20 | Nursery nabs awards Northland Forestry Nursery has seen a remarkable surge in yield per hectare, from 500,000 to 700,000 radiata pine seedlings. Northland: Northland Forestry Nursery T T Bernadette Cooney REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Northland Forestry Nursery in Kaikohe, has taken out two category wins in this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards, in recognition of their continuous pursuit of excellence which has seen a remarkable surge in yield per hectare, from 500,000 to 700,000 radiata pine seedlings. Established in 2001 by Kevin Strawbridge, now in conjunction with his son Mark, the nursery boasts an annual production capacity of up to 13 million top-notch radiata pine seedlings, catering to the forestry needs of Northland and the Central North Island. Taking out the Hills Laboratories Agri-Science Award for its continuous improvements to the quality of cultivation, sowing, spraying, plant nutrition and monitoring – the award is testament to Kevin and Mark’s innovation in trialling and adopting new growing technologies. Embracing innovative practices such as leveraging fungi to augment seedling growth and harnessing micro-organisms to foster soil vitality has been pivotal in their success. “Our research-backed strategies ensure that crops and soils receive tailored care for optimal health and productivity, thereby curbing disease prevalence and bolstering plant resilience,” says Kevin. Moreover, the implementation of a meticulous cultivation plan, targeting a three-year crop rotation, coupled with effective sediment run-off management techniques like silt traps and automatic floc emitters, has been instrumental in elevating the nursery’s operational standards. The integration of cutting-edge technology has further propelled Northland Forestry Nursery to prominence, also earning them the Norwood Farm Efficiency Award in the Ballance Awards. “Our use of drones, satellite internet, and GPS-guided tractor systems has revolutionised our operations, enabling precise tractor positioning, minimised soil disturbance, and reduced diesel consumption,” says Kevin. The addition of detention ponds and auto-floc chemical dosing to remedy sediment run-off has been a game changer too for the busy high yield nursery “We now have a world class system here for managing our water and silt run off, thanks to the Cirtex chemical technologies that extracts clay from water and big thanks to Kaitaia Civil who constructed our ponds.” Northland Forestry Nursery operates across two Kaikohe sites totalling 50 hectares (32ha effective) and supply high quality radiata pine seedlings to the forestry sector. “Two-thirds of the business is supplying seedlings to the forestry sector for replanting after logging and a third is supplying seedlings for carbon forestry,” says Kevin, “for the likes of Air New Zealand as carbon offsets to meet their obligations under the emissions trading scheme.” Despite their accolades, Kevin Strawbridge regarded the awards as benchmarks for industry comparison rather than avenues for praise. “None of it is even possible without the collective efforts of our dedicated local labour force.” The nursery employs up to 35 Kaikohe locals each year who exhibit commendable efficiency and precision during the harvest months from May to September. “Our biggest day during a recent harvest was a quarter of a million seedlings in one day,” says Kevin. Principal tree seed supplier to the New Zealand Forest Industry and to Northland Forestry Nursery See our catalogue at www.proseed.co.nz Ph. 03 314 8978 Email: seed@proseed.co.nz • Improved radiata pine seedlots • Improved macrocarpa and lusitanica • Durable and non-durable eucalyptus seedlots • New Zealand native species • Wide range of other species
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=