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Barwon South-West Ag news
 
Thursday 12 September, 2019
In this edition:
Wimmera research inspiring next gen science students

Climate research carried out in the Wimmera as part of the AGFACE (Australian Grains Free Air CO2 Enrichment) program continues to motivate scientific inquiry from around the world. 

Spanish Food Science student Eva Carreras Navarro is the latest international researcher to find herself in Horsham after she was inspired by research carried out in the region by Agriculture Victoria plant vector-borne disease specialist, Dr Piotr Trebicki.

Ms Carreras, who is studying for a Master’s degree through the University of Melbourne, is currently completing a study placement at Horsham’s Grains Innovation Park (GIP) under the supervision of Dr Trebicki.

“After reading some of Dr Trebicki’s published research I became really interested in the work being done in Horsham; so much so that I requested a placement here,” she said.

“The findings from climate research at GIP have made an important contribution to our collective understanding of how crops, soils and pests and diseases are likely to respond to elevated carbon dioxide levels expected in the future, and I was excited to add to this work.”

Ms Carreras arrived in Horsham in February and has spent the last seven months researching the impacts of elevated carbon dioxide on one of wheat’s most economically important pests – cereal aphid (Rhapalosiphum padi).

“Specifically, my experiments have sought to understand the effect that different nitrogen application rates have on wheat physiology and wheat-aphid interactions under elevated CO2,” she said.

“The results from my experiments so far look very promising and my focus now will be on collating my research, and hopefully, publishing the findings.”

Dr Trebicki, who is supervising Ms Carreras along with Dr Shu Kee Lam from the University of Melbourne, said her research project had a huge potential to increase understanding about how growers can keep crops free of pests and diseases and how the yield and quality of food products can be maintained or increased into the future.

“Climate change and food security is a global concern,” he said.

“It is great to see that young researchers like Eva are willing to move to Horsham, which is a great workplace where they can make a difference.”

Ms Carreras’ Horsham placement will conclude this week, but she has enjoyed her time in the Wimmera so much that she hopes that there may be an opportunity to return in the not-too-distant future.

“I am from a small town named Marcilla in the Navarre region in Spain and I have loved every bit of living in Horsham,” she said.

“I have loved the people here – their warmth, support and friendliness; and the nature – spending my weekends hiking in the Grampians, camping in the Little Desert National Park and exploring the local area.

“Working for Agriculture Victoria has also been great – its educated and intelligent staff and the camaraderie we enjoy, especially at morning tea.

“Once I finish my Masters, I would love to come back to Horsham and to continue working for Dr Trebicki.”

What can you expect this spring?

It’s footy finals time, and while team selectors are deciding who to play and spectators are watching the skies deciding what to wear, it’s what happens over the next few months that will be crucial for the main game – farming.

In the latest Very Fast Break, Dale Grey summarises 12 climate models for Victoria and suggests which way they are pointing for spring.

Watch the latest edition of Very Fast Break at: https://youtu.be/l1K4VGOopyw.

'Wagon wheel' design saves time and frustration

The design of Ian Brown’s Stock Containment Areas (SCAs) on his Cowangie farm make the movement of sheep in and out a one-person job.

Ian uses a wagon wheel design that he says saves him time and frustration, as well as reducing stress on the sheep.

Ian inspects and cleans his pens daily because managing for good animal health is critical when using a SCA.

Read Ian’s story in full, and other farmer case studies at agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Learn more about grants available to farmers tackling drought and dry seasonal conditions at agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons.

Latest soil health news

The 78th Soils Community of Practice newsletter is out now.

In this edition, hear from Dr Helen Hayden, a Research Scientist working with Agriculture Victoria in the Soil Biology team based at AgriBio in Melbourne.

Helen’s research involves extracting and characterising DNA, RNA, metabolites and proteins from soil in the context of soil type, crop, management systems and climate change.

Subscribe to the Soils Community of Practice newsletter at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/soil.

Maximising the spring surplus

Michele Jolliffe, Agriculture Victoria

Spring is always a critical time on farm, particularly when trying to capitalise on the spring surplus to make as much high-quality forage as possible.

During spring, pasture growth and leaf appearance rate increases. Rotation length will need to be shortened to help maintain grazing pressure and ensure that high quality pasture is available for the herd.

It’s critical to try and maintain a rotation based on leaf stage. Instead of focusing on using the 3 – 2 ½ leaf stage as an indicator for grazing perennial ryegrass, think about grazing at two-leaf stage or canopy closure – whichever occurs first.  This will ensure that pasture quality is maintained and shading at the base of the sward is minimised.

To assist with conserving as much high-quality forage as possible, consider using nitrogen fertiliser to increase dry matter yields. If you do this, you must remember to cut pasture within six weeks of application.

Research has shown that once cutting is delayed beyond eight weeks after application of nitrogen fertilisers, quality declines more rapidly than if no nitrogen was applied in the first place. This will result in large quantities of low quality silage, which is unsuitable to feed dairy cows in the early stage of lactation.

Using rates of nitrogen of 50 kg N/ha, responses of 18 kg of dry matter per hectare for every kg N applied, six weeks after nitrogen application can be produced. Research shows that spring applied rates of about 50 kg N/ha are likely to produce the most efficient growth rates.

Trials have also shown that rates of between 40 and 60 kg N/ha are the most effective.  Using higher rates of nitrogen usually results in lower responses.  Therefore, when using nitrogen, it’s important to remember to target your best paddocks, the ones with good pasture species and soil fertility.

When planning forage conservation, be prepared to cut when the perennial ryegrass component of the sward is just reaching early ear emergence.

Some tips for managing your spring pasture:

  • Maintain pasture quality by shortening your rotation and changing your grazing indicator from 3 – 2 ½ leaf stage to two-leaf or canopy closure, whichever occurs first
  • Only lock up pasture for conservation that is surplus to requirements
  • Think about using nitrogen fertiliser at rates up to 50 kg N/ha, and ensure pasture is cut within six weeks of application.

For more information about managing during drought and dry seasonal conditions go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons.

Top tips for selecting high-performing sires

With the spring selling season underway, commercial beef and sheepmeat producers looking to buy high-performing sires to improve productivity in their herd or flock can access timely tips and tools through Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) online genetics hub.

A suite of animated tutorials, ‘How do I shop for a high-performing bull?’ and ‘How do I shop for a high-performing ram?’, have been developed to help producers put breeding values into practice.

A webinar recording is also available, demonstrating how producers can find bulls that meet their breeding objective on the BREEDPLAN databases.

The videos have been produced for temperate cattle, tropical cattle, Merino and prime lamb producers, and continue the roll out of MLA’s genetic resources designed to inform producers about the role of genetics in helping to improve on-farm productivity and profitability.

MLA General Manager – Producer Consultation and Adoption, Michael Crowley, said visual and structural assessments of potential sires remain vitally important, and using genetic selection tools including Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) is just as critical.

“Shopping for a high-performing sire involves factoring in what you can and can’t see. Hard to measure traits such as fertility and eating quality require tools such as breeding values to help make progress in improving profitability,” he said.

“This means creating a shortlist of high performing sires that meet your targeted breeding outcomes using objective selection, then on sale day, choosing sires from that shortlist that meet your physical assessments and budget.

“Over recent months, MLA has been communicating the benefits of improving selection of sires assisted by using breeding values through producer case studies, Pick the Performer ads and animated videos showing how to get started with using breeding values.

“MLA now has videos to share on how producers can put breeding values into practice in the lead up to bull and ram buying.”

To view the latest videos, click on the following links:
 

Have your say on preventing cruelty to animals

The State Government is inviting Victorians to provide feedback on proposed new regulations to prevent cruelty to animals in Victoria.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes announced the opening of consultation on the proposed Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (POCTA) Regulations 2019, which will make improvements on important animal welfare issues including:

  • Animal transportation and tethering requirements
  • Use of pain relief for mulesing of sheep
  • Sale and use of wildlife-safe fruit netting
  • Sale and use of electronic devices
  • Approvals and other processes related to the use of traps
  • Operational and administrative processes for rodeos
  • Scientific procedure record-keeping, the sourcing of animals, and training of Animal Ethic Committee members.

The POCTA Regulations aim to protect the welfare of animals in Victoria by supporting the state’s primary animal welfare legislation to prevent, or minimise, harm through regulation of specific activities.

The proposed new regulations and associated Regulatory Impact Statement can be viewed on the Engage Victoria website.

The new regulations will replace the existing regulations, which expire on 15 December.

Consultation is open until Thursday, 26 September.

For more information, visit engage.vic.gov.au/prevention-cruelty-animals-draft-regulations-2019.

Extension for say on sheep and goat levy until 31 October

The closing date for input on the duty paid by sheep and goat producers has been extended until October 31.

Sheep and goat producers and industry are invited to have their say on the future amount of the state’s sheep and goat duty, which is under review.

The duty, charged on the sale of sheep and goats in Victoria, was set at 12 cents in 1999 and has remained at that rate since.

Currently, the funds support projects and programs benefitting industry, such as raising awareness of biosecurity practices.

The Sheep and Goat Compensation Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Minister for Agriculture about expenditure. The fund also allows for compensation to be paid to producers for sheep and goats in the circumstance they are affected by a declared endemic disease.

This review comes on the back of the sheep and goat industry going through major reform, having transitioned from a mob-based identification process to an electronic identification system over the last few years.

There are six options provided for the ongoing sheep and goat duty amount.

For more information on the consultation and to submit your feedback at: engage.vic.gov.au/sheep-and-goat-duty-review

Applications open: youth engagement grants

The Weeds and Rabbits Project is keen to encourage more young people to connect with their local community and natural environment through invasive pest and weed management.

Grants of up to $15,000 are available to support projects that will increase youth interest, engagement and skills in invasive species management in Victoria.

The grant program is open to community groups, education providers and local councils, with a focus on projects that connect with young people and develop their skills, and therefore deliver broader benefits for local communities.

Young people are under-represented in invasive species management, yet they have much to offer by way of passion and interest in improving our landscapes.

Land management is an inter-generational issue, and managing pests and weeds is a crucial part of enhancing our agricultural and natural landscapes. It is important that diverse voices and interests are part of the conversation about how to address the challenge of invasive species.

The program aims to increase young people’s participation in community environmental projects and encourage new ideas and innovations in the invasive species challenge. Funding can be used to support the engagement of young people in existing groups and initiatives, or to develop new youth-focused initiatives.

Applications for the grants program close on Monday 30 September.

For more information visit the Weeds and Rabbits Project website.

Feeding stock and growing crops event in the Millewa

With dry conditions predicted to continue over the next few months Agriculture Victoria is holding a free community event in the Millewa to provide expert advice and information to assist farmers with their decision making.

Agriculture Victoria North West Dry Seasonal Conditions Coordinator Rob O’Shannessy said the event was open to all farmers from across the Millewa and would cover a range of topics to help guide them to make informed and early decisions.

“The event will look at feeding livestock and making decisions on livestock management, planning next year’s crops and managing wind erosion – with presentations from expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria and other organisations in the area," he said.

Where: Lake Cullulleraine Community Centre

Date: Wednesday 18 September

When: 3pm to 6pm, followed by a free barbecue dinner.

RSVP: Please RSVP by Monday 16 September to Darryl Pearl on (03) 5036 4831 or darryl.pearl@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Mr O’Shannessy encouraged local farmers to find out about the other forms of assistance available to them from the Victorian Government, such as the $5,000 On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants Program, the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme and the Farm Business Assistance Program.

He also reminded them that one-on-one consultations can be booked with local Agriculture Victoria staff from the Irymple and Swan Hill offices to discuss individual farm needs.

For more information about assistance available to help farmers managing during drought and dry seasonal conditions call 136 186, visit your local Agriculture Victoria office in Irymple or Swan Hill or go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons.

Pulse researchers seek crop samples

Agriculture Victoria researcher Dr Josh Fanning is calling on growers and agronomists to send in pulse and oilseed samples from crops where disease is suspected.

New disease sampling kits have been developed making the collection of plant samples easier. The disease samples will help to ensure researchers are using current samples that are regionally relevant.

Dr Fanning said since diseases change from one season to the next it is important that research and breeding programs have access to the latest samples.

"The information generated from these samples ensures growers have access to current information on the resistance of each variety and researchers can continue to improve disease resistance in new pulse varieties," he said.

"We have recently received a few reports of sclorotinia in lentil and chickpea crops and samples would be appreciated."

Crop samples with suspected soil-borne diseases are also sought as part of the National Soil-borne Disease project being run by Agriculture Victoria in partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

Growers and agronomists are being asked to report crops exhibiting poor thrift so that they can be tested for root disease.

Dr Fanning said some of the soil-borne diseases the project was targeting included rhizoctonia and root lesion nematodes.

“In general, we don’t know which soil-borne diseases are causing losses in pulses and oilseeds,” he said.

"The results of the disease testing would enable researchers to undertake research into management strategies for the priority diseases.

“Growers and agronomists are being urged to get in touch if they suspect root disease or have seen it previously in particular areas.

“We have sampling kits that we will send to agronomists which include instructions on how to collect the samples and a replied paid envelope. If growers don’t have an agronomist, they can contact us, and we can collect the sample with them.”

If you are able to help, please contact Joshua Fanning at Agriculture Victoria on (03) 4344 3335 or email joshua.fanning@agriculture.vic.gov.au to request a sampling kit.

What's on
Fox bounty collection continues
Collection centres


Ballarat
25 Vickers Street, Sebastopol
Monday, 23 September
1.00 pm - 3.00 pm

Horsham
180 Horsham-Noradjuha Rd, Horsham
Wednesday, 2 October
1.30 pm - 3.30 pm

 

The Victorian Government’s fox bounty continues until October.

Eligible participants can submit entire fox scalps for a $10 reward during scheduled collection times.

Agriculture Victoria Biosecurity Officers are at designated collection centres to collect scalps.

For full details on bounty collection times and locations, terms and conditions, and frequently asked questions, visit the Agriculture Victoria website or call our Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Canola roadshow at Longerenong 17 September
Dates and locations


17 Sept – Longerenong 

18 Sept – Elmore 

 

Optimising canola profitability will be the focus of the Victorian leg of the GRDC's canola roadshow next month.

Five years of canola research across eastern Australia will come together to provide growers with critical insights into sowing time, growth periods and flowering, and agronomic tactics.

Expert researchers will deliver the one-day workshops directly to growers and farm advisers, covering topics such as: when canola should flower; matching sowing date and variety to ensure the crop flowers at the right time; the critical growth period for canola; optimising canola crop growth; and the key agronomic tactics to maximise yield.

To register go to http://bit.ly/CanolaRoadshow.

Understanding Soil Microbiology with Dr Pauline Mele - 16 September
Details


Date: Monday, 16 September

Time: 10.30 pm – 11.00 pm 

Location: Winiam Hall, 3 Winiam Hall Road, Winiam

 

Dr Pauline Mele is an Australian microbial ecologist specialising in agricultural soils of grain production regions. Her interests are in developing a better understanding of the complex microbial communities that underpin plant and animal production systems and most vitally, how land managers can preserve and promote these functions using various management strategies.

She will present a workshop at Winiam on 16 September, prior to the Hay Days event.

This event will include:

  • Practical soil biology
  • Humates, Nematodes and more
  • Soil pit inspection

PROGRAM

10.30 am Morning tea
11.00 am Presentation
12.00 pm Soil pit inspection
1.30 pm lunch
2.00 pm Commencement of Wimmera Hay Days

Registrations online at: https://soilmicrobiology.eventbrite.com.au.

Wimmera hay workshops – 16 and 17 September
Details


Winiam Hall
2 pm – 5 pm
Monday, 16 September

Wallup Hall
9 am – 12 pm
Tuesday, 17 September

Noradjuha Hall
2.30 pm – 5 pm
Tuesday, 17 September

 

Hay workshops will be presented by Agriculture Victoria and Wimmera Farming Network in mid-September.

Workshops held at Winiam, Wallup, Noradjuha and Navarre, will cover:

  • strategies for farmers to maximise the yield, quality and price of hay crops for domestic and export markets
  • soil moisture measurements for the region
  • the spring climate update.

This activity is supported by the Wimmera Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator and Wimmera CMA through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Register online at: https://wimmerahaydays.eventbrite.com.au.

From the Ground Up – 18 to 20 September
Event details


Colac

18 September
8.30 am – 4.30 pm

19 September
8.30 am – 4.30 pm

20 September
9 am – 4.30 pm

 

As the cost of inputs rise and the challenges of farming in a changing climate become more pressing, we need to find new approaches to managing our farm businesses.

Regenerative agriculture can help you reduce costs by more efficiently using the resources you already have available.

Through working with natural inputs and learning to work more effectively with natural processes, regenerative agriculture can help improve your soil, pastures and livestock health while also improving your bottom line.

Hosted by biodynamic farmer, grazier and 2018 Bob Hawke Landcare Award Winner Charlie Arnott, this three-day conference introduces you to the fundamental principles of regenerative agriculture.

The program includes presentations, panel discussions and field visits.

The program

18 September: Why do we need Regenerative Agriculture? What is the history of our landscape and what does this tell us about the future? What do we need to understand about our changing climate and how are communities coming together to respond to challenges?

19 September: How do we do Regenerative Agriculture? Foundational technical learning in building and maintaining healthy soils, ground cover and pasture management.

20 September: What would my business look like? Hear about examples of successful regenerative agriculture businesses at all scales. Understand the challenges and opportunities that you might face.

 

Australian Pulse Conference and Field Day – Horsham

Agriculture Victoria will host the third Australian Pulse Conference in Horsham this October.

Please join us on what will be an exciting journey into pulse research and development – linking cutting edge technological research to improved profitability for growers and providing healthy options for human consumption – taste and technology.

The event will begin with the annual Southern Pulse Agronomy Field Day (details below).

To register or view the program visit: https://apc2019.com.au.

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Contacting Agriculture Victoria

Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au.

All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us.

Don't forget to check out Agriculture Victoria's social media sites for up-to-date information and news.

 

 

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Follow us on Twitter @VicGovAg

 

Subscribe to the Agriculture Victoria YouTube channel. 

 
 

Privacy | Email: justine.severin@ecodev.vic.gov.au

 
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