Anna Mills 
Posted on behalf of the Horehound Biocontrol Group The clearwing moth is established. Or is it? We thought the clearwing moth was now well established at two sites. One in North Canterbury and one in the Mackenzie Basin. It looked like these populations were ready to start being redistributed to new sites. We were truly … Read more
Posted on behalf of Prof. Derrick Moot A nice problem to have – Matt Iremonger at Willesden Farm on Banks Peninsula is facing a different problem from the summer dry he encounters most years. This years rainfall has flushed lucerne back into production and Matt comments – “ 6500 lambs on 150 ha – stocking … Read more
Posted on behalf of Prof. Derrick Moot. Many east coast areas of New Zealand have had 20-100 mm of rainfall in the last week or so with more forecast. This unusual mid-summer situation has messed up my holiday – but more importantly can lead to some management issues that need to be considered for lucerne … Read more
Posted on behalf of Prof Derrick Moot 22 December 2021 Ode to 2021, a year of limited fun, the world stopped to deal with a crisis Covid on the rise, no real surprise, a challenge harder to manage than ISIS Politics alone, cannot postpone, talk or bomb this virus out of existence It does mutate, … Read more
Note: This content was originally sent out February 2021 but wasn’t posted on the blog. Belatedly: Posted on behalf of the Horehound Biocontrol Group Happy 2021 everyone, Last week we visited a few release sites of the horehound biocontrol agents and we have great news to report: both agents now call New Zealand ‘Home’. The clearwing … Read more
Note: Numbering error in title. This is Update 12 originally posted January 2019. Posted on behalf of the Horehound Biocontrol Group Happy New Year everyone, It is a great joy to open this year with such a positive update: the horehound biocontrol agents have been released! It all happened in the two weeks leading up to … Read more
02/11/2021 Mt Benger, North Canterbury The Luisetti-sponsored ‘Spotlight on legumes’ field day drew a crowd of ~70 people from the farming community, industry and Lincoln University to Mt Benger, North Canterbury, which is managed by Stuart Fraser. The field trip started in the hill country with the sub clover/cocksfoot pasture in Alice’s Block. This ‘Woogenellup’ … Read more
Professor Moot recently took the opportunity to show his overseas visitors some of the farming practices in New Zealand. The visit to a Northern Southland hill country farm discussed the importance of lime for clover production on hill country. The cost of flying on lime can appear prohibitive as the clover response may take 2-3 … Read more
19 December 2020 Posted on behalf of Prof Derrick Moot An ode to 2020, a year that delivered plenty, after Wuhan gave birth to a brand new disease Add famine, conquest and war, we’ve done this all before, there are four horseman to appease The apocalypse began, with no collective plan, and no international … Read more
Prof Moot was recently sent the link below by a former CEO of Plant and Food Research Ltd. It summarises the pitfalls of “agroecology” which has recently repackaged as “Regenerative Agriculture.” The article, written by David Zaruk a professor at Odisee University College posting as the “Risk-Monger”, suggests science will win in the end because it … Read more