The combination of sheep genetics and legumes such as lucerne and subterranean clover are the key drivers behind the Zino family’s high-performance sheep operation. Based on 983ha effective flat land near Hawarden in North Canterbury, the Zino’s 3250 ewes are lambing an average of 148% and weaning 36-38kg lambs, with over 55% gone before or […]
We’d like to welcome Chris Tyson to his new position as our new Seed Manager at Luisetti Seeds. Chris will be stationed at the front desk and has taken over from the very long-serving Ken Townley who is now enjoying his third month of retirement. Chris worked in the agricultural sector for 14 years before […]
Financially, winter grazing of forage crops can be a good source of income, but it comes with environmental costs. Negative impacts which need to be considered and managed include loss of soil due to overland flow, soil pugging, and nitrogen (N) leaching. One way to mitigate excess N leaching is to establish catch crops after […]
Moa Persian Clover is a top flowering cool season annual legume which performs well as a companion clover. It is later flowering than other Persian clovers, enabling the plant to produce higher quality vegetative feed longer into the growing season. We recommend sowing Maimai Ryecorn at 100 kg to the hectare and Moa Persian Clover […]
In the years before we handled all our inward deliveries in bulk, the total harvest arrived at the Luisetti Seeds door in sacks. You can imagine what a big job it was unloading all those lorries each carrying 100 to 150 sacks. As the sacks were unloaded, they were individually branded, wheeled into a shed […]
NB: A big thank you to those who have already donated to support the Canterbury Air Rescue Challenge! Sadly, due to the recent events in Christchurch the event has been postponed until October with the date to be confirmed. The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust relies on donations to keep this service operating – it […]
We’d like to welcome Simon Fleetwood as our new agronomist for Luisetti Seeds in Mid Canterbury. Simon has been in the agronomy industry for fifteen years. He studied initially as an Ag ITO student. The focus was on practical on-farm work, supported by classroom study with a tutor every two weeks. Simon submitted his projects […]
In 2018, our Maimai Ryecorn cultivar was described by Nelson Marlborough Farming Magazine as “a true winter-forage option” and “a compelling choice for discerning New Zealand farmers”. Our Maimai Ryecorn is a modern, better-performing substitute for the enduring cultivar Rahu, which has been the mainstay of ryecorn forage production in New Zealand since 1976. In […]
Include a selection of Antas, Denmark, Woogenellup and Monti sub clovers with your permanent pasture mixtures to increase the cool season performance in your pastures, providing higher ME feed for pregnant and lactating ewes. We recommend M 10kg/ha of our super sub mixture is included with your pasture mixture. When sowing Italian type ryegrasses, add […]
Many of us are likely to have seen Orangutans in zoos across the world, but very unlikely to have seen them in their natural habitat. Luisetti Seeds Branch Manager Mark McNicholl and his wife Rita went on the trip of a lifetime mid-August to Indonesia, to see critically endangered Orangutans in the wild. In 2004, […]
Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is a disease that can cause major yield losses in wheat. However, using a genetic tool called Marker Assisted Selection, staff working in the Luisetti Seeds/Plant and Food Research (PFR) wheat breeding programme have developed virus resistant breeding lines. The selected lines contain BYDV resistance (Bdv2) from crosses between Viceroy […]
Ken clearly remembers the exact date he began working for Luisetti Seeds: the 11th January, 1999. Ken is our Retail Manager at Luisetti Seeds. Five years ago, Ken was also asked to take up the role of Health and Safety Officer. Now, 20 years later, we bid Ken a fond farewell and best wishes for […]