Pastoral agriculture, a significant driver of New Zealand’s economy, based on an introduced grassland ecology and technological advances

The New Zealand economy is export-driven and heavily reliant on the productivity of the pastoral sector. The transformation of native forest and tussock grassland ecologies to temperate grasslands occurred rapidly with the arrival of Europeans. However, this transplanted ecology required the development and use of plant, microbial, animal and management technologies for successful grassland farming. These have enabled New Zealand pastoral agriculture to compete effectively in international markets, without subsidies. The extensive list of plant-based and associated microbial-based adaptations, and the management strategies that have enabled the development of highly productive grasslands are described and reviewed. Credible science is required to inform the debate on the environmental impacts of pasture production to avoid misinformation proliferating. This needs transparent and objective integrity from the science community using funding that seeks no defined or preconceived outcomes. Critically, much of the success of New Zealand pastoral farming has been due to the willingness and ability of farmers to use, adapt, adopt and integrate new ideas and technologies into their farming systems. Historic, current and future challenges, and threats that impact on the productivity and sustainability of pastoral agriculture are described and the means to achieve further technology development to manage these is discussed

Machine learning for molecular and materials science

Here we summarize recent progress in machine learning for the chemical sciences. We outline machine-learning techniques that are suitable for addressing research questions in this domain, as well as future directions for the field. We envisage a future in which the design, synthesis, characterization and application of molecules and materials is accelerated by artificial intelligence.</p

Assessing potato canopy growth and development at the individual leaf level to improve the understanding of the plant source–sink relations

Seed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) physiological age (PA; defined as the developmental stage of a potato seed) and genotype are known to influence potato yield and final tuber yield distribution. We investigated the impacts of PA of two contrasting cultivars (‘Bondi’ and ‘Fraser’) on growth and development of individual canopy organs and their linkage with the source–sink process that regulates final tuber yield distribution. Differences in tuber yield distribution were associated with key morphological and phenological changes in the potato canopy. The beginning of the tuber growth phase was marked by a change in phyllochron across cultivars. PA influenced individual leaf expansion rate and time of flowering, which impacted the final tuber yield distribution. Time of flowering, or, number of leaves produced prior to first flower appearance, reflected the PA and could be used to indicate potential ‘sink strength' or sink limitations (associated with tuber yield distribution) later in the tuber growing phase. The results suggest crop source limitations might arise in indeterminate main potato cultivars that rely on physiologically older leaves (or early emerged large leaves) for green leaf area at the end of the tuber growing phase, which may shift the yield distribution towards smaller tuber grades

Yield and weight distribution of two potato cultivars grown from seed potatoes of different physiological ages

After seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are harvested, they may be stored in sheds, in low temperature coolers or left un-lifted in the ground. This research describes the response of tuber yield and distribution (formed by the weight grade of each potato) of ‘Bondi’ and ‘Fraser’ crops planted from seed potatoes at different physiological ages generated from different combinations of these storage regimes applied in the Early and Late phases of storage. De-sprouting half of the potatoes prior to planting was used to accelerate the rate of physiological ageing, synchronise the planting material and increase the range of treatments. Total yield and number of potatoes produced were unaffected by any of the storage treatments and reflected a constant pattern of canopy development, radiation use efficiency and harvest index. The largest tubers were attained by higher rates of tuber growth which was inversely related to the number of stems per plant