Key points:

• Three-year Central West Farming Systems Precision Agriculture and Variable Rate Project to identify ways to measure variability in the landscape and develop new efficiency gains for growers
• Four New South Wales farmers to trial variable rates with lime, liquid N, and fertiliser and seeding rates in 2010

An important new farming trial is commencing in Central New South Wales to analyse the ways precision agriculture and variable rates (VR) can increase in-paddock efficiency for New South Wales growers.

The joint Central West Farming System and SPAA Precision Agriculture Association (SPAA) trial is supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC), which is funding the project, and could potentially open a “new frontier” for in-paddock efficiency.

“Increasing costs including phosphorus and nitrogen fertiliser, fuel and some herbicides have forced growers to look towards more effective use of inputs,” said Leighton Wilksch (pictured), SPAA committee member.  

“Precision agriculture tools have been identified as the potential new frontier for achieving improvements in efficiency, delivering farmers more bang for their buck,” he said.

GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair, David Shannon, commended the organisations involved in the trial for addressing the growing need for more efficient farming practices.

“GRDC is very supportive of projects such as this, which are a practical response to research priorities identified by growers at a local level,” Mr Shannon said.

“The outcomes could have far-reaching application in terms of lifting productivity and improvements in farming practices throughout the grain-growing regions.”

Four farmers at Nyngan, Forbes and Rankins Springs have agreed to run a trial on their farms, providing tangible results for the consideration of farmers.

“The three-year trial will evaluate the different ways to measure the variability of the landscape, gathering data using results of electromagnetic soil surveys, digital elevation maps, gamma radio metrics,  Normalised Difference Vegetation Index data and yield maps,” Mr Wilksch said.

“We will utilise these layers of spatial data to economically assess the effectiveness of VR applications with lime, liquid nitrogen, fertiliser and seeding rates.

“We also will monitor soil moisture with continuous logging in-ground soil moisture probes to assist in making soil moisture based management decisions, and how this data may be incorporated into VR nutrition applications.”

Farmers will be able to keep up to date with the trial through three information sessions each year, consisting of a pre-harvest setup in October, a pre-seeding session in March and an in-crop tour in July/August.

The first of the pre-sowing workshops were held at Rankins Springs and Condobolin on March 3 and 4, and were attended by farmers from across the district. 

“I invite all growers, whether familiar with VR technology, or looking to get into it, to participate,” Mr Wilksch said 

“It has the potential to deliver very significant efficiency gains for growers.”

Editor’s notes:

• For more information contact Leighton Wilksch on 0408 428 714
• www.grdc.com.au
• GRDC Project Code: SPA00010
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

Key points:

• FarmLink/GRDC grower Update to be held at Young on March 17
• Focus on farm business management and farming systems

Growers from throughout the Young region will gather on March 17 for an important grain industry forum.

The FarmLink/Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update will provide growers with the latest information and resources on farm business management and best practice farming systems.

“FarmLink and the GRDC are hosting this event to present growers with practical advice on how to make the most out of their farming systems,” said GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon.

“I encourage all growers in the Young district to get along to the forum which will provide plenty of food for thought as they start to prepare for the season ahead,” Mr Shannon said.

Among the speakers will be 3D-Ag consultant Peter McInerney who will discuss maintaining a robust and profitable farming system.

“Business management – thinking outside the square” will be the topic of a presentation by Neil Druce from the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory.

Dirnaseer farmer Derek Ingold will speak on his experiences of moving from tramlining to controlled traffic farming (CTF), as well as changes to farm layout and livestock management.

Other farmers providing practical insights include Matt Dart who farms 8400 dryland hectares at Merriwagga, Binya and Ariah Park, using both disc and tyne seeders; and Michael Pfitzner from Rankins Springs who moved to a CTF system.

Maximising crop water use efficiency will be the subject of a presentation by James Hunt from the CSIRO in Canberra, while liquid and solid fertiliser comparisons will come under the microscope of Col McMaster from I&I NSW.

Managing the cropping-livestock mix through farm zoning will be discussed by Greg Condon, a consultant with Grassroots Agronomy.

The Update will be held at the Young Golf Club from 8.30am. Growers requiring more information can contact Cathie Fox at FarmLink on (02) 6924 4633.

Detailed programs for the GRDC Adviser Updates can be obtained by visiting www.grdc.com.au/updatedates.

Editor’s notes:

• For more information contact Cathie Fox at FarmLink on (02) 6924 4633
• www.grdc.com.au
• GRDC Project Code: ORM00001
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

Key points:

• Presentation by Australian Farm Institute executive director, Mick Keogh, on grain industry “mega-trends” at GRDC Adviser Updates held at Wagga Wagga and Ballarat
• These trends should lead to improved profit opportunities for grain producers and prices for cropping land over the longer term

Industry “mega-trends” should have a positive impact on prices, profit opportunities and land values for grain producers over the next 20 years.

That was the prediction from Mick Keogh, executive director of the Australian Farm Institute, who has been a keynote speaker at recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) research Updates at Wagga Wagga (NSW) and Ballarat (Victoria). 

The presentations to hundreds of agricultural advisers and grain industry personnel through the southern cropping region focused on “industry mega-trends” and their potential impact on grain growers for the next 10 to 20 years.

“Grain industry mega-trends are long-term trends that will fundamentally affect grain supply and demand over the long term,” Mr Keogh said. 

“It is important to stress that these trends will not necessarily have an impact on farm profitability now.  Much more significant over the short term are factors like seasonal conditions, rainfall, intergenerational grain stock levels, planting and harvest outlooks, oil and energy prices, exchange rates and the cost of farm inputs like fertiliser and chemicals.  

“It will be important to be aware of these grain industry mega-trends when making long-term, strategic investment farming decisions.”

Mr Keogh split these “mega-trends” into those impacting consumption and those impacting production. He concluded that the outlook is favourable for grain growers over the long term. 

Consumption:

“Demand should continue to grow over the longer term,” Mr Keogh said.

“Firstly, there will be more mouths to feed, with the global population predicted to increase from 6.9 billion to more than 9 billion people by 2050.  A bulk of this population growth will come from developing nations in Asia.  As personal wealth increases in these countries, more people will require animal protein in their diets, spurring demand for stockfeed.

“Australian Farm Institute Research indicates that by 2020, an additional 400 million tonnes of grain and 150 million tonnes of oilseed will be needed each year.

“Secondly, the ongoing liberalisation of the world agricultural markets and trade frameworks, particularly with China, should have a positive effect for Australian growers,” he continued.

“Thirdly, the use of grain and oilseeds for non-traditional purposes like biodiesel and ethanol should continue to grow by somewhere between 30-50 per cent by 2020.  This means that future upturns in grain and oilseed prices will persist for longer periods.

“Taken together, there is little doubt that these three factors will result in accelerating global demand for grain and oil seeds, with the projected rate of demand to increase by approximately 2.5 per cent per annum until 2015.”

However, Mr Keogh warned that global demand can only positively affect price when compared with the relative rates of supply.

“Grain and oilseed price over the long term will depend on global output compared with global supply,” he said.

Production:

Mr Keogh said the availability of additional land and water was the first restriction on the ability to increase production. 

“Cropping land in the USA, Western Europe, China, India and Middle East is falling, but in Eastern Europe and Africa crop production is increasing. Up to 200 million hectares of suitable cropping land could be made available in Eastern Europe and South America if Government policy settings were in place to encourage this development, and more importantly, if grain prices made it profitable.

“It is likely that global cropping areas will continue to grow, but it is unlikely that sufficient areas will be developed to keep up with demand.”

The second factor Mr Keogh considered was cropping sector productivity growth.  Australia and other developed nation crop producers have achieved productivity growth between 2-4 per cent per annum, mainly due to steady yield per hectare increases. 

“These productivity gains are tapering off,” he said. “While developing countries should see productivity growth, growth across the board will become more difficult to achieve.”

The third and most speculative of production trends Mr Keogh addressed was the impact of climate change on production. 

“Contrary to popular belief, climate change might even increase global capacity, by making areas in Canada and Russia suitable for cropping,” he said.

“The consensus view is that production will increase in alpine and sub-alpine regions, but decrease in tropical and sub tropical regions, making distribution rather than availability of grain a bigger challenge. Globally, therefore, climate change is unlikely to impact global cropping production for the next 20 years.”

Conclusion and implications for growers

Mr Keogh recognised that “fortune telling” was always fraught with danger, but he was confident in the long-term future for Australian growers. 

“The overall conclusion is that these consumption and production mega-trends have a reasonable strong probability of increasing grain and oilseed demand and prices over the next 20 years,” he said. 

 “This, in turn, is likely to mean that, on average, there will be improved profit opportunities for grain producers, and prices for cropping land will also increase over the longer term.”

Editor’s notes:

• For more information contact Mick Keogh, Australian Farm Institute executive director, on 0418 256 066
• www.grdc.com.au
• GRDC Project Code: ORM00001
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

Key points:

• Wayne Hawthorne presented with 2010 GRDC Seed of Light award
• Seed of Light award recognises excellence in grains research extension

One of Australia’s most recognised authorities on pulse agronomy has been recognised for his efforts and achievements in communicating the outcomes of research.

Wayne Hawthorne, a senior Pulse Crop Development Manager with Pulse Australia, has been presented with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Seed of Light award.

Based at Naracoorte in South Australia’s South-East, Mr Hawthorne received his award from GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon at this week’s GRDC research Update in Adelaide.

Mr Shannon said Mr Hawthorne was a very deserving recipient of the 2010 GRDC southern region Seed of Light award, which recognises excellence in grains research and development communications. 

“Wayne has played an influential role in the co-ordination and growth of the Australian pulse industry over recent decades,” Mr Shannon said. “He has been instrumental in promoting the industry which owes a great deal of its development to his tireless endeavours.”

Graduating with a Masters degree in Agricultural Science in 1970, Mr Hawthorne pursued his interest in the nutritional aspects of grain, commencing his career with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) as a research officer initially involved with developmental research into the benefits of lupins in stock rations.

He developed a keen involvement in the then emergent pulse industries, taking on the role as SA State agronomic research and extension coordinator, collaborating with the national breeding programs for chick peas, lupins and faba beans, and later field peas and lentils, and supervising SA breeding evaluation projects.

Gaining recognition as one of the key technical authorities on agronomic management for pulses at both state and national level, Mr Hawthorne was appointed SARDI’s Senior Research Officer, Pulses, taking on the additional responsibility of co-ordinating the relationship between the department and the industry value chain.

In this respect he was a driving force behind, and a key member of, the voluntary SA industry interest group, Pulse South Australia, bringing all industry sectors together with the common goal of co-ordinated industry development.

“Wayne initiated and joined many groups and committees, all with a united objective of progressing the industry,” Mr Shannon said.

He was Chair of the SA Department of Primary Industries (PIRSA) Pulse and Oilseed Industry Development Committee for some time prior to his retirement from the department.

Other roles during his career have included chairman of Pulse SA for several years prior to joining Pulse Australia, during which time Mr Hawthorne was responsible for many initiatives adopted at a national level.

As the SA representative on the national pulse standards committee, he played a driving role in the development of harmonised import/export trading standards across all states.

On his retirement from SARDI in 2003, Mr Hawthorne joined Pulse Australia Limited as Southern Region Pulse Crop Development Officer.

Mr Hawthorne has been a vital contributor to the development of extension materials for pulses, both in collaboration with major farming groups and other committees.

He developed and maintains “The Grain Legume Hand Book” – a seminal volume of management advice to pulse growers – and in his own right has been responsible for publications such as “Pulses Nutritional Value and Their Role in the Feed Industry”, a publication funded by the GRDC, now in its second print run and recognised as the key reference work on this subject globally.

Editor’s notes:

• Caption: Seed of Light award recipient Wayne Hawthorne (right) receives his award from GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon.
• www.grdc.com.au 
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

Key points:

• Presentations by Peter Botta, PCB Consulting, and Joanne Holloway, Industry and Investment NSW on grains storage and insect resistance at GRDC Adviser Updates held at Wagga Wagga, Ballarat and Adelaide
• Australia must ensure grain is free from insects to protect international and domestic markets
• Insect resistance to phosphine continues to be present in south-eastern Australia, so it is crucial that growers follow scrupulous hygiene, follow chemical label instructions and carefully manage on-farm storages

Agricultural advisers have been warned about the importance of hygienic grain storage, appropriate phosphine use and aeration at recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) research Updates at Wagga Wagga (NSW), Ballarat (Victoria) and Adelaide (SA).

Peter Botta from PCB Consulting and Joanne Holloway from Industry and Investment NSW said growers needed to be extra vigilant in countering grain insects, to protect crucial international and domestic markets. 

The warnings are particularly significant, given that more Australian growers are storing grains for much longer to add flexibility to their marketing program. The longer grain is stored the more susceptible to insect infestation it becomes. 

“Grain insect phosphine resistance is a very serious threat to the Australian grain industry,” Mr Botta said. 

“Our markets demand Australian grain to be free of insects. It is crucial that Australian growers have strategies in place to store and deliver grain, control insects and limit the spread of phosphine resistance.”

Dr Holloway said that random surveys across the growing regions of south-eastern Australia showed that live grain insects were found in 65% of grain storages surveyed. 

“Rhyzopertha, commonly known as the lesser grain borer, was the most common pest,” Ms Holloway said. “Currently, even strong resistant forms of this insect can be controlled by the correct use of phosphine. But that may change with time.

“Of more concern are strong resistant populations of other pest species like flat grain beetle and rice weevil. These have been found at various sites in eastern Australia, and, unfortunately, are no longer controlled with the current rates of phosphine. In all insect species, it appears that the development of strong resistance to phosphine is due to its use in unsealed storages or at incorrect rates..

“As a consequence, it is absolutely vital that growers follow scrupulous hygiene, follow chemical label instructions and carefully manage on-farm storages.” 

Peter Botta and Joanne Holloway outlined the following strategies for growers:

Have a plan

When considering new storages, growers should always plan for what they want to achieve, whether it be for feed storage or for marketing purposes. Knowing where grain is, protection periods for specific storages, records of treatments, quality specification and implementing a monitoring system are essential.

Think about storage periods

Different systems are required for storing grain for different periods: 

• For less than six weeks, ground dumping and silo bags can be used.
• A variety of methods can be used for medium term storage, but the longer grain is stored, the more likely there will be problems. For best results, gas-tight sealed storage and aeration is recommended.
• If storing grain for more than 12 months, gas tight storage and aeration are almost essential. Gas tight sealed storage allows insects to be fumigated and aeration maintains the quality of the grain

Keep it clean

Whatever the storage system, the principle of “prevention is better than cure” always applies.  Effective grain hygiene therefore is important.  Grain spills should be cleaned up immediately and weeds should be removed. Harvesting and empty storage equipment must always be cleaned and if possible a structural treatment applied.

Know your enemy

Insect species need to be indentified prior to treatment to ensure that the correct control strategy is used and with the appropriate chemical.  For all chemicals it is crucial that instructions be read and followed. When fumigating, rates must be determined for the volume of the storage, not the amount of grain. For contact insecticides the equipment needs to be calibrated, and the chemicals mixed and applied correctly.  This will ensure that pests are eradicated, and that, more importantly, resistance to insecticides is not increased. 

Maintaining quality

In high moisture and temperature conditions, insects, fungi and moulds can become more active. A good aim is to store grain at a moisture content of 12 per cent and 25 degrees or less. Keeping grain to these temperatures is very difficult, particularly in the heat of summer.  One way to do this is via aeration, which not only lowers temperatures but also reduces insects’ reproduction rates and protects grain quality. 

Be sure with sealed gas-tight storage

In a sealed silo, grain can be fumigated effectively providing relatively quick, inexpensive and long lasting insect control. 

Keep the market in mind

Most importantly, growers should work with their end users to ensure that they can deliver and meet market expectations.

For more information, growers can check the Stored Grain Pests Fact Sheet, recently produced by the Grains Research and Development Corporation. The factsheet is available free (plus postage and handling) through GRDC’s Ground Cover Direct – freecall 1800 110044 or email ground-cover-direct@canprint.com.au.

More can also be found at http://www.grdc.com.au/storedgrainpests.

Editor’s notes:

• For more information contact Peter Botta on 0417 501 890 or Joanne Holloway on (02) 69381605
• www.grdc.com.au
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

The South Australian grain sector, one of the State’s major industries, is currently undergoing and facing major changes.

To equip the industry with the resources needed to manage these changes and to explore strategies for the future, a major research forum will be held in Adelaide this week.

Scientists, researchers, advisers and agronomists from throughout Australia and overseas will gather for a Grains Research and Development Corporation research Update to discuss the challenges facing the industry.

WHAT:           Grains Research and Development Corporation research Update 

WHEN:           Wednesday, March 3 (from 9am) and Thursday, March 4 (from 8.15am)

WHERE:         Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace

 WHO:              Speakers include:

• NAB Agribusiness economist Frank Drum who will detail the global economic outlook and the implications for agriculture, supply and demand in 2010 and the impacts of deregulation. Longer-term mega trends and the impact of corporate agriculture and big business will also be discussed
• Dr Richard Eckard, Associate Professor and Reader at the University of Melbourne’s School of Land and Environment, who will provide an overview on the consequences of carbon emissions policy for grain growers
• Dr Hugh Beckie from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who is considered Canada’s foremost authority on the subject of herbicide resistant weeds. He will discuss management of risks in chemical-dependent cropping systems, and the role of GM canola in Canadian cropping systems.

Media organisations are invited to attend the research Update where interview/photo opportunities will be available. For more information contact: Sharon Watt on 0409 675100 or swatt@porternovelli.com.au

Key points:

• National Variety Trial data available through Google maps
• Easy access to relevant trial results

Grain growers and farm advisers throughout the southern cropping region will soon have easy access to important crop variety trial data through the Google maps internet search engine.

National Variety Trial (NVT) data will be available through Google maps by locating trial sites on-screen.

The new capability, which will come on line in March after the 2009 trial results are entered into the NVT system, will give users direct access to both current and historical results from any site selected by clicking on its location tab on the map.

Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Manager Gene Discovery, Dr Juan Juttner, said the NVT program, supported by growers and the Australian Government through the GRDC, provided growers with access to accurate and independent data on the performance of recently released grain and field crop varieties.

“This new capability through Google maps will enhance access to NVT information and related GRDC farming systems projects, further assisting growers and advisers in their crop variety decision-making processes,” Dr Juttner said.

NVT is managed by the Australian Crop Accreditation System Limited, and each year more than 600 trials are sown at over 250 locations. Crops tested are wheat, barley, triticale, oat, canola, lupin, lentil, field pea, faba bean and chickpea.

NVT manager Alan Bedggood said the new Google maps capability was designed to make it easier for farmers and advisers to locate and access results from the trial sites they consider most relevant.

“The value placed on the NVT system is clearly evident from the use of trial results in state sowing guides and commercial brochures and by advisers copying and distributing these to clients to assist in variety selection and management decisions,” Mr Bedggood said.

“The Google maps capability will make the trial site network more visible and make it easier for users to locate the results and data that are most relevant to them.

“The new capability features a filter bar that can be used to select only trials containing the crop of interest and the five trial sites closest to any given postcode. Nominating wheat as the crop of interest and keying 3400 into the postcode window will, for example, result in a map carrying tabs locating the five wheat trial sites closest to Horsham in Victoria.

“Clicking on one of the resulting tabs will provide access to current and long-term results for that site plus agronomic and management information through links to crop-specific information.

“Checking other trial sites is as simple as dragging the map across until the relevant area is on screen then clicking on the tab of interest.”

Mr Bedggood said links from each location tab could also be followed to regional, state and national information including sowing guides, agronomic and crop protection recommendations and advice and other related GRDC projects.

For more information, contact Alan Bedggood, on 03 5382 7200, or alan@acaslimited.com.au 

• www.grdc.com.au
• GRDC Project Code: VR24
• This media release and other media products are available via www.grdc.com.au/media

Adelaide graduates have won both available selections to represent Australia at the One Young World Summit in London next week for international beauty company Burt’s Bees.

Steven Burnside and Fiona Paton were chosen because of their already diverse working and volunteering experiences – and both just happen to be graduates of the University of Adelaide.

Burt’s Bees is sponsoring 10 delegates to join their colleagues from some 192 nations to put forward the thoughts and opinions of youth on world issues including the environment, global business, the media, health, politics and faith. They will hear from high profile speakers including the likes of Sir Bob Geldof, Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan.

Perhaps more importantly – they will also have their say so these leaders can listen to a different point of view, something both Fiona and Steven are looking forward to doing.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us, not just to present our opinions as young Australians, but to have our views challenged by current world leaders and other young people from across the globe.” Steven Burnside said.

Burt’s Bees Australia Marketing Manager, Emma Sykes, said the Adelaide pair are an inspiration.

 “What these two young people have already packed into their lives in terms of work and life experience is an example to us all,” Ms Sykes said.

“Steven is just back from a stint working with a school for disabled and underprivileged children in India, while Fiona will be taking up a personal invitation to attend the G8 meeting in the US straight after the London summit.

“To be represented by them, to learn from them through their experiences being at the Summit, will be something everyone at Burt’s Bees will appreciate, and that we will do our best to share as broadly as possible.” 

Information for editors:

• Lee Welch, Porter Novelli (Adelaide) 0407 390 089
• Emma Sykes, Burt’s Bees Australia Marketing Manager, 0407 471 008
• Steven Burnside 0421 827 709
• One Young world Inaugural Summit information: www.oneyoungworld.com

No medical referral is required to take up the offer, which is normally valued at $195.

“The test is done using a handheld scanner to detect hard masses in breast tissue,” clinic director Sunset Chenery said.

“There’s no requirement to compress the breast tissue for this test so it’s absolutely pain free. Each client receives a detailed report to take back to their GP and a visual breast map they can use themselves to help them monitor changes in their breasts,” Ms Chenery said.

“This offer is our gift to women who want to take a positive step towards breast health and overall wellbeing.”

The $50 plus donation breast scan offer is available at Breastlogic, 74 Gawler Place, Adelaide and 1a/661 Newcastle Street, Leederville until New Year’s Eve. Bookings can be made on (08) 8227 0800.

Porter Novelli are proud to welcome Breastlogic as a new client.

Information for editors

• Further information: Sunset Chenery 0411 017 103 or (08) 8227 0800.
• Breastlogic use the SureTouch system, in use in 29 countries worldwide including the U.S., Canada and UK. Breastlogic is the first dedicated Australian clinic using this technology. This system involves a hand-held device to measure pressure changes in breast tissue.
• Website: www.breastlogic.com.au

Dover Fisheries were assisted in developing their applications for the SA Premiers Food Awards by Porter Novelli (Adelaide). These awards recognise outstanding achievement and excellence in the South Australian food industry and reward businesses and individuals who have demonstrated vision, leadership and innovation in their field.

The food industry in South Australia contributes over $12 billion to the state’s economy and employs 146,000 people. This is the third year Porter Novelli has worked with the Awards, offering support to food producers in telling their stories effectively and with preparation for judging.  This year, Porter Novelli also assisted Bushmin Farmed Rabbits, Fleurieu Milk, Southern Waters Marine Products and Humbugz Honey to become Finalists. Dover Fisheries now joins Humbugz Honey (winner of the 2008 New Product category) as a recipient of the Porter Novelli prize pack – consisting of pro bono support for implementation of a media campaign around their win and strategic advice to leverage their success.

Porter Novelli congratulates all involved with the SA Premier’s Food Awards and this year’s finalists and winners.

http://www.doverfisheries.com.au/