• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• New glasshouse helping to safeguard future crops
• Seasonal workforce welcomes Pacific power to the team
• The Break – seasonal climate update webinars in April
• Five benefits of using eID
• From Wimmera CMA – weather stations and soil moisture probes
• Select the right varieties when sowing early in the wet
• Biosecurity risks at Victoria’s doorstep
• Soil Moisture Monitoring - pastures
• Farm Safety Creative Competition
• Sheep Notes - autumn edition
• Fox and wild dog bounty collections for western Victoria
• What's on?

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Image: Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas officially opened the new $4 million Post-Entry Quarantine facility.

The Victorian Government is backing a new state-of-the-art plant quarantine facility to accelerate the delivery of new and improved crop varieties to Australian farmers.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas was in Horsham recently to officially open the new $4 million Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility which is part of the Australian Grains Genebank – the national centre for preserving grain crop genetic resources in Australia.

The Australian Grains Genebank is a partnership between the government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), which each invested $2 million towards the PEQ facility.

The impressive 400-square-metre PEQ glasshouse is fitted with LED lighting and a wi-fi enabled irrigation system, allowing researchers to grow and evaluate more seeds faster, while adhering to Australia’s stringent biosecurity and emerging international quarantine requirements.

Seeds must pass through quarantine processes before being distributed to plant breeders and researchers. The process at this facility will involve growing out the seed and carrying out a range of tests to ensure it is free from exotic pests and diseases.

The fully automated glasshouse can accommodate 3900 pots and two-and-a-half growth cycles per year, expediting the quarantine process and helping to ensure improved crop varieties get to farmers faster.

This Victorian facility will be the premier grain quarantine facility nationally – supporting the Australian Grains Genebank to continue its vital role for food security and the future success of grain production.

The Australian Grains Genebank PEQ facility is part of the government’s new Agriculture Strategy which is working towards enhancing the commercialisation of research and ensuring our agriculture sector is well placed to be stronger, more innovative and sustainable.

Victorian farmers have received a welcome boost to their seasonal workforce with more than 200 Pacific workers starting on farms, thanks to a landmark agreement with the Tasmanian and Victorian Governments.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas met with the workers recently as they started their first day on the job, picking and packing apples in the Yarra Valley.

The workers were among the first Pacific Islanders to fly in last month and undertake 14 days quarantine in Tasmania before arriving in Victoria over the weekend.

They have joined the workforce at Vernview Orchards at Launching Place - an apple orchard run by third and sixth-generation farmers Sue and David Finger.

Pacific workers have been part of the team at Vernview Orchards for more than eight years in a program that benefits both Victoria’s $15.9 billion agriculture industry and the economies of our Pacific Island neighbours.

Farmers and agriculture businesses have welcomed the restart of the Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Scheme. The reintroduction of these programs is just one part of the government’s comprehensive $76 million package to support the industry to find the workers it needs this season.

The government has co-contributed $7.8 million to quarantine costs for Pacific Island workers, with industry contributing $2,000 per worker.

Minister Thomas also announced a $150,000 grant to the Approved Employers of Australia (AEA), which connects permitted employers to the Pacific Mobility Schemes, supporting businesses to access these workers.

The grant is part of the government’s $1 million Seasonal Workforce Industry Support Program, which gives organisations dedicated resources to support local worker recruitment and retention in priority harvest regions.

Additional workers will join the agriculture workforce over the coming weeks as part of a planned, rolling flight schedule that will provide up to 1,500 workers. They will bolster the seasonal workforce across the state, from the Yarra Valley and Gippsland right across to Sunraysia.

These webinars with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook.

The outlook will be based on model projections for rainfall utilising current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

These webinars are simply an online presentation which allows you to ask questions.

They will be recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits you.

Victorian outlook - Register here

Date and time: Thursday 15 April 2021 at 12 pm 
Event number: 165 289 9402
Event password: Vicoutlook

South Australia outlook - Register here

Date and time: Friday 16 April 2021 at 9.30 am ACST
Event number: 165 670 7835
Event password: SAoutlook

Note: If you need to dial into the webinar, ring (03) 9070 6482 (note charges will apply) and, if prompted, enter the event number.

To join a webinar you’ll need access to a computer that has a good internet connection, and a headset or built in computer speakers and microphone.

You can also watch via computer and phone in (if you can’t access audio on your computer), or you can watch and interact in the webinar via your smartphone or tablet.

For more information about this webinar, email the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The value eID can bring to individual sheep businesses varies, but broadly includes these five benefits:

Measure the response to management
eID makes it possible to make a change and measure the difference – such as matching condition score at joining to pregnancy scanning result.

Manage individuals while also managing the mob
Use eID to monitor individual animals while running them in large mobs. The technology allows mobs of sheep to be boxed together for periods of time before drafting them back into their relevant classes, reducing labour requirements and streamlining grazing efficiency while retaining the ability to monitor individual animals.

Increase labour flexibility
Reliably condition scoring individual animals requires training – if key staff members are busy or leave, it’s not always possible to have a trained individual to complete these assessments. However, when eID equipment is set up, relatively untrained staff can collect weights – information which can be used to assess an animal’s status.

Select animals to retain
Use eID to collect data on individual animals to aid decisions such as which sheep to retain in the flock based on their performance. To do this effectively the data collection process must start as early as possible, from lamb marking.

Enhance traceability
The ability to track animals as they move through the value chain is an important feature of eID, but it’s not only useful for industry to prepare for biosecurity breaches. Consumers increasingly expect to be able to trace their food and fibre to its source and are willing to pay more for products they trust.

From the MLA Friday Feedback newsletter.

Soil Moisture Probes and weather stations are a relatively new and innovative technology that can play a critical role in risk management and decision making for farm businesses.

For instance, weather stations can be used to select ideal times to spray and fertilise. Having access to accurate soil moisture probe data can assist in determining crop types and rotations. This kind of technology is of increasing importance to Wimmera farmers who are experiencing greater seasonal variability, particularly lower soil moisture levels.

That is why Wimmera Catchment Management Authority (Wimmera CMA) with support from farmers and partner organisations are building a network of weather stations and soil moisture probes across the Wimmera. Project Support Officer Peter Velthuis said the project has been funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

“The Wimmera CMA will be supporting farmers to install and link weather stations and soil moisture probes across the Wimmera, with a range of data made available to the public. Workshops and on ground activities will also be delivered in the Wimmera region over the next 18 months” said Mr Velthuis.

The project will be completed by June 2022 with many ongoing benefits.

“Wimmera CMA are inviting Wimmera farmers who have already installed weather stations and soil moisture probes to also be involved in the project, by telling us about their set up” said Mr Velthuis.

Farmers with weather stations and soil moisture probes can take the following short survey here or call Peter on 0428 990 907.

Early rain across southern Australia could allow growers to sow early using winter varieties and paddocks with low weed burdens. PHOTO Nicole Baxter.

Growers in the high-rainfall zone (HRZ) of south-eastern Australia planning to sow into a full moisture profile are reminded to match their varieties’ sowing date to the optimal flowering period in order to mitigate frost risk later in the season.

Early sowing is a tactic used when a moist seedbed exists before the traditional sowing time around Anzac Day in April or early May.

According to the GRDC’s Ten Tips for Early Sown Wheat, the crops best suited to this approach are feed grains and dual-purpose crops such as winter wheat, and winter canola.

Winter wheats have a strong vernalisation requirement (cool temperatures between -1 to 16°C for a total of four to eight weeks) for the plant to progress from vegetative growth to reproductive growth stages. In contrast, the development of other wheat cultivars used in Australia is largely determined by thermal time (temperature).

Strategic paddock selection is also encouraged when sowing early to ensure weeds are well controlled as weeds, pests and diseases can easily thrive in these conditions.

GRDC Southern Region Panel member and agricultural consultant Jon Midwood says sowing rate should also be adjusted as crops sown early into wet soil are able to germinate almost immediately and tiller for longer than usual.

“A crop sown at the end of March will be in a vegetative stage of growth for longer than usual. If growers are sowing at the same rate as they would for late April or May-sown crops then there could be increased potential for disease as well as lodging and harvesting issues later in the season,” he says.

Trafficability

Waterlogging is likely to be an issue for HRZ growers with a full moisture profile in autumn.

Mr Midwood says damage to soil structure from machinery getting bogged in wet ground is a ‘hidden cost’ that could impact future crops.

“Filling in holes caused by bogged machinery could cosmetically fix the problem, but the disturbance to soil layers has the potential to affect crop growth into the future,” he says.

“Strategically sowing accessible paddocks and adjusting where crops are being sown will allow growers to get their crop in the ground if conditions stay wet.”

Growers using controlled traffic farming (CTF) practices, where designated compacted wheel tracks are used, can be an advantage in wet sowing scenarios.

CTF restricts all heavy machinery wheels to permanent traffic lanes where compaction is beneficial for paddock access. However, CTF adoption requires autosteer and a planned machinery replacement and/or modification program to convert equipment to full CTF dimensions over a period of years.

The GRDC Controlled Traffic Farming Fact Sheet outlines a number of positive outcomes for growers considering adopting a CTF system.

Pest, disease and weed management

Sowing early in ongoing wet conditions requires prudent weed and volunteer control to reduce any carryover disease burden.

Mr Midwood says sowing often prompts germination of weed seeds and if a crop was being sown into a paddock with a high weed burden then there would be a lot of pressure on a young crop to adequately compete with the weeds.

“Growers need to strategically choose their paddocks for early sowing and ensure they have had some kind of weed germination and chemical controls before putting a crop in, otherwise they will struggle to get on top of the weeds,” he says.

Growers who have kept summer fallows free of weeds and volunteers that diseases can survive on will have best results when sowing early. The GRDC Green Bridge Fact Sheet recommends eliminating host plants no less than four weeks before seeding. This will help address issues such as:

• Cereal rusts and soil-borne diseases – Various rusts and soil-borne diseases can persist and even increase in the presence of a green bridge. Crop rotation can help manage the problem and risk can be diagnosed by undertaking PREDICTA® B DNA-based soil tests.
• Viruses - Wheat streak mosaic virus, barley yellow dwarf virus, cereal yellow dwarf virus, turnip yellows virus (formerly beet western yellows virus) and bean leaf roll virus are viral diseases of note spread by insect vectors.
• Pests – Slugs, diamondback moth, Russian wheat aphid, webworm, cutworm, armyworm, flea beetle, lucerne flea and a range of other pests use plants and stubble as food, moisture and shelter sources over summer.

Chemical control to manage weeds can be by pre or post-emergent herbicides, but as resistance issues increase, growers are encouraged to use a range of control options. A double-knock strategy is a good option for early autumn weed control, especially for hard-to-kill weeds.

The double-knock is a sequential application of two different control tactics within a relatively short period. It usually involves glyphosate followed by paraquat, paraquat/diquat or glyphosate plus an effective alternative herbicide at full label rate in the first application and a robust rate of paraquat in the second application.

Nutrient management

Growers who harvested high-yielding crops in 2020-21 will need to allow for additional nutrient requirements this year.

Mr Midwood says the ‘legacy’ of the previous season needs to be considered to ensure appropriate replacement nutrition is applied.

“However, with some fertiliser shortages in Australia, this will need some forward planning,” he says.

“If a grower budgeted for nutrient replacement from a five-tonne per hectare wheat crop but instead harvested 7 or 8t/ha crops then they will need to allow for that within their nutrient inputs,” Mr Midwood said.

“The soil nutrient bucket could be a little empty this year and if growers sow early and have a crop germinate straight away, nutrient deficiency could be an ongoing issue.”

Recent detections of African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease virus fragments in pork products seized at the border highlights the real and continuous threat of exotic diseases and pests to Victoria.

Foot-and-mouth disease is Australia’s biggest agricultural biosecurity threat, affecting all clovenhoofed animals. African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs which can lead to mortality rates of up to 100 per cent in affected herds. Neither disease affects humans, but an outbreak could have serious economic and animal health impacts, including the loss of important export markets.

No outbreaks of African swine fever have ever been recorded in Australia, and foot-and-mouth disease hasn’t been detected in Australia since the 1800s. Agriculture Victoria is working closely with industry to prepare for these threats. 

The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment led two collection periods over busy periods between Christmas and Chinese New Year from International mail centres at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Over the periods, some pork samples tested positive for fragments of African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease virus. This builds on similar test results released in 2019.

Acting Chief Veterinary Officer for Victoria Dr Sally Salmon said the recent detections by the Commonwealth highlighted how easily diseases and pests could enter Australia and urged all Victorians to be aware of biosecurity risks.

“Whether it’s in someone’s luggage or in the mail, bringing in food, especially meat products, can also bring in diseases like African swine fever or even foot-and-mouth disease, which could devastate Australia’s agricultural industries and the broader economy for many years,” Dr Salmon said.

“It’s not enough to rely on quarantine inspections to stop potential pests and disease threats at our borders. When buying food and other goods online, always consider where they are coming from and whether they will meet biosecurity requirements before ordering them.”

“Biosecurity is everyone’s role and requires responsible actions by everyone. We all need to help protect our agriculture, our economy and our unique natural environment.”

Dr Salmon said the detection was also a timely reminder to all pig owners not to feed waste foods (swill) to pigs.

“Swill feeding or feeding ‘people food’ to pigs is prohibited in Australia. It is illegal to feed food waste containing meat, meat products and any food that was served on the same plate or that has come into contact with meat, as well as imported dairy products, to pigs,” she said.   

“Swill feeding is prohibited in Australia because of its potential to introduce serious animal diseases like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease. These recent findings clearly emphasise why that prohibition is so necessary”

For more information about emergency animal diseases, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au

Issue 6 – March 2021

For much of the pasture growing areas of the state it was an extraordinary spring and summer, in an extraordinary year.  For some sites, the challenge has been to use the bank of dry grass grown in spring before the 'true' autumn break.

Recent rain has topped up many soil profiles indicating a good autumn break.

In this newsletter we look at how and where the soil profiles have filled and how quickly they depleted if the break was early. Does this help in considering the autumn break or new sowing?

In this Issue:

• A cooler wetter summer
• Autumn break?
• Central (Baynton)
• North East (Greta)
• Gippsland (Bairnsdale)
• West Gippsland (Giffard West)
• South West (Dartmoor)
• West Wimmera (Lawloit)
• South West (Pigeon Ponds/Harrow)
• Feature: Sowing new pasture?

To learn more SUBCRIBE HERE to our newsletter.

Compiled by Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Boyd, knowledge broker (sheep) Jane Court and livestock extension officer Raquel Waller.

Think Farm Safe, Be Farm Safe. 

Support the primary schoolers in your life to create something amazing for the KidSafe Victoria creative competition. 

The competition is part of Agriculture Victoria’s Smarter, Safer Farms commitment to improve safety and skills outcomes for Victorian farmers and their families.

Enter at the Kidsafe Victoria website.

Sheep Notes informs sheep producers about general sheep health and welfare, production, market protection and biosecurity issues.

It also provides details about specific department and industry programs to guide improvement in the productivity, profitability and sustainability of sheep enterprises.

Subscribe to the Sheep Notes newsletter on the Agriculture Victoria website.

In this issue:

• Staggers
• LiveFeed - seasonal webinar
• Underperforming animals in a paddock full of feed
• Assess feed and animal requirements
• Online learning - stock containment; irrigation, soil
• Digital tips
• Resistance to insecticides in blowflies
• Farmer tips on autumn saving
• High performance maidens, grazing weeds
• Livestock Farm Monitor Project results
• Free benchmarking and profit assessment
• NEXUS
• Did you know?
• Do you mules your lambs?

Victorian fox and wild dog bounty collections resumed on Monday 1 March, in line with current COVIDSafe requirements.

Agriculture Victoria has a COVIDSafe Plan for each bounty collection centre.

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with COVIDSafe requirements including physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask indoors and where you can’t distance outdoors.

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is the preferred method of payment so please bring your EFT details to the collection centre.

Stay safe by following the COVIDSafe requirements and, if you feel unwell, get tested and stay home.

Acceptable entire fox scalps and entire wild dog body parts will be collected from eligible members of the public at specific dates and times, and from sites scheduled as collection centres.

Please note that no entire-fox scalps or entire wild dog body parts will be accepted at any public counter or state government office.

Collections will only be accepted at the designated times.

The 2021 bounty collections will run until the end of October.

Go online to find out more or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Friday 30 April, 10 - 11 am

Register here.

Agriculture Victoria is delivering interactive online training sessions for livestock producers using the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database. There are four events for you to choose from, between March and June.

Participants will learn about the Victorian traceability system, tour the NLIS database features and how to complete a Property to Property (P2P) transfer.

For more information, or if you have trouble registering online, please call (03) 5761 1647.

Numbers are limited to allow for an interactive session, so be quick to secure a spot!

Wednesday 21 April, 1 – 2 pm

Description
Fundamentals of Operations Management - Key Points to Get Right (a Cropping Enterprise Case Study).

GRDC Farm Business Update National Livestreams are topic specific, interactive, interview style discussions that address key farm business management improvements common to grain growing businesses across Australia.

More details coming soon. Registration for the live-stream events is free. The recordings will be uploaded to the GRDC website for people to view at a later date.

Register here.

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