An innovative trial testing the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology on farms is now open to grain growers in the Buloke Shire.

Last Friday at the Lehman farm at Kinnabulla, Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes launched the $12 million Internet of Things (IoT) initiative, calling for expressions of interest from farmers wanting to take part in the $12 million program.

Over the next two years, Agriculture Victoria will partner with hundreds of farms in the trial including: Buloke grain growers; dairy farmers at Maffra: sheep producers at Serpentine; and horticulturalists at Tatura.

The trial will support Victorian farmers to investigate and capitalise on the opportunities of digital technology, putting themselves at the forefront of farming innovation.

In the first round, eligible farmers will have access to grants of up to $30,000 to cover up to two-thirds of the cost of acquiring IoT technology from a catalogue of products put together for the trial.

Embracing digital agriculture has the potential to boost the value of Australia’s agricultural production by $20.3 billion, with IoT technology – making appliances ‘smart’ by connecting them to each other via the internet – at the heart of this growth.

IoT technology will allow farmers to gather on-farm data from embedding sensors on devices such as soil moisture probes, weather stations and silo storage monitors.

Farmers who want to take a low-risk approach to investing in new technology are encouraged to take part in the trial and test new devices that could boost their farm’s efficiency and productivity.

Information on how to submit an expression of interest is at agriculture.vic.gov.au/digitalag. 

Expressions of interest close on 2 August. 

The On-Farm IoT Trial is part of the Victorian Government’s Connecting Victoria Program which aims to improve digital connectivity and usability for rural and regional Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria staff recently hosted Edenhope College’s VCE agriculture science and VCAL maths students.

The students, who had come to see 'agricultural science in action', toured the research site and heard how science and maths skills were being used in the 'real world'.

They visited the seed phenomics and quality traits laboratories to see how science staff were making sure that grain quality was suitable for its end use such as biscuits or bread.

The students also heard how technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and high throughput glasshouses were being used to assess plant growth and speed up the plant breeding process.

During a tour of the Australian Grains Genebank the students heard about the important role the facility plays in preserving seeds from Australia and around the world. Importantly the Genebank also supplies genetic material to breeders working on developing improved crop varieties.

An afternoon visit to the Agriculture Victoria Plant Breeding Centre provided the students with insight into how field experiments are set up. They saw first-hand how plants were growing in the field and the machinery used for field research.

Wimmera growers and advisers are invited to learn the ‘ABCs’ of herbicide resistance during a series of workshops being coordinated by Agriculture Victoria this August.

Director of Plant Science Consulting, Dr Peter Boutsalis, who also works as a research officer with the University of Adelaide’s herbicide resistance team, will present an update on ‘alphabet’ herbicide resistance in the Wimmera and tactics for growers to address the issue.

Alphabet resistance refers to weed populations that are resistant to multiple herbicide types and include groups A, B, C, D, J, K, L and M.

How ‘alphabet resistance’ has occurred will be explained, as well as ways of avoiding and addressing it.

According to Dr Boutsalis, paddock surveys of southern Australia show that ‘alphabet resistant’ ryegrass is becoming more prevalent in intensively cropped areas, where herbicide selection pressure is high.

He said the last survey in the Wimmera-Mallee was held in 2015, with the next one planned for 2020.

“The 2015 survey showed widespread resistance to a range of post-emergent herbicides in the Wimmera-Mallee,” Dr Boutsalis said.

“In the Wimmera, only five per cent of sampled paddocks contained annual ryegrass susceptible to all tested herbicides.

“However, 30 per cent of the Wimmera paddocks surveyed contained ryegrass with resistance to one mode of action and a further 50 per cent contained ryegrass resistant to two modes of action.”

Dr Boutsalis said that a range of new mode of action herbicides would soon be available, but they need to be carefully managed to ensure their longevity.

The event’s coordinator, Heather Drendel, from Agriculture Victoria, said that growers should use a range of tools to minimise the risk of ‘alphabet resistance’ developing in weeds on their farm.

“Testing weed seeds for herbicide resistance is the first step for growers in understanding the extent of resistance on their farm,” she said.

The workshops are being supported by the Wimmera Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator and the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The aim of the workshops, and the partner-based approach, is to increase awareness and adoption of land management practices that improve and protect the condition of the soil, biodiversity and vegetation in the Wimmera.

Workshops will be held at:

• Minyip Hotel, 35 Main Street, Minyip – 4 pm to 5.30 pm, Wednesday 14 August.
• Taylor’s Lake Hall, 2032 Horsham-Lubeck Road, St Helen’s Plains – 9 am to 10.30 am, Thursday 15 August
• Noradjuha Hall, Noradjuha-Tooan East Road, Noradjuha – 12 pm to 1.30 pm, Thursday 15 August.

Register online at: https://abc-weed-resistance.eventbrite.com.au 

For more information, please contact Heather Drendel on 0427 868 705.

Lubeck and district growers are invited to a hands-on grain storage workshop on Monday 29 July in preparation for this season’s harvest.

The free two-hour event, organised by Agriculture Victoria and the Lubeck Landcare Group, will start with breakfast at the Lubeck Hall and presentations, followed by a visit to a local farm.

Primary Business consultant, Chris Warrick, said that grain storage was not often at the forefront of growers’ minds during winter but now is the time to be planning ahead for harvest.

“Growers need to start thinking about grain storage options now,” he said.

“For example, you may want to buy more storage or improve your measures for preventing pest infestations.”

Weevils that survive during winter in stored grain are ready to re-infest the next crop, leading to the risk of new season’s grain being rejected by the buyer, said Mr Warrick, who is the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) national Grain Storage Project co-ordinator.

The workshop will cover topics of most interest to the participants.

These may include:

• Improving older storage facilities
• Best bets for buying new storage
• Aeration cooling for pest control
• Hygiene and structural treatments
• Grain protectants
• Fumigation and dealing with insects
• Storing grain with high moisture content.

The event will start at 8 am with breakfast at the Lubeck Hall, courtesy of the Wal Wal Lubeck Landcare Group, with the workshop running from 8.30 am to about 10.30 am.

The grain storage workshops are a GRDC Grain Storage Project investment.

To register, go to: https://war_on_weevils_lubeck.eventbrite.com.au

For more information, please contact Tony Fay, Agriculture Victoria, on 0427 347 403 or Peter Taylor, Lubeck Landcare, on 0429 986 721.

Several of our soil moisture monitoring sites have seen a positive increase in soil moisture over the last month. This is a result of favourable rainfall events over the past two weeks.

Soil water capacity is higher than 75 per cent at the Wimmera soil moisture probe sites (Brim, Sheep Hills and Taylors Lake), with a large area of the eastern Wimmera tracking at ‘above average’ rainfall for the growing season.

The Taylors Lake soil moisture probe has recorded moisture down to 70 cm. Rainfall events on Saturday 29 June (30mm) and Sunday 7 July (10.6mm) have contributed to this.

The soil moisture monitoring project, with the use of capacitance probes, provides real time soil water content data.

The sites record soil water content at one source point from 30 cm down to one metre as a reference point for a paddock.

For a detailed analysis of soil moisture levels in your region, subscribe to the Soil Moisture Monitoring newsletter at: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/weather-and-climate/soil-moisture-monitoring-cropping

They say farmers are never happy! Well who could blame them? Even when it's positive, it's negative.

Our Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey tries to explain what this means in this month's The Very Fast Break.

You can catch the latest episode at: https://youtu.be/_CIiS8Jsx9o

If you have comments, questions or feedback address them to Dale Grey at the.break@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Victorian agronomists are being provided with further opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of how herbicides work, enabling them to provide advice to growers that will optimise the performance of herbicides on-farm.

Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) herbicide behaviour workshops, to be delivered by Independent Consultants Australia Network (ICAN), will address the science underpinning how herbicides work, and growers are also encouraged to register.

“Participants will gain a better understanding of the key factors dictating herbicide performance and what can be done in the paddock to ensure weed control is maximised,” ICAN weed specialist Mark Congreve said.

“Weeds are one of the largest costs to grain producers and herbicide resistance is a key driver of increasing costs.

“When confronted with a range of weed problems and environmental conditions, the challenge is to optimise the results in the field.”

Mr Congreve said knowing what weeds would be controlled from applying a herbicide was relatively easy – as the information was outlined on the product label – but more challenging questions include:

• Why do herbicides perform or fail in some situations?
• Why do critical comments on the label exist and how were they developed?
• How do adjuvants and water conditioning agents work? What should be used, when and why?
• How does resistance affect different herbicides? What strategies can be used as resistance emerges?
• How do residual herbicides work and what influences their breakdown?

Mr Congreve said the workshops would be customised for each location to focus on regionally important herbicides and management issues.

The small group workshops will each run for one-and-a-half days and participant numbers are limited to ensure active participation and discussion.

GRDC herbicide behaviour workshops in Victoria will be held at the following locations:

• Bendigo – 22-23 July
• Horsham – 24-25 July 
• Swan Hill – 17-18 September
• Mildura – 19-20 September
• Melbourne – 12-13 November

The cost is $165 (including GST) per workshop and the events start at 8.30am on day one and will finish by lunchtime on day two.

For more information or to register, go here. 

Tunnel erosion is an insidious form of soil erosion that can lead to paddocks becoming untrafficable, dangerous and costly to repair. Sediment from tunnel erosion sites can also affect water supplies and nearby soil quality.

Sodic (dispersible) sub soils on sloping land are most prone to tunnel erosion and are common across Victoria. Tunnel erosion may be initiated by uneven saturation or concentrations of run-off into the subsoil.

This can arise through poor ground cover or cultivation or excavation in - or near - susceptible areas. Run-off then moves as lateral flows in the sub soil, entraining clay particles down the slope and leaving behind voids or tunnels.

Information on how to identify, repair and prevent tunnel erosion, including a farmer case study, is now available on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Read more at: agriculture.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria will host a series of free workshops to help new and existing small-scale pig and poultry producers prepare a land use planning permit application.

Please note: Only attending participants will be eligible for the supporting grants program of up to $3,000 for expenses related to on-farm works, consultancy, or training that supports the preparation of a land use planning permit application.

Expressions of interest for workshops that will run from 9am to 3pm and be held in locations determined by registrations of interest.

Preferably 12-16 properties are required to host a workshop.

To assist us hold a workshop in a convenient location to you – please register your interest via the website below.

Lunch will be provided, so please indicate any dietary allergies on registering.

These workshops will advise producers on:

• planning requirements;
• property development, locality and nutrient management plans; and
• identification of site improvements needed to support their planning permit application.

Pre-workshop preparation - Agriculture Victoria may contact registered participants to determine property specific details prior to the workshop. This will allow us to provide participants with farm maps and/or aerial images.

To register your interest in attending a workshop go to Eventbrite at https://agvic-pig-poultry.eventbrite.com.au

For more information please contact  Ann McDowell on 0436 934 343 or ann.mcdowell@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Applications are now sought from export-ready Victorian food and beverage organisations to participate as official Victorian Exhibitors at Global Table 2019.

The world event is taking place in Melbourne from 3 to 6 September.

Expression on Interest registration has been extended until 31 July.

Global Table is a dynamic new business event that connects world industry leaders, innovators, corporates and governments who are committed to transforming the food industry towards a more sustainable future through trade, investment and innovation.

Emerging and export-ready Australian exhibitors in the categories of dairy, meat, grocery line, grains and baking, and non-alcoholic beverages are encouraged to take part in what will be Australia's biggest agribusiness event to showcase their innovation and expertise.

The Victorian Government will host a Victorian Trade Zone at the trade show to support eligible Victorian organisations to exhibit.

Victorian Exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their products at the Global Table Trade Zone and connect to new opportunities with international buyers and visitors attending the Expo.

Subsidies of up to $2200 are available for approved and qualified Victorian exhibitors. Places for the subsidy are limited though and will be distributed as a first-come, first-served basis.

Dates: Tuesday 3 September to Friday 6 September 

Location: Melbourne Showgrounds - Epsom Road, Ascot Vale

Cost for Victorian exhibitors: $2420 for a Standard Trade Booth - upfront payment is required

Register your interest before 31 July.

One of the world’s worst weeds, water hyacinth, has been found and treated in the ‘Waterways’ estate in Melbourne’s south east.

Agriculture Victoria Biosecurity officers removed 14 plants from Sunset Lagoon, one of the constructed lakes on the estate.

A Weed Spotter volunteer reported the infestation to Agriculture Victoria, enabling officers to treat the infestation before it had begun to spread.

High Risk Invasive Plants Biosecurity Manager, Angela Constantine, said Agriculture Victoria would continue to monitor the site for many years to ensure it stays free of the aquatic weed.

“Water hyacinth is a highly invasive aquatic weed. The plant grows rapidly, forming a dense, impenetrable mat on the water’s surface that can reduce water quality, devastate wetlands and displace native aquatic species,” she said.

“In just one season, a single water hyacinth plant can produce more than 3000 seeds that can survive for up to 20 years.

“Therefore, it is very important to prevent water hyacinth from entering or establishing infestations in our waterways.

“Water hyacinth can be identified by its distinctive mauve flower and bulbous spongy stems. Often kept for its very attractive flower, owners may be unaware of the profound threat it poses.”

Anyone who may have seen water hyacinth plants, or may potentially have it in their possession, is urged to contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 and not attempt to remove the plants themselves.

Agriculture Victoria will remove any water hyacinth plants found at no cost to the land owner.

For more information about water hyacinth and invasive plant management visit the Agriculture Victoria website at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

* The Weed Spotter network is made up of members of the public who play a key role in detecting State Prohibited Weeds in Victoria, learn more here http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/weedspotters

The Victorian Government’s Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships are now open to young farmers looking to access study and training, and then invest on-farm or in further professional development.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes opened the 2019 program during a visit to former scholarship recipient Kate Kirk’s Bass Coast Dairy Farm in Loch and encouraged young famers to apply.

A passionate advocate of animal welfare, Ms Kirk used her scholarship to do an advanced hoof care course and shared her learnings with her employees and other farmers.

She used the financial support to purchase a cattle crush, providing a safe environment to practice hoof husbandry.

Up to $10,000 is available per scholarship – with each recipient eligible for up to $5,000 to support their training and study in areas such as business and risk management, genetics and pasture management development.

Once recipients complete their studies, they will receive further support of up to $5,000 to put their new skills into practice through professional development, business planning or to invest on-farm in equipment.

The Young Farmers Scholarship program has successfully supported 50 young farmers to develop their skills across a range of agriculture sectors since 2015.

The Government works to support Victoria’s next generation of food and fibre leaders through a range of programs including the Young Farmer Business Bootcamps, Young Farmers Business Network and the Young Farmers Advisory Council.

Applications for this year’s round of scholarships are open to farmers aged 35 or under who have been working in farm businesses at least three days a week for the past three months, with at least two years total experience on-farm.

To find out more about the program and to apply for a scholarship, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

The drought and dry seasons phone seminars/webinars which focus on assisting livestock producers manage farms in drought and dry seasonal conditions were recorded and are now available online:

• Establishing a stock containment area
• Farm water supply
• Livestock feeding and nutrition in dry times
• Pasture recovery after rain

The on-farm energy grants are available to eligible farmers until March 2020 or until available funding is exhausted (whichever comes first).

Apply early so you don’t miss out.

Grants will be provided on a ‘dollar-for-dollar’ cash co-contribution basis, and recipients are required to contribute at least 50 per cent of the total cash costs of the project.

Grants are available to eligible farm businesses for projects that achieve energy efficiency or provide the business with energy productivity improvements to support longer-term sustainability.

You will need an on-farm energy assessment, or an equivalent certified on-farm energy assessment conducted in the past two years, to access one of the grants under the Agriculture Investment Energy Plan (AEIP).

Apply for an on-farm energy assessment or an on-farm energy grant online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/agenergy.

Producers are encouraged to access the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme for the purchase and installation of emergency water infrastructure for livestock.

The scheme is available to eligible farm businesses in the following local government areas: Benalla; Campaspe; East Gippsland; Gannawarra; Greater Bendigo; Greater Shepparton; Loddon; Moira; Strathbogie; Swan Hill; Wellington; Northern Grampians; Mildura; Wodonga; Alpine; Hindmarsh; Yarriambiack; Towong; Buloke; Horsham; and Indigo.

Farm businesses outside of the above local government areas can make an application if they can demonstrate a critical water need for livestock resulting from current seasonal conditions. These applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The scheme is available for water infrastructure purchased since 1 July 2018. 

Guidelines and application details can be obtained from Rural Finance at: ruralfinance.com.au

Farmers and communities facing drought and dry conditions across Central and East Gippsland and Northern and North West Victoria should apply now for funding under the Look Over the Farm Gate Program.

Community groups across the impacted areas have already received grants of $1,500 to run events that address mental health and wellbeing.

Look Over the Farm Gate events are an opportunity for farmers to take a break from the farm, reconnect with their community, access professional support and participate in mental health training.

You know what your community needs, so we encourage community groups to think creatively about what single event or series of events would be most effective.

It could be anything from a barbeque and comedy night, regular fitness meet-ups in the park, or a family movie night.

Look Over the Farm Gate is a mental health and wellbeing initiative funded by the Victorian Government and managed by the Victorian Farmers Federation in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Country Women’s Association, Country Fire Authority, and National Centre for Farmer Health.

Applications are still being accepted for events and are assessed on a first in best dressed basis.

For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit the Look over the Farmgate website or contact the Coordinator at Lookoverthefarmgate@vff.org.au

These lunchtime webinars, with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the seasonal climate outlook, based on model projections for the climate drivers as well as the oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions of particular relevance to the grains industry in the three GRDC Southern Region states.

These webinars are simply on-line presentations which allow 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.

The Victorian winter climate update will be held at 12 noon, Monday 15 July.

Event number: 575 589 208
Event password: vicfastbreak

For more information go to the GRDC website.  

The 60th Annual Grassland Society of Southern Australia Conference is next week. Book your place today!

More information is available here.

The 142nd Australian Sheep and Wool Show will be held over three days at the Prince of Wales Showground, 42-72 Holmes Road, Bendigo, Victoria.

For full event details please visit https://www.sheepshow.com

Celebrating its 13th year, Innovation Generation has been hosted in six states and territories across Australia and attracted more than 1800 young agricultural enthusiasts.

This event will be at Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre on July 22-24.

If you are 18 to 40 and working in the agriculture industry, Innovation Generation is the one conference you can’t afford to miss.

Bringing together award-winning speakers, innovators and industry professionals from across the sector, you will be inspired, challenged and will strengthen your network.

To register go to https://www.innovationgeneration.com.au

Agriculture Victoria will again be at Speed for this year’s Mallee Machinery Field Days.

A wide range of timely information for grain and livestock farmers will be a cornerstone of the Agriculture Victoria site at next month’s Mallee Machinery Field Days near Speed.

Health checks will also be available this year, with a team of agri-health professionals from the National Centre for Farmer Health offering field day goers an opportunity to check on their number one asset - their health. 

More details coming soon so watch this space.

Sheepvention, one of the largest farming events held in Victoria, will commence on Sunday, 4 until Tuesday, 6 August at the Hamilton Showgrounds.

Sheepvention brings together farming, competition, entertainment and fashion, with a bit of local produce thrown into the mix.

Visit the Agriculture Victoria at sites 76 and 77, 87 - 90.

For full event details please visit http://www.hamiltonshowgrounds.com.au

The Rural Press Club of Victoria 2019 Rural and Regional Journalism and Photography Awards showcase and recognise the best journalism and photography across the State, and highlight media outlets that have inspired change in their communities.

Journalists and photographers enter their best work and also compete for the prestigious Journalist and Photographer of the Year titles.

Each newspaper, radio station and TV station also compete for the Media Outlet of the Year award, which is hotly contested.

This year’s gala awards night will be held on Friday, 23 August to recognise the best work published from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

The awards are open to all journalists, photographers and media outlets in Victoria and Tasmania.

Journalists and photographers can enter the awards from June 24 - July 19.

To enter the awards, you need to be a member of the Rural Press Club of Victoria.

Visit the Rural Press Club of Victoria website for more details.

Sheep producers are being urged to submit worm samples for an Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) research trial to validate a more sensitive worm test.

They are asked to collect dung samples from a mob of wormy sheep on the day of drenching, then again 14 days after the drench.

Producers who submit worm samples will receive the results from the traditional faecal egg count (FEC) test for free, saving them hundreds of dollars.

For more information contact admin@dawbuts.com or call (02) 4655 6464.

Enjoying the Grampians Ag News? Then why not forward to a friend or subscribe yourself.

It's easy - simply click this link.