Three new grower directors appointed to FAR board
Effective from 1 January 2026, there will be three new grower directors on the board of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR).
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) says it has named one of its own as their 2019 Researcher of the Year.
Diana Mathers, who, joined FAR as cropping systems research Mmnager in 2010, has worked to support cropping farmers in the areas of economic and environmental sustainability.
FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says Mather’s award recognises the significant impact she has had in these areas.
Working with growers around the adoption of new technologies is a current focus for Mathers, who helped to test and calibrate DIY Quick N testing kits as part of the MPI SFF Nitrogen - Measure it and Manage it project.
The results of this project have confirmed that Quick N testing strips are an efficient and inexpensive tool to help growers understand exactly how much nitrogen is available to their crops at any given time, and therefore, how much they need to apply to reach target yields.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.

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