26
Feb 2018

Crop Registration

Crop Registration

I highly recommend crop registration!

 

Crop registration is not for every grower, but those who carry out weekly crop registration will benefit.  It can be time consuming and may seem like just a bunch of numbers, but as I always say ‘plants do not talk’. So, to understand what is happening a weekly crop registration can be so beneficial.  The numbers and data you collect, as part of a crop registration, is like a tracking device. You can see the effect on your plants growth.  This could be from previous changes you have made or from weather conditions and irrigation techniques.  Knowing how your plant is reacting each week is vital for short and long-term crop planning. 

Once you have this weekly information it is then the basis for your decision making for the next 7 days and beyond.  The added benefit is that you have the ability to share this information with a consultant who will make suggestions about the direction you could go in.  Having another set of eyes, I always found invaluable. 

I was a medium sized grower compared to some of the large operations we have in New Zealand but when I joined a grower group (with the assistance of my consultant at that time Bryan Hart) with Tony van Rijn and Mathew Hellyer, in the late 90’s, I quickly started to understand the benefit of taking weekly measurements and readings.  Data was also taken from the environmental computer and all entered onto the crop registration sheet.

Crop registration is not just for tomato growers, it could be useful for any grower, growing any crop.  You need to know what has to be measured for your particular crop and take the necessary readings.  In my experience cucumber growers generally will not do a crop registration.  Cucumbers have a fast turn around and grow extremely quickly.  I think they would benefit from completing weekly crop registrations and one example is the annual debate about when is it the right time to change from summer varieties to winter varieties?  Collecting information year on year would give you an opportunity to look at the figures from previous years and use this information to base your decision on.  It might be the difference of one or two units per cycle which might not seem a huge amount but over 10 years it is.  Especially at a time when historically prices will be starting to improve.

“How do we do this?”, “What do we measure?”  unfortunately, this is not something I can totally explain in a short article. Showing you a template of crop registration sheet is a good guide and even a video tutorial will help. It is something best shown to you in your greenhouse on your crop.  A crop registration guide can be developed to suit your particular property and the crop you are growing.  I don’t blame growers for not wanting to do a crop registration, knowing the time pressures and constraints it is probably last on your list but as my accountant always says “if you are working in your business and not on it you are possibly losing money!”  I can only speak from experience and the experience and results from the growers I consult to.  The ones that do crop registration are more consistent and find it easier to make on the spot changes. 

 

A template of how a crop registration sheet could look.  This is an example for a tomato grower.  Sheets can be adapted to suit whatever you are growing.

 

For more information regarding this article and if you are interested in learning more about crop registration please contact me.

 

Article written by Stefan Vogrincic, Consultant, Grower2Grower

CLASSIFIED

Subscribe to our E-Zine

Sign up here to subscribe to the Grower2grower Ezine. Every two weeks you will receive new articles, specific to the protected cropping industry, informing you of industry news and events straight to your inbox.

More

From This Category

EPA ‘Make it easier for applicants to apply in cases where chemicals have already been used safely in other countries’
June 3, 2025
EPA ‘Make it easier for applicants to apply in cases where chemicals have already been used safely in other countries’
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) says proposed changes to the rules for hazardous substances will give industry a clearer path for making use of new chemicals in New Zealand.
Growing kiwis and cherries from a greenhouse in Westland (Netherlands)
June 3, 2025
Growing kiwis and cherries from a greenhouse in Westland (Netherlands)
International article of the week - Learning how to grow successfully with Advice from New Zealand!
Investment Boost: 20% Tax Deduction for New Glasshouse Assets
June 2, 2025
Investment Boost: 20% Tax Deduction for New Glasshouse Assets
What It Means for Your Next Glasshouse Project: The New Zealand Government’s 2025 Budget included a significant update that could benefit growers looking to invest in new infrastructure: the Investment Boost scheme. This initiative is designed to stimulate business growth by providing a 20% tax deduction on the cost of new assets in the year of purchase. It’s a welcome development for growers planning to build or expand glasshouse operations.
Australia officially abandons eradication response of ToBRFV (What this means for New Zealand)
June 2, 2025
Australia officially abandons eradication response of ToBRFV (What this means for New Zealand)
The (Aus) horticulture industry, government and other industry stakeholders will work together to determine an appropriate long-term management strategy and trade protocol for ToBRFV.
Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows
May 20, 2025
Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows
Banana Self-Sufficiency: A Growing Opportunity for New Zealand
Protected Cropping Australia respond to continued Australian Government ‘Mandatory Eradication Response’ to ToBRFV
May 20, 2025
Protected Cropping Australia respond to continued Australian Government ‘Mandatory Eradication Response’ to ToBRFV
Tomato growers on red alert for tomato brown rugose fruit virus: A cure worse than the disease
CLASSIFIED