A group of scientists from the Botany Division of the then-DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Lincoln warned of the risks of conifers in New Zealand’s high country as far back as 1982.

In late February 2025, the ACVM granted registration for SIVANTO® prime, a new Group 4D insecticide that controls key establishment pests in forage brassicas and fodder beet.

As the calving season approaches, the risk of injuries for dairy farmers increases, so Gallagher collaborated with industry partners and farmers to tackle the issue head-on.

ASB has appointed Kristen Ashby as Head of Food and Fibre, a newly established role within its Rural Corporate Banking team.

Ashby joins ASB from Fonterra, where she was most recently Director of Capital Strategy. Starting her career as a Chartered Accountant, she has worked across a variety of roles at organisations including Fonterra, Turners and Growers, and Goodman Fielder.

In a recent report, the RaboResearch division says due to minimal volumes of urea produced domestically, New Zealand is particularly sensitive to global events.

When it comes to managing internal parasites in sheep, especially during the critical pre-lambing period, farmers have several anthelmintic options.

In ideal conditions, ewes should enter pre-lamb at Body Condition Score (BCS) 3 with adequate feed and not require a drench. But if conditions are not ideal, a long-acting treatment may benefit some ewes.

However, it also offers an opportunity for a shift in how we manage these costly pests, in a way that benefits farmers, our soils and the broader environment.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has proposed to ban chlorpyrifos, an insecticide from the organophosphate group that is used in New Zealand to control a broad range of insect pests on plants.

Coaxing more out of an intensive system that’s already producing well can be easier said than done.

But strategic use of straight clover on Ashton Glen Farms at Clinton in South Otago is giving the Mitchell family a double win—extra kilograms of red meat per hectare, plus free soil nitrogen and better grass weed control for subsequent cereal crops.

A 100-year-old Canadian irrigation district has taken inspiration from Canterbury irrigation company Central Plains Water’s success in converting from an open race irrigation system to a gravity-fed piped system.

With weed control season for white clover coming up fast, it’s time to start talking to your growers about their options for keeping seed crops clean and high yielding.

That’s the advice from one of the country’s largest crop protection suppliers, which says the number and type of weeds covered by different herbicides is not the only thing to consider.

Hill Labs has strengthened its food safety and drinking water compliance services with the acquisition of Canterbury-based companies Food and Health Standards (FHS) and Auditing Solutions (AS), in partnership with experienced auditor and business leader Sam Brooks.

Goodnature’s world-first hi-tech Mouse Trap has been named one of 2025’s most innovative household products by Fast Company, the influential US publication that spotlights groundbreaking design, creativity, and technology worldwide.

The importance of robust programmes to control most pests and plant diseases is well understood — but rats could be the chink in our armour.

That’s the view of Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, UPL NZ Regional Manager for the upper North Island.

He says effective rodent control isn’t just about putting out bait — it also requires a plan.

In the face of increasing global trading uncertainty, the NZ Cargo Owners Council argues the best mitigation is to ensure the country has the most efficient supply chain possible.

“Global shocks to the supply chain will keep occurring,” says Council Chair Mike Knowles. “Because of our distance to and from international markets, we are already coming from behind.

A powerful, lightweight electric tractor designed by a New Zealand agtech start up may help kiwifruit growers reduce orchard emissions, a recent Zespri trial has found.

Further field trials and product optimisation are now underway as Ballance Agri-Nutrients enters final stages of testing a fertiliser breakthrough developed to reduce parasite larvae on pasture.

The technology has the potential to target all pasture based ruminant larval species, addressing an issue costing the sector millions of dollars, Ballance says.

Weighing his heifer replacements regularly is as much a labour of love as it has been a valuable eye opener for Ashburton dairy farmer Andrew Whyte.

He and partner Leigh run a980-cow dairy unit, and rear 220-250 heifer replacements each year.

One of New Zealand’s largest lingerie designers is expanding its virtual bra fitting model to remedy poor access to specialised advice faced by rural women on both sides of the Tasman.

Experts say wearing a correctly fitted bra is essential for maintaining good posture and preventing back and shoulder pain, particularly for those in active work roles.

Monitoring dairy herd replacements from birth has just got easier with the launch of SenseHub Youngstock. MSD Animal Health says.

Youngstock is the latest extension from SenseHub Dairy, the company’s market-leading technology used by hundreds of Kiwi dairy farmers to monitor cow health and mating management.

Imagine applying blended fertiliser to your high value arable crops only to find one key element wasn’t landing where it was supposed to be but instead was potentially compromising yield or quality.

Researchers based in Canterbury say this is exactly what happened when they tested the distribution and spreading patterns of 25 different mixes of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.