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High-energy red clover delivers a double gain for farmers looking to improve both animal performance and soil nutrient management this season.

For the next three months we are looking at the final sprays for finishing off our cereal and grass seed crops, getting our silos cleaned up before harvest, continuing our post emergence sprays on fodder beet, pre and post emergence sprays on forage brassicas and weed control in new pasture.

Two key agricultural herbicides from Nufarm have been upgraded to higher concentrations of active ingredient this season. High strength formulations of Kamba and Archer have all recently been approved for use in New Zealand, and they have been re-named and re-labelled accordingly.

Spring has once again delivered a variety of weather conditions. After a warmer than usual July and August period, both September and October had mixed weather. Soil temperature struggled to increase, and inconsistent sunshine hours resulted in crops and pasture being slow to establish during this period.

To mark World Soil Day on 5 December, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Forage Specialist and no-till advocate Murray Lane discusses soil loss prevention.

With four children, three farms and a career in politics spanning 25 years, the Rt Hon David Carter and wife, Heather, have been able to balance farming and politics through their partnership. They work hard, have an incredible passion for New Zealand agriculture, and have forged a life blending love of family, farm and country.

Multi-talented Kurow mum Sam Laugesen splits her time between dairy farming, an accommodation business, growing lavender, and writing children’s books.

It has been a circuit through the wide-open spaces and high-country expanses that led Brett Harmer and Louisa McClintock to head back to Brett’s family farm at Methven. Between them they share a love of farming, hard work and energy to build a farm enterprise together, but in a way that enables them to each make the most of their own skills and talents.

A battle being waged between scientists and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. The voracious pest first established in the Trentino region two years ago and is now dangerously close to wiping out many crops in one of the country’s most productive horticultural regions.

Ruralco’s commitment to the health and safety was applauded last night, as the co-operative was named winner of the 2019 ACC Champion Workplace Safety category at the prestigious Westpac Champion Business Awards.