• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Avian influenza permits still required
• Work for national horse traceability system underway
• Know the difference between abscess and footrot
• Snail control improves harvest efficiency and quality
• Are you considering buying or selling calves?
• Alliance cracks another code to barley breeding
• Fox and wild dog bounty resumes in regional Victoria
• Latest AgVic Talk podcast episodes
• RuralSnapShot competition
• Farmer mental health project
• What's on

Safely reopening Victoria

A roadmap for reopening Victoria has been announced by the Victorian Government.

There are two separate roadmaps in Victoria: one for metropolitan Melbourne and one for regional Victoria regarding how we live and how we work.

Each roadmap outlines safe, steady and sustainable steps to COVID Normal.

The Roadmap for reopening: regional Victoria provides steps on easing restrictions, dependent on how many active coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are in the community and public health advice.

From 11.59 pm on 16 September 2020 regional Victoria moved to the Third Step on the roadmap.

From 11.59 pm on 27 September 2020 metropolitan Melbourne moved to the Second Step on the Roadmap for reopening.

This step included some small but significant changes to the planned roadmap based on current case numbers and the latest modelling and projections.

Visit Roadmap for reopening for more details.

COVIDSafe Plan now required for regional Victorian businesses

From 11:59 on 13 September 2020, it is mandatory for every Victorian business to have a COVIDSafe Plan.

To ensure compliance, random spot checks are underway in metropolitan Melbourne and commenced in regional Victoria from 29 September 2020.

Your COVIDSafe Plan must set out:

• your actions to help prevent the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
• the level of face covering or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce 
• how you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
• this plan must demonstrate how you will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government. Some higher-risk industries or workplaces have additional requirements of employers and employees.

Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans routinely, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite.

For more information and for templates and guidance on how to create your COVIDSafe Plan, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au

Moving domestic chickens, eggs or other bird products into, out of or within Restricted or Controlled Areas requires a permit from Agriculture Victoria.

You need a permit to buy, sell or move eggs, manure and chickens, whether on the side of the road, from your property, your local store, online (such as Gumtree or Facebook) or at markets. Movement restrictions are currently in place for Golden Plains Shire, near Bairnsdale and near Kerang. It is illegal to move these products without a permit. Know what you need to do. Find out more at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

If you’re unsure, call the avian influenza response hotline on (03) 4334 2715.

• Kathy Gibson, Animal Health Australia
• Linda Kelly and Dr Meredith Flash, Australian Horse Industry Council
• Karen Day, Racing Australia
• Kathleen Mullan, Harness Racing Australia
• Dr Bidda Jones, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
• Equine Australia
• Representatives from state and territory governments as well as the Commonwealth.

Stuart McLean OAM will chair the group, bringing a depth of traceability experience as the current Chair of the Australian Livestock Saleyards Association and having provided exceptional leadership in a variety of local, state and national roles. The group will meet for the first time this month. 

The Working Group will analyse existing animal traceability systems and technologies in Australia, such as the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), informed by a review already undertaken by Agriculture Victoria; and will put forward recommendations on what form a national register for all horses in Australia should take. 

An effective horse traceability system will benefit all horse owners in Australia, including the racing industry, with better traceability for exotic diseases such as equine influenza and African horse sickness, as well as endemic diseases such as Hendra virus.

Dr Jeff Cave
District Veterinary Officer

One of the main animal health issues for producers a good spring may bring is foot problems in sheep.

A question often asked is “is it foot abscess or footrot?”

A sheep with foot abscess will usually be very lame in just one foot. This is an important difference from footrot where more than one foot will invariably be affected.

Although foot abscess is associated with the bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum it is not contagious. In contrast, footrot, caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus, spreads readily in warm, moist conditions.

The foot of a sheep with foot abscess will appear hot, swollen and painful. The abscess can be present in either the toe or the heel of the foot.

The severity of the effects of footrot, which are inflammation between the toes and underrunning of the hoof, will depend upon whether the strain of bacteria is benign (mild) or virulent (severe).

A foot abscess contains pus. It can be treated by hoof paring to provide drainage for the pus. Antibiotics prescribed by your veterinarian will also help.

Footrot can be controlled through foot bathing. Virulent footrot can be eradicated but a long, hot, dry summer is needed.

In a spring with abundant feed sheep become unusually heavy and this coupled with standing on wet pasture or muddy ground for an extended period leaves them susceptible to developing foot abscess.

For further advice please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer.

Snail awareness and control will help growers protect the value of their grain and avoid costly delays from clogged headers at harvest time.

Entomologist Kym Perry, from the South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions’ research division, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), said understanding snail behaviour can help minimise their impact at harvest.

“In spring, snails climb plants to avoid heat from the soil,” said Dr Perry, whose research is through Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment.

“As temperatures rise, they increasingly shelter in crop canopies, sometimes between grains in the seed head, and become very difficult to dislodge.”

While recognising that snail dynamics and harvest operations are different on every farm, harvesting high-value crops or infested crops early is one strategy to help growers manage snail contamination.

“Plants are more resilient at early maturity and snails will be easier to dislodge before temperatures peak,” Dr Perry said.

Monitoring snail movement can also assist with timing harvest operations to keep snails out of the header.

“Recent camera studies showed that snails frequently move up and down plant canopies during spring, presumably collecting food and moisture reserves and seeking aestivation sites in preparation for summer,” Dr Perry said.

“Much of this spring movement occurs during the night and early morning, or in response to light moisture events, particularly earlier in spring.

“During the heat of the day, and later in spring, we find they are more likely to settle in the crop canopy.

“Monitoring snail movements can help growers decide the best times of the day to harvest snail-infested areas, taking into account the need to meet grain moisture content specifications.”

Dr Perry said establishing where snails are concentrated on their property allows growers to manage areas with a high snail contamination risk.

“Farmers often know the problem areas on their farm, but snail densities vary across seasons,” he said.

“Monitoring live snail densities three to four weeks before harvest is recommended to allow time to plan the harvest accordingly.”

Monitoring for live snails is best done with a 30 x 30 centimetre square sampling frame. Move in a straight line from the edge of the paddock to the centre, placing the frame down at 10 metre intervals and counting the snails within it.

High snail numbers can cause problems with the smooth running of headers.

Along with clogging sieves, the combination of snail guts and dust can stick to the inside of machinery and set hard.

Stripper fronts have been found to reduce snail contamination in cereal grain by up to 50 per cent compared to a standard open front. Alternatively, raising the cutting height can reduce snail intake but results in more standing stubble that may need to be managed afterwards.

Grain in heavily infested areas can be harvested and stored separately from the main bulk, then cleaned with snail crushing rollers.

“Snail crusher rollers are an important tool for cleaning snails out of harvested grain but are most effective if snail numbers in the sample have already been minimised through good in-paddock management,” Dr Perry said.

“Grain cleaning is the last resort.”

Dr Perry reminds growers that harvest remains the worst time to manage a snail problem.

“Snail control must be a year-round program starting with rolling, cabling or even grazing stubble during the hottest part of summer to dislodge and kill sheltering snails, ensuring careful management of fire risk,” he said.

“Killing summer weeds will also deny snails shelter and food.

“This should be followed by a baiting program focused in early autumn, continuing as necessary until mid-winter, to kill active snails before they can breed and infest the next season’s crop.”

More information on snail management ahead of harvest can be found in the GRDC Paddock Practices article at https://bit.ly/343dWQW.

Richard Smith

Dairy Industry Development Officer

Australian cattle prices have been surging throughout 2020. With the lift in the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, combined with increasing re-stocker activity, many cattle producers may be considering taking advantage of these high prices by selling or buying calves. As calf buying transactions are increasingly occurring online, it is important that sellers and buyers are aware of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) requirements and the consequences which can occur if requirements are not being met.   

If you are considering buying or selling cattle, it is a requirement at dispatch, all cattle regardless of age (including calves) must be tagged with  an NLIS (Cattle) tag, have a National Vendor Declaration and any previous movements onto the property of dispatch are recorded on the NLIS database.

If you are looking at purchasing calves through a saleyard, cattle scale operator, public auction (conducted by a registered livestock agent), it is the responsibility of the person operating this business to notify the NLIS database of the movement. You can check this yourself by logging in to the NLIS database by following the link –  https://www.nlis.com.au/Login/

If calves are purchased through private transactions (including Facebook and Gumtree) or online auctions (for example AuctionsPlus), a property-to-property NLIS transfer must occur. The NLIS transfer must be completed within two days (48 hours) of the livestock arriving at the new property. It is the responsibility of the buyer/receiver of the calves to notify the NLIS database of the transfer.

The only time an NLIS tag can be replaced is if the NLIS tag falls out or is damaged and cannot be read electronically. In these instances it's very important the correct NLIS tag is used - Post-breeder NLIS tag (Orange tag) for introduced livestock and Breeder NLIS tags (white tag) for livestock still on the property of birth.

If you are thinking of buying or receiving a calf, it is important to note that all Victorian properties must have a Property Identification Code (PIC) to have one or more cattle (including calves).

In following these steps you help protect Victoria’s food safety reputation by maintaining Victoria’s ability to trace and control diseases, and by being able to quickly trace livestock for any residue, disease or food safety issues if they arise.

All calves must be identified with the appropriate NLIS tag prior to pick up. If your calves do not have the appropriate NLIS tags, you are risking legal penalties and could be issued with infringement notices, worth up to $495. You are also risking the integrity national red meat industry.

To maintain Australia’s whole-of-life cattle identification, producers are encouraged to be familiar with NLIS (Cattle) requirements and to do their part by tagging their animals correctly and ensuring movement records are up to date.

For queries regarding NLIS please contact the Victorian NLIS helpline on 1800 678 779 during business hours and or visit https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/national-livestock-identification-system

Western Australian scientists have been central to another leap in modern crop breeding technologies around the globe.

The Western Crop Genetics Alliance was a key contributor to the recent detailed DNA sequencing of world-wide barley genomes by an international consortium.

The research by the Alliance, a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Murdoch University, had additional co-investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

Mapping the barley ‘pan genome’ – the entire set of genes from a wide diversity of strains within the species – provides a blueprint to breed the next generation of high performance varieties.

The work builds on the Alliance’s contribution to the first mapping of the barley reference genome in 2017. 
Alliance director Chengdao Li said mapping the barley pan genome provided a deeper understanding of DNA composition of individual varieties.

“Every barley variety is different and so is its genome,” Professor Li said.

“As a result of this new knowledge we have been able to determine that about one third of barley genes are highly variable, also that about five per cent of genes are unique to individual varieties.

“These variations are critical to understand and manipulate key performance traits, including yield, quality, disease resistance and adaptation to different environments, to assist plant breeders to develop new improved varieties.”

A notable discovery was the determination that about 15 per cent of all barley genes have a variation of DNA copy numbers, which have a major influence on the performance of individual varieties.

One of Australia’s most widely sown barley varieties, RGT Planet, was used in the research.

The scientists also uncovered that RGT Planet had the largest number of gene inversions – or genes arranged in different orientations – across all barley varieties, which could eventually be used to incorporate desirable traits in new varieties.

Professor Li used the example of a brick in a wall to illustrate how these variations in copy numbers and orientations could be used to target key traits for new varieties.

“Every brick – or gene – can look similar but different numbers of bricks put together will form a new structure,” he said.

“Like a brick, genes can have a different orientation and be arranged in different ways to create a different structure, which in doing so, can create a different function or enhance a function, like greater heat tolerance or nitrogen efficiency.”

During the research, the scientists also discovered this characteristic originated from a mutation from a European parent of this variety, which was created via the use of gamma radiation in the 1960s.

“No one knew for half a century that this had happened,” Professor Li said.

“Now this inversion mutation has been identified, plant breeders can use it to breed new varieties or examine the use of gamma radiation to explore its influence on other functions.”

To facilitate the use of the barley pan genome, the Alliance is developing computer software that makes the information more accessible to commercial plant breeding companies.

The DNA breeding tools developed by the Alliance from the barley pan genome have already been transferred to Australian commercial plant breeding companies, which have applied it to their breeding programs.

Murdoch University Pro Vice Chancellor for the Food Futures Institute, Peter Davies, commended the Alliance for its continued contribution to science.

“This small team is punching above its weight, building on its achievements, like developing the doubled haploid CRISPR technology recently, to advance breeding technology and applications that boost sustainable food production,” Professor Davies said.

DPIRD Primary Industries Development Managing Director Mark Sweetingham said the Alliance’s discoveries would lead to new gene discoveries and the application of genomics-based tools to unlock future genetic advances.

“Growers will ultimately benefit from varieties that perform better in the paddock, while maltsters and brewers will benefit from grain that will perform better in their manufacturing processes,” Dr Sweetingham said.

GRDC barley and coarse grains manager Brett Ford said the investment leveraged from the international effort ensured Australian researchers and barley breeders had access to cutting edge barley genomic data.

“The Alliance’s work will enable new opportunities for researchers and barley breeders to to improve the crop performance and fast track the delivery of new high performing barley varieties to benefit Australian barley growers,” Dr Ford said.

The International Barley Pan Genome Consortium is comprised of seven countries and included contributions from the Western Barley Genetics Alliance, University of Adelaide and Agriculture Victoria.

Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections resumed for regional Victoria on Monday 5 October.

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

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions including physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask (unless you have a lawful reason not to).

Due to the disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), the bounty program has been extended from the end of October 2020 until the end of November 2020.

All collection sites will have at least one opening date between now and the end of the season.

Hunters are encouraged to continue to collect fox scalps and wild dog body parts, while following coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions relevant to their area.

Pieces can be frozen or air dried and submitted for reward at an alternative collection centre or when the suspended collection centres reopen, in line with bounty terms and conditions.

All hunters are reminded to use common sense when hunting and when it comes to attending bounty collections.

Stay safe by following the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions that apply to your area and, if you feel unwell, get tested and stay home.

Reward payments can only be made by Electric Funds Transfer.

Please continue to check the Agriculture Victoria website for the latest information, as the collection schedule is subject to change in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation click here.

Have you listened to the new AgVic Talk podcast yet?

We have several episodes out now, including:

• Spring pasture management of fire affected pastures with Fiona Baker
• Getting a foot in the door using drones on-farm with Clay-Gowers
• Balancing wet winters and dairy farming with Craig Dwyer
• Managing a dairy farm in a variable climate with Kevin Fitzsimons
• Using soil moisture monitoring to help manage seasonal risk with Dale Boyd.

Listen here.

#SnapshotRuralVic, an initiative of the National Centre for Farmer Health is bringing Victorians from Buchan to Bendigo, and Kyabram to Kennedys Creek together to tell a unique story of rural life in Victoria during the second wave COVID-19 lockdown. 

Since launching over seven weeks ago, over 1,000 people have shared their photos and stories of everyday rural life over a number of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the www.farmerhealth.org.au website. 

During a time when people are more disconnected than ever, it has proved to be a valuable outlet for people to connect and share aspects of how life goes on during lockdown.  One participant noted #SnapshotRuralVic 'picked me up when feeling down and I enjoyed the positive and motivating pictures.'

Social media analytics show both rural and metropolitan areas are joining in with feedback received from the participants overwhelmingly positive.

‘Seeing other people’s photos/experiences keeps me engaged and motivated’ and ‘I love seeing photos of other farmer’s places and the things that they do’.

Project Officer, Hilary McAllister says "it has been encouraging to see that the simple act of sharing a photo or story is keeping other people motivated during this lockdown."

Each week, there is a new theme with the most recent Covid cooking, masks on farms and stories from the shed.

"Some of the photos of the projects that people have been doing have been simply amazing", Ms McAllister said.

A weekly shortlist of the entries also go in the running to win the People’s Choice Award with the lucky winner receiving a $100 voucher to a local Victorian business of their choice.

With only a few weeks remaining, the National Centre for Farmer Health is hoping to see the community continue to grow.

The campaign will culminate at the #SnapshotRuralVic Awards which will take place virtually in early November.

The Awards will consider all #SnapshotRuralVic submissions and provide those who haven’t yet participated with the opportunity to be in the running for the many prizes still on offer. 

All submissions across the 10 weeks of the campaign will be considered for judging, with categories including ‘Celebrating the Next Generation’, ‘Lamb of the Year’ and ‘Best Covid-Kitchen Creation’. The campaign will conclude on Friday 6th November.

For further information, visit www.farmerhealth.org.au/snapshotruralvic  or reach out to the Snapshot Online Project Officer, Hilary McAllister, directly at hmcallister@wdhs.net or on 0490483548 for more information.

Are you interested in improving the mental wellbeing of farmers and people in farming communities?

Are you a member of a farming community OR a service provider/stakeholder providing support for farming communities in the Great South Coast region?

Have you experienced depression or psychological/situational distress OR have you cared for or provided support (formal or informal) to someone who has?

The National Centre for Farmer Health are seeking farmers and service providers/stakeholders for a number of exciting new project roles:

• Community Working Group for guidance on project development, participant recruitment and development of new mental wellbeing resources (Expected commitment required: monthly meetings over an eight-month period)
• Co-design participants to help inform the development of a new way of delivering peer-supported mental health support. (Expected commitment: one to two online workshops for two to three hours, one follow-up online survey for 30 minutes).

Financial reimbursement for your time is available for farmers and self-employed farming community members.

For more information or to express your interest in participating, please contact Alison Kennedy via a.kennedy@deakin.edu.au or (03) 5551 8587 or visit the Farmer Health website.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. 

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a webinar for livestock producers with a focus on interpreting soil tests.

Thursday 15 October 12.30 – 1.30 pm 

Online via Zoom® - Register here.

Topics covered:

• Why soil test?
• What do the numbers mean?
• Trace mineral deficiencies
• When should I soil test?

For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar contact the event organiser Tess McDougall  on 0409 841 492 or at tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria will host a number of climate and agriculture science talks in its latest lunchtime webinar series.

Having proved popular the first time around, the lunchtime webinars are designed for busy people chasing fast facts about climate and agriculture research.

Participants will hear from a broad range of expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria, North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA), University of Tasmania and other agencies.

Scheduled to speak this series, are:

• Agriculture Victoria, Senior Research Scientist Dr Craig Beverly: over two webinars Dr Beverly will talk about using climate data in agriculture and how this data was applied in the Mallee
• Dr Rebecca Harris from University of Tasmania: will share Australia’s Wine Future: A Wine Climate Atlas which shows how wine-region climates have changed, with more to come
• Agriculture Victoria, Climate Specialist, Graeme Anderson: will talk about using seasonal forecasts and share new tools developed with a GRDC project for south eastern Australia.

Land managers, service providers, researchers and educators are encouraged to subscribe to our climate updates and newsletters.

Any queries can be directed to Climate Development Officer Heather Field at heather.field@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information and to subscribe to stay up to date with these upcoming climate webinars visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate

Do you know the NLIS requirements for goats sold at public and online auctions?

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

Part 1: Wednesday 21 October, 7 – 8 pm

Part 2: Wednesday 28 October, 7 – 8 pm

Attendance at both sessions is required.

Topics

1. Overview of the Victorian traceability system
2. Setting up, navigating and using the NLIS database
3. Completing Property-to-Property (P2P) transfers on the NLIS database.

For both sessions, register with eventbrite.

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

Numbers are limited to allow for an interactive session, so be quick to secure a spot! Participants are required to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar, further information on how to do this and how to join the webinar will be provided at registration.​

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a webinar for livestock producers with a focus on applying nutrients based on soil test results.

​Topics covered:

• How much nutrient to apply
• When to apply
• Prioritising nutrient resources
• Balancing the removal of nutrient ​

Thursday 22 October, 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Join the applying soil test results webinar via Zoom.

Contact Tess McDougall 0409 841 492 or tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Managing and forecasting cash flow is essential for any business. For farmers it’s particularly important given the highly variable income that comes with seasonal conditions, market fluctuations and unforeseen circumstances such as fire or floods.

Being prepared, both on the farm and on the books, will assist in preparing for and managing challenging situations.

Farm Cash Flow 101 is a two-session course designed to help farmers understand cash flow budgets, and develop confidence using spreadsheets for cash flow management.

Using case study figures from a farming operation, Farm Cash Flow 101 presenter farm business specialist Jim Moll, from AgBiz Assist, will show you how to develop a simple cashflow budget for your farm business, to get a better handle on managing income and expenditure over the next 12 months.

Once mastered, these simple Excel® spreadsheets can become an integral part of farm financial planning and management, revised regularly to reflect current circumstances.

Monday, 26 October, 11 am - 12 pm

• Why cash flow budgets are important and how they assist farm businesses
• Introduction to cash flow budgeting and spreadsheet basics

Wednesday, 28 October, 11 am - 12 pm

• Adapting cash flow budgets to different production systems
• Refining the spreadsheet

Register on Eventbrite: https://farm-cash-flow-budgets.eventbrite.com.au/

Join-in information and an Excel® spreadsheet template will be provided prior to the sessions.

For more information: contact Greg Ferrier at greg.ferrier@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Or call 0438 738 634

The webinar is provided in partnership with
AgBiz Assist and the Rural Financial Counselling Service, through the support of the Victorian and Federal Governments.

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