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Welcome from the Director
It was great to travel to Manjimup recently for our Science to Practice Forum Workshop which was focused on practical precision agriculture and water management research outcomes of relevance to growers.
The workshop was well attended and each session generated plenty of interest and questions from those attending. I’m unsure how much the chocolate inducements contributed to the volume of questions but I am sure it got the ball rolling!
The workshop was held in support of the online Future Drought Fund (FDF) Science to Practice Forum, which showcased more than 50 projects funded by the FDF.
While this is an impressive number of projects, they were selected from a suite of more than 140 projects generated by Drought Hubs and other programs of the FDF. This is truly an amazing output in just two years of operations.
Some of our other recent activities have included extension and adoption training modules delivered by our talented and recently appointed adoption team. This capacity, funded by the FDF, is already raising the capability of key people to raise the adoption rates of drought resilient innovations.
I'm pleased to see some of the positive feedback on this training such as 'I really enjoyed exploring new tools with others' and 'I will hopefully be able to assess our growers' needs more openly'.
Other opportunities to be aware of include the Grower Group Alliance-led 'Emerge' initiative funded by CSIRO, which is offering grants to growers with ideas ready to take to the research and development phase.
I also encourage Hub Consortium Partners to stay tuned for details of a proposed SW WA Hub grant round expected to be opened later this year.
Finally, I'm looking forward to meeting up soon with the SW WA Hub's Regional Advisory Committees - these meetings will refresh drought resilience priorities for local projects ahead of the proposed grant round.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues, friends or clients.
Mark Holland | Hub Director
South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Caption: SW WA Hub Science to Practice Forum Workshop participants inspect a perennial grass species trial at the DPIRD Horticultural Research Institute - with manager Ian Guthridge.
Successful workshop held at Manjimup
A broad range of people ranging from producers to service providers gathered for a recent workshop at Manjimup hosted by the SW WA Hub.
Focused on the latest research outcomes relating to precision agriculture technology and water management, the free face-to-face event complemented the national Future Drought Fund (FDF) Science to Practice Forum which was held from June 6 to 8.
See see below additional photos from the event.
Team tunes into Science to Practice Forum
The SW WA Hub team and interested stakeholders recently joined together to view the online FDF Science to Practice Forum - showcasing tools and practices from right across Australia that are helping farmers and regions to prepare for drought.
Team members, SW WA Hub Consortium Partners and other interested people tuned into the three-day event from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) offices in Merredin, Perth and Bunbury. About 50 sessions were presented during the event.
Growers - express your interest in hub study tour
Are you a grower interested in thinking 'outside the box' while viewing new approaches to soil and water productivity, different ways of unlocking plant potential and examples of efficient input use?
Then you are invited to express your interest in joining a five-day grower study tour organised by the SW WA Hub - looking at innovation in South Australian broadacre agriculture - from Sunday, September 17, to Friday, September 22.
Hub team member in focus
Meet Sharon Keeler
Working behind the scenes at the SW WA Hub and the GGA, with the aim of ensuing that things run smoothly and staff are supported, is Team Assistant Sharon Keeler.
Mrs Keeler is proud to be part of the SW WA Hub team and supports its vision ‘Thriving producers and communities adapting to our variable environment’ and mission ‘Be a connected and trusted partner building pathways to accelerate innovation and adoption’.
Caption: Participants in the recent online 'Introduction to monitoring and evaluation' training module.
High demand for extension and adoption training
There has been high demand for extension and adoption training delivered by the SW WA Hub, with the first four modules being almost fully booked out.
“There is a huge appetite among the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) network and industry for this type of learning,” SW WA Hub Adoption Manager Julianne Hill said.
Grants available for innovative ideas
A new GGA-led program is offering small grants valued between $2000 and $10,000 to the agricultural sector in WA with the aim of improving water efficiency.
The ‘Emerge Program’ initiative is funded by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, through its Drought Resilience Mission.
Bureau of Meteorology long-range forecast
The June 15 Climate Outlook issued by the Bureau of Meteorology states:
- For July to September, below median rainfall is likely to very likely (60 per cent to greater than 80 per cent chance) for much of the eastern two-thirds of Australia and south-west WA.
- July to September maximum temperatures are likely to very likely warmer than median (60 per cent to greater than 80 per cent chance) for almost all of Australia.
- Above median July to September minimum temperatures likely to very likely (60 per cent to greater than 80 per cent chance) for most of Australia.
- This forecast is influenced by a number of factors, including warming in the tropical Pacific Ocean beyond El Niño thresholds, the potential development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, and record warm oceans globally.
Try out tool to assist climate planning
Australian farmers are using a new online platform to help prepare for climate variability.
Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) gives seasonal forecasts, future climate projections and historical climate data at a 5km2 resolution right across Australia.
Funded by the Australian Government's FDF and developed by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, it provides insights into how users can adapt their business to increase climate resilience.
Get a clearer picture of climate trends
The FDF’s Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) gives producers a clearer picture of the climate trends likely to impact their businesses.
It does this by bringing together satellite data, scientific climate projections for 2030 and 2050, and pathways to resources to help find solutions to maintaining or improving resilience.
Since its first release in December 2021, DR.SAT has evolved by listening to feedback and applying it to each update of the tool, rolling out new functionality and content to meet user needs.
Find out about Future Drought Fund
The Future Drought Fund (FDF) provides secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives and will help Australian farmers and communities prepare for the impacts of drought.
