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Welcome to the October update for the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub).
This week we were excited to announce 10 new innovative projects in our region, worth more than $4 million, made possible by the SW WA Hub's reinvestment of Australian Government funding.
We have also recently embarked on a collaborative irrigation project for horticultural producers, funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund (FDF). Scroll down for links to the full stories as well as other news.
Please feel free to forward this monthly newsletter to colleagues, friends or clients.
Innovation projects
Innovative agricultural projects worth more than $4 million have commenced after grants were awarded by the Hub.
Focus areas range from paddock-level carbon benchmarking, through to drone-mounted feral species recognition and improved vineyard management.
Irrigation in focus
Assisting horticulture producers to use irrigated water efficiently is the aim of a new project that will help maintain crop production in a drying climate
The project, being led by the SW WA Hub, involves collaboration with two other Hubs and demonstration sites are being hosted in all three regions.
Caption: SW WA Hub staff and Regional Node Lead representatives during one of their regular meetings.
Have your say on drought resilience topics
The SW WA Hub is seeking farmer feedback on topics for drought resilience topics it has produced in consultation with its Regional Advisory Committees.
To have your say on the topics, contact one of the Hub’s eight Regional Node Leads, which help link the Hub to end users.
The priority project topic list and Regional Node Lead details are on the Hub webpage.
Regional Soil Coordinator snapshot
Collaboration was a focus when Australian regional soil coordinators gathered at the recent 2022 Soil Cooperative Research Centre Participants Conference held in Adelaide.
SW WA Hub Regional Soil Coordinator Jenni Clausen and her counterparts enjoyed a field trip to learn from innovative South Australian growers and researchers, and participated in a hands-on Soil Fundamentals training course.
The Regional Soil Coordinators are working to identify local soil issues and gaps in knowledge and create networks to connect people, collaborate and share knowledge. Together they contribute to a National Community of Practice led by Soil Science Australia, supporting the National Soil Strategy.
Ms Clausen's role is supported by the Australian Government through the SW WA Hub. She is based at SoilsWest at Murdoch University, with input from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management.
In other soils news, local industry participants are invited to register their interest in Registered Soil Practitioner training and accreditation.To register your interest, click here.
Interested people are also invited to provide feedback on the draft National Soil Action Plan 2022-27. The deadline is 7 November 2022. To have your say, click here.
WaterSmart Dams - Making dams work again
Lead organisation: GGA/SW WA Hub
Project participants: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), The University of WA, Compass Agricultural Alliance, Southern DIRT, Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group, Fitzgerald Biosphere Group.
This project aims to develop knowledge and water planning tools for farmers who need their dams to work in all years, and to be able to make water investment decisions with confidence.
A survey for producers regarding on-farm water storage issues and technologies is being circulated as part of the project. Responses will shape the project's activities. Complete or share, access the survey here by 31 October.
Mentor program
Applications are open for a national mentoring program connecting rural Australians aged 18 to 35 with mentors.
It is part of the FDF Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. Applications close 17 November.
Drought resilience tools updated
Two online tools that give farmers crucial drought and climate information specific to their farms have been upgraded following consultation across eight agricultural regions.
The FDF’s Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) and Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) platform have been updated with new functionality.
Improvements to the tools include new climate insights, more commodities, and region-specific forecasts for CSA and more commodities and regions in DR.SAT.
Assess your farm’s resilience via DR.SAT here.
See the potential impact of climate variability on your farm via CSA here.
Regional drought resilience plans released
Regional Drought Resilience Plans have been released under the FDF-funded Regional Drought Resilience Planning program. They identify actions that will enable regional communities to prepare for droughts and complement priorities identified by the SW WA Hub.
Public consultation was undertaken for the plans from 28 September - 21 October 2022. Links to the plans and more information about the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program are available on the DPIRD website.
Funding available for carbon projects
Round two of WA Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (CF-LRP) funding is now open to support innovative carbon farming projects.
The State Government's $15 million CF-LRP aims to realise agriculture's potential to sequester carbon in the landscape and contribute to growing the WA carbon market.
Selected projects will deliver environmental, social and economic co-benefits, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the farming industry.
Applications close at 12 noon (AWST) on Friday, 2 December.
Explore innovation gateway growAG.
Have you explored AgriFutures growAG.?
A gateway to Australia’s agrifood innovation system, the online platform allows users to find and connect with world leading agricultural research, unique technologies and commercialisation opportunities.
The information is free to access and allows investors, corporates, startups, researchers, industry, government and universities from Australia and around the world to locate information and opportunities to deliver innovation back to the farm and the food supply-chain.
AgriFutures growAG. involves collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Australia’s 15 Research & Development Corporations (RDCs).
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.
To receive regular email updates directly from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, subscribe via the ‘Have your say’ webpage.
