As an amateur photographer she considers herself lucky.
"Because I live among such natural beauty and splendour, where mountains anchor into the sea and their peaks pierce the sky, and where the light changes constantly, it's nearly impossible to take a bad photograph."
Help with irrigation
Assisting farmers better manage water allocations in future droughts has motivated IrrigationNZ to offer free irrigation workshops at this year's South Island Field Days.
IrrigationNZ will have a stand at the Kirwee field days for the first time, with three practical workshops offering insights into how to optimise and improve irrigation practice and systems, says chief executive Andrew Curtis.
"One of the things this year's drought has reinforced is that irrigation efficiency is a priority.
"Irrigators that ran out of seasonal allocation before early March need to know what can help them more effectively use their water, particularly during shoulder seasons," he says.
"It's not only about optimising irrigation when it's hot or near the end of the season. Irrigators need to start the season well and maintain performance.
"Last year's spring was dry but also cold," Curtis says.
"Analysis of Irricalc seasonal volumes for an 80 per cent efficient irrigator shows most irrigating farmers would have been hitting their limit in early March.
"So you need to be familiar with all the measures that can make your system as efficient as possible."
Hello Hogan
A new tetraploid annual ryegrass that yields 1 tonne dry matter/ha more than old common varieties will help farmers enhance the productivity of their land this season, says Agriseeds, which bred the cultivar Hogan to replace Archie. It says it will raise the bar for annual ryegrass performance on New Zealand farms.
Hogan's significant yield advantage over old genetics is valued by the DairyNZ Forage Value Index (FVI) at $380/ha extra profit.
Agriseeds pasture systems manager Graham Kerr says this stacks up to a tenfold return on investment for the extra $35 to $45/ha it costs to sow Hogan compared with Moata or Tama.
A key goal in breeding Hogan was rapid plant establishment, Kerr says.
"Speed of establishment is a key performance attribute for annual ryegrass.
"The sooner new pasture can be grazed after sowing the better, particularly coming out of a dry summer."
Hogan's rapid establishment is backed up by excellent cool-season growth.
Other key features for Hogan include high levels of water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and the high feed quality associated with tetraploid ryegrasses.
