Crop monitoring services
Assisting growers with early detection of pests and diseases to optimise crop protection programmes in support of sustainable growing practices
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The Crop Monitoring Services (CMS) division of Fruitfed Supplies was formed in 1998 and quickly established a reputation for providing accurate, reliable and market-focused crop monitoring programmes of significant value to growers through the division’s regional co-ordinators and trained scouts located in key growing areas around the country.
As one of the first professional crop monitoring service providers in New Zealand, CMS has always been proactively working with grower and industry groups to develop new monitoring regimes specifically designed to assist growers maximise the effectiveness of integrated crop production programmes and comply with market requirements for traceability.
In 2006, CMS developed a centralised database called Tracit which now plays a key role in allowing CMS to make further technological enhancements to the data collection and reporting processes, all designed to speed up the delivery of factual monitoring information to growers to allow even more prompt and effective decision making.
For detailed descriptions of our services and monitoring programmes by crop, click here.
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Key elements of the CMS service
Well-trained scouts
Accurate block mapping
Timely monitoring by trained scouts
Correct insect and disease identification
Precise timing of control measures
Documented support for spray programmes
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What is crop monitoring?
Crop monitoring is essentially a structured crop inspection programme designed to accurately assess and record pest numbers and disease levels to allow growers to make informed decisions about when to apply crop protection products.
Completed on a regular basis, the monitoring records allow trends in the development of pest populations and disease incidence to be tracked. If a specific threshold for a pest or disease is exceeded, the grower can then select a combination of biological, cultural and chemical strategies to prevent the pest or disease from reaching economically-damaging levels.
Future-proof your access to overseas markets
Regulatory bodies and overseas markets continue to place increasing constraints on chemical use, seeking auditable records of pest and disease incidence to ‘justify’ application of crop protection products and to verify growers are following sustainable growing practices.
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CMS supports several established and emerging integrated pest management (IPM) programmes, many of which growers must implement before they can export their produce to overseas markets. We help growers to work within these industry guidelines and pass audit procedures where necessary.
Industry programmes supported by CMS
- AvoGreen
- Brassica IPM Programme
- Citrus (Sustainable Farming Fund) Programme
- Integrated Fruit Production (IFP)
- KiwiGreen
- Onion IPM Monitoring Programme
- Stonefruit SummerGreen Programme
- Sustainable Wine NZ
For more information about any details about CMS, our services or to talk to the crop monitoring co-ordinator in your region, please refer to the contact us page.