trials

The Transitioning Family Farming Businesses project proposed to facilitate a discussion in the WA grains industry regarding its future industry development requirements around the establishment of farm advisory boards. It did this through the delivery of:

• Needs analysis of the Australian grains industry regarding the development of farm advisory boards using leading farmers and key industry stakeholders in;

o a series of in-depth interviews, and

o an industry forum.

• Develop an outline of a training programme that, once developed, will support grain businesses in their implementation of an advisory board of management.

• Develop fact sheets regarding the establishment of farm advisory boards.

• Provide an opportunity for members of the project team to participate with other leading businesses at a national level through;

o Participation in the National Farm Advisory Board Forum, and

o Participation in the Family Business Australia “Family Business Directors

• Delivery of information on the establishment of farm boards at identified industry conferences and field days.

Why do the trial? 
Barley grass possesses several biological traits that make it difficult for growers to manage in the low rainfall zone, so it is not surprising that it is becoming more prevalent in field crops in SA. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 1 0 weeds of Australian cropping in terms of the area infested, crop yield loss, and revenue loss. In this survey, barley grass was ranked as the 7th most costly weed to control by the growers in SA and VIC Mallee and Mid-North, Lower Yorke and Eyre Peninsula. In a previous random survey in SA in 2012, Shergill et al. (2015) identified resistance to quizalofop in 15% of barley grass populations from Upper North and Eyre Peninsula. Additional herbicide-resistant populations have been identified since the previous survey. Growers in these regions have observed many control failures and have been collaborating with this GRDC-funded project to confirm the resistance status of their barley grass populations. 

A recent N LP2 investment, Adapting cropping systems to changing climatic conditions to reduce inputs and maximise water use through improving crop competitiveness, is a demonstration and extension project which started in late 2019. An initial grower survey of current management practices and attitudes towards barley grass was undertaken in March 2020 to be used as the baseline to assess changes in grower attitudes and changes in practices at the completion of the project. 

The project aims to unlock value in existing data to drive innovation in agronomy and livestock management by bringing together data from a range of sources including satellite, soil moisture probe networks, weather stations, proximal sensing and yield models. By working with farmers and advisors to link data with decision making, the project aims to make more informed and significantly improved land management decisions. 

Varied. Please see article. 

• To evaluate the benefit of yield and pod development from the introduction of bees and the management of the pollination process.

To explore issues of footrot in sheep and goats on Kangaroo Island. 

To identify patterns of herbicide resistance levels on Kangaroo Island in 2009.

The KI Feral Pig Eradication project was funded to take advantage of this one silver lining of the fires. The program is a collaboration between PIRSA, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board and KI National Parks and Wildlife Service working together with the KI community, including AgKI, Livestock SA, KI Plantation Timbers and KI Council.

The Kangaroo Island Topoclimate Pilot Project was developed and promoted by the KI Development Board in partnership with local farmers, the KI Natural Resources Management Board and Rural Solutions SA.

• To participate in a farm tour in Tasmania and learn about the Topoclimate project, which provides very detailed soil and microclimate mapping which will enable producers to pick their best-bet options for improved farming practices and identify options for value adding and product diversification.

A guide to weather and climate on Kangaroo Island

heep Blow Fly (SBF) causes significant economic losses for Australian livestock producers. South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) researchers are developing the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for Sheep Blow Fly.

To share Tim Buck's story about using technology to make better farming decisions.

To report on the Paxton's efforts to “to keep the soil pH above 5, we know if we don’t, we start losing production”. 

To ascertain the major differences in soil types in the region, and provide more accurate and timely information on a broad, generic scale that would have better relevance for growers in the region.

To inform about the 1995 farm bill.

To comment on the year that was 2006.

To review the broadscale weather pattern and summarise implications for the 2007 cropping season, i.e. May-October.

To discuss the benefits of using aeroplanes for monitoring purposes in cropping.

To present the main messages from the agronomy trial work undertaken in 2005.

To discuss the profitability of farming enterprises.

To increase the awareness of grain marketing tools available to grain growers and to demonstrate how they can be utilised.

To increase the awareness of grain marketing tools available to grain growers and to demonstrate how they can be utilised.

This paper addresses three issues:

• The challenges facing high input farming systems,
• How valid is biological farming as an alternative, and
• Can high input farming and alternative methods be integrated?

To answer the questions 'What can I do about root diseases between now and sowing?'

To compare the weaknesses and strengths of common non-ownership options and proposes an alternative to the norm.

To investigate the effect of rainfall on farm gross income in the southern Mallee.

To discuss how to cope with stress in rural communities.

To discuss the effects of drought and other pressures upon farming families in the Wimmera Southern Mallee region.

To provide information on cross reference of previous  trial results 2005 – 2010.
 

• To assess the biodiversity values of stock water points in the Wimmera Mallee Channel/Dam region and the Northern Mallee Pipeline region.
• To determine whether biodiversity and the environmental values of open water can be maintained in a farming landscape through the use of purpose-built water points for wildlife.
• To develop guidelines for farmers and industry on the use of water points for best management of wildlife within a piped water delivery system.

To sample fauna distribution, abundance and habitat use at the different water access points.

To present ideas around drought being a catalyst for change.

To provide a useful technique for estimating pasture legume seed reserved in paddocks.

To report on the final season that was monitored by the FAST project.

To investigate pasture production and utilisation by sheep.

• To compare performance of four different farming systems, over the years 2003-08, using prices appropriate for 2009.
• To use a machinery inventory and relevant costings compared with contract pricing for operations.

To see how different the machinery requirements are in different farming systems.

To uncover what makes for profitable and sustainable crop production.

To link financial management to the environmental and production aspects of a variety of farming systems in south eastern Australia.

To discuss the feeding of sheep.

To discuss the criteria for financial viability after drought.

• To determine whether wildlife ponds installed adjacent to existing farm dams in the Wimmera and Southern Mallee channel/dam region can attract and support frogs.
• To determine whether there is any capacity for frog populations in the Northern Mallee Pipeline region, which may still be dormant in and around old dams, to respond to the addition of water through a wildlife pond and re-occupy these sites.

This project is investigating strategies for maintaining frog populations on farms using wildlife ponds.

• To determine the use of new design wildlife ponds by frogs.
• To determine the ability of frogs to disperse from existing channel-fed water sources to wildlife ponds.
• To determine the potential to re-establish populaitons within their former range in the Northern Mallee Pipeline region.
• To determine whether the new design willdlife pond can maintain or enhance broader biodiversity value benefits, using birds as indicators.

To discuss future strategies for small farmers when there is insufficient income to suppor the family from on-farm income.

To proivde information about getting into sheep.

To discuss good drought recovery.