s a balance of how do I get more profitability, how do I get more resilience in my system and how do I meet environmental requirements,” Densley says.

International speakers include Dr Connor Sible, a US expert on biological options. Connor Sible is a post-doctorate research associate at the University of Illinois and works with internationally-renowned maize researcher Professor Fred Below, who attended last year’s FAR maize conference.

Sible’s research focus is plant growth regulators, biologicals and bio-stimulants in maize and soybean cropping systems. His primary focus is working to categorise these products based on their active components and the mode of action designed to create an agricultural advantage, and determine in which situations these products perform best and bring their greatest value to growers. Connor Sible will be in New Zealand for a week as a guest of FAR.

The other overseas speaker, Scott Shearer, professor and chair of Food Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Ohio State University, will present via video link.

He will discuss the current and future role of precision agriculture in US maize systems. Scott Shearer says that farmers are turning to technology to reach their goals. “We’ve evolved from precision agriculture to digital agriculture,” he says.

He will be followed by FAR’s technology manager Chris Smith on precision agriculture in New Zealand maize systems.

For more information and to register, www.far.org.nz/events

More like this

Rise in fall armyworm numbers

Populations of fall armyworm are two to three weeks more advanced than they have been in previous seasons, bringing calls for maize and sweetcorn growers to scout their crops as often as possible.

FAR CEO to step down

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) chief executive Dr Alison Stewart is stepping down in June this year after seven years in the role.

Harvest samples sought for crop nutrient project

Arable growers are being invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of a project which uses an alternative approach to determining how well they are managing their biggest input - fertiliser.

Embrace mechanical weeding now

Mechanical weeding is exploding in Europe because increasing resistance means they have "run out of herbicide", says Canterbury agronomist Charles Merfield.

Featured

Low interest sustainability lending from Halter, banks

Dairy and beef farmers could be eligible for lower interest lending options for financing Halter on their farms, with ANZ, ASB and BNZ now offering a pathway to sustainability loans for New Zealand’s largest virtual fencing provider.

National

Optimism in the air

Ag First chief executive James Allen says dairy farmer optimism is on the rise.

Ready to walk the talk

DairyNZ's Kirsty Verhoek ‘walks the talk’, balancing her interests in animal welfare, agricultural science and innovative dairy farming.

Dairy earnings bounce back

"We at Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and you at Dairy News said over six months ago that the dairy…

Machinery & Products

Powering farm operations

Waikato-based Silvester Electrical has been supporting New Zealand’s dairy industry for nearly 50 years.

DTS pioneering refrigerant swap

DTS, New Zealand's leading manufacturer of stainless steel vats and refrigeration technologies, is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative to phase out…

Discover the plastic edge

For over 20 years, Advantage Plastics has been manufacturing and supplying New Zealand-wide a large range of on-farm storage &…

Solution for every farm

For over 40 years, Williams Engineering has been trusted by farmers across New Zealand and beyond to deliver simple, reliable,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Bovaer's fate

OPINION: The fate of methane inhibitor Bovaer in NZ farming is still up in the air.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter