Southern New South Wales grain growers have explained how issues such as a dry season, frosts, mice and irrigation water costs are reducing farm profitability to the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) Northern Regional Panel.
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Listening to grower concerns and insights, assessing the impact of cropping constraints and visiting GRDC research investments were key parts of the recent the GRDC Northern Regional Panel’s annual spring tour.
Panel members and GRDC northern regional staff met with growers, researchers, agronomists and other industry stakeholders as part of the tour through southern NSW to gain a greater understanding of issues affecting growers and identify and prioritise grains research, development and extension (RD&E) investments.
Panel chair John Minogue said the three-day tour provided an invaluable opportunity for the Panel, which has just started a new two-year term, to engage with industry and develop an understanding of the issues having the most effect on farming systems and profitability.
“As part of the spring tour the Panel visits different areas of Queensland and New South Wales cropping regions each year and is focused on talking with growers and consultants to understand their grain production issues,” Mr Minogue said.
“The GRDC Panel and staff then use this information to help refine the GRDC’s RD&E investments at a regional and national level.
“This tour issues raised by growers and agronomists included frost damage, the effect of the unseasonably dry winter, harvest options, mice, irrigation, pulse crops, subsoil constraints and concerns about spray drift.”
While Mr Minogue said the GRDC couldn’t prevent frosts, it continues to invest significantly in the RD&E, like the $20 million National Frost Initiative, which aims to deliver a combination of genetic and management solutions, along with tools and information to better predict, plan and manage frost events.
“The frost impact this season has in many cases been exacerbated by the dry conditions so it is a tough one for growers and consultants,” he said.
“But the GRDC is working to ensure they have access to the latest research data so they can make informed management decisions on-farm when it comes to identifying, assessing and managing frost and dry season impact and harvest options.
“When it comes to other issues like mice and reducing spray drift the GRDC is committed to investigating and prioritising these research concerns and ensuring we get information back to growers where the research has already produced paddock-ready results.”
Mr Minogue said several growers had also raised concerns about the need for continued research investments into extracting higher crop yields from irrigation.
“Return on water investments was an issue for many growers in the southern region and this area will continue to be a focus of GRDC RD&E, as will changing farming systems and crop types in response to high value water.”
The recent Northern Regional Panel’s spring tour included a major GRDC infrastructure investment announcement at Charles Sturt University, as well as a visit to several trial sites operated under the GRDC - NSW Department of Primary Industry (DPI) Bilateral agreement.
“We went from the dryland region around Griffith to the higher rainfall area of Albury, and were able to take a close look at the NSW DPI and CSIRO trial sites at Wagga and Yanco, exploring issues like wheat traits and crop competition, as well as local demonstration sites at Griffith,” Mr Minogue said.
“What was really positive to see was the expansion of pulse production in the region, the developments in irrigation efficiency and layout, and the increasing use of new technology in the form of helicopters and sensors in research and development.
“We were also impressed by the capacity building projects associated with the GRDC NSW DPI Bilateral agreement, with several young scientists and researchers now involved with trial work and mentoring partnerships.
“But the most vital part of this tour was engaging with local growers and agronomists and we genuinely appreciate them giving up their time to meet and talk with the GRDC Panel and staff.”
He said the GRDC Panel was now planning an autumn tour where they would visit summer crop growing areas in the northern region.
“The Panel tours are critically important, because they allow us to engage directly with industry in a ‘two-way conversation’ that helps us develop an in-depth understanding of the constraints and opportunities to grower profitability, which in turn helps inform GRDC investments.”