horizon newsletter - issue 5, december 2012...twin-sowing of pasture and cereal crops can boost...

Twin-sowing of pasture and cereal crops can boost profits.

Australia’s High Rainfall Zone: the new grain Horizon ISSUE 5, DECEmbEr 2012

CONTENTS

meet A/P Pauline mele ................................2

raising the stakes for grazing and grain....2

HrZ Project News .......................................3

Waging a war against snails .......................4

beware the pitfalls of a wet harvest ............6

No silver bullet for slug control ....................8

Peace and diet under threat .......................9

Healthy soils – the underrated crop production variable ...................................10

Contacts .....................................................12

New data backs twiN‑sowiNg beNefits

ISSN 1838-2487

Australia’s high rainfall zone is defined as areas where rainfall exceeds one-third of evaporation for nine or more consecutive months of the year.

Twin-sowing of pasture and cereal crops can boost profits by up to 24 per cent in mixed farming enterprises, according to new research supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

Fiona Young, a GrDC-supported research student at the University of Western Australia (UWA), has examined the merits of twin-sowing.

ms Young’s supervisor, Professor ross Kingwell, Department of Agriculture and Food and University of Western Australia (DAFWA) says the research reveals twin-sowing boosts the profits of mixed broadacre farming systems in the central wheatbelt of WA.

“Twin-sowing lowers the costs of establishing legume pastures without interfering with crop sowing,” Prof Kingwell says.

“It requires minimal investment to implement and provides an opportunity

to improve pasture production and quality using low cost seed produced on-farm.

“Twin-sowing was found to increase farm productivity which, in this scenario, increased profitability.”

The study employed the whole-farm bioeconomic model, mIDAS, to assess the profitability and role of twin-sowing in different farming systems in WA’s central wheatbelt.

A comparison of different farming scenarios with and without twin-sowing was undertaken in conjunction with a wide-ranging sensitivity analysis.

Prof Kingwell said the main findings were that twin-sowing boosts whole-farm profit while decreasing the area of farm optimally devoted to pasture.

“For a standard farm, the area of pasture decreases by 13pc, while profit increases significantly by 24pc,” he said.

“Twin-sowing increases a farm’s capacity to carry sheep by up to 24pc and reduces nitrogen fertiliser requirements for crops following a year of pasture.

“As twin-sowing has been developed mainly for pasture establishment on sandy soils, farms with predominantly sandy soils experience the largest increase in farm profits or 41pc at current high prices for sheepmeat and wool.”

He says sensitivity analysis suggests if current wool prices, pasture growth and sheepmeat prices decline, twin-sowing remains highly profitable in comparison to those farming systems without this innovation.

“The combination of desirable characteristics displayed by twin-sowing highlight its potential for further trial and adoption across an array of different farming systems.”

Project research Code: UHS10051

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Associate Professor Pauline mele is a joint appointee with DPI Victoria and Latrobe University School of Life Sciences.

As a DPI Principal research Scientist A/P mele leads a group of soil biologists engaged in projects spanning several industries, including grains, dairy and grape and wine. She currently coordinates GrDC’s Soil biology Initiative (2009-2014), Harnessing the biological Potential of Cropping Soils.

Current ActivitiesA/P mele’s research projects are aimed at improving the productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems.

These include: n developing comprehensive (e.g.

inclusive of biological, chemical, physical soil parameters) soil health monitoring systems that reflect industry requirements and are user friendly

n developing biomarkers for disease suppressive soils so that they can be used to predict which soil management regimes are better able to withstand disease incursions from rhizoctonia (e.g. bare patch disease)

n improving the mechanistic understanding of carbon and nitrogen dynamics so as to better manage crop nitrogen supply and carbon storage

n evaluating new technologies and statistical approaches and their potential to shed new light on the complex interactions between soil microbial communities and plant systems particularly as related to soil type, climate and crop management regime (e.g. rotations, tillage, herbicide and fertiliser inputs)

n extending knowledge to stakeholders through workshops, conferences and web-based information

BackgroundA/P mele completed her PhD on “microbial characterisation of conservation tillage practices at two wheat cropping sites in southern Australia” in the biological Sciences Department in La Trobe University’s School of biological Sciences. beginning her science career as a lecturer in clinical microbiology at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney (bachelor of Nursing) she soon decided that agricultural r&D was her preferred career path and took up a position in the DPI Vic to commence her career in soil biology research.

meet the researchersPauline mele

Associate Professor Pauline Mele

Raising the stakes for grazing and grain WITH a total of 55 new dual-purpose cereal varieties being trialled across the state, farmers can expect a comprehensive performance report from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

DPI technical specialist for grains services, Peter matthews, said trials funded by GrDC as part of the NVT program were currently underway at Cowra, Culcairn, Somerton and Purlewaugh.

“These trails build on a strong history of testing cereal varieties for grazing

and grain production to successfully fit into mixed grazing systems across NSW,” mr matthews said.

“Dual-purpose cereal crops are top performers in the gross margin stakes as they generate income from grain sales and livestock production.”

This year the DPI is testing 21 wheat, 18 oat, one cereal rye, seven barley and eight triticale varieties by growing them at the different sites under commercial best practice conditions.

The crops are grazed by sheep through the vegetative growing period and managed through to harvest when the grain yields are measured.

Dry matter production is assessed at regular intervals during the growing season.

results from the 2012 evaluation trials will be available in the 2013 NSW DPI Winter Crop Variety Sowing Guide and on the department’s web site early next year.

During this time, A/P mele undertook post-doctoral research at the National Agronomic research Institute (INrA) in Dijon, France where she was supported by Liphatec Inc (a merck KGa subsidiary) to investigate the efficacy of maize inoculant strain Azospirillum lipoferum CrT1.

A/P mele has since worked in DPI Vic in various leadership positions and in 2006 was awarded a Senior research Fellowship with Land and Water Australia to undertake a study examining how investment for soil biology research could be improved in Australia drawing upon international investment models and paradigms.

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PROJECT NEWS

In each issue the HORIZON newsletter will outline the conclusions from key GRDC-supported HRZ projects. For more project summaries, visit www.grdc.com.au/hrz

Raised bed systems have revitalised the broadacre cropping industry in the high rainfall areas of south-west Victoria.

PROJECT NUmbER: DAV417

PROJECT TITLE: Environmental Impacts of raised bed Cropping in South West Victoria

PROJECT SUmmARY: raised bed systems have revitalised the broadacre cropping industry in the high rainfall areas of south-west Victoria. by 2003, there was an estimated 50,000 ha of raised beds installed, and potential for 1 million ha of high to moderate suitability for raised beds. This project has gathered valuable knowledge on water movement and nutrient losses from raised bed and conventional cropping systems. results from this project underpin the best Practice guidelines to minimise the environmental impacts of raised bed systems. The guidelines have been produced and distributed to growers through the Southern Farming Systems grower network.

CONCLUSIONS: results from both the field measurements and modelling indicate that raised beds change the hydrology of the landscape. The impact of raised beds on the volume of runoff is dependent on many factors, including soil type, slope, amount of ground cover, antecedent soil moisture and rainfall intensity. Field measurements on a typical soil type and slope in the region indicate that raised beds generally increased the volume of runoff compared with conventional cropping systems, depending on the seasonal rainfall characteristics. runoff modelling

also indicated that raised beds on heavy textured soils (eg heavy clays) generated a greater proportion of runoff per unit of rainfall than lighter textured soils.

Field measurements indicated that raised beds shed runoff more rapidly than conventional systems on a typical soil type in the region. Consequently, proper paddock planning including a contour survey is essential before installing more than 10 hectares of raised beds. This will minimise the potential for erosion and off-farm nutrient loss. An introduction to paddock planning is given in the best management practice guidelines fact sheet developed by this project.

raised beds generally released higher annual loads of nitrogen and lower annual loads of phosphorus in runoff compared with conventional systems. In addition, most phosphorus in runoff was mobilised in a dissolved form. In terms of control measures, there are limited

opportunities to remove dissolved nutrients from runoff flows, so the aim of remedial studies must be to prevent nutrients getting into the water ways. Guidance to minimising nutrient losses in runoff is given in the best management practice guidelines fact sheet developed by this project.

The project found that APSIm could not be used to simulate the water balance under raised beds due to the lack of parameter descriptors to describe the beds and furrows in a raised bed system. Under a conventional cropping system, APSIm simulated deep drainage ranging from 4.3 mm to 154 mm per year over the duration of the project. As it has been observed that raised beds generally shed more runoff than conventional treatments, it can be assumed that deep drainage under raised beds will be slightly lower than under conventional systems.

most soil types in south west Victoria have a moderate to high suitability for raised beds. However, soils with a light soil texture or exposed sodic subsoils should be managed with caution and best management practice guidelines should be adhered to.

CONTACT: Tim Johnston Department of Primary Industries Victoria research Scientist Ph: 03 52264723 Email: [email protected]


Waging a War against snailsmr Hayes has been working with GrDC, SArDI and Charles Sturt University (CSU) to come up with ways to make sure his grain meets receival standards of one snail per 200 grams.

more recently, mr Hayes has been working with researchers in a bid to find a long term snail killer in the form of a nematode, with initial field trial results showing promise.

mr Hayes farms around 1500 hectares at Warooka – protected from the heat and frost of inland South Australia, his soil types vary from stony, heavy country to grey calcareous sand.

With an average annual rainfall of 470 millimetres, mr Hayes says he has a prime breeding environment for snails.

“We’ve got the good rainfall and climate which suits them,” mr Hayes said.

“They breed when there’s moisture and they multiply rapidly. being hermaphrodites, every snail produces juveniles.”

Snails are not a new problem for mr Hayes, who has been no-till farming for the last 30 of his 50 years in the district. Over this time, mr Hayes has used a number of control methods to help reduce the farm’s snail population.

His most recent strategy included the laying out of metaldehyde baits on this property, and running a large

cable across the stubble after harvest during summer which flicks the snails off the stalks and onto the ground where they die from moisture loss.

He also brings out steel rollers to crush the snails if their shells are soft enough.

but all of this hasn’t deterred the snail population on my Hayes’s farm, which has grown exponentially after a wet summer in 2010 and now totals around 6000 per square metre where there is no control.

“In 2010, after a large rain event during harvest, the snails continued to breed throughout the summer,” he said.

“Usually they climb up fence posts and stubble to get off the ground so they can survive the warmer temperatures.

“but the juveniles which were born in late spring prior to the wet summer hid in the moist soils, and without us realising, continued to breed.

“When we put out 30 tonnes of metaldehyde, a number of factors led to poor uptake and we virtually had no control over the snails – numbers exploded and consequently chewed off crop like we’d never seen before.

“For instance last year we planted 300 hectares of lentils on one farm, but were only able to harvest 170 hectares – the snails obliterated the other 130 hectares and chewed the lentil plants right off.

“Even though we baited some of those areas three times with metaldehyde during the year, it was after the event that the bait had any effect at all.

“Of course we’d had damage in our crops before but never bare areas chewed off by snails. It was devastating; the worst year we have ever experienced in all the 12 years that we’ve been trying to deal with snails on our farm,” my Hayes said.

With grain receival depots allowing just one snail per 200 grams, mr Hayes has made the most of funding from the Grains research and Development Corporation (GrDC), the Yorke Peninsula Alkaline Soils Group (YPASG) and SArDI to come up with ways to make sure his grain meets receival standards, despite the snails.

“We’ve learned to manage snails a lot better – we’ve modified machinery to harvest snails and come up with cleaning processes so we can still continue farming.

I have been working with GrDC, SArDI and CSU to find a long term snail killer.

After incurring snail damage to the tune of $143,000 in production losses in 2000, Yorke Peninsula farmer Graham Hayes has tried every trick in the book to stamp out the pest.


“The harvested crop goes through a complicated and time-consuming screening and cleaning process. We’ve rigged up a series of augers and screens to clean out the snails.”

more recently mr Hayes has been working with GrDC, SArDI and Charles Sturt University (CSU), to find a long term snail killer.

“I’ve been collecting snails and delivering them to CSU for testing for about three years and they’ve come up with some nematodes which have shown potential.

“Nematodes are like worms and they live in the soil and there’s a whole range of different ones. There are some that attack plants, some that eat bacteria, and the ones that we have here that

attack snails. They burrow in the snail’s stomach and kill the snail by poisoning its blood.

“CSU brought some out last year to release on the farm and they were encouraged by the results of that trial.

“This year, we’re undertaking more trials starting in may which should show even better results because

the soil is moist and nematodes need the moisture so they can move around. These nematodes are native to Australia.

“Initially there were two nematodes that showed an interest in snails – now they’ve got another five which will hopefully adapt to the drier soil.

“So the trial this year is to see how they go in winter when they will be able to move around more freely.

“The snails are now on the ground feeding and moving around whereas last year because of the drier conditions they were up off the ground, so that’s pretty encouraging too.”

Project research Codes: UCS00013, UCS00016

Yorke Peninsula farmer Graham Hayes has been working with researches as part of a GRDC-supported research program to manage snails.

We’ve got the good

rainfall and climate which

suits them.


Testing grain quality is important during a wet harvest.

Wet grain at harvest creates extra work in an already busy time, but growers are being warned to avoid the temptation to take shortcuts or they’ll end up with a poor quality product.

Jodi mcLean is a cereal chemist by profession, with a passion for and expertise in grain quality. She runs an agricultural consultancy and is a member of the GrDC northern region panel.

ms mcLean says that while most growers are aware of ways of dealing with a wet harvest, there are also pitfalls at each stage which could un-do and out-weigh the benefits.

“Whether you’re measuring moisture at harvest, drying the grain or monitoring it during storage, it’s important to know your equipment and follow best practice.”

In the paddock, ms mcLean says the rain is likely to increase sprouting, staining and black point, as well as affecting yield.

“There’s not a lot you can do about that at the end of the season. However, choosing varieties that can better handle a wet finish may be of benefit in future years, especially in the high rainfall zone.

“The GrDC and plant breeders are putting a lot of work into identifying traits and developing varieties suited

BEwarE ThE piTfallS Of a wet harvest

to those conditions to give growers more choice down the track.”

When the grain is being harvested, it’s important to know up front the limitations of monitors.

“A lot of harvesters have built in moisture meters. However, many are only accurate to levels around 30pc moisture, so check with the manufacturer to find out the specifications for your machine,” ms mcLean said.

“The same is true of the moisture meters used to check grain just before it goes into the silo – find out the tolerances for the equipment you’re using.

“They can have moisture tolerances of up to three pc, so a reading of ten pc could in reality be anything from seven to 13pc.

“Testing should always be done at room temperature. If the grain’s come straight out of a dryer or you’ve kept it

in a cooler, it will give false readings. And samples should be kept in a sealed container so they don’t lose or absorb moisture while in transit.”

To get a truly reflective reading, at least three and if possible six samples should be tested from each truck, mixing the grain first and taking the average.

“Not every paddock is the same, and you’re likely to get patches within paddocks that are wetter than others, so you can’t assume moisture levels will be even across your harvest,” ms mcLean said.

“There’s an effect called moisture migration, when damp patches migrate within a truck or a silo to collect in one spot. If you don’t carry out multiple tests, you could miss a big patch of wet grain.

“It’s one of the biggest sources of error when sampling, when people scoop a handful of grain off the top of the truck, do one test and consider it representative of the whole load.

“You need to use a grain probe to do it properly, inserted vertically into the grain at the front, middle and back of the truck.

“Collect around a kilo of grain each time and use a sample divider if you can to mix the grain evenly. Using your hands can make the smaller seeds fall to the bottom and create a false reading.”

Grain dryers have had a lot of publicity this harvest, and ms


mcLean says they’re a good option – but warns they can cause shrinkage and affect quality if the temperature is too high.

“batch drying before the grain goes into the silo is where ‘haste makes waste’ if you try to dry the grain too quickly,” ms mcLean said.

“barley is especially sensitive and should not be dried above 43 degrees Celsius.

“Sunflowers can be dried up to 104 degrees – but it’s vital to clean the air ducts and the rest of the dryers every day or they risk catching on fire due to the oil content.”

The ideal temperatures for wheat are:

n Lower than 49 degrees Celsius if you want to use if for sowing next season

n No more than 54 degrees if it’s above 20pc moisture

n Up to 66 degrees if it’s going into flour milling and the moisture levels are 16pc or below.

ms mcLean says that no more than 29 degrees Celcius is best for soybeans, as the seed coat can shrink faster than the seed itself and crack if it’s not done carefully, which is a defect. Soybeans can also develop a burnt ‘off’ taste. The relative humidity of the drying air should also be kept above 40 per cent.

“You can put the grain into a silo while it has high moisture content, but it means you have to be much more vigilant with monitoring, particularly in the high rainfall zone where humidity is likely to be higher and therefore the risk of mould is greater.

“As with the testing from the trucks, take grain from several locations, because moisture migration doesn’t necessarily mean a puddle on the bottom of the silo – the collection of moisture could be anywhere.

“Aeration should be run for at least several weeks after the grain goes into the silo, or the grain rotated to another silo after a few weeks,” ms mclean said.

“managing a wet harvest can slow the process, but doing it properly will reap benefits reflected in the wheat cheque you get at the end of it.”

The GrDC has developed a new fact sheet Dealing with high-moisture grain, which outlines a range of measures and how each one works.

It also provides links to more information, including the GrDC-supported website www.storedgrain.com.au

The Dealing with high-moisture grain fact sheet is available on the GrDC website at www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-dealingwithhighmoisturegrain

HRZ growers like Winchelsea, Victoria grower David Langley harvests under challenging damp conditions.


Researchers recommend monitoring crops for slug activity even if the pest burden is lighter this year. Photo by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science.

HRZ growers are reminded not to become complacent about the pests even though numbers may be down this season.

Dr michael Nash, University of melbourne says growers should be closely monitoring crops, particularly after rainfall when conditions are moist and favourable for slugs.

“It’s particularly important to monitor areas which have been affected by slugs in the past,” Dr Nash said.

He suggests the large canola plantings across the HrZ may result in increased slug populations over the season.

“The large canola plantings will favour higher carryover of populations into the next season, particularly if we have a wet season extending over summer,” Dr Nash said.

“Growers will need to be vigilant and adopt an integrated control programs which includes choosing less susceptible crops.”

Dry autumn conditions suggest the potential threat is lower this year, compared to significant crop losses due to slugs last season.

“It is likely that slug damage will be much less severe than last year as growers are increasingly aware of the pest and are using integrated control approaches,” Dr Nash said.

“This is particularly evident in canola crops which have been monitored closely over the dry autumn – with many problem paddocks cultivated.”

GrDC is funding research into and commercialisation of a biological control, which relies on a native

nematode and symbiotic bacteria that kills slugs and snails.

research is being carried out by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and may provide a future control option for slugs and snails.

Further work is being carried out on the current distribution of slugs and snails and the viability of new molluscicides. This research is being done by SArDI, The University of melbourne and CSIrO.

Newly-funded research will review chemical control options including the relative efficacy and influence of bait size and density. GrDC expects the research to provide future research options for juvenile slugs and snails.

research Project Codes: UCS00013, UCS00016

No silver bullet for slug control


Professor Mark Sutherland

It’s time to get serious about ensuring Australia maintains its elite position amongst the best agricultural research communities in the world. The stakes are high – food security and supply and even regional stability.

Feeding the rising world population is at odds with the shrinking budgets for research, development and extension in Australia and other developed countries. Well-resourced r&D programs are crucial for keeping productivity high and attracting the best and brightest minds to study agricultural sciences is the first step.

Over the last 30 years of teaching I have witnessed a steady decrease in the number of undergraduate students studying plant science in Australian universities. Over the last decade in particular, there has been a spectacular decrease in agricultural graduates across all disciplines, with the possible exception of economics.

As researchers we need a stream of graduates coming through the universities to take up careers in all aspects of modern agriculture. We rely on attracting very good students into agricultural postgraduate research. These postgraduates become the career researchers that will support the agricultural industries of the future and answer the research needs and issues ahead.

There is another side to this challenge. Where I’m based at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba,

and at other Australian universities, we need to take a closer look at our courses to ensure they are aligned with industry needs. While we are experienced in designing intellectually compelling and well-rounded programs, these programs must also be relevant to what’s needed in today’s modern agriculture.

The Grains research and Development Corporation (GrDC) northern panel has identified succession planning for key research skills in areas such as agronomy, pathology, entomology and soil science as a key priority for funding over the next few years.

GrDC is partnering with our leading research organisations to support positions for younger scientists to work alongside senior researchers

who will mentor and train them in key areas of knowledge and in building industry networks. So when senior scientists walk out the door to a well-earned retirement there will be younger staff ready to step into their shoes. Stemming the loss of expertise is important as is ensuring that established knowledge is not lost but built upon.

GrDC has an excellent post grad scholarship scheme in place that attracts candidates from the cream of science graduates. However I believe there are ways that GrDC could more strongly connect these students with the grains industry during their period of study. For example, scholarship holders could attend the GrDC Updates in rural areas, to present their research projects in plain English and to talk to the frontline about research needs within the grains industry.

Tomorrow’s research providers need a good understanding of the issues which challenge grain producers. Grain producers should be able to interact first hand with the young researchers in training that GrDC is supporting.

Capturing the best minds and ensuring there is a clear and attractive career path is the key to maintaining Australia’s excellent reputation as a world leader in agricultural science r,D&E.

For more information, visit www.grdc.com.au

Capturing the best minds by Mark Sutherland, Professor

of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba; GRDC Northern Panellist

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For grain growers in Australia’s HRZ, soil health remains an area where building knowledge and better management strategies can pay dividends in higher yields and

lower costs.

Professor Daniel murphy, University of WA (UWA) Institute of Agriculture says help is at hand for HrZ growers combating nutrient deficiencies, compaction and soil-borne diseases such as root-lesion nematodes.

GrDC has joined partners including UWA, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA), Avon Catchment Council, Land and Water Australia Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms, South Coast Natural resource management, and the Grower Group Alliance to improve access to soil quality resources and information.

GrDC has also partnered with the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts (DSITIA) as part of a national monitoring activity that has already occurred in WA and Tasmania.

The website, www.soilquality.org.au is part of the extensive, multi-partner national program, the Soil biology Initiative II, which provides data and information on soil biology, chemistry and physics.

Researchers say the next wave of productivity improvements in Australia will come from better soil knowledge and management.

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Prof murphy says recent experience shows improvement in soil structure, soil organic matter content and nutrient performance is possible through changed management practices.

“Improved soil quality leads to better production performance including reduced input costs for herbicides, pesticides and fuel, less wear on machinery and more efficient use of water and nutrients.

“The next wave of productivity improvements in Australia will come from the foundation of agriculture – the soil itself.”

He urges HrZ growers to monitor soil quality in order to optimise plant and animal productivity.

“This can be achieved through a variety of management practices and philosophies which directly affect biological, chemical and physical properties of the soil resource.

“by monitoring these properties over time positive and negative changes in soil quality can be identified in order to develop better farming systems.”

For more information, visit www.soilquality.org.au or to view details on GrDC’s investment in HrZ research, visit www.grdc.com.au

HealtHy soils – the underrated crop production variableProf murphy says growers who access the website and use the tools provided can gain a greater understanding of the health of their soil, compare data and examine soil relationships.

“A healthy soil has biological, chemical and physical properties that promote the health of plants, animals and humans while also maintaining environmental quality,” Prof murphy said.

“Developing cost efficient management practices and farming systems to improve soil quality is essential to sustainable agriculture in Australia and world-wide.”

He says high quality soil has biological, chemical and physical properties that promote the health of native plants, agricultural crops, animals and humans.

“While growers usually have some knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of their soil, little is generally known about the biological component,” he said.

A central part of this web resource is the facility for growers to record their paddock’s soil, biological, chemical and physical qualities. These values can be benchmarked against values for their local region, as well as against growers using similar systems in similar environments throughout their state.

The benchmark information is provided in a number of formats including a ‘traffic light’ snapshot that highlights the main indicators of concern in each catchment and region.

“red implies high risk of production impact and should be investigated immediately. The amber colour indicates a moderate risk, which should be investigated further, and green implies low risk, though regular monitoring should continue,” Prof murphy said.

The Soil Quality monitoring Program and website have been piloted in WA, with more than 1500 sample sites in WA currently having comparative data on the website. It has been launched with soil test data in Tasmania and is now being rolled out to grain-producing areas across Australia, including the HrZ, as part of the Soil biology Initiative.

researchers consider linking soil biology to measurable economic benefits on-farm as one of the largest barriers to adoption by growers and advisers.

GrDC funding in this area includes support for the national soil quality monitoring framework, soil biology monitoring with high resolution genomic technologies, DNA tests for disease and nematode community analysis, and molecular indicators for soil quality.

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Phone: 02 6166 4500Fax: 02 6166 4599

email: [email protected] Box 5367

Kingston, ACT 2604 AUSTRALIA

For more inFormation:www.grdc.com.au/hrz

www.pi.csiro.auwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au www.dpi.vic.gov.au

www.agric.wa.gov.au

HoRiZon is brought to you by growers and the Australian Government through the publisher, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

titLe PRoJect No. and YeaR of comPLetioN

coNtact

Assisting growers achieve yield potential in the HRZ of south-eastern Australia

DAV00083 2010

Penny RiffkinDPI Victoria Research AgronomistPh: 03 [email protected]

Management of High Rainfall cropping to improve Water Quality

DAV00059 2009

Dr David NashDPI Victoria Senior Research ScientistPh: 03 5624 [email protected]

Delivering high yields of milling wheats in the HRZ in WA

CSP00065 2008

Dr Heping ZhangCSIRO Plant IndustryResearch ScientistPh: 08 9333 [email protected]

Evaluating the potential for dual purpose (grain/graze) canola in the mixed farming systems of southern Australia

CSP00085 2010

Dr John KirkegaardCSIRO Plant IndustrySenior Principal Research ScientistPh: 02 6246 [email protected]

Investigating stubble management systems to reduce dependance on burning in the HRZ region of Sth Australia

SFS00014 2008

Southern Farming SystemsPh: 03 5229 [email protected]

Genotype and management combinations for highly productive cropping systems in the HRZ of Sth Australia

DAV00061 2007

Penny RiffkinDPI Victoria Research AgronomistPh: 03 [email protected]

Increased farm profits in the HRZ using mixed cropping/grazing systems

CSP00009 2007

Dr Hugh DoveCSIRO Plant IndustryChief Research ScientistPh: (02) 6246 [email protected]

Understanding sub-soil constraints in the HRZ

DAV00056 2006

Richard MacEwanSenior Research ScientistDPI Victoria Ph: 03 5430 [email protected]

Environmental impacts of raised bed cropping in south-west Victoria

DAV417 2006

Tim JohnstonDPI Victoria Research ScientistPh: 03 [email protected]

Scoping study for further trials on atrazine use in raised bed farming

NSP00001 2008

Natural SolutionsPh: 07 3124 9400

titLe PRoJect No. and YeaR of comPLetioN

coNtact

Change in soil properties under raised bed cropping

UM148 2005

Professor Robert WhiteUniversity of MelbourneSchool of Land and EnvironmentEmeritus ProfessorPh: 03 [email protected]

Optimising cereal profitability in the HRZ through integration of disease management

SFS00015 2008


Wheat breeding for HRZ of Australia

CSP00019 2007

Dr Richard RichardsCSIRO Plant IndustryProgram LeaderPh: 02 6246 [email protected]

Breeding dual purpose feed wheats for the high rainfall zones

CSP00101 2010

AUSGRAINZ (c/o CSIRO Plant Industry)Dr Richard RichardsCSIRO Plant IndustryProgram LeaderPh: 02 6246 [email protected]

Optimising economic yield responses through disease management in winter cereals

SFS00006 2005


Pest suppressive landscapes: linking IPM and natural resource management

CSE00051 2012

Nancy ShelhornCSIROSenior Research Scientist07 3214 [email protected]

Dual purpose crops in the HRZ CSP00132 2012

Dr John KirkegaardCSIRO Plant IndustrySenior Principal Research ScientistPh: 02 6246 [email protected]

Biodiversity management in high-intensity agricultural landscapes for conservation and provision of ecosystem services

CSP00134 2013

Andrew YoungCSIROSenior Principal Research ScientistPh: 02 6246 [email protected]

Maximizing crop yield in the HRZ of WA through efficienct use of water and nutrients

CSP00128 2012

Dr Steve MilroyCSIRO Plant IndustryResearch Group LeaderPh: 08 9333 [email protected]

GrDc: Supporting HRZ Research

horizon newsletter - issue 5, december 2012...twin-sowing of pasture and cereal crops can boost...

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