Introducing the 2025–2026 Maize Season Work

The 2025–2026 maize season officially commenced on 1 October 2025 and will continue through to April 2026, spanning the full growth cycle from early establishment through canopy development, peak biomass, and late-season senescence.

This season marks a deliberate shift toward longitudinal, field-anchored observation, with an emphasis on repeat visits, consistent measurement geometry, and practical alignment with remotely sensed data streams.

Where the Work Is Happening

Extensive field capture is being undertaken along roadside corridors and accessible paddocks across the Upper Waikato and the Hauraki Plains.

These locations were selected intentionally:

• Roadside margins provide repeated access across the season

• Fields represent a range of planting dates, crop vigour, and management styles

This approach supports both scientific robustness and operational practicality, reflecting real-world monitoring constraints.

Early-Season Focus

From October through early summer, the work has concentrated on:

• Baseline field observations during early vegetative growth

• Ground photography for canopy and LAI estimation

• Initial drone captures to characterise early structural development

• Establishing spatially repeatable reference locations

These early datasets form the foundation for all subsequent seasonal comparisons.

Looking Ahead: What’s Coming Next

As the season progresses into mid- and late-summer, the project will transition into:

• Higher-frequency field revisits during rapid growth phases

• Stronger integration of drone-derived structure with satellite time series

• Growth-rate and phenology-based analysis rather than static indices

• Preparation for late-season biomass, stress, and senescence assessment

By autumn 2026, the emphasis will shift toward season-wide synthesis, extracting insights that hold value beyond a single crop year.