Cut the Crop!
keeping you in the know about everything you grow
Foundation for Arable Research (NZ)
Show overview
Cut the Crop! has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 111 episodes. That works out to roughly 35 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence, with the show now in its 7th season.
Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes — most land between 14 min and 22 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Science show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 24 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Foundation for Arable Research (NZ).
From the publisher
keeping you in the know about everything you grow
Latest Episodes
View all 111 episodesFAR director Michael Tayler optimistic on arable
Arable under pressure, but full of possibility
Ploughing champion Mark Dillon sets it straight
Ploughing champion Mark Dillon sets it straight
NZ Grown Grains gains momentum
FAR director Ed White on closures and costs
Nominations sought for 2026 Arable Awards
Make every pass pay
Growers react to higher diesel and fertiliser prices
SVS nitrogen decision support tool available
What drives wheat yield?
S7 Ep 13Is the time right for solar?
About 40 solar demonstration farms have been established across New Zealand in a government-backed initiative to provide real-world data so farmers are more informed. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Chris McArthur of EECA talks through some on-farm considerations including whether it makes sense for irrigation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 12SouthPAN free GPS service more accurate
A free public GPS service, SouthPAN, improves accuracy and reliability for farmers, contractors and other users. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s technology manager Chris Smith says that using GPS tools like guidance, auto-steer and variable rate application can provide savings in inputs and diesel use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 11Learning ways to reduce reliance on herbicide
A large-scale research project being led by FAR aims to establish a diverse and sustainable toolkit of weed management strategies in the face of rising rates of herbicide resistance. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher Matilda Gunnarsson says growers need to shift to a more integrated approach rather than just relying on herbicides to kill weeds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 10Post-harvest management of tall fescue seed crops
Reports from growers that tall fescue seed yields fall away after the first season has led FAR to research post-harvest management of the multi-year crop. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR researcher Owen Gibson says research to date shows three cuts rather than two have a yield advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 9UK growers diversify income
Scottish arable farmer and agronomist Gordon Rennie likes to swap his winter for a New Zealand summer. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he tells Scott Champion that low crop returns and fewer chemical options are leading UK growers to look at other income streams.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 8Late-season aphid rise poses questions
An unprecedented sharp rise in aphid numbers in cereals in late October has FAR staff pondering whether this led to yield losses due to YDV infection this harvest. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR senior field officer Ben Harvey looks back at an unusual season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 7Bridging the gap between growers, millers and bakers
A new Growers to Bakers programme has been initiated by FAR to better match grain quality with the requirements of millers and bakers. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR research lead Jo Drummond and NZ Flour Millers’ Association director Phil Jackson of Mauri Mills say that protein numbers aren’t everything when it comes to flour quality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 6Measuring harvest loss
FAR’s Technology Manager Chris Smith surveyed growers on their 2025 harvest losses in conjunction with the combine set-up workshops. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says this showed that growers who measure with drop trays, whether commercial or improvised, record half the crop losses of those that don’t.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 Ep 5Samples sought for Grain Nutrient Analysis
The number of growers and crop samples involved in the Grain Nutrient Analysis project, organised by FAR regional facilitator Donna Lill, is increasing each year. In this episode of Cut the Crop, South Otago arable grower Craig Whiteside talks about the changes he has made to crop nutrient applications as a result.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.