• New tools offer prospect of identifying frost-affected crop areas
• The Fast Break
• Get your livestock fire plans finalised
• Russian wheat aphid in Australia: building a crop risk profile
• Drought resilience grant program
• Predicting fertility of dairy cows a game changer
• Boost your business: food innovation voucher stream
• Young farmer business network
• Honey bee health survey
• Finding Australia's next generation of lamb leaders
• What's on

By Alistair Lawson, GroundCover

Remote and proximal sensing tools could be used to help growers rapidly identify areas of crop affected by frost and enact an appropriate management plan.

Research conducted as part of the Victorian Grains Innovation Partnership between Agriculture Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has focused on the use of such tools to identify frost damage and whether these findings hold at paddock and commercial scale.

Agriculture Victoria senior research scientist, Dr James Nuttall, says frost costs Australian dryland growers up to $360 million each year.

"Currently, growers use variety choice, crop choice and time of sowing as part of their management strategy to limit the impact of frost," Dr Nuttall said.

While not a solution to the problem, a rapid and early detection method for frost-induced damage to crops, using proximal or remote sensing technologies, could allow tactical decision-making for managing frost-affected crops and limiting financial losses.

"Rapid estimation of frost damage on a spatial basis could translate to timely management decisions, such as zoning for crops to be cut for hay, prioritising further crop inputs, altered grain marketing strategies and improved planning of harvest logistics," Dr Nuttall said.

Agriculture Victoria remote sensing scientist, Dr Eileen Perry, said using natural field variation in frost at Kewell, Victoria, in 2015, found fluorescence indices such as the FLAV index - which is proportional to the flavanol content of leaf and fruit and essential for pigments - correlated well with frost damage in wheat.

In subsequent years, artificial frost damage was imposed on wheat in trial plots using mobile chilling chambers (pictured above) to provide a backdrop of field wheat differentially affected by cold load.

"That enabled us to identify potential remote sensing indices targeting frost damage using hand-held sensors," Dr Perry said.

"For artificial frosts, the wheat response was a two per cent reduction in grain number and yield per hour below 0°C.

"From that work, we found the reflectance indices photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) correlated with cold load, while fluorescence indices FRF_G and SFR_G correlated with cold load".

To field-validate these findings, in 2018, six commercial wheat paddocks near Jung, in the Wimmera, were surveyed using an Airphen multi-spectral camera at 2750 metres above the ground.

"This work found significant rolling frosts with intra-paddock variation of time spent below 0°C, where time spent below 0°C correlated well with variation in grain yield across the majority of paddocks surveyed," Dr Nuttall said.

"We also found PRI correlated well with grain yield."

Dr Nuttall said these results indicate that proximal and remote sensing tools do have practical application to industry, such as rapid in-season detection of frost damage.

"These tools may support targeted management, thus limiting financial losses due to frost," he said.

"Scanning for frost damage across paddocks may be practical if several growers contract an aircraft equipped with a multi-spectral camera to scan multiple farms, making the process fast and affordable."

"Another idea is to determine whether active fluorescence has a role in practical proximal sensing applications such as rapid paddock scouting for frost damage.

"There could be potential to develop proximal sensing technologies for on-farm quality segregation of grain to enhance the grain's export or market value."

The Victorian Grains Innovation Partnership between Agriculture Victoria and the GRDC aims to increase the profitability of southern grain growers through world-class research.

For more information contact James Nuttall at james.nuttall@agriculture.vic.gov.au or go to GRDC's YouTube channel and watch 'Frost mapping a future management tool' and 'Identifying frost damage and options post frost'.

The cool start to summer is due to a negative 'SAM' according to the latest edition of The Fast Break.

A strongly negative Southern Annular Model (SAM) is leading to cooler conditions south of the Divide with plenty of south-westerly winds and some rainfall. However, north of the Divide, and in the state's far east, it has been drier.

A detailed update on seasonal climate drivers and outlooks is available now. Log on at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate.

Dr Jeff Cave, District Veterinary Officer

Now is the time for all livestock owners to be prepared and have a clear strategy to carry out in the event of a fire emergency on their farm.

A key factor in minimising the threat to livestock during a bush fire or on extreme fire danger days is to identify safer areas on-farm where livestock can be moved to.

The area you choose will depend on the type of livestock and their expected behaviour during a fire.

Other aspects to consider include the terrain and accessibility of the area, as well as the likely behaviour of a fire.

Having a livestock fire plan that has been carefully thought through and can be quickly executed will minimise the risk to livestock and people, especially if that plan has been practised prior to an actual fire event.

On days of extreme fire danger, or on the day before, livestock should be moved into lower risk areas on-farm, or to a safer property.

Low risk areas include paddocks with green summer crops or lucerne; bare paddocks with no dry feed; or a ploughed paddock.

Low risk areas should not be next to areas of scrub or bushland and should be large enough to allow livestock to move around and away from a fire.

All low risk areas should have sufficient drinking water to enable livestock to remain in the area for extended periods of high fire risk and high temperatures, be protected by firebreaks and be free of leaf, twigs and bark build-up.

Areas where there are dams and swamps are another option to consider.

Stockyards have been known to successfully hold livestock during a fire if protected by a firebreak.

If this is your preferred option, consider using a sprinkler system to minimise heat stress.

Horses should not be locked up in small areas or stables but rather should be moved to an open paddock with minimal vegetation, so they can move freely.

Horses are good at moving themselves to safe open areas.

If equipment such as rugs, halters and flyveils remain on horses, the plastic may melt, and metal buckles can burn the animal, so consider using rope halters for easier handling and management.

It’s crucial that gates remain closed that may allow livestock access to public roadways, as any animals will present a hazard to traffic in smoky conditions.

Livestock owners are urged to act early and not get caught trying to move stock as a fire approaches.

Listen to weather forecasts and observe your own environment to help you decide when to put your plan into action.

For further assistance on preparing a farm and livestock bushfire plan go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/emergencies or contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186.

The more Australian researchers learn about Russian wheat aphid (RWA), the more confident they are that the pest does not pose a major threat to winter cereal crops in this country if growers and advisers understand how to manage it effectively.

Scientists have been studying RWA under southern Australian conditions and within local farming systems since it was first detected in 2016.

Through research investments by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), a biological and ecological profile of the pest is being built to provide Australian grain growers with scientifically robust management tactics for the future.

RWA is now present in many grain cropping areas of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.

Despite the ongoing dry conditions in northern NSW, surveys as recent as November 2019 have detected RWA as far east as Tamworth.

The aphid has not been detected in Western Australia, the Northern Territory or Queensland.

The GRDC investment, ‘Russian wheat aphid risk assessment and regional thresholds’, was established to investigate regional risk and management options for RWA.

The collaborative investment is being led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research division of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), in partnership with sustainable agriculture research organisation cesar.

The regional thresholds aspect of this research has involved capture of data from a series of trials across south eastern Australia, which are operated by a number of farming systems groups.

Maarten van Helden, a SARDI entomologist, said the data on infestation levels, symptoms and associated yield will help to determine the regional production risk posed by RWA and the economic thresholds that will guide growers in effective management of RWA, taking into account infestation date, crop type and regional climatic conditions.

Dr van Helden and his SARDI colleague, Thomas Heddle, discuss the research in a new GRDC YouTube video, available at http://bit.ly/2QxUMNN.

“Currently, Australian intervention threshold recommendations are based on overseas research which recommends a spray application when more than 20 per cent of all seedlings are infested up to growth stage 30 and more than 10 per cent of tillers are infested from growth stage 30,” Dr van Helden said.

The Australian trials so far have shown that a considerable amount of RWA population pressure is required before yield loss is incurred.

In one of the untreated trial plots at Loxton in SA, almost 30 per cent of tillers were infested with aphids, enabling yield loss data to be recorded.

According to Dr van Helden, the impact of that infestation was surprising.

“Despite this heavy aphid attack, the plants were still able to grow and produce normally," he said.

“Overall, yield loss in our trials has not been as high as expected when aphid numbers have largely been above the overseas threshold.

"It seems that the overseas thresholds are, at this stage, acceptable for affected Australian grain growing regions."

Dr van Helden said plants under drought stress are more vulnerable to aphid infestation and we have recorded yield loss in such situations.

“However, with the results we are getting from these trials, we can now be quite confident in saying that in many situations there is minimal risk of Russian wheat aphid building up to damaging populations under Australian climatic conditions.”

The GRDC investment is also investigating how RWA survives over summer.

This knowledge is considered pivotal in determining the risk of infestation for winter sown cereals and potential damage ahead of each new cropping season, as well as aiding RWA management planning and development of cultural controls.

This work is discussed in a GRDC podcast, 'Just how many Russian wheat aphids is too many’ (http://bit.ly/2TxL2T7), and another GRDC video, ‘RWA green bridge surveillance’ (http://bit.ly/34h9Nb7).

The current research effort builds on previous GRDC investments conducted by SARDI and cesar, which focused on seasonal factors influencing RWA population growth, biotype confirmation, varietal susceptibility, damage and yield loss, and chemical efficacy.

Tips and tactics

Research will culminate with an update of the GRDC 'RWA Tips & Tactics' guide, which can be found at https://grdc.com.au/TT-RWA.

Growers and advisers will also have the opportunity to keep up to date with the research through fact sheets, research updates, newsletters, webinars and trial site visits.

In the meantime, further information on RWA management is contained in the Russian Wheat Aphid: Tactics for Future Control publication, available at https://grdc.com.au/rwa-tacticsfuturecontrol, as well as I SPY, a comprehensive crop insect identification manual, which can be viewed at https://grdc.com.au/I-SPY.

A RWA resource portal (including a regularly updated aphid distribution map, updates on current research efforts and the latest RWA management advice) hosted by cesar is available at http://bit.ly/2Px67tu.

A cesar-produced Pest Bites video on identification of RWA can be viewed via http://bit.ly/2N7uwIG.

Victorian farmers impacted by drought and dry seasonal conditions are encouraged to apply for two grant programs offering both on-farm assistance and direct financial household relief.

The CWA of Victoria’s Drought Relief Program has been provided a funding boost by the Victorian Government for the provision of household financial relief.

A grant payment of up to $3000 per individual applicant and/or household is available for farming families, farm workers and contractors that are drought-affected and reliant on farming as their primary source of income.

This program is being funded through the Victorian Government’s Farmers’ Drought Fund - Household Financial Relief program announced on 2 October 2019.

To access an application form or to find out more go to cwaofvic.org.au or email drought@cwaofvic.org.au

The On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant Program is now available to assist eligible farm businesses to invest in on-farm drought preparedness or to seek business advice with a grant of up to $5000.

To access the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant farmers should contact Rural Finance direct to discuss their eligibility on 1800 260 425 or go to ruralfinance.com.au.

Both programs target farm businesses and farming families in the Wellington and East Gippsland shires, dryland farming in the Millewa region and irrigation farming in the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID).

For further information on other available support and assistance contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186, visit the website agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or drop into the closest Agriculture Victoria office in your area.

Agriculture Victoria research scientists have developed a model that can predict how likely a dairy cow is to conceive to first insemination with up to 77 per cent accuracy.

The world-first research combines mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) – which shines an infrared light through cows’ milk – with other on-farm data for 3000 dairy cows from 19 herds across Australia.

Cow fertility is a key driver of profitability for Australia’s dairy industry but until now there has been little research towards enabling farmers to predict the outcome of insemination.

Agriculture Victoria research scientist and leader of this DairyBio initiative, Professor Jennie Pryce, said dairy farmers could use this research to optimise their breeding decisions, increasing farm productivity and profitability.

“The expected outcome of this research is a valuable prediction tool for farmers who choose to herd-test in early lactation, before the joining season starts,” she said.

“We are now collaborating with DataGene and the herd test centres, working towards implementing the research and providing the best advice for farmers.”

Agriculture Victoria research scientist Dr Phuong Ho said farmers could optimise breeding decisions using prior knowledge of how likely an individual cow is to become pregnant after insemination.

“Sexed or premium bull semen could be used for cows predicted to have a high likelihood of conception, whereas cows with predicted poor fertility could be mated using semen from beef bulls, multiple doses, or semen from bulls of known high genetic merit for fertility,” Dr Ho said.

“Additionally, farmers might adjust feeding or management strategies to help predicted poor cows improve their physiological condition and probability of conception.”

The model combines information from milk MIR samples, which farmers routinely collect, with information on fertility genomic breeding values, cow genotype, milk yield, age of cow at lactation and days in milk when the sample was taken and at insemination.

The model is currently undergoing extensive validation using data from New South Wales dairy farms before being made available to dairy farmers.

This research is another example of how Agriculture Victoria research scientists are expanding the use of MIR technology to enable farmers to make smarter and more profitable management decisions for their herds.

This research is part of the DairyBio initiative between Agriculture Victoria, Dairy Australia and the Gardiner Foundation, in collaboration with DataGene. The paper, Classifying the fertility of dairy cows using milk mid-infrared spectroscopy, is published in the Journal of Dairy Science, CSIRO.

The Food Innovation Voucher Stream is a new initiative of the Victorian Government that helps companies access the know-how needed to innovate, diversify, improve productivity and take new and innovative products to market.

The vouchers and associated Food Innovation Network will deliver on the Victorian Food and Fibre Sector strategy.

Round 4 of Boost Your Business closes Sunday 22 December 2019.

**APPLY NOW**

At a glance

• Potential assistance
• Up to $10,000 for early stage feasibility and testing
• Up to $50,000 for process innovation, product development and research and development

Eligibility

Applicant businesses must be a small to medium enterprise with an operating presence in Victoria and be registered as members of the Food Innovation Network.

Young Farmers of Victoria - this is your network to talk about farm business management with other like-minded young farmers through social media, articles, online and face to face forums.

Click here to join and learn more about the Young Farmer Business Network Facebook group.

A short survey has been developed to find out how healthy Australian honey bees are, and what pests and diseases might be causing problems for beekeepers.

The results from the survey will be used to decide what help beekeepers might need to keep their honey bees healthy. It will also provide statistics for use by the industry.

The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, Plant Health Australia, and AgriFutures Australia, encourage all Australian beekeepers to take part in this survey, which will only take 10 to 12 minutes to complete.

The survey closes on 31 December 2019.

**TAKE THE SURVEY NOW**

Are you, or do you know someone, aged 18 –35 years who is passionate about the Australian sheep and lamb industry?

Well, we'd like to let them know that the LambEx 2020 Young Guns competition is open!

Six finalists will be selected from round one of the LambEx 2020 Young Guns competition to attend the conference in Melbourne, receive travel assistance up to $800, and will be provided with professional development opportunities during the event.

Entering the competition is easy! LambEx wants to hear your vision on how to connect the Australian sheep and lamb industry with city consumers.

Simply capture your vision in three minutes or less using any digital medium(s) including (but not limited to) video, photography with voice overlay, digital storytelling, graphics, animation, GoPro etc.

Unleash your creativity over the coming months to prepare and submit your entry by 31 January 2020.

For information go to: https://lambex.com.au/lambex-young-guns/

A series of free grain storage webinars delivered by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) will provide growers with convenient, timely and relevant information and advice about all aspects of storing grain on-farm.

One webinar will be held every month for the remainder of 2019 – each being 30 minutes and focused on different topics.

The final webinar is being held next week, 10 December – aeration cooling.

To register click or call Amy Harwood on 0456 979 561.

The GRDC Grains Research Update events are for agronomists, consultants, researchers and growers to see and discuss the latest in research and to network with their peers about how to apply new and relevant information to the latest farming systems.

When: Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 February 2020

Where: Ulumbarra Theatre, 10 Gaol Road, Bendigo

Contact: Matt McCarthy, admin@orm.com.au, 03 5441 6176.

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