Porter Novelli Adelaide

An important part of the equation in Australian grain growers’ declining terms of trade in recent seasons has been the rising price of fertiliser.

Many soils in our cropping regions are limited by nutrient deficiencies, so nitrogen fertiliser is usually an inescapable cost component in farming budgets.

Of course, there are alternatives to applying a lot of nitrogen. Legumes play a critical role in cereal rotations by providing disease and pest breaks to cereal crops but also by returning nitrogen to the soil, and one of the most effective legumes for this purpose is vetch.

Rade Matic, who leads the vetch breeding program at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), says trials across five sites over three years had shown an average increase in soil mineral nitrogen (as reported in commercial soil tests) in the 0-10cm soil layer of 17kg/ha after a vetch grain crop. Read the rest of this entry »

Over 260 artists will be represented when doors open for this year’s Florey Medical Research Foundation’s exhibition, For the Love of Art’,  at  6.30 pm on Wednesday October 8th at Bonython Hall on the University of Adelaide’s North Terrace campus. The exhibition, the Foundation’s fifth fundraising art show, will be officially opened at 7.15 pm with a gala cocktail party featuring Becky Blake from Cocktail Hour.

Works have been donated by a wide range of established artists, emerging talent and celebrities to raise funds for medical research. Art fans and bargain hunters will need to be right on time to snap up canvases to add to their collections, according to Judith Turner from the Foundation, as some canvases are sold for a fraction of their real value. Read the rest of this entry »

Growers are being reminded to monitor crops for outbreaks of diamondback moth (DBM). Ian McMaster, Practices Project Manager at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), said it was vital for growers to stay on top of their mid-season monitoring programs. “DBM outbreaks can be devastating to canola crops so growers must keep their monitoring programs going at this time of the year,” Mr McMaster said. “The adults are active at dusk and throughout the night, but usually do not move far within a crop. However, they are capable of long distance migration on prevailing winds, especially when host plant material has died off and the moths have to disperse to survive. Larvae cause crop damage and wriggle when disturbed, often dropping from the plant on a silken thread. Changing weather conditions can impact dramatically on DBM populations and abundance so growers must keep watch.” A factsheet with more details about managing DBM outbreaks can be found at www.grdc.com.au/pestlinks.

Leading Adelaide public relations consultancy Porter Novelli yesterday congratulated colleague Liz Harfull on the successful launch of her first book, The Blue Ribbon Cookbook, in the new Goyder Pavilion at the Wayville Showgrounds.

The Blue Ribbon Cookbook features recipes from more than 50 prize-winning cooks at country shows across South Australia, and provides a unique snapshot of the State’s rich country show heritage. It was officially launched today by ABC Radio personality Peter Goers.

Porter Novelli managing director Janice Hoad said the quality of The Blue Ribbon Cookbook was testament to Liz’s dedication to the project. Read the rest of this entry »