44 | Pinus radiata block. Simon Curran ( HELPING YOU GROW YOUR CLOVER AND CASH ) Principal, Dip. AG, B.B.S, C.A. we know farming at its grass roots 0800 436 723 | waterforce.co.nz PROUDTOSUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS. PUMPING SERVICES WATER MEASUREMENT ATER MEASUREMENT SE VICES IRRIGATION WATER FILTRATION “It’s a way of mitigating risk through scale.” Maintaining stringent nursery practice to prevent fungal disease continues to be a priority. Once the seedlings have grown to 60cm they are topped to 30cm. This is so that trees can be commercially planted out using planter boxes. Building your own seed sower is part and parcel of what Patrick has created in order to gain efficiencies, understanding as he does, that the smallest of gains, at the scale he is growing seeds at, results in impressive gains. There’s continual research and adoption of new practice to improve growing outcomes further. This year the seed sower has been engineeringly reconfigured to increase planting space in the middle of the growing beds. When Patrick took over the business under their own name in 2012 the nursery originally grew all sorts of natives and exotics, however the decision was made to concentrate on growing just radiata pines. As technologies and systems have evolved, so too has the ability to operate the nursery using automated equipment Patrick and the team have designed, thereby reducing the number of FTE’s required. “Our seed sowing is just one person. There’s a strong cycle to activity at the nursery depending on the time of the year.” Land is prepared September to early October, with seed sowing commencing early October to mid November. Trees then germinate and need to be 75mm by Christmas. By mid March the tallest trees would reach 60cm at which point they are topped Once topping is completed, lateral root pruning takes place, then the tap root undercut about four to six weeks before dispatch. The benefit of this hardening process is the plants are frost conditioned. Dispatch and harvest is through the winter months and then the cycle begins all over again. Many of the trees grown are provided to carbon farmers and foresters with distribution ranging from Auckland to South Otago. Patrick says that after 42 years, his appetite for innovation and evolving systems is what keeps him so engaged in the nursery. “It’s great to try things and see results and be continually thinking about how to improve production outcomes.” CENTURY FARMS » Murrays Nursery • from page 42 Comprehensive Legal Solutions from a Team of Dedicated Locals. Waipukurau | Levin | Dannevirke | Feilding | Palmerston North
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=