Introducing: SARAH ELLIOT

I considered starting this post to introduce myself boasting my passion for New Zealand agriculture - but how often do you read that statement and dismiss it much like you dismiss the over-use of superlatives in rural advertising?

So why is agriculture in NZ so important to me?

My fondest memories of growing up on our sheep and beef farm in Waitotara (South Taranaki) are “working” on the farm with Dad; riding shot-gun opening gates, feeding out, chasing sheep in the yards, probably just being a general nuisance. With endless area to explore, countless animals to play with, green grass and glorious mud your perspective of farming as a child is sublime!

My enthusiasm to participate in rural community events also grew from a young age. I credit this to the fantastic and friendly people in rural communities!

Working as a Jilleroo on Meda Station, a 1.25 million acre Brahman cattle station in the Kimberley’s 

By my latter years of secondary school when I was browsing university brochures I was drawn to the agricultural courses. But rightly or wrongly the school career guidance suggested with my exam results I should extend myself so enrolled into a Bachelor of Technology majoring in Product Development. I graduated with honours and was awarded the 2004 Product Development prize for my final year project with renowned NZ company Gallagher.

Summer university employment tracking milk losses in the Whareroa Fonterra plant one year and manufacturing TechnoGrazing™ system hardware for Kiwitech another also grew my appetite for solving challenges and looking for better solutions.

But what does this have to do with a blog aiming to help farmers improve irrigation efficiency?

After several years working abroad, when the opportunity came up to work with a team of guys who had just commercialised the world’s first true variable rate irrigation (VRI) system I felt it ticked all the boxes for me. I was going to be using my skills and experience as a mechanical design engineer to develop cutting-edge technologies to benefit the people, industry and environment that I love.

John Wright and I at a field day on his property, Wainono Dairies. John and his wife Sarah were early adopters of the Precision VRI system.

I have now been working in the irrigation industry for over five years and my primary role has been introducing farmers to Precision VRI technology and working with them to get the maximum benefit for their farm. I have had the pleasure of working with leading dairy farmers from NZ and Australia, poppy growers in Tasmania, onion producers in South Australia, turf growers in Queensland, cropping farmers, sheep and beef farmers from small scale to large. What strikes me as common to all the farms is that they can have the best technology in the world, but it won’t make a scrap of difference unless the person pressing go understands “why”. And this is the reason why I shoulder-tapped some people who know some things about efficient irrigation and together we formed H2Grow.

I also have a selfish agenda in wanting to increase knowledge of better, more efficient farming practices…  

My husband and I own and run Waikora Station, a 2333ha hill country property in the Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury. It’s been a tough two years due to extremely dry conditions but experiencing this has grown my appreciation of the challenges faced as farmers. Like many other farming families we hope that one day our son may have the option to take over if he wants, but to make this possible it has to be sustainable (another currently on-trend word for you). And it doesn’t take long to realise how the consequences of our decisions affect the economics of our operation and impact the environment where we live and the community we live in.

Hamish and I on our farm, Waikora Station, in the Haka Valley

Sarah Elliot

Introducing: ANGUS KNOX

Continuing on with our series introducing the contributors to the H2Grow blog - today we'd like to let you get to know Angus Knox, Precision Ag Technician (Field Services) with Agri Optics New Zealand.

While Angus may not have grown up wearing Red Bands and riding shotgun in the farm ute his fresh perspective, smarts and injection of enthusiasm are what our industry needs to continue to thrive and grow into the future.

ANGUS KNOX

Six months ago I had perhaps slightly more knowledge of agriculture in general than your average city boy. But I had no idea of what Precision Agriculture was, or how it was being used to change the landscape of Agriculture in New Zealand.

Originally from Dunedin, I moved to Christchurch in 2012 with the intention of studying engineering (after a year of studying law and commerce at Otago University). I eventually found my niche and completed a BSc majoring in Geology and Geography with an endorsement in Environmental Science in 2015.

After a few months working as a GIS Analyst in Wellington, I began to get cabin fever and moved back to Canterbury to find something that would provide a balance between field and office work. Enter Agri Optics. Prior to starting at Agri Optics I had been exposed to some of the technology and sensors we use during my studies but the application to agriculture was entirely new to me.

I admit, I was pretty apprehensive about the steep learning curve I faced to educate myself about how these solutions could actually be used to benefit farmers in the real world. The thing that has struck me the most since coming on board, has been everybody’s willingness to share their knowledge. From the whole team here at Agri Optics to client farmers, I’ve had no shortage of expertise to draw on.

As a newcomer to the industry, it is clear to see that there is no future of agriculture in New Zealand without Precision Ag becoming widely adopted across all kinds of farming operations. The combination of Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI),  soil moisture probes and EM soil surveys have the potential to drastically reduce water wastage and potential nutrient leaching by making sure the right amount of water goes where it’s needed and doesn’t get put where it’s not.

Precision nutrient management and variable rate nutrient application is another tool that has impressed me. Anything that can help maximise yields while simultaneously reducing unnecessary use of additives and chemicals has to be a good thing.

As essentially an agricultural layman, it seems that the sooner we all get on board with adopting this technology, the sooner it will pay for itself. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last five months learning about our country’s largest and most challenging industry. I can only imagine where Precision Ag will take us in the years to come!

Angus Knox - Precision Ag Technician (Field Services), Agri Optics NZ

Improving Irrigation Efficiency for Only $50 cont.

Here is the much anticipated second installment from the Improving Irrigation Efficiency field day run by The Waihao Wainono Group and Morven Glenavy Irrigation. Dr Anthony Davoren, renowned Irrigation Consultant with Hydroservices, shares how drainage through the soil profile can be measured. With this key piece of information we can improve our irrigation management, and know when to turn the irrigator on (or off) to ensure all irrigation that is being applied is going to benefit the grass or crops we are growing.

Thank you to Dr Anthony Davoren, Waihao Wainono Group and Morven Glenavy Irrigation.

Improving Irrigation Efficiency for Only $50

Dr Anthony Davoren is renowned as one of New Zealand’s leading irrigation consultants, establishing Hydroservices in 1983. If you have a question about irrigation management, soil and soil water assessment or surface and groundwater water resources then Tony will have the answer. What sets Tony apart is his practical, hands-on approach and the way he communicates information in a way that farmers can easily understand and relate to… I mean how many other speakers will you find presenting from a hole in the ground!

The Waihao Wainono Group and Morven Glenavy Irrigation recently hosted a field day focusing on improving irrigation efficiency. H2Grow is lucky enough to be able to share with you some short videos from this day. In the first in this series Tony explains how the root depth of the pasture or crop you are growing should be considered when deciding on the most appropriate soil moisture measuring equipment for your property.

Considering Root Depth when Measuring your Soil Moisture Levels

Keep a look out for the next video in this series where Tony explains how to measure drainage so that you can better manage your irrigation and prevent irrigation water, and nutrients, draining through the soil... and his top tips of how to greatly improve your systems irrigation efficiency for as little as $50!

Thank you to Dr Anthony Davoren, Waihao Wainono Group and Morven Glenavy Irrigation.

Soil Properties Critical when Applying Effluent

Dairy effluent is a great source of nutrients for growing pasture. But if not managed properly effluent can also be a significant source of contaminants which harm our waterways. Understanding how soil properties affect nutrient loss is a key to maximising the benefits of effluent on farm and minimising its impacts on waterways.

Soil texture and structure determine the amount of water that can enter and be retained within a particular soil, and the rate of transmission of excess water through that soil. So effluent irrigation systems should be matched to soil properties to minimise runoff and leaching. The rate at which effluent can be applied to the land for maximum production benefit is determined by the soil’s properties including structure, porosity and infiltration rate.

The nature of the effluent and cattle treading on soils can affect the infiltration rate. Treading damage, which occurs most when the soils are wet, significantly reduces the infiltration rate. For some soils this can result in accumulation of effluent below slopes and in hollows. It can then enter surface waterways.

Movement of water through soil pores is generally described as hydraulic conductivity. When hydraulic conductivity of the soil is low, irrigation of effluent will result in ponding and run-off once the total water capacity of the soil is exceeded or if application rate exceeds infiltration rate.

Low rates of hydraulic conductivity are found in soils that are poorly drained, and ponding and runoff often occur with high rainfall. Many of these soils are artificially drained to reduce the incidence of ponding and water-logging, and this carries a risk that effluent can bypass the soil and be directed rapidly into waterways

Leaching occurs as excess water moves through the soil. So soils with lower water holding capacity are more susceptible to leaching, while soils with high water holding capacity (deep silt loams) can store significant quantities of effluent.

The soils that have low available water holding capacities, are the shallow to moderately deep soils, as well as sandy or stony soils. Effluent irrigation on these soils is likely to result in leaching unless it is applied at low rates and in small doses. The irrigation system on these soils must be capable of low rates of application to gain the maximum nutrient benefit.

Drainage and the level of biological activity of the soil at the application site are important. Aim to apply effluent at a rate that keeps it in the root zone so that the nutrients can be utilised by pasture.

Permeable soils with a deep water table and no drainage limits are best for putting effluent on. However, on stony soils the risk of effluent draining directly to ground water would be an issue to consider. In such situations, application depths and rates should be adjusted to account for this risk.

Another issue is "bypass flow". When effluent application rates are higher than infiltration rates, water can enter continuous macro-pores that are open at the soil surface, and then move very rapidly via so-called "bypass flow" through a relatively dry soil matrix. This means little opportunity for the water to be retained within the root zone and high leaching of nitrate is likely to occur. Bypass flow of farm dairy effluent can occur in soils that undergo shrinkage and fissuring during drying, especially when these soils have been previously compacted by treading.

Efficient effluent storage provides flexibility when it comes to application and helps maximise nutrient uptake (image: DairyNZ)

A key to avoiding over application can be having adequate effluent storage so that irrigation can be deferred if conditions aren’t right. DairyNZ has released a new smart-phone app to help farmers apply effluent more efficiently. The Dairy Effluent Spreading Calculator app provides dairy farmers and effluent spreading contractors with guidance around nutrient application rates based on the depth and type of effluent they apply.

H2Grow would like to thank Bala Tikkisetty for this blog post. Bala is a sustainable agriculture advisor at the Waikato Regional Council.

If  you are keen for further information about best practice for applying effluent you will find a raft of useful information on the Waikato Regional Council website.

Or alternatively contact Bala directly, email bala.tikkisetty@waikatoregion.govt.nz or call (freephone) 0800 800 401.