The sight of one of our neighbour’s paddocks blowing past our kitchen window in a nor wester is one of my enduring memories of the droughts which punctuated the 1980s in North Otago.
Thankfully it is something I’ve never seen since and one of the reasons for that is that soon after that happened direct drilling was introduced.
This low tillage method of cultivation doesn’t leave the soil exposed to wind and weather as conventional ploughing does and it is now the preferred practice in our district.
The drill revolutionised farming and its inventor has been nominated for the US$250,000 (NZ$327,000) World Food Prize.
Dr John Baker perfected the cross-slot seed drill over 30 years as a scientist at Massey University and then spent 10 years fighting to win ownership of it from companies the university sold it to.
He regained control of the drill in 1998, after $10 million had been spent on developing it, and set up a factory in Feilding to build them.
Cross-slot tillage is described as the keyhole surgery of farming. The drill creates two side-by-side pockets as it passes through the soil, depositing seed in one and fertiliser in the other.
Unlike ploughing, it does not disturb the surface of the soil and preserves soil micro-organisms and carbon. . .
. . . Nomination follows Baker reaching the finals of the World Technology Awards in 2010. Baker said the food prize nomination stemmed from his lift in profile at the technology awards.
“It awakened a lot of people to the fact 90 per cent of the world’s food is annual crops. They all start off as seed and if you don’t sow those seeds correctly, they won’t grow and we all starve.
The drill, sold widely in New Zealand at prices ranging from $200,000 to $600,000, is also being exported to 17 countries . . .
The inventor of the drill which protects soils and as a result increases yields is a worthy nominee for this prestigious prize.
Interesting. Clever man.
I assume irrigation from the Waitaki would be another reason why your neighbours’ farms aren’t being blown out to sea in a NW’er?
Dr John Baker deserves to win. The cross-slot seed drill is pure genius. He’s got my vote.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman told TV3′s The Nation mining was part of the economy that could not be escaped.
”It’s part of life, like you know look at things all around us,” he said
this can’t be correct .. bOb, can you confirm the Greens are in favour or mining?
Yes, jabba. I can confirm that the Greens are in favour with the voters. Their support is rising daily. Soon, we will be your Green Overlords. I will be putting in a ‘special’ word for you and believe you will enjoy your time in the mines.
thanks bOb but I’m already in a mining industry and I’m happy the hillbilly party have seen the light and now favour mining as well
It is reassuring that Robert foresees the continuation of mining in NZ (given that he chooses to send jabba to one.)
I was thinking ‘salt mines’ for jabba. Siberian.
Siberia .. no thanks, I’m thinking of what my carbon footprint would be (unlike the Hughes boy .. Gareth is it?). The pay is great here bOb and now safe thanks to you guys .. phew
You’ll not be able to choose whether to go or not, jabba, when your Communist Green Overlords take power. As Minister of Mines, what I say, will go. As will you.
Bye bye, Bryson.
a little harsh bOb .. I thought the Gweens were attacking the Govt over the number of people leaving the country. Here I am, been in full employment every day since Jan74 paying huge taxes during this time, raised 3 kids who are also in full employment and you want me (and them) gone, As a Gween agent, you worry me.
and I see Homepaddock is in the top 20 Blog sites .. did yours make the top million?
Everyone’s critical of National for the outpouring of young New Zealanders that are heading off-shore, jabba. Especially in light of the billboard that had Key declaring that we wouldn’t be saying goodbye to our loved-ones – he sure got that wrong, didn’t he! It’s never been so bad as under this Government.
I’ve been reflecting on Siberia, when suddenly it occured to me – that’s where your people are from, isn’t it?!?
You’ll be able to get free board and lodging. Another saving to the country, thanks to the Greens!
bOb, I think you will find that many are leaving from CHCH, they have had a couple of bad earthquakes, and others are going to the mines (thank goodness you lot have relented on this policy). Others are joining their families and others chasing jobs and better weather as has been happening for decades. When you and Labour/Mana/Winny1st, take over in 2013 I’m sure they will come flooding back.
Oh, what number was your blog site again?
Here you go, jabba – a recent post on my blog that attracted 128 comments. I’m not expecting you to read all of the comments – I’m not a cruel person, but it does put pay to your claim that no one visits
http://robertguyton.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/celebration-of-cow.html
Siberia? Take a steam drawn locomotive to deRiverton and then trun left…
You have a ‘steam drawn locomotive’ operating at your end of the line, Cad? We’ve not seen one of those down here for decades!
I’ll organise a brass-band reception for when you arrive. Bring your bathing trunks!
brass .. where does that come from .. oh, I forgot, you have joined the mining sector, will be hard to remember
Another metallurgic term that came to mind while I was reading your post, jabba – “dross”. Then, from the coal mining sector – “slag”. Heaps of slag. This mining-word game is fun!
good to see you are now following another new Green policy .. nasty, you are a sad puppy.
Since you read Whale, he has a piece about you lot