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September 2017 - Special Edition |
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Upcoming Events
October
17 TafeSA Chemcard Re-Accreditation, Naracoorte
19 Smarter Irrigation Field Day, Dairy SA, Donovans
19 Good Clover, Bad Clover Field Day, Conmurra
19-20 TafeSA Chainsaw Safety - Naracoorte
19–27 Artificial Insemination for Livestock, Donovans
20-21 Mount Gambier Show
25 MFMG Conmurra Field Day
24-25 TafeSA Chemcard Accreditation, Naracoorte
28-29 Penola Show
30 TAFE SA, Work Safely at Heights, Bordertown
November
4 Millicent Show
7-8 Cups On, Cups Off Training, Mount Gambier
8 Pulse Check Groups – Pre-harvest Meetings, Keith
26 Small Farms Expo – Save the date!
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Natural Resources South East at the 2017 Spring Shows |
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Authorised Officer Jon Forrest helping to ID weeds
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Natural Resources South East at the 2017 Spring Shows
Please stop by and say hello at the upcoming Spring Shows across the South East. We’ll be at:
• Mt Gambier: Friday 20 – Saturday 21/10
• Penola: Friday 27 – Saturday 28/10
• Millicent: Saturday 4/11
Bring your pest plant samples for identification and expert control advice, drop in soil and water samples for free testing, pick up a free 2018 calendar or just come along to catch up on the latest news from Natural Resources South East.
Look forward to seeing you there!
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Vegetation Types in the South East – more than meets the eye!
Mallee Woodlands – the last release in the Natural Resources South East series of six Fact Sheets is now available to download here.
Mallee thrives in harsh conditions! The name Mallee is a general term referring to Eucalypt species with multiple stems which grow from a lignotuber (underground rootstock). In the Upper South East, Mallee is the dominant vegetation community.
Please feel free to download, save or print any of the fact sheets and share them with your friends and family. Beautifully illustrated and easy to read – great for school projects too.
To download any of the six Fact Sheets please follow this link.
For more information call Natural Resources South East on 8735 1177.
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Small Farms Expo
Natural Resources South East are hosting a Small Farms Expo targeted towards small land holders who want to learn more about managing their property in their spare time.
For further information and updates on speakers and sessions, please visit the Small Farms Facebook page.
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Applications open in SA for 2018 Rural Women's Award |
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Simone Cain - Rural Womens Award Winner 2017
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South Australian rural women are urged to apply for the 2018 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, which recognises emerging leaders in primary industries and regional communities.
2017 winner and local identity, Simone Cain says "I would certainly recommend entering the awards. A really exciting change to this year's awards is that commercial projects which you’re able to profit from can now be entered.”
Applications for 2018 also no longer need a specific project to be considered eligible, and can be submitted based on an idea, identified problem or opportunity.
Applications are open until 29 October. The SA winner will be announced at a ceremony as part of the Thriving Women Conference on 19 February, 2018.
Each state and territory winner will receive a $10,000 bursary from Westpac to bring their idea or project to life as well as access to professional development opportunities.
They will also represent their state at the national awards in September 2018, where the winner and runner-up will receive a further $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.
For further info please visit here.
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A Prickly Invader
Cylindropuntia – (“Devils Rope” or “Rope Cactus” as it is more commonly known) is a branched shrublike cacti with short prickly spines on trunks. These trunks have a woven or rope like appearance, hence their common name. It develops dark pink to magenta flowers, which mature into fleshy egg shaped generally sterile fruits, green-yellow in colour.
Devils rope poses a threat in agricultural situations and biodiversity areas through its ability to shed small trunks that adhere to wool, tails of cattle, native wildlife and feral animals such as Foxes.
With the increase in climate variation and dryer seasons that can be experienced in the Upper South East, this plant could slowly and unobtrusively spread to form dense thickets that are difficult to control.
To combat this threat an infestation on private land east of Keith has been infected with a Cochineal biocontrol. The Cochineal specifically attacks the plant and slowly decimates it, without affecting any other plant species.
For further advice or information, please contact the Keith NRM Office via phone 8755 1620.
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Rope Cactus, a prickly invader has been part of a biocontrol program site near Keith
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‘Starting Smarter’ Project matches plant needs
With the 2017/18 irrigation season imminent for south east irrigators, the ‘Smarter Irrigation’s’ “Starting Smarter” Project is testing what it takes to achieve an optimal start up time - potentially avoiding the yield penalties that accumulate daily if you get it wrong.
Dairy research has shown that yield penalties of 105 kg/DM/ha/day of delay have been measured on trial sites. This means that on a 50ha pivot, a five day delay in start-up can result in an estimated loss of $8,650. These costs also apply when timing the restarting irrigation after a rainfall event, resulting in potentially considerable - and cumulative - losses over a full irrigation season. The scale of loss is not easily seen when the grass is still green, so “Starting Smarter” will use technology to match irrigation ‘start up’ with plant requirements.
The data is being generated at three trial sites south of Mt Gambier, with SARDI Researcher Nigel Fleming providing the data analysis.
Information from participating farmers - together with other Smarter Irrigation Projects across Australia - will form the basis of future startup timing information which will then be provided to farmers through DairySA.
To hear from a range of speakers on the latest information regarding scheduling tools, research and technology and to prepare for the irrigation season ahead, head to the:
‘Smarter Irrigation Field Day’
October 19, at Donovan’s Dairy
Lunch provided by DairySA
RSVP by Tuesday 17 October
to Kylie Boston via phone 0407 231 547 or email kylie@dairysa.com.au
For further information head to the website
The Smarter Irrigation for Profit project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural Research and Development for Profit Program, and Dairy Australia.
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Inaugural Saltland Pasture Redemption Site Tour |
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Brian Hughes presenting to the group at Meningie East
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On September 20, the first Saltland Pasture Redemption Site Tour was held. Farmers, Agronomists, NRM and Industry Representatives attended sites located between Meningie East and Cooke Plains. These sites have been established to look at various options in managing saline areas across the region.
There was a strong focus on the agronomy and establishment of the new salt tolerant legume species Messina, however other salt tolerant pasture species including Puccinellia were also discussed.
Farmers were shown how in-field testing could help assist them in determining if their salt levels were too high (ECs.e. >30 Ds/M) by doing a 1:5 dilution EC test and determining the soil texture.
There was also discussion around methods that may reduce the concentration of salt in the topsoil, providing a micro-climate for plants to germinate on those areas that are otherwise deemed too saline. Some of these methods will be investigated over the next 12 months.
The key take home message was that fixing the cause is easier than finding a cure, and that good management of the surrounding areas to reduce groundwater recharge is the best way in managing and reducing dryland salinity across the region.
For further information go to the website.
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NAB Smarty Grants |
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The NAB Foundation’s grant round will be open online via SmartyGrants from 9am Monday, 18 September and will close at 5pm Friday, 27 October 2017.
National Australia Bank’s inaugural round of Sustainable Regions Grants is offering between $100,000 and $1 million for periods up to three years to organisations with great ideas for development and implementation of grassroots community action on environmental challenges.
There are two grant types on offer within this category:
• Thrive Grant: Thrive grants help initiatives or organisations to become sustainable, scale or collaborate and move to their next stage of growth,
• Seed Grant: Seed grants build, test or pilot innovative ideas or help organisations get started through core operations and capacity building.
For more information about eligibility, grant examples and how to apply, visit here.
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