When it stops raining… Murphy’s Law says that if you write a special report on efficient irrigation and being water-wise then it’s liable to rain and rain and rain. And that is what has happened – of course we planned that so you could relax during that gently falling rain and read the report – before the summer sun arrives and irrigation is needed. Travelling recently around California was a real eye-opener for me as to the competing demands for scarce water in that environment and it’s hard to see how that will be managed equitably in the future. Thankfully in New Zealand we are miles away from that level of problem, but it shows that water is a growing global and local issue and now is the time to uptech and upskill to make sure you are using it wisely and not wasting it. Summer crop management is the other theme we have covered in the January issue, check it out now. Upping the crop component The Powell family of Hawera explain how upping their cropping component led to higher production and profit and how research at the Waimate West Demonstration farm validated their performance. Making every drop count Roger and Sue Bates say there is nothing like water scarcity to focus the mind on water use efficiency on their Canterbury property. Pushing protein potential Top bulls with high protein values has been one of Alister Hall’s key breeding philosophies, with the aim of producing cows that can milk their bodyweight in milksolids in a season. That’s efficiency, he says. Dairy 101: Going with the flow Karen Trebilcock outlines the factors that slow cow flow and discusses what to do ab