Baker says New Zealand's rotation of arable crops and pasture land "gives us more time", but many arable farmers around the world are still "unknowingly but progressively destroying the soils".
"Eventually, crop yields will decline to the point where the world's ability to feed its ever increasing population will be compromised," he says. "Crunch point is expected to be about 2050, by which time there will be famine in some developing countries."
Twice nominated for the World Food Prize, Baker doubts the issue is being taken seriously in some quarters.
"Because soil isn't sexy, is not on our radar and is metaphorically beneath us, it's taken for granted by many farmers and ignored by politicians and city dwellers.
"On the other hand there are notable farmers here who value their soil and have stopped ploughing it. Instead, they use low disturbance, no tillage to establish crops and pastures and, in the process, are rebuilding their soil organic matter levels and increasing yields."
Ploughing kills earthworms and micro-organisms which are an integral element of healthy soil, Baker says.
Agriculture is on trend
Students are flocking to agricultural education like never before in the past 25 years, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
Enrolments in Massey University's Plants in Agriculture course, which is compulsory for first-year students across all agricultural degrees, is considered an indication the tide, which had been ebbing towards what some see as more glamorous career options available to young people, had started to turn.
About 120 students usually enroll in the paper, but there are 187 in this year's class.
The highest it had been previously was 146 in 2012.
Meanwhile, at Lincoln University, the Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Diploma in Agriculture programmes attracted 20 per cent more enrolments compared to last year. And enrolments doubled for the new Bachelor of Agribusiness and Food Marketing and the Master of Science in Food Innovation programmes.
Beef+Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chief executive Dr Scott Champion says the lift in numbers is overdue and great news for the sector.
"It will help fill the skills gap identified last year in the report People Powered: Building capabilities to keep New Zealand's primary industries internationally competitive."
The report was a collaboration between B+LNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries and DairyNZ, and highlighted the need for an extra 50,000 people to work in the primary sector by 2025, if growth targets are to be achieved.
"Beef and Lamb New Zealand is a long-time promoter of agriculture as a career.
"The flagship B+LNZ undergraduate scholarship programme involves a $5000 per annum investment in tertiary agricultural students over the duration of their degree. There are about 20 students studying on B+LNZ scholarships in any given year."
Firms share water
An unprecedented water-sharing arrangement in Mid Canterbury has seen two independent water infrastructure companies work together this season to extend water supply for local irrigators.
Rangitata Diversion Race Management (RDRML) is giving neighbouring company Rangitata Water four cumecs of its consented supply from the Rangitata River to help the latter fill its irrigation storage ponds.
Although it's not the first time RDRML has done this it's the first time water has been "donated" during the peak irrigation season -- traditionally a period of high water demand. The RDRML also provided water during summer and last winter to top Rangitata Water's ponds up.
"We've been able to do it over the past couple of weeks because irrigation demand has softened and because Highbank Power Station is offline for maintenance. So often the perception of water companies is that we are at war and can't work together. Sharing resources isn't something the irrigation sector is known for but it's becoming more common as we all realise the importance of spreading the resource around and ensuring everyone can use their allocation as effectively as possible," says RDRML CEO Ben Curry.
"At the end of the day we all want the same thing, which is to increase the reliability of supply for our customers, whether they be farmers, stock water users or the hydro generation industry."
Gary Rooney, director of Rangitata Water, says having access to RDRML water has come at a critical time.
"Being able to access four cumecs recently has been a huge benefit as we rely on high flows to fill the ponds and with this season's drought there haven't been many to count on. We'd like to thank RDRML for providing access to this water as it has enabled our irrigators to continue watering during a very difficult season."
Dairy workshops
A series of workshops will begin this month to help dairy farmers understand animal welfare laws and work out their options for keeping on the right side of impending new regulations.
DairyNZ's animal welfare team leader Chris Leach says the workshops are an easy way for farmers to quickly bring themselves up to speed with everything they need to know about animal welfare.
The workshops will also cover the options for managing tails and the euthanasia of calves, ensuring cattle are fit for transport and the tools and strategies to help train farm employees in good welfare practices.
The Dairy Women's Network is joining DairyNZ to take the longer four-hour "stock welfare" workshops. These sessions will run in Ruawai in Northland and various parts of the Waikato, the West Coast, Canterbury and Southland.
To register for all the workshops, farmers should go to www.dairynz.co.nz/welfare-workshops
