76 | nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Northland Seed Supplies 1997 Mark and Daniel Hawkins. Kelly Deeks Northland Seed & Supplies is helping dairy farmers solve some of the biggest challenges facing the region’s increasingly diverse farming systems, from improving pasture productivity to finding new ways to tackle invasive weeds. The Whangarei-based business has built its reputation on a focused agronomy approach, working with farmers to find the right seed, products, and management practices for their individual systems rather than simply selling an input. Director and agronomist Mark Dunham says that approach is particularly important as farmers face fewer chemical options, changing farm systems, and growing interest in biological products. One of the most immediate challenges is Madagascar ragwort, an invasive weed spreading through Northland pastures. Highly toxic to cattle and capable of reducing pasture productivity, it is difficult to control and has limited treatment options. Northland Seed & Supplies is putting its own resources into finding better answers, running a trial to assess herbicide options for managing the weed. “It is very difficult to control, so we are doing a big trial and getting some good results,” Mark says. “It is not a funded trial and we are having to do it ourselves. There is only a little industry support, but our customers want the solutions, so we are going to find them.” That practical, locally focused approach runs through Northland Seed & Supplies’ wider agronomy service. Northland’s dairy farmers operate a broad range of systems, from once a day and extended lactation operations to multifarm businesses. The business looks at the farming system as well as the environment, selecting species and varieties that support each farmer’s particular goals. Mark says there is a strong link identified between homegrown feed and farm profitability, making pasture and crop performance an important focus. Northland Seed & Supplies provides pasture and crop planning, seed selection, custom seed mixing, crop monitoring, and agricultural chemical recommendations, with its independence allowing it to recommend products based on what is best suited to the job. That independence is becoming increasingly valuable as the range of agricultural chemicals available to farmers contracts, with products being removed from the market while fewer new options enter the sector. The business is also keeping a close eye on biological products, a rapidly developing area that Helping dairy farmers solve big challenges Mark believes could offer farmers new ways to improve soil and pasture performance and potentially reduce fertiliser inputs. “There is a lot of product out there, and there is no strict regulatory process like there is for chemicals. We want to find which are the right ones for the Northland dairy farmer that are going to provide the best results.” Its wider industry network gives Northland Seed & Supplies access to a broader pool of research, products, expertise, and technology. As a member of Independent Cropcare Distributors (ICD), the business is connected to independent agricultural For more information contact ljíljljƉŏíƑƉƑăí, visit your local seed merchant or agricom.co.nz • A long-lived chicory with strong persistence • Certified chicory variety • Superior disease tolerance • Improved drymatter production • Ideal as a multi-graze crop for finishing or dairy lactation • Early-maturing diploid summer turnip at approximately 12-14 weeks • Excellent leaf production and leaf holding ability • Tankard bulb with high proportion above ground AGC3137 bj~BX b%Ɖ ))%Ɖ»ƉzzXF)ƉƉ LTD zRODƉTOƉ SzzORT BF:BƉ Ɖ z)~8j~` b )Ɖ jzFjbƉ8j~Ɖ ``)~Ɖ%~¤ƉƉ jb%FFjbţ 0800 141 545 | info@carrfields.co.nz | www.carrfields.co.nz QUALITY SEED. RELIABLE GRAIN. REAL RESULTS.
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