title: Precision horticulture - Helping make better orchard management decisions

authors: Hull, Graeme George

abstract: Horticultural production is becoming more complicated and consumers are becoming more demanding. Precision horticulture is the natural extension of precision agriculture, which has been widely applied in broad-acre production systems such as corn farming for many years. Precision horticulture considers both spatial and temporal variability at reasonably small scales when making orchard management decisions. Remote sensing tools such as multi-spectrum cameras together with computer support tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are key to collecting and analysing large amounts of information in a timely and cost-effective way. In the near future, growers will likely be able to create and use near-real-time canopy maps to help them make better management decisions.

text: Precision horticulture - Helping make better orchard management decisions Horticultural production is becoming more complicated and consumers are becoming more demanding. Precision horticulture is the natural extension of precision agriculture, which has been widely applied in broad-acre production systems such as corn farming for many years. Precision horticulture considers both spatial and temporal variability at reasonably small scales when making orchard management decisions. Remote sensing tools such as multi-spectrum cameras together with computer support tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are key to collecting and analysing large amounts of information in a timely and cost-effective way. In the near future, growers will likely be able to create and use near-real-time canopy maps to help them make better management decisions.

year: 2016

title: History and development of cooperative business in New Zealand: A case study of Allied Farmers Limited

authors: Reddy, Krishna

subjects: hubris

abstract: Cooperatives have been a feature of New Zealand agricultural scene since late 19th century. Although cooperatives did arise in a greater degree in the agricultural sector in New Zealand, evidence show that it has been not too different to that found in other jurisdictions. Using a case study methodology, this study analyses the history and development of cooperative business and explores the establishment and demise of Allied Farmers Limited in New Zealand. Using agency-theoretical perspective and hubris it is argued that Allied Finance Limited’s expansion was of concern from the start and was most likely to cause financial crisis. The evidence supports the view that the managerial overconfidence was the key factors leading to the demise of Allied Farmers Company Limited.

text: History and development of cooperative business in New Zealand: A case study of Allied Farmers Limited Cooperatives have been a feature of New Zealand agricultural scene since late 19th century. Although cooperatives did arise in a greater degree in the agricultural sector in New Zealand, evidence show that it has been not too different to that found in other jurisdictions. Using a case study methodology, this study analyses the history and development of cooperative business and explores the establishment and demise of Allied Farmers Limited in New Zealand. Using agency-theoretical perspective and hubris it is argued that Allied Finance Limited’s expansion was of concern from the start and was most likely to cause financial crisis. The evidence supports the view that the managerial overconfidence was the key factors leading to the demise of Allied Farmers Company Limited.

year: 2013

title: Anō, ko te Riu ō Tāne Mahuta Possibilities and Challenges in a Ngāti Rangiwewehi Curriculum

authors: Mahuika, Rangimarie

subjects: Curriculum

abstract: This thesis considers how a curriculum might form a useful tool in meeting the needs and aspirations of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, a small, but dynamic tribe, who occupy specific territory from the north western shores of Lake Rotorua into the eastern Bay of Plenty of the North Island of New Zealand. In contemplating the potential benefits of a curriculum, this study begins by examining the epistemological frames of reference crucial to understanding how the tribe views the world around them, and their positioning within it. The thesis goes on to explore the pedagogical approaches specific to the iwi, and concludes by assessing the extent to which a curriculum is a viable means of maintaining and empowering Rangiwewehi mātauranga, and their underlying ambitions, and goals. Whether ‘curriculum’ is an appropriate framework to describe the way Ngāti Rangiwewehi view our educational processes, is an issue addressed in this study. To this extent, Rangiwewehi perspectives are intentionally privileged allowing appropriate representation of our understandings and aspirations. Eighteen people were interviewed as part of this study, yet many other voices included here were recorded during a tribal wānanga held in late 2010. Their accounts provide the core ideas and positions at work in this thesis, and are invaluable for the depth and texture they offer. An emphasis on the qualitative data collected here is important in allowing their words to take centre stage. In conveying their views and stories, three major themes emerged: these were people, place, and survival. Woven through the body of the thesis, these themes work to illustrate the key designs and patterns that were seen as fundamental to a Rangiwewehi way of viewing the world. Place and people, for instance, were affirmed as crucial to both the pedagogical and epistemological beliefs and practices maintained across generations. Similarly, the theme of survival was deemed a significant thread in comprehending the struggle and self-determination inherent in the tribe’s sense of identity and knowing. These themes reflect convictions shared across the iwi, highlighting the importance of understanding Ngāti Rangiwewehi by first listening to what they have to say about themselves and their curriculum.

text: Anō, ko te Riu ō Tāne Mahuta Possibilities and Challenges in a Ngāti Rangiwewehi Curriculum This thesis considers how a curriculum might form a useful tool in meeting the needs and aspirations of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, a small, but dynamic tribe, who occupy specific territory from the north western shores of Lake Rotorua into the eastern Bay of Plenty of the North Island of New Zealand. In contemplating the potential benefits of a curriculum, this study begins by examining the epistemological frames of reference crucial to understanding how the tribe views the world around them, and their positioning within it. The thesis goes on to explore the pedagogical approaches specific to the iwi, and concludes by assessing the extent to which a curriculum is a viable means of maintaining and empowering Rangiwewehi mātauranga, and their underlying ambitions, and goals. Whether ‘curriculum’ is an appropriate framework to describe the way Ngāti Rangiwewehi view our educational processes, is an issue addressed in this study. To this extent, Rangiwewehi perspectives are intentionally privileged allowing appropriate representation of our understandings and aspirations. Eighteen people were interviewed as part of this study, yet many other voices included here were recorded during a tribal wānanga held in late 2010. Their accounts provide the core ideas and positions at work in this thesis, and are invaluable for the depth and texture they offer. An emphasis on the qualitative data collected here is important in allowing their words to take centre stage. In conveying their views and stories, three major themes emerged: these were people, place, and survival. Woven through the body of the thesis, these themes work to illustrate the key designs and patterns that were seen as fundamental to a Rangiwewehi way of viewing the world. Place and people, for instance, were affirmed as crucial to both the pedagogical and epistemological beliefs and practices maintained across generations. Similarly, the theme of survival was deemed a significant thread in comprehending the struggle and self-determination inherent in the tribe’s sense of identity and knowing. These themes reflect convictions shared across the iwi, highlighting the importance of understanding Ngāti Rangiwewehi by first listening to what they have to say about themselves and their curriculum.

year: 2011