Treasure from trash?...Treasure from trash? A T WOLLONGBAR Primary Industries Institute, Lukas Van...

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Treasure fromtrash?

AT WOLLONGBAR PrimaryIndustries Institute, Lukas VanZwieten (right) leads a team

including Josh Rust, breaking moreground in biochar research – nowthey’re exploring its potential to lockup carbon derived from organic land-fill wastes.

Their colleague, Tony Vancov andhis team are currently investigatingtechnologies for the production ofsecond generation biofuels fromforestry harvest and mill residues –alternative energy sources to reducegreenhouse gases.

Dr Vancov says “while significantinternational work is investigatingbiomass processing, we need to devel-op our own programs and researchcapacity for biomass native toAustralia”.

■■ Stories p4-5.

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TL1741008

IN 2001, as part of a panel presentingfuture scenarios for agriculture in 2012,I was asked to present the environmen-tal angle.

I presented urban consumers as welleducated about farming and foodproduction, who considered farmersnational heroes for their hard workkeeping the community fed andclothed.

I speculated they would be living theslogan “If you eat, you’re a partner inagriculture”, supporting farmerschanged.

Who would have guessed in 2001,that a perfect storm of climate-causedcatastrophes in our important foodproducing areas in 2011 would lead tofood shortages and increasingconcerns about urban food security?

Who would have guessed, in 2001,that the farmers’ market phenomenonwould have taken off to the extent thatmore than 150 markets are registeredwith the Australian Farmers MarketsAssociation, more than 40 of them inNSW?

A Victorian Parliamentary reportpublished late last year found thatState’s farmers markets generate $227million a year, and their popularity isdue to improved financial returns forfarmers and more involvedconsumers.

“People are increasingly interested inknowing where their food comes fromand how it was produced,” accordingto the report.

“There is a perception that local foodis more sustainable, has lessenvironmental impact and is of ahigher quality (or ‘freshness’).

“There is also a strong desire amongVictorian consumers to support theirlocal businesses and farmers.”

The report recommends continuingState government support, cominglingof farmers’ markets and retail areas,and making land available forprospective farmers, especially in peri-urban areas.

Who would have guessed that urbanfarming would be on the rise in 2011?

There are now more than 50 urban

community food gardens in NSW, andhundreds throughout Australia,dedicated to helping city and towndwellers grow and harvest food.

Local government is playing animportant role in this initiative.

In schools, food gardens are nowpart of many school grounds, and theAustralian Curriculum, Assessmentand Reporting Authority, developingthe national curriculum, says thatprimary industries will soon becompulsory from kindergarten to yeareight.

Agriculture will be integrated intoexisting subjects like geography,science and maths.

And who would have guessed, in2001, that 2012 would be the Year ofthe Farmer?

The Year aims to establish closer tiesbetween Australia's rural and urbanCommunities.

Its website says “Australia's farmersshould be recognised and celebrated:for feeding the nation, for leading theworld in farming techniques andinnovation, and for sustaining the vitalagribusinesses that underpin oureconomy.”

2 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, March 3, 2011● ● ● ●

AUSTRALIAN organic farmingwill be the nation’s top growthindustry in 2011, according to

market analysts and researchers,IBISWorld.

IBISWorld predicts Australian organ-ic farming will experience revenuegrowth of 14 per cent ($58.35 million)in 2011, attributable to consumers’higher disposable incomes, coupledwith rising awareness of environmentalsustainability and the increased con-venience of organic foods contributingto continued growth.

“Australian farmers are benefitingfrom higher demand for organic pro-duce, 51.4pc of which is made up offruit and vegetables, since it attractsgreater premiums,” said the marketresearcher’s recent report.

“Demand for organic products inAustralia has risen steadily over the lastfive years,as consumers increasingly fac-tor in the health benefits and environ-mental impact of their food choices.”

Strong growth of industry revenue isrepresented by 11.4pc from farmers’markets, and 10.2pc from specialistorganic retailers.

By comparison, 5.3pc comes fromsupermarkets, with support by majorretailers – such as Coles, Woolworthsand McDonald’s – promoting theirorganic lines.

However, IBISWorld anticipates thatas organic goods become more readilyavailable, the price of certified produceshould decline.

IBISWorld has identified the top fiveindustries they expect to fly and fall inthe year to come.

After organic farming come videogames, electricity distribution, motorcycle dealing and domestic airlines.

Apple and pear growing run secondto wired telecommunications carriersin the predicted top five industries todecline in 2011, followed by telecom-munications resellers, recorded mediamanufacturing and publishing, and

professional photography.Apple and pear growing revenue

growth is predicted to fall by 6.8pc($43.80 million) in 2011, as theAustralian market opens to moreimported produce, promptingincreased competition and lowerprices.

“Relatively new competitors such asChina are rapidly ramping up produc-tion of fruit varieties currently grownby Australian farmers, and the industryis also facing challenges from stagnantlocal fruit consumption and limitedexport markets,” the report said.

Other factors leading to the industry’spoor outlook in 2011 include recentheavy rains in south-eastern Australia,which mean diseases such as blight andmildew may become common andprices will subsequently decline.

IBISWorld is an international infor-mation provider, whose analysts,researchers and marketers supplyingreports to 500 Australian industries.

Organic farming top growth industryin Oz, says a little bird

RECENTLY appointed agricultural cli-matologist Michael Cashen (pictured)will help rural industries and farmersbetter manage climate variability andchange.

Mr Cashen’s nine years of extensionand climate change experience with the

department includes previous work ona number of projects, includingFarming for the Future, WaterWise onthe Farm and Climatology inAgriculture.

Mr Cashen is already well known tomany of the State’s producers, particu-

larly those who have participated in theProfarm course “A farmer’s guide tomanaging climate risk”, which he hasdelivered to more than 800 farmers.

Mr Cashen will also work with thedepartment’s frontline extension staffto further expand their climate expert-

ise and help develop practical tools andproducts for land managers and theiradvisors.■ Starting this edition, Mr Cashenwill also write Agriculture Today’sclimate column, What in theHeavens. Read it on p6.

Farmers and urban consumers are growing closer

■ Year of the Farmerwww.yearofthefarmer.com.au

■ Farmers market reportwww.parliament.vic.gov.au

■ City farmshttp://communitygarden.org.au

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TL1729343

AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, March 3, 2011 3● ● ● ●

RABID dog management inIndonesia has recently received awelcome injection of Australian

know-how and modern technology.Industry and Investment NSW verte-

brate pest research unit staff, GlenSaunders and Paul Meek, travelled tothe islands of Flores and Bali to givetraining in latest dog managementstrategies and the use of the globalpositioning system (GPS) trackingtechnology.

Dr Saunders said they providedadvice on dog population and ecologystudies.

The advice underpins the rabies erad-ication component of an AustralianCentre for International AgriculturalResearch (ACIAR) project to improveveterinary service delivery in decen-tralised Indonesia.

“The aim of the ACIAR project is toeradicate rabies on Flores and Bali bydeveloping an effective control pro-gram which includes vaccinating dogsfor rabies,” Dr Saunders said.

“To do that they need to be able toaccurately monitor and track dog pop-ulations.

“We provided intensive training toBali Masters student, Drh KetutGunata, students and Flores Mastersgraduate, Drh Simon Nani, on the fun-damental principles of canid ecology,field investigation, dog capture, han-dling and radio tracking.

“Hands-on training in radio trackingprovided valuable experience in thetype of research techniques they need.”

To support the GPS training, a GPSwaypoint capture manual was pre-pared and translated into BahasaIndonesian.

Dr Saunders said during the train-ing sessions, dogs from two villageswere radio tagged.

“After consultation with villagechiefs and residents, two dogs werecaptured using blow darts with tran-quillisers and the students wereshown how to fit radio tags,” he said

“The dogs were released andobserved for two days prior to ourdeparture.

“We now receive weekly updatesfrom the Indonesian students ontheir progress.”

The ACIAR project plans to

improve Indonesian emergency dis-ease preparedness and responsethrough implementation of anINDOVETPLAN similar toAustralia’s AUSVETPLAN, as wellas developing improved diseasecontrol plans for rabies in Floresand Bali, anthrax in Indonesia’s east-ern islands and brucellosis inTimor.

This project will help Indonesiareduce the impacts of these seriousdiseases and reduce the risk ofexotic livestock disease reachingAustralia through Indonesia.

Indonesia is a key target countryfor ACIAR animal health researchand development programs, dueto its proximity and the extensivemovements of people and wildlifebetween the two countries.

Invaluable experience gained fromthe hands-on application of rabiescontrols in Indonesia will beused to update Australia’s rabies con-tingency plans.■ Contact Dr Glen Saunders,Orange,[email protected]

Mad dogs and scientists

Bali veterinarian, Dr Gunata, masters the art of radio-tracking dogs.

Kiwi fruitmakes meatmore tenderA HOME-cooking technique whichuses kiwi fruit to tenderise steak hasbeen given scientific credence byIndustry and Investment (I and I)NSW researchers.

Principal research scientist, DavidHopkins, said an enzyme containedin kiwi fruit, actinidain, is responsiblefor the tenderising effect.

“Previous research has shown thatactinidain acts on the molecularmake-up of beef to alter its structureand tenderise the meat,” Dr Hopkinssaid.

“Our studies used laboratory shearforce measurements to rate the ten-derness of beef topside after injectingsamples with a kiwi fruit-based solu-tion.

“The solution had a significanteffect on tenderness.”

To ramp up the effect, kiwi fruitinfused beef was aged for 14 daysusing Meat and Livestock Australia’s(MLA) new SmartShape/Smart Stre-tch packaging to retain the infusion.

Dr Hopkins said beef treated thisway got maximum consumer accept-ance for its tenderness.

The MLA-funded study alsoexplored the effect of the kiwi fruitsolution on meat colour, a key pur-chase trigger for consumers.

Meat injected with the kiwi fruitsolution was less colour stable butongoing studies by project partners atthe University of Otago in NewZealand indicate that unprocessedkiwi fruit juice can improve colourstability and extend display times atthe retail counter.

Colour does not affect the eatingquality of meat but research hasshown consumers use meat colour asa sign of freshness - meat whichbrowns quickly is less desirable toshoppers who are looking for light,bright cuts.

The researchers are working withmeat processors to adapt the technol-ogy to meet consumer demand.

- BERNADETTE YORK

BERNADETTE YORKOrange

Better incomes but soil challenges in AcehTHE village of Blang Tingkeum isone of a number of sites in Acehreaping the rewards of a more inten-sive approach to the local farmingsystem.

One of eight permanent projectsites established by an AustralianCentre for International Agricult-ural Research-funded project inAceh, the dryland site has seen atransition from one crop a year tothree crops.

Relatively new crop managementpractices like skip row planting inrice, zero tillage for crops after rice,fertiliser applications based on soilanalysis, integrated pest manage-ment techniques and new varieties,all helped contribute to an increasein productivity.

“Yields were excellent for rice andcorn, and good for soybean andmung bean,” said project officer,based at Wollongbar AgriculturalInstitute, Gavin Tinning.

“The income from additionalcrops was invested in livestock andfencing off the entire dryland crop-ping site.

“Local extension workers havebeen teaching farmers about com-post production, so farmers canproduce much needed organic mat-ter and fertiliser for their soils.

“The cattle are penned near thevillage and fed on crop wastes.”

Mr Tinning said changes in man-agement aim to help BlangTingkeum farmers maintain goodyields without degrading their soil.

The joint project between Industryand Investment NSW andIndonesian Ministry of Agriculturecoincides with a national push in

Indonesia for more intensive farm-ing to meet the food needs of thispopulous country.

Farmers in surrounding areas areimpressed and adopting manyaspects of the Blang Tingkeum sitemanagement.

They will also need to understandthat the more intensive systemrequires careful management.

The improvement in yields andincome in Blang Tingkeum indicatemore intensive farming systems arepossible.

Soil condition will be monitoredover the next two years, to seewhether the farmers in BlangTingkeum can maintain a healthy,productive soil under this new crop-ping regime.■ Contact Gavin Tinning,Wollongbar, (02) 6626 1115,[email protected]

LEFT:Project officer Gavin Tinningparticipating in the ceremonial firstplanting of soybean in BlangTingkeum village in Aceh.

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Editor Ron AggsTel (02) 4640 6457 Fax (02) 4640 6400

Production Editor Maryann JenkinsTel (02) 4570 4444 Fax (02) 4570 4650

Advertising Nicole WilliamsTel (02) 4570 4410 Fax (02) 4570 [email protected]

Circulation Distribution InquiriesTel (02) 4570 4444

National Sales Melbourne (03) 9287 9000Sydney (02) 9313 8444

Inclusion of any advertising - supporting materialin this publication does not necessarily implyendorsement of the product or company byIndustry & Investment NSW. TL1796633

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday


Recycled waste booster

BIOCHAR, a product madefrom recycled organic waste,is covering more new ground

as researchers on the North Coastexplore its potential to boost agri-cultural production.

On 350 trial plots on the NorthCoast, mainly on farms, biocharsmade from a variety of organicwastes, including poultry, feedlotand green waste, are being testedon coffee, macadamia, pasture andsugar cane crops.

Industry and Investment (I andI) NSW principal research scien-tist, Lukas Van Zwieten, saidbiochar offered benefits to farm-ers, the environment and the com-munity.

“Organic waste in landfill canemit harmful greenhouses gasesbut once it is processed as biochar,a very stable form of carbon, it canbe safely stored in the soil for manyyears,” Dr Van Zwieten said.

“Biochar can be used on farms toimprove soil quality, boost waterretention and reduce synthetic fer-tiliser use.”

Funded by the AustralianGovernment’s Caring for ourCountry initiative, I and I andRichmond Landcare Inc are evalu-

ating biochar’s potential in agri-cultural production.

“Farmers are keen to harness thebenefits of biochar, but first weneed to get the technology right,”he said.

“We’re developing an under-standing of how the biocharswork, so we can tailor them to suit

a broad range of crops and soiltypes.

“Many practices and principleswe’re developing here will beapplicable across Australia and ona global scale, to boost food andfibre production.”

The technology is headed over-seas, with the Australian Centre for

International Agriculture fundingfield trials at Wollongbar PrimaryIndustries Institute, to look atbiochar’s role in raising farmincomes, by lifting the productivi-ty of tropical and sub-tropical nuttrees in Vietnam and NSW.■ Contact Lukas Van Zwieten,Wollongbar, (02) 6626 1126.

Laboratory staff tests and measurements at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute have supported field and on-farm biochar trials. Pictured are Jenny Keep, Scott Petty, Amanda Musgrave, Mike Heesom, Elspeth Berger and JoshRust.

EVIDENCE continues to showthat having more women sitting atboardroom tables is better forbusiness.

The ‘Gender agenda: Unlockingthe power of diversity in theboardroom’ report by InsyncSurveys and Gender Worx wasreleased in December.

It shows gender diverse boardsare more effective and add greatervalue to an organisation thanmale dominated boards.

The study tapped into views of849 directors from more than 100New Zealand and Australianboards.

The research revealed thatboards with greater gender

diversity delivered higher qualitydecisions, displayed more effectivechairing and were more vigilantin linking managementremunerations to performancemeasures.

Men and women have differentviews, which translate intobroader thinking and ultimatelybetter decisions.

According to the study, womenare more likely to take a longerterm decisions while consideringthe organisation’s reputation andpossible impacts on others.

Women can also help reduceaggressive boardroom behaviours.

“Chairs act with greater integrityand undertake a more effectivedecision making process when atthe helm of a gender diverseboard,” said Nicholas Barnett,chair of Insync Surveys.

Because the male leadershipstyle is still common, manycompetent women still don’t seethemselves in senior rolesdominated by men.

This needs to change if we wantto build a diversity of views andnot repeat the same decisionsusing the same thinking.

As well as bringing a wealth ofknowledge to any table on howcommunities, customers andclients think, there are alsostrong moral and ethical reasonsfor board diversity.

Women are more than half thepopulation and deserve to berepresented.

But cultural barriers are stillprevalent and we need tokeep nudging at the barricadesto support women who want tobreak through.

Women want to be selected ontheir merits but evidence suggestsmany appointments are biasedtowards men.

Men continue to choose othermen over equally skilled women,because that is where theircomfort level lies.

Australia is ranked only 24th inthe world in terms of percentages

of women on boards, so we stillhave a long way to go.

If Australia wishes to remaincompetitive across all sectors ofindustry and business, we need tobe adaptable and embracediversity.

Nicholas Barnett said byunderstanding the value womencan add as leaders, Australianorganisations will be rewarded.

The Federal Government has seta target of 40 per cent genderbalance on boards by 2015 and isworking in partnership withthe Australian Institute ofCompany Directors to encourageprivate sector progress in genderequity.

Let’s get behind our growingnumber of regional womenleaders so we can improve thefuture of rural Australia aswell.

The full Gender Agenda reportis available atwww.insyncsurveys.com.au■ www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

Make more board room for skirts

BERNADETTE YORKOrange

Cold-tolerant rice is set to ease growers’ pain

RELEASE now of a new cold-tol-erant rice variety is expected tohelp take the chill out of ricegrowing in NSW.

Rice production in southernNSW is often at the mercy of lowtemperatures at the critical stageof pollen development (youngmicrospore) and consequentdamage has reduced yields by upto half every four years.

The new variety, YRM69, hasproduced strong results duringtrials in southern NSW, its twodegrees Celsius improved cold tol-erance offering the prospect of

levelling out the rollercoaster inyields between cold and hot sea-sons.

Recent drought conditions haveseen a higher occurrence of vari-able temperatures, with the differ-ence between the minimum andmaximum temperatures com-monly reaching up to 30º C.

Such daily variations have pro-vided a severe test for the newvariety, which has proven to beextremely stable.

With water limited and a premi-um commodity in itself, irrigationfarmers require crops to return abankable yield despite seasonaltemperature fluctuations.

YRM69 has commonly been pro-

ducing between two and fourmore tonnes per hectare grown,under temperature extremes, thanthe current commercial varieties.

As Australian commercial riceproduction is world renowned,with yields averaging around 10t/ha, YRM69 offers the industrythe ability to more accurately pre-dict production levels, even inyears of low water allocation.

The new variety’s ability to with-stand cooler temperatures is dueto sound genetics, and its Koreanand Californian parentage.

Development of the new rice is astep towards future food security.

It is the result of collaboration byIndustry and Investment (I and I)

NSW, grower derived researchlevies from the Rural IndustriesResearch and DevelopmentCorporation and the Sunrice-owned subsidiary Rice ResearchAustralia Pty Ltd.

Currently around 700 scientistsfrom I and I are working onmore than 900 projects around theState, tackling issues surroundingfood security, balancing agricul-ture and planning, and developingadaptation and mitigation strate-gies to climate change.■ Contact John Lacy, ricefarming systems industry leader,Yanco,[email protected] or(02) 6951 2738.

ALYSSA FITZGERALDOrange

THE American Phytopathological Society(APS) has published the Compendium of chick-pea and lentil diseases and pests by researchersfrom Industry and Investment NSW (I and I)and their colleagues around the world.

APS Press said the compendium was "the firstever comprehensive treatise on diseases andinsect pests affecting chickpeas and lentils, twocrops that play an important role in ensuringfood and nutritional security to millions of peo-ple world wide”.

More than 80 expert scientists from 12 coun-tries contributed.

I and I pathologist Dr Mark Schwinghamerplayed a major role as lead author on four sec-tions and co-authored seven others, includingPhytophtohora root rot, virus diseases, andphyllody disease.

Doctors Kevin Moore, Ron Southwell, TedKnights and Murray Fletcher each co-authoredother sections.

All contributions were peer-reviewed andincluded information and previously unpub-lished colour images amassed over 23 years ofresearch with the department.

In the crops and grains feature, pathologistKevin Moore outlines the high risk of diseases inchickpea crops this season.

Agronomist Leigh Jenkins expects much grow-er retained seed will have poor germination andvigour, and be infected with seed-bornepathogens.■ Story p8.

Compendium ofchickpea and lentildiseases and pests

THE NSW Food Authority has launched a newwebsite to inform consumers about new kilojoulelabelling requirements for major fast and snackfood chains.

If you want to know more, check out:www.fastchoices.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au

Fast tood websiteFast food website

AgToday

reports on the latest Agri Research &

ManagementInformation

(Inserted into The Land each month& view online www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday)

Call today to secure your positionCall Nicole (02) 4570 [email protected]

Showcase your productsin the April 7 edition

Features include:

✓✓ Pastures✓✓ Beef✓✓ Organics &

Biological Farming

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Forest biomassready for biofuelsAUNIQUE opportunity exists

to develop a biofuels industryin NSW using forest biomass

from readily available feedstock,while mitigating green house gasemissions.

At Wollongbar Primary IndustriesInstitute, Dr Tony Vancov and histeam are currently investigatingtechnologies for the production ofsecond generation biofuels fromforestry harvest and mill residues.

Dr Vancov was awarded a ForestIndustries Climate Change Researchgrant by the Federal Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

He urges more investment in thebiofuels industry from all availablesources, Australia-wide.

“It is unlikely that internationalstudies or industries will examine orinvest in Australian-based biomassresearch and development,” he said.

“While there is significant interna-tional work underway investigatingbiomass processing, we need todevelop our own programs andresearch capacity for biomass nativeto Australia.”

Dr Vancov’s project is applying lig-nocellulosic conversion technolo-gies, particularly to plantation euca-lypts in the Northern Rivers of NSW.

“The high density of eucalyptwood residues from Governmentand Managed Invest Schemes (MIS)from subtropical plantations willproduce approximately 10 milliontonnes of feedstock over the next 15years in the catchment of Graftonalone,” he said.

“This subtropical plantationresource also represents more than$800M of investment in a renewabletimber resource, which offers signifi-cant regional development fromdownstream processing.”

Effective lignocellulosic ethanol

research is essential in achievingviable second generation biofuel.

Dr Vancov said foreign govern-ments and corporations had heavilyinvested in emerging lignocellulosictechnologies - the US had recentlycommitted more than US$1 billion -principally designed for biomassfeedstocks now at hand.

“Only two small scale commercialventures, narrowly focusing on sug-arcane bagasse, are being developedin Australia,” he said.

“A viable second generation biofu-els industry needs to consider otherfeedstocks besides bagasse, includingforestry harvest and mill residues.

“However significant R&D invest-ment is required.”

In Australia, the potential forestrybiomass residue is estimated at 12million dry tonnes per year.

The key areas of R&D for efficientconversion of lignocellulosics to bio-fuel require optimisation for a par-ticular biomass and conversionprocess.

“Outcomes from this project arelikely to lead to private sector invest-ment and government action,” saidDr Vancov.

“Production of fuel from lignocel-lulosic feedstocks will reduce net

greenhouse gas emissions by reduc-ing consumption of fossil fuels.

“The study will assist with promo-tion of sustainable biofuels by reduc-ing pressure on resources that arestressed, including crops with weedpotential and identifying new useswhich support natural resourcestrategies.”

NSW and Australia would have rawmaterial shortfalls if a future indus-try was based solely on sugar-basedcrops and grains.

Improved long-term competitive-ness would come from diversifyingfeedstocks.

Dr Vancov said the aim of theresearch was to develop and optimisepre-treatment platforms based onbiochemical hydrolysis that willallow conversion of forest residues to“core” carbohydrates which may inturn be used for producing fuelethanol and other value-added co-products.

“We plan to ini-tially focus thestudy on optimis-ing pre-treatmentconditions usingEucalyptus dunniand then broadento measure theeffects of vari-ables such as age,growth site andother selectives i l v i c u l t u r a ltraits that influ-ence wood rhe-ology,” he said.■ ContactTony Vancov,Wollongbar,(02) 6226 1359,[email protected]

Praise forCol WellingsONE of the world’s leading authorities on cerealstripe rust has been recognised for his outstandingcommitment and contribution to the Australiangrains industry.

Professor Colin Wellings won the 2011 GrainsResearch and Development Corporation (GRDC)Southern Region Seed of Light Award for hisefforts and achievements in communicating theoutcomes of research.

Employed by Industry and Investment NSW(where he started as a graduate trainee in 1971),Professor Wellings has been on secondment to theUniversity of Sydney cereal rust laboratory at thePlant Breeding Institute since 1980.

During this period he has assumed research andadvisory roles with the Australian Cereal RustControl Program, working in partnership with theGRDC.

GRDC Southern Regional Panel memberAndrew Rice said Prof Wellings typified all that theaward represented.

"His accessibility to growers and advisors and hiswillingness to share his knowledge of the striperust situation in real time – as rust outbreaksoccurred, not just in research papers or as updatepresentations – has made him invaluable in man-aging a disease that has come to be a major chal-lenge in recent years," Mr Rice said.

"Colin Wellings has gone out on a limb toimprove everyone’s knowledge of stripe rust andits management."

■ More at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news

ABOVE: There will be 10 million tonnes of feedstock in the next 15 years in the Grafton catchment alone.

The three key areas of R&D forefficient conversion oflignocellulosics to biofuel are

■ resource volume■ characteristics - location,

energy and chemical■ identifying appropriate

processing technologies.

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TL1783982


Tolerate or resist?This nematode willaffect your profits

RESISTANCE and toler-ance are words oftenused when looking at

crop varietal reaction to rootlesion nematodes.

Resistant crops do not allowroot lesion nematodes toreproduce and increase in apaddock, while tolerant cropsyield well (relative to intoler-ant crops) when sown intopaddocks with high nematodepopulations.

So when choosing a wheatvariety which is more impor-tant - resistance or tolerance?

Industry and InvestmentNSW trials supported by theGrains Research and Develop-ment Corporation at Coon-amble have highlighted theimportance of selecting wheatvarieties with high levels ofboth tolerance and resistance.

Varieties rated moderatelytolerant or above (EGAGregory, Livingston and EGAWylie) had an average yield of3.14 tonnes per hectare.

Varieties rated moderatelyintolerant or below (Ellison,

Sunco, Sunvex and Strzelecki)yielded only 2.23 t/ha.

Average yield loss of growingthese relatively intolerant linescompared to the tolerant lineswas 29 per cent.

Sunvex and Strzelecki werethe only two varieties that suf-fered significant yield lossfrom crown rot, indicatingthat the nematodes exacer-bate the effect of other stress-es on the plant, such as dis-ease.

In this situation, the differ-ence in profit between themoderately tolerant varietiesand the moderately intolerantvarieties would have been inthe order of about $150/ha.

It is rare that such majorprofitability gains can bemade from variety selectionalone.

The multiplication (build-up in the soil) of root lesionnematodes also varied mark-edly between different vari-eties.

While all bread wheats arehosts of root lesion nema-todes, the extent to which theyhost them and allow them tomultiply varies.

In the Coonamble trial, rootlesion nematode numbersincreased far more under sus-ceptible varieties than undermore resistant varieties.

Compared to EGA Gregory(rated moderately resistant-moderately susceptible) andLivingston, nematode num-bers built up by a factor of 1.8for Crusader, 2.7 for Ellison,2.9 for Sunco, 4.3 forStrzelecki and 5.6 for Sunvex.

The take home message isthat unless you are sure fromsoil tests that root lesionnematodes are not present inyour paddock, it is best toensure the varieties you aregrowing have a good level oftolerance to maintain yieldand resistance to reduce nem-atode build up.

The good news on selectingvarieties with good toleranceand resistance is that there arevarieties available such asEGA Gregory and Livingstonthat have good inherent yieldpotential and are well suitedto northern cropping systems.■ Contact Rohan Brill,Coonamble, 0488 250 489,[email protected] Crown rot expression (whiteheads) was much greater in the root lesion nematodes intolerant line

Strzelecki (left) than in the tolerant line EGA Gregory (right).

ROHAN BRILLCoonamble

A summer to remember

AUTUMN – often referred toas the “predictability barrier”– is a difficult period in whichto make long term forecasts.

So what does the immediatefuture hold?

More rain?Based on the dynamic mod-

els regularly surveyed by theBureau of Meteorology, con-ditions in the Pacific areexpected to remain cool orreturn to a neutral position byautumn.

Many people heralded thissummer’s remarkable down-pours as a return to “normal”conditions, but the sea surfacetemperatures involved wereanything but, last seen in 1975and before that in 1942.

To recap: persistence ofrecord La Nina conditions inthe Pacific Ocean and extraor-dinarily warm sea surfacetemperatures, above 26.5C,around northern Australia,drove the unseasonal rains.

These conditions combinedto give birth to the east coastlow that flooded Toowoombaand Brisbane, and createdtropical cyclones Anthony andYasi.

The wetter summer, preced-ed by the tremendous winterand spring in 2010 in whichthe bulk of inland NSWreceived above average rain,were all linked to the combi-nation of La Nina in thePacific and the negative IndianOcean Dipole.

The dramatic turn around formuch of NSW replenishedreservoirs and dams, much tothe relief of irrigators, but cru-elled crop growers’ hopes ofreplenishing their bank

accounts with record harvests.Farmers would typically be

advised during the criticalpreparation period of anyother autumn to focus theirattention on determining andmaximising available storedsoil moisture for sowing andpasture establishment.

At last in 2011, there’s somebreathing space, and thisshould be less of a problem formany.■ Michael Cashen is anagricultural climatologist withthe Primary Industriesdivision of Industry andInvestment NSW, based atWagga Wagga. You cancontact him [email protected]

THANKS go to Clinton Rakich,now promoted within the Bureauof Meteorology to Melbourne, forhis contributions since thiscolumn began last July.This column is also online atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

WWW. I N DU S T R Y. N SW. GO V. AU

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Zooming in on resurgent rabbitsAN UPDATED website has

been launched to assist withrabbit control, as the pests

make a comeback around thecountry.

FeralScan, a program recentlylaunched by the Invasive AnimalsCo-operative Research Centre(CRC) and Industry andInvestment (I and I) NSW, hasreleased the first of a series of web-sites, to help farmers and commu-nities map pest animals, usingGoogle maps.

The first website, titledRabbitScan, is online at www.fer-alscan.org.au

Before FeralScan existed,RabbitScan was developed in 2009by the National RabbitManagement Advisory Group,enabling thousands of people toreport sightings of rabbits in theirlocal area.

More than 3500 sightings wereentered into RabbitScan in sixmonths, helping to show that rab-bit numbers were increasing acrossAustralia.

RabbitScan has now been signifi-cantly improved to enable anyone

with a rabbit problem Australia-wide to map out rabbit sightings,damage, and control information.

Project manager from I and I,Peter West, said rabbit numbersare expected to increase afterrecent rainfall in many regions,and using RabbitScan can helpusers keep watch on their localarea.

“Knowing where rabbits occuron a property, what damage theyare causing and when, and map-ping what control has occurred inthe past can help decide what to donext,” Mr West said.

“Landholders will find this toolparticularly useful, as they will beable to create and print a visualmap of their property containingtheir own rabbit data.

“The more information peopleenter, the more useful it willbecome.”

RabbitScan will help to examinepatterns in rabbit populationslocally, across broad landscapesand catchment boundaries, andprovide a national overview oftheir distribution to help anyfuture deployment of controlstrategies.

Participants can register andenter records of rabbits in theirlocal area.

Users will see trends emerge intheir own area as they enter data.

RabbitScan can also help to con-nect people to resources, fundinggrants and pest control groups.

FeralScan is a partnershipbetween the Invasive AnimalsCRC, I and I NSW, the FederalDepartment of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forestry, LandcareAustralia, Western CatchmentManagement Authority,Woolworths, Toshiba, the ABC, theAustralian Feral CamelManagement Project, and commu-nity groups Australia-wide.

Release of another website,FoxScan, is planned for April.■ Visit www.feralscan.org.au tofind out more or join RabbitScan.

Brian Lukins inspects a tree forring-barking damage – evidence ofthe presence of rabbits.

Spur throated locust control in autumnAUTUMN and winter will be thetime to control an outbreak ofuncommon, destructive spurthroated locusts, now causingwidespread damage to crops andpastures throughout NSW.

Cotton and pulses have been theworst hit.

A tropical species of Queenslandand the Northern Territory, spurthroated locusts do not normallyreach damaging plague propor-tions in NSW.

The last outbreak was in 1974-75.“This much larger locust is a

ferocious eater and can destroy acrop overnight,” said PrimaryIndustries Minister, Steve Whan.

“This is the largest outbreak in 40years, off the back of the wet,warm and humid season,” theMinister said.

Spur throated locusts are beingfound in the northern and centralareas of the State and are particu-larly concentrated in the CentralWest areas of Trangie, Narromineand Nyngan and North West areasof Collarenebri, Walgett andMungindi.

“We are also seeing scatteredpopulations in the Lachlan andRiverina LHPAs, including in andaround Forbes, Condobolin,

Parkes and Lake Cowal,” NSWDeputy Locust Commissioner,Simon Oliver, said.

“Insecticides are now being madeavailable to farmers to controldensely-populated nymphs ontheir properties,” he said.

“We will also ramp up controlmeasures when spur throatedlocusts begin to swarm in autumn.

“The nymphs do not form densebands, and though they are gener-ally very scattered, the currentdensities pose a significant threatto crops and pastures, particularlygiven adults grow to eight cen-timetres long and can consume 25per cent of their body weightdaily.”

Mr Oliver said seasonal condi-tions and the current populationare very similar to 1974-75.

In autumn the pest will invadeearly winter crops such as wheatand canola but particularly go forsummer crops including sorghum,sunflower, soybean, and cotton.

“In the 74-75 outbreak, thou-sands of hectares of belah treeswere also stripped bare.”

In autumn, landholders need toclosely monitor their propertiesand report all activity to their localLHPA.

At the nymphal stage they aregenerally a green or straw colourwith a thin black stripe along theirback.

The nymphs are very elusive andtry to burrow into pasture or hideunder leaves.

“The most effective way of con-trolling Spur Throated Locustis through strategic aerial sprayingof adult swarms which are roost-ing in trees in late evenings

and early mornings. This is likelyto occur from late autumn andinto winter,” Mr Oliver said.

“To plan our control measures,it is critical we know where adultpopulations are located and atwhat densities.”■ Visitwww.agriculture.nsw.gov.au/locustsfor more information.

- STEVE GREEN

Border Rivers-Gwydir pest planA NEW invasive species manage-ment plan for the Border Rivers-Gwydir catchment draws onregional infrastructure, knowledgeand resources to better manageweeds and pest animals.

“This is a flexible and practicalplan which takes into accountexisting infrastructure and localknowledge and ties it to the latestresearch and recommendations onmanaging invasive species,” saidIndustry and Investment NSW (Iand I) natural resource manage-ment liaison officer, Jessica Marsh.

“Weeds, wild dogs, rabbits, foxes,pigs and other pest animals don’tdifferentiate between farm fencelines or council boundaries and

the aim is to co-ordinate localefforts to gain the most effectiveresults.”

The plan outlines biodiversityhot spots and threatened speciesand makes detailed recommenda-tions on cultural heritage conser-vation issues.

It’s development has been a largepart Ms Marsh’s work and a blue-print for Catchment ManagementAuthorities (CMAs) around theState, who could also developsomething similar.

I and I and the Invasive AnimalsCo-operative Research Centrebrought together landholders,community groups, State andLocal government agencies,

Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA staffand Livestock Health and PestAuthority rangers to develop a col-laborative approach for the catch-ment.

Ms Marsh said those involved inpest management programs andworking groups contributed to thedevelopment of the new plan.

“Their input and local knowl-edge allowed us to identifyresources and make informed rec-ommendations, which could seeco-ordinated funding arrange-ments and lead to time and costsavings, ” she said.

The plan provides detailed infor-mation about invasive species,their distribution and numbers,

impacts,biology and management optionsfor the region.■ Contact Jessica Marsh,Orange, (02) 6391 3907,[email protected]

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THERE is a high risk this year thatgrower retained chickpea seed willhave poor germination and vigour,as well as being infected with seed-borne pathogens.

At sowing time, seed quality canimpact on sowing time, sowingdepth and seeding rate.

As a general guide, weather dam-aged seed with lower than normalgermination and vigour levelsshould only be sown under verygood conditions for rapid establish-ment and at a higher seeding rate.

Such seed is not recommended fordeep sowing or moisture seeking.

For all regions, consider sowinglater in the preferred sowing win-dow.

Whilst this may lead to lower yieldpotential (compared to an averageyear), it will reduce the risk of early

season ascochyta and phytophthorainfection events.

Later planting will also result in lessbiomass in late winter - early springwhich will lower the risk of BotrytisGrey Mould.

It is generally recommended thatchickpea seed should be planted fiveto seven centimetres deep into mois-ture.

Seven centimetres is the preferreddepth when using Balance orsimazine herbicides at sowing.

It is essential that nothing be doneto compromise the germination andestablishment of seed.

Moisture seeking, for example, at adepth of 10 to 17.5cm below the soilsurface, should be avoided for allweather damaged planting seed in2011.

Under most conditions in northern

and central NSW, the aim should beto establish 20 to 30 plants persquare metre.

Do not consider lower plant popu-lations, as there may need to be roomfor losses caused by high diseasepressure due to increased inoculum

loads, and to offset the later time ofplanting.

Seeding rate for the required targetplant density can be calculated usinggermination percentage, 100 seedweight and establishment percent-age.

In the following formula, both ger-mination percentage and establish-ment percentage are expressed aswhole numbers (i.e. 80per cent not0.80). Assume establishment per-centage is no more than 80pc.

As an example, PBA HatTrick tar-geting 30 plants/m2, with a standard100 seed weight of 20 grams, 90pcgermination and 80pc field estab-lishment, should be sown at 83kg/ha.

■ Contact Leigh Jenkins, districtagronomist, Warren, 0419 277 480,[email protected]

– LEIGH JENKINS


In spite of several fungicide sprays, this 2010 crop of Jimbour chickpeas at Coonamble (left) has succumbed to AscochytaBlight. The adjoining paddock of PBA HatTrick has handled the disease very well.

Understanding chickpea diseaseBEFORE planting chickpeas this

year, make sure you fully under-stand the risk of diseases.

High levels of disease in most north-ern and north central NSW 2010chickpea crops mean the threat fromseed-borne, foliar and root diseases to2011 crops is higher than ever.

However, careful selection of seedsource, paddocks and varieties, com-bined with seed dressing and foliarfungicides, will help manage diseases in2011.

Unfortunately, supply of quality seedis expected to be tight and growers are

urged to purchase quality assured seed.If using grower-retained seed, it is

essential that the seed will establish ahealthy vigorous crop.

The exceptionally wet 2010 winterencouraged rapid vegetative growth ofcrops and was ideal for the build-upand spread of the major chickpeapathogens.

Ascochyta blight (AB, caused byAscochyta rabiei), Botrytis grey mould(BGM, caused by Botrytis cinerea),Phytophthora root rot (PRR, caused byPhytophthora medicaginis) andSclerotinia rot (caused by Sclerotiniasclerotiorum and Sclerotinia minor)were widespread and severe in manycrops.

Waterlogging was common andcompromised plants’ natural defencesagainst pathogens.

A range of integrated disease man-agement practices will need to be usedto manage chickpeas in 2011, includingselecting the best paddock, growing themost disease resistant variety, usinghigh quality, treated seed, sowing laterin the window, planting on wider rowsand timely application of foliar fungi-cides.

Detailed information on these topicswill be available on the website:www.pulseaus. com.au■ Contact Kevin Moore, seniorplant pathologist, Tamworth,[email protected] (02) 6763 1133.

– KEVIN MOORE

Photo: Rohan Brill

■ Laboratory tests on seed from2010 shows a poor relationshipbetween germination and emergenceand crop establishment. A simplepaddock test will tell if your seed isworth planting

■ Select 100 seeds at random (i.e.don’t be tempted to pick the big ones),then plant them in the paddock thatyou are going to grow chickpeas in2011

■ Sow them at least 50 millimetres

deep and, if needed, water them■ After seven and 14 days, count the

number that emerge and note theircondition - do you think they’ll growinto a robust chickpea plant?

■ If you want to get an idea ofvariability in emergence and thepaddock, replicate the test - plant 100seeds in three or four differentlocations in the paddock. This will alsohelp identify potential herbicide residueproblems.

Assessing the health and vigour of seed cropsAssessing the health and vigour of seed crops

Poor performance risk from grower retained seed

FACTORS that contributed to 2010epidemics

■ Short rotations■ Early planting (April - mid

May) and narrow rows■ Missing the first and/or

second Ascochyta sprays■ Frequent overcast, showery

weather■ Lack of supply of effective

fungicidesConsequences for 2011:

■ Low supplies of disease-freeseed

■ High levels of infectedresidues

■ High levels of soil borneinoculum

Epidemic factsEpidemic facts

TL1749134


Clean fallows,healthy cropsAMONG benefits derived from

weed free fallows in a farmingsystem, soil nutrition and soil

borne disease carry-over have becomemeasurable, thanks to the wetter thanaverage 2010 season.

Conclusively, clean fallows duringdrought mean increased moistureconservation leading to higher yield-ing crops and more profitable systems.

“Now trials by Industry andInvestment NSW and Central WestFarming Systems have covered newground,” said Hillston district agrono-mist, Barry Haskins.

In three trials in 2010 at RankinsSprings, Tottenham and Gunning-bland, the aim was to compare variousstubble management treatments –standing, mulched, cultivated anddeep ripped, alongside various weedcontrol strategies– full control, delayedspray, miss a spray, and no weed con-trol.

Measurements included soil water atsowing, soil nitrogen levels, soil diseaselevels, grain yield and quality.

Mr Haskins said take home messageswere similar across all sites, eventhough soil types varied, weed num-bers varied, and the types of weeds inthose trials varied.

“The end result was that soil mois-ture played a minor role in the yieldsof these trials, but plant nutritionplayed a major role, that is, weedsrobbed valuable soil nutrients,” hesaid.

“Soil disease carry-over in weedy fal-

lows, whilst low in all trials, needs tobe further investigated.”

Across the three trials, nil weed con-trol in the summer fallow reducedyield by an average of 44 per cent (1.38tonnes per hectare), which equated toa loss of income of $250/ha, if grainwas worth $180/tonne on-farm.

“Consequently water use efficiencyalso decreased by about 40pc,” said MrHaskins.

“This was mostly due to lower nutri-tion as a result of weeds utilising soilnutrients instead of the wheat crop.”

By missing a herbicide spray ordelaying it, we also observed issues likereduced yield and/or increased weedseed set.

Given that full fallow weed controlcost around $50/ha to 60/ha, thereturn on that investment averagedabout 485pc.

“Not bad if you compare the returnto the stock markets,” Mr Haskins said.

The influence on the stubble treat-ments was less important, howeverindividual trials did show varyingresponses to stubble management.

At Rankins Springs when stubble wasleft standing, we observed more waterlogging, as stubble is renown for itsability to enhance moisture conserva-tion.

“We also observed higher plantvigour in the cultivated treatmentsearly in the season, since cultivationunlocks nutrients such as nitrogen andsulphur,” said Forbes district agrono-mist, Col McMaster.

“These effects were due to the season,and would be hard to replicate in a‘normal’ year.”

The main lessons for 2011 from thesetrials highlight that clean fallows arenot only important for moisture con-servation, they are also extremelyimportant for conserving soil nutri-ents.

With the price of fertilisers such asignificant cost of farming, efficienciescan be achieved, costs saved and prof-itability increased.■ Contact Barry Haskins, Hillston,(02)6960 [email protected] orCol McMaster, Forbes,(02)68501906,[email protected]

Best burn option to keep cool

TO avoid burning, retain stubble, andmaintain commitment to conserva-tion farming in preparation for sow-ing this year, let’s consider theoptions.

Disadvantages of retaining muchhigher stubble volumes than lastyear are now in play, including inter-ference with sowing machinery, thedisease and weed burden and theimpact on herbicide incorporation.

There’s also the increased smokehazard for the general community toconsider.

Weigh that up against productionadvantages - moisture conservation,reduced runoff and erosion,improved nutrient cycling and soilstructure.

Not burning could involve mulchingor slashing stubble, preferably during

what’s left of summer to allowtime for it to break down with themulch in contact with soil.

Alternatives include letting livestockeat and trample it, using disc plantersto handle much higher levels of trashthan tyne machines, or inter-row sow-ing with a GPS guidance system.

If burning is the choice, waiting forthe right conditions will have mini-mal impact on the environment andcommunity.

The preferred option is a “cool”burn, just prior to sowing with a goodbreeze in the afternoon.

This avoids “inversion” conditionsoften experienced on calm mornings,when smoke can be trapped close tothe ground, rising slowly, hanging inthe air for long periods, increasingsmog levels.

Cool burns during autumn ensurestubble burning temperatures are notexcessive and do not destroy all theorganic material but reduce the bulk,so seeding machinery is not blocked.

And from a community healthaspect, it is unacceptable to havesmoke drifting into urban areas fromfarms.

Many country towns, like have highincidences of respiratory and cardio-vascular problems due to poor airquality at certain times of year, so it isimportant farmers are seen to bedoing these burns with the communi-ty in mind.■ Contact Tony Pratt, conservationfarming officer, Cootamundra, (02)6942 4957 or your local Industryand Investment NSW agronomist.

– PHIL BOWDEN

ABOVE: Forbes district agronomist, Col McMaster, explains to Merriwaggafarmers the importance of soil moisture during a field day at Merriwagga.

BELOW: A fallow trial at Tottenham in 2010 showing different herbicide andstubble treatments.

A “cool” burn just after sowing with a cool breeze in the afternoon ensures stubble burning temperatures are not excessive.

CROPPING pioneerProfessor Mick Pooleis the 2010 FarrerMemorial Medal win-ner.

Since his early daysas a research officer inthe 1960’s ProfessorPoole has been at theforefront of Austral-

ian farming and hasoverseen some impor-tant innovations innew crops, tillage,salinity control, sus-tainable cropping,weed control andwheat adaptation totough environments.

Industry and

Investment seniorprincipal research sci-entist, Dr Brian Dear,has retired after 40years service to thedepartment, princi-pally in pastureresearch.

■ More at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/news

Photo: Mary-Anne Lattimore

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SORGHUM production innorth-west NSW hasoften been seen as unreli-

able and low profit but a newproject is seeking to addressthe issue and reap the rota-tional benefits for managingcrown rot and root lesionnematode.

“Modelling so far suggestssorghum can be a reliable com-ponent of western cropping sys-tems, but we need appliedresearch to verify it, to givegrowers confidence to incorpo-rate sorghum,” said northernfarming systems acting techni-cal specialist, Loretta Serafin.

The project has three sites,located at Mungindi, Rowenaand Gurley as part of the secondyear of trials and is an integralcomponent of ground truthingthe capabilities of sorghum inthe region.

Co-led by research agrono-mist, Dr Guy McMullen, at theTamworth Agricultural Instit-ute, the project is jointly fundedby Industry and InvestmentNSW, the Grains Research andDevelopment Corporation andPacific Seeds.

Trials are investigating theroles of hybrids with differentplant traits such as stay-greenand varying tillering capacity,under different management

systems such as row configura-tion and plant population.

Configurations include solidplant, single skip, double skipand super-wide (1.5 metre) rowspacings.

Plant populations include30,000, 50,000 and 70,000plants per hectare.

As well as assessing crop pro-duction, impacts on crown rotlevels, root lesion nematodes

and soil water storage are alsobeing measured.

Data from the first year’s trial,run in collaboration withPacific Seeds in the 2009 sum-mer at Cryon near Walgett,showed reduced crown rotbreakdown under the widerrow configurations.

This raised a question –although wider row configura-tions may improve the reliabili-

ty of sorghum yields, were wereducing rotational benefits atthe same time?

In 2009, severe moisture stressfollowed very high tempera-tures prior to Christmas, beforethe crop had flowered.

All hybrids, even those withhigh stay-green were severelyaffected by pre-flowering stress.

As a result, the solid plant con-figuration appeared as if it

would fail and yields from dou-ble skip sorghum would only be0.3 t/ha.

However, good rain throughJanuary saw yields improve tomore than 1.5 t/ha across allconfigurations.

Hybrids with higher tilleringadapted best to the improvedseasonal conditions, comparedto those with lower tillering.

Yields in the 2010-11 season

will be well above average andwill give a good indication ofthe maximum potential for thedifferent row configurations.

It will be important to runthese trials through a number ofdifferent seasons, to assess sea-sonal impacts.

■ Contact Loretta Serafin,(02) 6763 1147, or GuyMcMullen, (02) 6763 1155.

GUY McMULLEN andLORETTA SERAFIN

Sorghum growers, agronomists and advisors inspected a trial at a recent field day at Rowena, keen to discuss the benefits and problems with growing sorghum in western areas.

Damaged seed limitations

IT MAY not be readily appar-ent from a visual inspectionbut weather damaged seedmay be unable to germinate.

Weather damage may varyfrom mild staining of thegrain to sprung and shot seed.

It is important to under-stand the limitations whenusing this seed.

While the germination abili-ty of a seed lot may be readilytested at home, a test by anaccredited seed testing labora-tory will give more accurateresults, particularly in theidentification of abnormalseedlings.

Ideally, seed of winter cerealsshould have a germinationcapacity greater than 90 percent

Seed lots with germinationcapacity below 70pc are likelyto have poor seed vigour andshould be rejected where pos-sible.

It should be noted that seedlots with a high germinationcapacity might not necessarilyhave high seed vigour and visaversa.

Seed vigour is difficult to test

for, but some laboratory testssuch as cold stress or accelerat-ed ageing are useful determi-nants.

Slow germination rate can bea useful guide to seed vigour.

A falling numbers test meas-ures the extent of starch con-version to sugar but does notmeasure the capacity of a seedto germinate, nor assess itsvigour.

Caution: a falling numberstest should not used to assessthe suitability of seed for sow-ing purposes.

The reduced vigour of mostweather damaged seed makesthe job difficult for the coleop-tile (the protective sheath sur-rounding the first leaf thatprotects and guides the shootas it grows through the soil).

If the seed is sown deeperthan the length of the coleop-tile, the plant can fail toemerge.

Coleoptile lengths vary fromone variety to another.

Early sown seed under warmsoil conditions may also haveshorter coleoptiles in northernNSW.

Coleoptile lengths are short-ened by some seed dressings(for example, Armour andBaytan) and also by the herbi-cide Trifluralin.

These seed dressings should

be avoided on weather dam-aged seed, particularly whenused in conjunction withTrifluralin.

Care must be taken to sowthe seed just below theTrifluralin layer.

Check with the supplier ormanufacturer of your particu-lar seed dressing or chemicaltreatment to determine if itwill reduce the coleoptilelength or impair emergence.

Soils that crust present addi-tional problems to the emer-gence of the seedling.

Weather damaged seedshould not be sown into pad-docks where surface sealingoccurs.

Weather damaged seed dete-riorates at a much faster ratethan sound seed and is lessable to tolerate an excessivenumber of fumigations withphosphine, which can affectgermination capacity.

It is therefore recommendedthat weather damaged seednot be stored for more thanone season and attention bepaid to farm hygiene.

This information wasextracted from the updatedPrimefact on the department’swebsite:www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/field/field-crops/seeds/weather-damaged-cereal-seed

Getting the best from sorghum

THE March edition of AgricultureToday, to publish Thursday,March 3, will report on pastures,beef, and organic and biologicalfarming.

Agriculture Today appears onthe web on publication day as afull replication of the paper.

Visitwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday to

read this and previous editions.You can find more news from

the various divisions of Industryand Investment NSW, atwww.industry.nsw.gov.au

Next monthNext month

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THE Irrigated Grains in CottonFarming Systems project aims togenerate best practice recommen-

dations for the establishment, manage-ment and irrigation of wheat in northerncotton growing regions.

One part of the project in 2010 aimed toinvestigate the varietal performance of 11varieties under three irrigation regimes –full/frequent water timing, a limited/stretched irrigation schedule and a rain-fed/dry land treatment.

Research agronomist at the AustralianCotton Research Institute, Narrabri,Verity Gett, said the field was planted intoreasonable sowing moisture, followingthe removal of the previous cotton cropand subsequent pupae destruction.

“Soil tests were undertaken indicating avery low nitrogen status field, less than 30kilograms N available following cotton,”she said.

“Urea was incorporated at a rate of360kg per hectare while the paddock wasbeing hilled up prior to sowing.”

This pre-plant application amounted to60 per cent of the total nitrogen require-ments with the remaining 40pc appliedlater in-crop, according to crop progress.

Seed was planted with a target plant

population of 160 plants per squaremetre, establishment averaged 75pc.

Tiller counts during the season showedtiller production was influenced by irri-gation frequency but not in all varieties.

Ms Gett said EGA Gregory tiller pro-duction increased significantly withincreased water inputs and meant moreyield in the frequently irrigated treatmentcompared to rainfed.

“EGA Bellaroi, Caparoi and WID 801also responded positively to increasedwater availability but not significantly.”

Water use was analysed in two varieties;Jandaroi (the quickest maturity) andSunlin (the longest maturity) over thethree irrigation treatments.

The Sunlin rainfed treatment was themost efficient, producing 2.05 tonnes ofgrain per megalitre of water applied.

However, overall there was no signifi-cant gain from irrigating Sunlin, withyields from 5.9 tonnes/ha in the fully irri-gated treatment, to 5.7 t/ha rainfed.

Results in other varieties showed somegood responses to increasing irrigationfrequencies.

A total of 384 millimetres of in-croprain fell.

Often rain would follow irrigation

treatments, resulting in some waterlog-ging and inefficiencies.

Other than the rainfed treatment ofSunlin, the two in-crop irrigation treat-ments produced the best return perML/water applied for Jandaroi andSunlin.

This was further demonstrated by theperformance of a number of varieties(Caparoi, Hyperno and Sun440 H) inresponding significantly better to twoirrigations than three.

The project will continue to investigatethe scheduling of irrigations with bothfull and limited water.■ Contact Verity Gett, Narrabri,[email protected] or(02) 6799 2409.

BACTERIA in legume rootsprovide nitrogen from thin air,by far the most useful and bestproven way agriculture turnssoil biology into profit.

One downside to growing thelegume crops is that bacterianeed to be either present in thepaddock before sowing, orapplied at sowing, to ensureenough nitrogen will be sup-plied to plants.

Collaborative research bet-ween Industry and InvestmentNSW and Northern GrowerAlliance on chickpeas hasshown that the standardmethod of mixing peat slurrythen applying it to seed stillgives acceptable results.

However, mixing the slurryinto a tank incorporated into aseeder, then injected into thefurrow with the seed, maybring improvements.

This method of application iscommonly being referred to as“water inject”.

Two trials were conducted inthe Edgeroi-Bellata districts in2010.

The first trial showed allinoculant treatments – slurryon seed, granular, and waterinject – resulted in betternodulation than not treatingthe seed at all.

The second trial, though,showed greater nodulationfrom the water inject treat-ments than the standard slurrytreatments, granules or notreatment.

This increase in nodulationwas seen mainly beyond thecrown area of chickpea plants.

Water inject treatment

placed the inoculant through agreater area of the root zone,compared to the slurry on seedtreatment, that confined thebacteria to the region aroundthe seed.

Two types of products wereused in water inject treatments– freeze dried rhizobia mixedinto slurry, or standard peatmixed into slurry.

There was no differencebetween results from either ofthese water inject treatments inthe 2010 trials.

There are downsides to thismethod of application though,with the first being the cost ofthe machinery set up, and thesecond being the requirementof large quantities of water atsowing.

For a seeder to be set up forwater inject, it needs an extratank to handle liquids, as wellas plumbing to deliver the bac-teria into the furrow.

The trials to date have used astandard water rate of 100litres per hectare, however fur-ther trials will determinethe optimum water rate tomaintain effective nodulation,and limit downtime spentfilling tanks and carting water.

Further trials will also focuson compatibility of the inocu-lants in water inject treatmentswith other liquid productsinjected into the furrow, espe-cially liquid fertilisers.

■ Contact Rohan Brill,district agronomist,Coonamble, 0488 250 489,[email protected]

- ROHAN BRILL

A typical knife point set up, with plumbing behind the tyne to deliverbacteria to the seed furrow. Cost of plumbing seeders to handleliquids, and the logistical cost of handling large quantities of waterare keys when considering the new water inject technique of nitrogenfixing bacteria at sowing. Two trials in 2010 showed water inject to beat least as effective as the standard peat slurry.

Irrigatedwheat incottoncountry

Irrigatedwheat incottoncountry

Inject chickpeas withbacteria for nitrogen

ABOVE: Technical assistant Carolyn Palmer field sampling in the irrigated grains trial, Australian Cotton Research Institute at Narrabri.RIGHT: Brendan Griffiths (Cotton CRC), with Myles Parker, Verity Gett and Rod Jackson from Industry and Investment NSW at the Narrabri trial site.

CANOLA will be much more this yearthan a “gentleman’s hobby crop” as quot-ed by a speaker as a recent meeting.

Seasonal conditions with good subsoilmoisture across most of NSW coupledwith the relatively strong grain pricemeans canola looks very positive.

Pulses and oilseeds technical specialist,Don McCaffery, said canola continues tobe the premier break crop preference inthe centre and south of the State, as dochickpeas in the north.

Despite all the challenges that 2010threw at canola, not least a frustratingweather damaged harvest, 75 to 80 percent of the crop still made the top qualitygrade at the silo.

However, 2010 gave all a “heads up” tosome of the key issues expected this year.

So what is on the management “to do”or “must do” list for the first half of 2011?

Mr McCaffery advises growers to con-centrate on establishment, manage vari-eties for blackleg, and pay close attentionto nutrition.

“First and foremost, invest time intoachieving the best and most cost-effectiveestablishment possible,” he said.

“Numerous factors affect establishmentpercentages, the keys being seed size,seedbed conditions including moistureand the seeder itself.

“Cost of seed, especially hybrid seed ismaking growers examine ways of fine-tun-ing management to achieve an adequateplant stand.

“Evenness of a plant stand is more impor-tant than the actual plant population.

“Seed size is hugely variable betweenopen-pollinated varieties and hybridsand within both types as well.

“Last year some varieties varied by asmuch as 100pc, for example, 175,000seeds per kilogram, up to 350,000seeds/kg.

“Sowing at the same seed rate wouldhave sowed twice or half as many seeds –this could hardly be described as target-ing establishment in a cost-effective way

“Because of this, the culture of sowingrate needs to change to seeds sown persquare metre.

“Blackleg is still the biggest disease issuefor canola growers.”

Use of seed dressings and fungicide fer-tiliser treatments is common practice,especially in the higher rainfall and hencehigher blackleg risk zones.

By now most growers or agribusinessstores have ordered seed.

Mr McCaffery says unfortunately somenew varieties are in short supply, so noteveryone is able to get what they want.

Also some commonly grown, broadlyadapted varieties have shown a weakeningof their blackleg resistance, making seedand/or fertiliser treatment or a combina-tion of both essential this year in somelocalities.

The national blackleg ratings for 2011 areat www.australianoilseeds.com for viewing.

“Nutrition will be crucial for crop suc-cess in 2011 after eight years of droughtwith generally lower fertiliser inputs, fol-lowed by a very big crop in 2010 with ahuge amount of nutrients removed,” MrMcCaffery said.

“Soil testing and supplying the appropri-ate amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen andsulphur for a realistic target yield should bea high priority.

“Cost-effective weed control will also be ahigh priority this year.”

At a recent Grains Research andDevelopment Corporation update, theissue of glyphosate resistance, especially toannual ryegrass, was a hot topic.

For this reason, growers need to be fullyinformed and clear on their weed controlobjectives.■ Contact Don McCaffery, Orange,[email protected] or(02) 6391 3648.

Canola more than a ‘gentleman’s hobby’


RIGHT TOP: At a workshop, dairy farmers discusssoil analysis results, farm management andlandscape information to assess their nutrient lossrisks.RIGHT BELOW: Workshops conducted in the field.

FACE-to-face meetingswith dairy farmers as partof a novel program have

helped them improve their useof nutrients and reduce poten-tial loss of nutrients to water-ways.

Predominately from theSouthern Highlands andCamden regions, 25 farmershave learnt to identify andreduce nutrient loss risk areason their farms and developindividual strategies.

Dr Warwick Dougherty, aresearch scientist with theDivision of Primary Industriesat Industry and InvestmentNSW (I and I), adapted theFarm Nutrient Loss Index(FNLI) program first devel-oped by DPI Victoria.

Dr Dougherty introduced itto NSW farmers for the firsttime, in the Sydney CatchmentAuthority (SCA) area and theHawkesbury-Nepean catch-ment.

The farmers each dividedtheir farms into eight zonesbased on soil type, land use,history, landscape and man-agement – including intensiveand extensive grazing pad-docks, effluent re-use areasand laneways.

The face-to-face meetingswere organised into two parts.

At the first workshop ormeeting, farmers were intro-duced to the new program andissues relating to nutrientmanagement, production andthe environment.

Between the workshops ormeetings, farmers sampled soilfrom eight representative pad-docks and received free analy-sis, so they all understood theirsoil nutrient status.

At the second workshop ormeeting, farmers used theirsoil analysis results, farm man-agement and landscape infor-mation in the FNLI programto assess their nutrient lossrisks.

Farmers developed individ-ual action plans based on theirnewly gained knowledge.

The experience demonstrat-ed that risks varied acrosszones for individual business-es, further enabled easy visualcomparison of risks and sim-plified their refinement ofnutrient management strate-gies.

The sessions were supportedby local I and I advisory staff,researchers and SCA and milkprocessor representatives.

A majority of paddocks hadlow nitrogen (N) and phos-phorus (P) runoff loss risks,although there were zones ofmedium risk.

Although the risks of nutri-ent loss to waterways weregenerally low, all farmers iden-tified opportunities and devel-oped plans to further reduce itand concurrently maximisethe dollar value of nutrients.

“We have seen the impor-tance of designing nutrientmanagement intervention forindividual farms,” said DrDougherty.

“This takes into account thedrivers of risk and the prefer-ences of individual farmers,rather than a one-size fits allprogram.”

Landcare Australia Ltd,Dairy Australia, and DairyNSW supported the work-shops with funds and theSydney Catchment Authorityran them.

Industry and InvestmentNSW and National Foods Ltdprovided in-kind support.■ Contact Dr WarwickDougherty, Richmond,(02) 4588 2112,[email protected]

Identifying nutrient loss risks on coastal dairy farms

A JOINT initiative by Industryand Investment NSW (I and I),University of Sydney andAustralian Pork Limited isassisting pig producers in NSWto meet new legal requirementsto be “suitably qualified” to carefor their animals.

Sixteen trainees attended atwo-day Piggery StockpersonTraining-Health and Welfarecourse held at the pig produc-tion unit at the University ofSydney’s Camden campus earli-er this month.

Training was conducted by Iand I’s Dr Trish Holyoake, tech-nical specialist in pig health,Jayce Morgan, pigs livestockofficer and Tim Burfitt, manag-er of intensive livestock indus-try development.

Training consisted of a mix-ture of classroom theory, groupexercises and practical instruc-tion.

Participants were required tosuccessfully complete a numberof tasks to be assessed as “com-petent”.

The course provided partici-pants with accreditation for anumber of National competen-cies, as part of Certificate III inAgriculture (pig production).

Steve Honeywood andDarryn Bayley from TocalCollege supported the compe-tency assessment component ofthe training.

With the recent introductionof new legislation under theAnimal Welfare Code ofPractice – Commercial PigProduction, there is increasingpressure for pig owners todemonstrate they have the skillsnecessary to care for their ani-mals.

More importantly, the train-ing provides participants withknowledge and skills to max-imise the health, welfare, biose-

curity and productivity of ani-mals under their care.

Funding for the developmentof the pilot course was providedthrough a grant provided byAustralian Pork Limited.

The training course will beoffered to industry in the com-ing years.■ Contact Dr Trish Holyoake,on 0419 231 534, oralternatively, contact JayceMorgan on 0428 416 518.

Training to improvepig care, productivity

Participants measuring drinker flow rates for gestating sows as partof their piggery environmental audit.


NLIS Sheep & Goats changes

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BULL breeders are no doubtkeeping a close eye on theemerging Molecular Value

Predictions that at least one com-mercial company is launching onthe Australian market.

It is now possible to get this infor-mation on 14 traits within theAngus breed.

Molecular Value Predictions(MVPs) are estimates of how a beefanimal’s progeny might performrelative to other Angus progeny.

That sounds just like a BreedplanEstimated Breeding Value (EBV)and in fact they can be interpretedsimilarly.

An EBV is calculated from themeasured performance of individ-ual animals.

MVPs are calculated from theDNA of the animals.

The particular genes the animalhas is related to its future perform-ance.

Commercial industry has releasedMVPs onto the Australian market.

It may take a while for this infor-mation to flow into the seedstockindustry.

Seedstock producer, LucindaCorrigan, from Rennylea Angus insouthern NSW has closely followedthe developments.

“We are keeping a very close eye onthis technology,” she said.

“There are two areas we might getvalue from this.

“AI sires coming into the countrymay have this extra information,and as this is reaffirmed with

Australian data, we may developconfidence in using it to help picksires.

“If we can get more accuracy onexisting traits or information onnew traits – in our case particularlymaternal efficiency and net feedintake – we can start using bulls atan earlier age.”

The technology has been looked atclosely by Animal Genetics andBreeding Unit at the University ofNew England, where Breedplan wasdeveloped.

If the data is calibrated to be usefulunder Australian conditions, it maywell be used to lift the accuracy ofsome existing EBVs.

“As well as giving us informationon new traits, we think markerassisted EBVs is the way to go,” saidMs Corrigan.

The technology behind analysingDNA is changing quickly.

The amount of information thatcan be assessed on a DNA samplecontinues to rapidly increase.

How does a seedstock producerengage their clients in the technolo-gy?

“Our clients know we will invest inthis at the right time, because we areabsolutely committed to perform-ance recording,” said Ms Corrigan.

“We need to bring education ofthis to our clients and decide whento do this – that time is getting clos-er.”■ Contact Brian Cumming,[email protected] 0411 139 556.ABOVE: Albury livestock officer, Brian Cumming, and Lucinda Corrigan of Rennylea Angus, inspecting the young sale bulls.

MVPs are on the way to market

Photo: Sarah ChesterPhoto: Sarah Chester

Benign Theileriosis: look, check and ask a vet

OVER the past few months, producersin southern NSW have been confront-ed with an unusual disease, benignTheileriosis, and identifying it has beenan important process for them.

Benign Theileriosis is a diseasecaused by a protozoan parasite thatinfects the red blood cells, causing redblood cell destruction.

This can cause serious diseaseincluding abortion in pregnant cattle

and deaths. Affected cattle may appeardull with pale membranes (eyes andmouth) and often have difficultybreathing.

Other cattle may just be found dead.A vector is required to transfer

parasites in the red blood cells betweenanimals.

This occurs when the vector,commonly a tick, bites an infectedanimal and subsequently bites a non-infected animal, transferring parasitisedred blood cells in the process.

While this has been an unusualsituation for southern beef producers, itis a fairly common disease in coastaland northern NSW, and in Queensland.

Unfortunately it can be a difficultdisease to control, as it may be possible

to spread the parasite by severaldifferent vector species.

Early identification allows theproducer, local vets and other producersto prepare and develop appropriatemanagement strategies.

With many producers sourcing cattlefrom a wide area this season, closeattention to their behaviour and generalhealth is vital to minimise the impact ofunexpected diseases or health concerns.

Visual assessments will often revealearly signs that something may not bequite right with your animals.

Unusual behaviours, sounds orappearance can often be the early signsthat an animal is unwell.

As always, look, check and if in doubtask a vet.

FARMERS who join their neighbours inco-ordinated fox baiting programscould increase lamb survival rates by upto 20 per cent, according to a recentstudy by Industry and Investment NSW.

Lynette McLeod, from the depart-ment’s vertebrate pest research unit, saidthe study covered an area of more than4.5 million hectares and 20 per cent ofthe NSW sheep flock in the CentralWest, to explore the benefits of groupbaiting using 1080.

“The participation of close neigh-bours, those up to 2.5 kilometres away,was shown to be a key factor in lambsurvival,” Ms McLeod said.

“Lamb survival improved as moreneighbouring properties joined thegroup baiting program,” Ms McLeodsaid.

“The timing and frequency of baitingwere also important factors influencinglamb survival.”

According to Ms McLeod, lamb sur-vival was higher in areas where fox bait-ing was carried out twice a year, inautumn and late winter or early spring.

“Targeted control activities, when foxpopulations are most vulnerable, canadd value to current management pro-grams,” she said.

“Baiting in late winter or early springinterrupts the foxes’ breeding periodwhile baiting in autumn catches youngfoxes as they move to new territories.”

Ms McLeod said input and assistancefrom Livestock Health and PestAuthority (LHPA) rangers was crucial tothe study.

“LHPAs co-ordinate group baitingacross NSW and farmers who want toget involved in a group baiting programshould contact their local LHPA now asautumn is a key time to bait,” she said.

Group baiting also has a biodiversitybenefit as effective fox managementhelps protect native wildlife from foxpredation and reduces the impact ofweeds and diseases spread by foxes.

The study was funded by the NaturalHeritage Trust’s National Feral AnimalControl Program.■ Contact Lynette McLeod, Orange,(02) 6391 3953.

LEFT: Industry and Investment NSW researcher,Lynette McLeod, says group fox baiting thisautumn will target young foxes moving to newterritory. Here Ms McLeod is laying 1080 bait aspart of a neighbourhood group strategy which hasseen lamb survival rates increase by up to 20 percent.

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MANAGERS of farm andcrown lands unfamiliar withsilverleaf nightshade could beunderestimating its potentialto cause damage.

That’s a concern expressedby farmers attending recentworkshops which present thelatest management recom-mendations for the control ofthe perennial, summer-activeweed.

“Even small infestationsshould not be ignored,” saidresearch scientist, Dr RexStanton.

“Left unchecked, silverleafnightshade could infest anestimated 400 million hectaresof Australian crop and pastureland.”

New control strategies weredeveloped from a five-yearresearch project led by DrHanwen Wu of the EHGraham Centre for Agricult-ural Innovation, funded byMeat and Livestock Australia.

“Our research has concen-trated on the biology and ecol-ogy of silverleaf nightshadeand identified key stages of theplant’s life cycle that must betargeted to eradicate existinginfestations and to reduce therisk of spread,” Dr Stantonsaid

“Feedback from farmersworking with us on the projectis that many people underesti-mate the cost of allowing theweed to spread.

“The message is to act now.”Farmers and advisors are

being encouraged to adopt anintegrated approach that tar-gets both the seedbank and the

extensive root system (root-bank).

“Silverleaf nightshade growsfrom seed and root fragmentsand the clear message from theresearch is that effective eradi-cation must take dual actionthat hits both,” he said.

The extensive root system is amajor source of new growth,and Dr Stanton considers thatpreventing seed set is reallyonly doing half the job.

The first action prevents seedset and must occur in latespring or early summer beforegreen berries form, and couldinclude grazing, slashing orherbicides.

Action targeting the root-

bank comes later in the season.Research has shown that her-

bicide impact on the roots isgreatest when the plant beginsto shutdown in autumn.

Dr Stanton said a successfulcontrol program requireslong-term commitment thatincludes mapping and con-taining infestations, with aconcerted program of dualaction strategies, followed bymonitoring and spot spraying.

Silverleaf nightshade origi-nated in central or southernAmerica and was first intro-duced into Australia in theearly 1900s.

It has adapted well and by1960s could be found acrosssoil types and climatic zonesfrom the northern slopes ofNSW to the Mallee regions ofSouth Australia and Victoria,reducing productive capacityand ultimately land values.■ Visitwww.csu.edu.au/research/grahamcentre/research/publications/docs/SLN_BMPguide.pdf for more detail in theSilverleaf Nightshade BestManagement Practice Guide.


Hygiene is key PREVENTING weeds

from establishing onfarm land makes more

sense than letting them estab-lish, then trying to controlthem.

“It is also much cheaper inthe long run to control smallamounts of weeds than it is tospray whole paddocks,” saidTumut district agronomist,Nathan Ferguson.

He said when new livestockenter a property, most farmershave a holding paddock wherethey leave livestock to “emptyout” any weed seeds they’recarrying.

“This is a sensible approachthat minimises the risk of newplants being spread across thelandscape.

“I would like landholders totake that approach further, bydeveloping a hygiene policy forthe farm.

“There are four steps to follow– assess the site, develop a plan,implement it, then monitor.

“Identify plants growing onyour farm and along the road-side, then categorise them asweeds or useful.”

If undesirable plants aregrowing along the roadside butnot on your farm, for exampleChilean needle grass, develop aplan to minimise the risk of itencroaching.

Competitive pastures grow-ing right up to the fence is thebest form of defence againstroadside weeds, according toMr Ferguson.

“Maintaining productivepasture with good levels ofgroundcover minimises theamount of bare ground andreduces the foothold forweeds,” he said.

“Minimise the risk of weedsbeing carried in by people or

machinery – there is nothingwe can do about our furryfriends that pay no attention toboundary fences, so we shouldat least try and control thethings we can.

“Let all visitors know that it isnot OK to just drive wherethey want, when they want, askthem to stick to the road untiltheir vehicle has been cleaned.

“Set up a cleaning bay nearthe entrance to the property.”

Mr Ferguson said if this wasnot possible, erect signagedirecting traffic to remain onthe road until they have beencleaned.

Erect signage directing visi-tors to park near the cleaningarea if they are not travellingacross the property.

If they are to travel across theproperty, instruct them how toclean their vehicle to minimisethe risk of dropping unwantedseeds.

Mr Ferguson said the cottonindustry had signs at almostevery farm instructing visitorsto “come clean, go clean.

“Next time your local agron-omist , livestock agent, Telstra,Country Energy or contractorscomes to visit, it is legitimate toask them to either clean theirvehicle or go in yours,” he said.

■ Contact your localIndustry and Investmentoffice or a local councilweeds inspector.

Nightshade stalks earth

Dr Rex Stanton in a heavy silverleaf nightshade infestation.

Four silverleaf nightshadeworkshops will be deliveredto farmers and advisorsduring the next two weeks –three in South Australia onMarch 8, 9 and 10 and onetoday in NSW at Gulgong RSL.

WorkshopsWorkshops

Tumut district agronomist, Nathan Ferguson, addressing field day participants about the importance ofChilean needle grass and how to identify it.


www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/bookshop

This guide aims to help farmers, researchers and students identify the most common annual, biennial and perennial weeds in southern Australia. Seedling descriptions and photographs have been provided to enable the identification of early growth stages which will assist in effective and timely

control. Seed descriptions and images will help identification of weed seed contamination in seed and grain samples.

The guide enables the identification of:

seeds flowers mature plants seedlings.

This ‘ute guide’ is 15 cm wide by 10 cm long, and is fully laminated in a spiral-bound format.

To order your copy ($27.50 inc. GST, Cat no. B333) contact I&I NSW bookshop on 1800 028 374 or go to our website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/bookshop

I&I NSW bookshopWeeds: the ute guide – southern edition

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Water weeds are on the moveWATER skiers, boaters,

fishers, campers and4WD enthusiasts are

part of the target group for thecurrent Industry and InvestmentNSW (I and I) weed awarenesscampaign.

Movement by people for recre-ation, boating and fishing con-tribute to the spread of waterweeds and recent high rainfall hasincreased opportunities for themto explore previously inaccessibleareas.

Such access could result inspread and establishment in newplaces.

“This awareness campaign illus-trates the links between theserecreational activities and thespread of water weeds,” said I andI aquatic weed project officer,Melissa Kahler.

“The campaign is looking toeducate the community about theimpact weeds can, in turn, have ontheir favourite recreational activi-ties.

Her colleague co-ordinating thecampaign, Jessica Grantley, said itpromoted “simple hygiene actionssuch as checking, removing andcleaning all plant fragments fromboats, trailers and fishing gear

when leaving a waterway, plusbeing alert to look for weeds”.

The campaign is called Make aDifference: At Home, At Work, AtPlay and promotes a weed hygienemessage.

“Water weed fragments can easi-ly become caught on boats, trailersand in fishing gear.

“So it is important to check allyour recreational equipment care-fully,” said Mrs Kahler.

One small plant fragment canstart a new infestation.

“Water weed fragments can sur-vive a considerable time out ofwater and when reintroducedgrow and multiply very quickly,”said Mrs Kahler.

“Water weeds that have previ-ously been contained in isolatedareas may have also movedthroughout catchments and intoother waterways, as a result ofincreased water flows.”

To report water weed infesta-tions, contact the local councilweeds officer or call Industry andInvestment on 1800 680 244 oryou can email [email protected]■ Contact Melissa Kahler orJessica Grantley, Grafton,(02) 6640 1600.

ABOVE: Melissa Kahler and JessicaGrantley are working together on awater weed awareness campaign thattargets recreational water users,asking them to help prevent spread.LEFT: Water weed fragments caneasily attach to boating and fishinggear. It is important to check, removeand clean all plant fragments fromboats, trailers and fishing gear whenleaving a waterway.

FEATURES of the NSW NorthCoast render the region amongthe most vulnerable to the inva-sion of new pest plant speciesand further proliferation ofexisting weeds.

The 16th NSW WeedsConference in Coffs Harbour inJuly will provide attendees anopportunity to experience bestpractice weed management inthe centre of one of the State’sweeds hotspots.

The region is one of the fastestgrowing areas in NSW andboasts some of the highest bio-diversity values and highestrainfall in the State.

It is characterised by fertile,volcanic and alluvial soils, com-bined with a subtropical climateand an extended growing peri-od. The Conference theme isMaking a difference – fromcountry to coast.

Farmers’ experiences and pro-grams that have made a differ-ence in protecting biodiversity,agricultural production andamenity against weed invasionthrough targeted strategies,knowledge, skills, and effectivepartnerships will be showcasedat the event.

Organised jointly by Industryand Investment NSW, CoffsHarbour City Council, NorthCoast Weeds AdvisoryCommittee and the WeedSociety of NSW Inc, the confer-ence will be held from July 18 to21, at Pacific Bay conferencecentre.

More than 300 delegates fromvarious sectors of the industryare expected to attend.

The Weeds Society recentlydecided to support contempo-rary weeds industry personnelmore directly and became a

partner in the conduct of theannual conference.

The Society has contributed$15,000 toward the forthcom-ing Coffs Harbour event.

It has also set up a future fundfor the ongoing conduct of theconference and to supportfuture conference hosts andcommittees to run the forum,which started in 1971 as a“weeds school”.

Current members of theSociety will receive a $100.00discount on registration fees toattend this July.■ Visithttp://2011weeds.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au or you cancontact conference manager,Michelle Aubert, on(02) 6648 4458,[email protected]

- BIRGITTE VERBEEK

Weed conference in July

Sydney committee knows about weedsTHE Sydney Weeds Committeeformed in 2010 as an incorporatedassociation with an elected board.

Additional board members forspecific roles can be co-opted.

The board answers to the mem-bers, which include all members offour Sydney regional weed commit-tees.

These remain as sub-committeesunder the Sydney WeedsCommittee.

They continue to meet at leastthree times a year, with a trainingday or workshop as well.

Advantages of a unified SydneyWeeds Committee

● Better coordination of weedmanagement across all of greaterSydney

● Organisations such as the RTAand State Rail, which can’t send arepresentative to every regionalmeeting, can be involved with a sin-gle Sydney-wide entity

● The Committee has greaterclout leading to simpler communi-cation with all other agencies and

all other levels of government● Pooling resources allows a better

support for projects and priorities● An incorporated association, the

committee can run bank accountssubject to public scrutiny and man-age funds, seek donations and raiserevenue that is directed back tomember agencies, partnerships andcouncils.

When funding is gained, for exam-ple, in the case of the Noxious WeedsAdvisory Committee grants, theSydney Weeds Committee can directfunds to agreed priority actions viathe most appropriate authoritiesacross Sydney.

The economy of scale also enablescross-authorisation of inspectorialdelegation – if one council’s inspec-tors are swamped by a local require-ment, another’s can for exampleinspect agency lands, or assess con-flict of interest issues, such as weedmanagement on land owned bycouncillors.

The Sydney Weeds Committeerequires monitoring against actions

as part of funding requirements.Fees and income are generated

from all members, not just the coun-cils, increasing the funds held andallowing for additional staff sup-port, including mapping and moni-toring roles.

Sydney has previously operatedwith four regional weeds commit-tees: Sydney North, Sydney Central,Sydney West/Blue Mountains andSouth West Sydney.

Each committee was established topromote a co-operative and co-ordi-nated approach to weed manage-ment within their region.

In 2007, a single co-ordinator forthe four committees recognised therepeat actions and common issuesacross the regions, and the consoli-dations that could be achieved bytaking a catchment-wide approach,particularly for aquatic weeds.■ Visitwww.sydneyweeds.org.au orcontact Jonathan Sanders (02)4572 3100.

- REBECCA COVENTRY

Committee chairman, JonathanSanders, when Longneck Lagoonwas covered by salvinia.

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For more information about theProperty Management Planning

Course, please contact theBorder Rivers-Gwydir CMA

in Inverell on (02) 6728 8020or Moree on (02) 6757 2550

or visit our website atwww.brg.cma.nsw.gov.au

March 2011 Border Rivers-Gwydir CMAChairman’s ColumnFarming is a business with increasingly tight termsof trade, costs of production are high and resourcesare finite.More and more land managers are engagingconsultants and advisors, enrolling in courses,doing web research and attending conferences andfield days all with the aim of expanding theirknowledge base and adopting best practice to givethem that financial edge.The Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA delivers theProperty Management Planning Course to guideland managers in the development of a sustainablemanagement plan for their Property that balancesboth natural resource management and productivity.The Property Management Planning course runs for6 to 8 days and covers the following:• Understanding the relationship between

sustainability, profit, income and production.• Calculating indicators of farm financial

performance.• Using Rainfall Use Efficiency to measure the

performance of the farm’s natural resource base -linking profit to natural resource management.

• Soils, land capability and vegetation mapping.• Written and mapped farm business strategic

plan.The Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA regularly reviews itscourse content to ensure its relevance to farmersand the region and the course includes a manual,satellite images, mapping kits and other handouts.In speaking with participants of the PropertyManagement Planning Course, I have been givenfeedback that the process is holistic with goodpractical follow-up on the key indicators of landmanagement. The course also encourages free andopen discussion amongst participants of a range ofalternative points of view which is extremely helpful.I can vouch for these comments because I’ve donethe Borders Rivers-Gwydir CMA PropetyManagement Planning Course too. It has certainlygiven us natural resource management direction onour farm and creates a wonderful network ofprogressive and innovative land managers.

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Ph: (02) 9331 2510Name:.............................Address:..............................................PC:.............www.flameguns.com.au

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For Details:

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98

INCREASEgrazing profitability!

Water Soluble HerbicideSERRATED TUSSOCK

CHILEAN NEEDLE GRASSGIANT PARRAMATTA GRASS

GIANT RATS TAIL GRASSAFRICIAN LOVEGRASS

COOLATAI

Taskforce kills all stages of these perennialgrass weeds as well as providing selective

& residual control.Enquiries: Bill Dobbie 0408 404 505

www.taskforceherbicide.com

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