In this edition:

• Varroa mite detected in Victoria
• Avian influenza movement restrictions eased
• Avian Influenza - remain vigilant
• Avian influenza community information sessions
• Dry seasons support
• Rural Women’s Network Leadership and Mentoring program applications closing soon
• Free financial counselling
• Early weaning beef calves – pitfalls and opportunities
• Five key tips for silage this season
• Winter webinar series recordings now available
• Recording: Victoria's spring seasonal outlook
• Connecting Victorian producers to global markets
• New study to benchmark crop residue emissions
• Discover cutting edge pulse agronomy at BCG Main Field Day
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Agriculture Victoria has confirmed Varroa mite has been detected for the first time in Victoria at a property in Nangiloc near Mildura.

The infested hive was identified during Agriculture Victoria’s surveillance activities which are carried out each year during almond pollination.

Agriculture Victoria Acting Chief Plant Health Officer Dr Stephen Dibley said Agriculture Victoria is working with the affected beekeeper and others close by to minimise spread and guide management actions.

'This early detection of Varroa mite enables Victorian beekeepers to prepare and manage their hives effectively,' Dr Dibley said.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is a parasite of adult honey bees and honey bee brood. It weakens and kills honey bee colonies and can also transmit honey bee viruses.

It was first detected in Australia near Newcastle in NSW in 2022 and is being managed through the National Varroa Mite Response Plan which is focussed on preparing industry to live with and effectively manage Varroa mite.

Varroa mite does not affect native bees.

In line with the National Varroa Mite Response Plan, Agriculture Victoria is working closely with beekeepers and orchardists to minimise the impacts on beehives and the almond pollination.

A team of 12 Varroa development officers have been recruited in Victoria under the National Varroa Mite Response Plan and they are available to provide guidance directly to beekeepers on how to manage Varroa mite and appropriately utilise the chemical control options available.

There are also Varroa Management Training Workshops occurring across Victoria this month, which cover monitoring and threshold surveillance actions, integrated pest management techniques, record-keeping, and chemical treatments, including organic options.

'With Varroa mite established in New South Wales and measures in place to slow the spread nationally, the detection this week was not unexpected despite the requirements in place to enter the state,' Dr Dibley said.

'I encourage all beekeepers to be prepared to manage Varroa in their hives by attending one of the free workshops, engaging with Varroa development officers and accessing all the resources available.'

Beekeepers with concerns can contact Victorian Varroa development officers by email at Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 958 485.

Beekeepers in Victoria are urged to check their hives and to report suspected cases of varroa mite to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

All Victorian beekeepers are encouraged to record all hive movements and inspections, and the results of mite testing in BeeMAX.

For more information and updates on this detection, and any further Victorian varroa mite detections, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/varroa.

A poultry housing requirement that has been in effect to control the spread of high pathogenicity avian influenza near Terang and Meredith will be lifted for some birds from Thursday 15 August 2024.

As no further cases of high pathogenicity avian influenza have been detected in Victoria since 24 June, changes to the control orders have been gazetted, taking Victoria one step closer to being free from the high pathogenicity avian influenza virus.

The H7N3 strain of the virus was detected at seven properties close to Meredith, the last of which occurred on 24 June, while the H7N9 strain was detected at one property near Terang on 24 May.

From Thursday, 15 August 2024:

• the housing requirement for poultry in the control areas surrounding Meredith and Terang have been lifted
• the restricted area around the Terang infected property has been reduced from a 5km to a 1.5 km radius
• the control area at Terang has also been reduced from a 15km to a 5km radius.

The control and restricted areas in the Meredith area will remain the same.

Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Sally Salmon said staff continue to undertake disease monitoring activities, including property visits, phone calls and dead bird collections, and testing samples collected from properties in the restricted and control areas.

‘Everyone’s cooperation has been critical in allowing this easing of restrictions,’ she said.

‘Every text replied to, phone call answered, dead bird report, and live bird testing has, and will, help us get to the next step of lifting restrictions further.

‘Affected properties are continuing to be supported during ongoing decontamination, and egg and litter disposal activities to ensure their properties are free from the disease.’

Poultry and bird owners are reminded that movement controls are still in place for both the Meredith and Terang areas and permits are required for the movement of birds, poultry products and feed.

The housing requirement remains in place for poultry located in the restricted areas around Meredith and Terang, meaning all birds need to remain in their enclosures, to avoid any contact with wild birds.

‘Movement controls that have been in place since May have been effective in reducing the number of infections and have helped to stop the disease spreading beyond the restricted areas,’ Dr Salmon said.

‘We would like to thank the poultry industry, and the businesses and affected properties for their ongoing assistance during this response. Without their cooperation and reporting it would not have been possible to control the spread of this disease outbreak.'

Poultry farmers, backyard flock and bird owners are urged to continue to be vigilant and report any cases of unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

While cases among humans in direct contact with animals infected with high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses are possible, the current risk to the public remains low.

If you have had contact with birds on an affected property and you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or the Department of Health on 1300 651 160 for medical advice.

A list of resources and contact details for industry and individual support, including technical, financial and mental health information, support and services, is available in our resource directory.

More information, including movement permits, maps, compensation details and mental health resources, are available online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza.

As we continue to respond to the avian flu outbreak, we’re urging bird owners to remain vigilant.

Look out for symptoms and report any unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226.

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

Agriculture Victoria will be reaching out to local communities at our pop-up information stalls over the next couple of weeks.

The team will be at:

Golden Plains Farmers Market from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

• Saturday 7 September

Find out more at agriculture.vic.gov.au/events

Have you updated your plan for the current seasonal conditions?

Having a solid drought plan can help you with decision making in adverse conditions. 

Check out the dry seasons and drought support on the Agriculture Victoria website today.

All rural and regional based women working across the agriculture supply chain are encouraged to apply for the Rural Women's Network Leadership program.

This program is being delivered by LeadershipVic over two residential retreats and aims to develop and empower women as leaders and change makers in their careers and in their communities.

All study and accommodation costs to participate in the program are covered, with additional capped allowances for childcare and travel provided to those who require this support.

Applications close 2 September 2024.

Click here for more information.

The Rural Financial Counselling Service provides a free and confidential financial counselling service to eligible farmers and small related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

They can help you to access available support, analyse your business situation, negotiate with lenders and develop strategies to improve your financial position. 

To find your closest service visit the website or call 1300 771 741.

Nick Linden, Agriculture Victoria Livestock Development Officer

Driven by low feed availability, producers with autumn calving cows may be considering weaning calves earlier than normal. 

Early weaning is an immediate way to reduce feed requirements on farm. By separating the cow and calf there is a potential reduction in daily feed intake of up to 24 %.

As an example, a six month pregnant cow with a 250kg calf at foot will consume in the order of 15kg of feed per day (150 MJ of energy) – if we split the cow and calf into two individual units, the dry cow could maintain herself on about 6 kg DM per day (64 MJ of energy), and the calf would be gaining 0.5kg per day consuming 5 kg DM (50 MJ of energy) per day. 

The exact amount of feed required/saved will depend on the quality of the feed on offer – but the principle remains the same. As soon as the calf is removed from the cow, she will partition energy back to her own requirements, enabling the higher quality feed to be prioritised to the calf.

Weaned calves can then become the priority mob for feeding. If you have a limited supply of high-quality feed, it doesn’t have to be processed through the cow into milk for the calf to perform. It may be more efficient to offer it directly to the calves, without having to maintain the mature cow. 

Poorer quality pasture can then be offered to the dry cows – which can result in significant savings. 

While cow condition is often a key determinant of whether to early wean, calf condition is also important to consider - calves with dry, coarse coats are most likely not receiving enough milk from their mothers and may be better off having direct access to higher quality feed. 

In most situations when early weaning you would aim to have calves at least 12 weeks of age or around 100kg live weight.  However, if cow condition and survival is a significant risk, calves can be weaned as light as 80kg.  If needing to wean calves at these lighter weights, it is recommended that you seek specific advice from your veterinarian.  

If you will be supplementing calves after weaning, it’s good practice to expose the calves to the supplement prior to weaning, while still on their mums.  This not only helps educate the weaners to what they will be eating, but also gives the rumen bacteria time to adjust to a change in diet. 

It's worth remembering that weaners have specific requirements. The younger or lighter they are, the greater their protein requirement will be – as an indication, weaners are likely to need feed that is 16% crude protein. 

Depending on the size of the weaners, the physical capacity of the rumen may also be an issue – so all feed needs to have a high concentration of energy.  Feed for weaners will need to be at least 11 megajoules of energy per kg DM.

If you don’t know how much protein or energy is in your feed – doing a feed test is the best way to be sure your animals are getting fed the nutrition that they need.

Aim for a calf growth rate of at least 0.6kg/day until they are heavier than 250kg. This will ensure that later growth rates are not compromised.

Weaners are highly susceptible to internal parasites. This, combined with the increased risks of parasites when cattle have been grazing short pastures – makes this year a potentially risky one for parasites. 

While cattle growth rates give a good indication, a worm egg count taken 14 days after drenching is a useful way to assess the effectiveness of your drenching program. 

Vaccination for clostridial diseases is also important for your weaners.

While early weaning is an option to reduce overall feed requirements and look after cow condition, it’s not for everyone. It does require more intensive management and works best for producers that have a shorter more condensed calving period. 

If considering weaning calves earlier than normal, it’s well worth doing a feed budget /plan to ensure there are adequate feed and resources on hand.

If you haven’t early weaned before, consider doing it with one mob initially. Cow mobs under the most pressure may include the first calf heifers or the oldest cows – so either of these groups could be suitable candidates.

Whether early weaning or weaning at the usual time, there are lots of things to consider. What are the feed and animal health requirements? How will I wean - cold turkey separation at either ends of the farm, in the yards or along a fence line?

Whatever way you do it, it’s an important part of an animal's life and is reminiscent of the old football adage – while you don’t often win a premiership in the first quarter, you can lose one. 

Weaning is a critical point to get right and set your animals up for future productivity.

For more information https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/beef/health-and-welfare/early-weaning-of-beef-calves

Capitalising on any spring surplus will be critical on farms this year. While some things are out of our control, focusing on these key factors will help ensure that you get the best possible return.

Five key factors for silage this season are:

1. Only lock up pasture that is surplus to requirements - Making silage can be an expensive exercise, so it only makes sense when pasture growth exceeds animal requirements. In a reasonable year on most farms this generally occurs in early to mid-September.
2. Use nitrogen (N) to increase dry matter yield but cut pasture within 6 weeks of application - Once cutting is delayed beyond 6 weeks, the quality of the silage declines more rapidly than if no nitrogen is applied. This can result in large quantities of low-quality silage which is unsuitable to feed cows in the early stage of lactation. By using rates of nitrogen up to 50 kg N/ha when there is sufficient moisture available, responses of 18 kg DM/ha for every kg N applied, 6 weeks after application can be produced.
3. Be prepared to cut pasture when the ryegrass component of the sward is just reaching early ear emergence - Ideally, the plan is to cut pasture when the ryegrass component of the sward is at early ear emergence. Due to the seasonal conditions this year, it is more likely that paddocks may be cut at a range of times. For example, when it is still vegetive or later than early ear emergence. As a result, it will be critical to ensure that the forage hits dry matter targets quickly, so it doesn’t lose quality.
4. Use tedders to increase the drying rate of cut material and so reduce the wilting period - It has been shown that the use of tedders has a beneficial effect on both final silage metabolisable energy and crude protein. The length of the wilting period will be dictated by the type of silage to be made and weather conditions. Given reasonable drying conditions material should be ready for pit silage within 48 hours and for bale silage within 72 hours.
5. Ensile material quickly and seal well - It’s important to ensure that the material being ensiled is tightly packed into either a pit or the bale and that it’s sealed promptly. The ideal dry matter of pasture for pit silage is 30%, any lower and effluent may be a problem and any higher compaction may be difficult. The dry matter percentage of bale silage should be about 45–50%.  At this dry matter, a reasonable fermentation should occur, and it reduces the chance of spoilage.

For more information visit the Agriculture Victoria website: www.agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Agriculture Victoria ran a series of lunchtime webinars recently to help farmers manage the dry conditions.

• Land management, sacrifice paddocks and stock containment areas, with Agriculture Victoria’s Clem Sturmfels: watch here
• The importance of nutrition, with Animal Health and Nutrition Consulting’s Dr. Jillian Kelly: watch here
• Managing lambing and lactating ewes, with Dynamic Ag Livestock Consultant Dr Steve Cotton: watch here

In this webinar recording, Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey discussed the recent seasonal conditions including rainfall, temperature and deep soil moisture levels across the state.

We looked at what the latest global models are forecasting for spring and shared information on the dry seasons support available to farmers.

Climate Specialist Graeme Anderson, and Dale, took a deeper look into the current seasonal risks and helped bust some common myths around making sense of forecasts.

VIEW THE RECORDING HERE

Duration: 67 minutes (including questions)

Password: Climate

This webinar was originally presented on Wednesday 14 August at 12 pm.

All climate webinar recordings can be found on our website.

For more information

For more information about these webinars, including assistance joining the webinar, email climate.webinars@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government is backing regional farmers and food and beverage businesses to increase their exports and explore new markets by partnering with the Australian Government.

Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas recently announced the establishment of trade managers in Barwon South West, Grampians, Loddon Mallee, Hume and Gippsland to turbocharge exports for regional Victorian businesses.

The locally-based trade managers will support new and established food and fibre businesses to enter or expand in priority export markets, while promoting the state’s food and beverage credentials internationally.

Victoria is the nation’s premier state for food and fibre, with exports increasing seven per cent in value in 2022-23 and reaching a record $19.6 billion – bringing the state close to achieving the Victorian Government’s target of $20 billion by 2030.

Partnering with Austrade to deliver TradeStart in Victoria will provide further support for Victorian businesses in addition to the 23 Victorian Government Trade and Investment offices. TradeStart advisors provide business advice, build export capability and provide connections to international markets.

The Victorian Government has provided $10 million to assist food and fibre businesses reach global markets as part of a record $45 billion investment over the past decade in projects and programs that support regional and rural Victoria.

The Victorian Government Trade and Investment international network is the largest and most effective international network of any Australian state or territory, with every dollar invested in the network returning $40 to the Victorian economy.

A new $8 million national study is set to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from crop residues, to help the Australian grains industry accurately report its carbon (C) footprint, with potential benefits for future market access and price.

An initiative of GRDC, the national project will be led by Professor David Rowlings from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and will involve two years of field work to quantify emissions from crop residue decomposition across a range of crop types, climates and soils at five sites in Australia.

The trial sites will be located at Gatton (Queensland), Tamworth and Wagga Wagga (New South Wales), Horsham (Victoria) and Wongan Hills (Western Australia). These trial sites will be co-ordinated and monitored by the project’s research partners:

• Agriculture Victoria
• Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
• NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD)
• University of Queensland (UQ).

The landmark study is expected to have significant benefits for grain growers and marketers, as the GHG emissions attached to grains can impact the price and marketability of exports, as well as the sustainability credentials of farm businesses.

Professor Rowlings said crop residues emit GHG as they decompose in the paddock, with nitrous oxide (N2O) making up most of these emissions.

'Australia includes these emissions in its sector level accounting to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),' he said.

'While the global default emission decomposition factor is one per cent of total residues, international research has shown that 0.5 per cent may be more accurate for dry climates.

'As this research has been accepted by the IPCC, the CSIRO – with GRDC support – is currently updating Australia’s GHG baseline methodology to use the lower emissions factor from 2024.

'However, with approximately 23 million hectares of land under cropping, Australian growers could still benefit by being able to use accurate, locally derived emissions data for IPCC reporting.'

At each trial site, N2O will be measured for the 12 months following harvest to obtain accurate data on the emissions from the decaying crop residues. Crops being studied include wheat, faba beans and canola in NSW and Victoria; maize, sorghum, wheat and faba beans in Queensland; and wheat and canola in WA.

'We have achieved a good spread of representative climate conditions, soil types and crops. Over the two years and five locations, we will gather 32 site-years’ worth of data,' Professor Rowlings said.

GRDC Sustainable Cropping Systems manager, north, Cristina Martinez said the *new national study was critical in that it aimed to generate representative emissions factors for Australian crop residues alongside region-based data that individual farms could adopt for emissions accounting and reporting.

This research builds on earlier work done by GRDC in partnership with CSIRO for the Australian Grains Baseline and Mitigation Assessment. This 2022 report showed crop residue accounted for 20.4 per cent of all Scope 1 (on-farm) GHG emissions in Australian cropping, compared to fertiliser (15 per cent), lime application or farm operations (11 per cent each). This initial study also concluded that the use of internationally derived emissions factors may be overestimating reportable GHG emissions from the Australian grains sector.

The new national study has a total investment of $8 million, including $4.6 million from GRDC.

This investment is part of the broader GRDC Sustainability Initiative, which recognises that the grains industry cannot have ongoing profitability without healthy soil, water and air; strong rural communities and the trust of grain markets, the finance sector and governments. GRDC is proactively positioning its investment in RD&E to further support growers in achieving sustainability outcomes.

BCG’s Main Field Day, set to take place in Nullawil on September 11, will showcase the latest advancements in pulse agronomy. Leading experts, Kelly Angel from BCG, Audrey Delahunty from Agriculture Victoria, Stuart Nagle from SARDI, and Jason Brand from Frontier Farming Systems, will present breakthroughs in pulse variety selection, disease management, and end-use strategies to enhance the role of pulses in farming systems.

'The dry season we’ve experienced in the region underscores the importance of yield stability in ensuring profitability when growing pulses in challenging conditions,' Kelly Angel, BCG Research and Extension Officer said.

'Newer pulse varieties are increasingly showing a yield advantage compared to older ones.'

A highlight of the day will be the pulse super session, where experts will discuss new vetch varieties entering the market. The session will cover the various end uses of vetch—grazing, hay, brown manure, and grain—and their impact on subsequent crops. Understanding these legacy effects is key to optimising crop rotations and improving soil health.

BCG is currently investigating the performance of existing pulse varieties while also offering an exclusive preview of soon-to-be-released varieties. With both vetch and pulse experts on hand, growers will have the opportunity to ask pressing questions about the management of these crops.

Given the early onset of severe Ascochyta blight in lentils across many areas in 2023, disease management will be another key focus of the day. Discussions will explore variety responses, resistance ratings, and the critical timing of product applications to manage diseases like Ascochyta blight and Botrytis grey mould effectively.

BCG’s Main Field Day offers the latest in local agronomic research to farmers, agronomists, and advisors. In addition to pulse agronomy, the event will cover new cereal varieties, canola establishment, long coleoptile wheat, and disease management in wheat and barley.

Tickets are available for purchase on the BCG website. Visit bcg.org.au/events for more information and purchasing options.

Apiarist faces court for ignoring destruction orders

Beekeepers are being reminded to report and treat notifiable diseases after a large scale commercial western Victoria apiarist was found guilty of failure to manage American foulbrood (AFB) in hives.

Read the media release here.

Innovative solutions to biosecurity control

Victoria’s biosecurity system will be strengthened with a $6.1 million investment by the Victorian Government for projects that help prevent, monitor, and control diseases in cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honeybee industries.

Read the media release here.

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

Visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

This free event will be brought to you by Wimmera Southern Mallee Development, which aims to provide communities with clear information on the matters that mean the most.

With just 100 seats available, book your ticket now!

Funded by the Agriculture Victoria 'Regional Drought Resilience Planning Implementation Grant Program'.

Schedule

• 8 am - Free breakfast in the Longerenong College Dining Hall (egg and bacon rolls, tea and coffee etc).
• 8:45 am - Event starts at the Longerenong College Auditorium.

This event is being filmed as an information resource that will be published to WSMD's YouTube and promoted in WSMD marketing.

All efforts will be taken to film the presenters only, and not the attendees.

Click here for more information and reserve your spot.

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