Projects

Winter wheat trials at the Streatham trial site

Improving returns from fertiliser nitrogen applications in the high rainfall zone of Victoria

Growers who attended the Tatyoon NGN Forum (2022) identified a need to better understand soil nitrogen (N) reserves and supplies, the efficiency of the uptake of N from fertiliser applications into the crop, and how to best optimise fertiliser decisions to maximise returns in the high rainfall zone (HRZ). Factors...
  • Grains Research & Development Corporation ​​
  • Greta Duff
  • Willaura
  • Current
Frost RS

Better Frost Decisions

Applying current knowledge to inform grower decision making to mitigate the impact of frost, now and in the future. 
  • GRDC and Mallee Sustainable Farming
  • Michelle McClure
  • Current
Silos by Chris Warrick

GRAIN STORAGE

For growers to have access to the latest knowledge and understanding of best practice grain storage management.
  • GRDC
  • Michelle McClure
  • Available to all SFS branch regions
  • Current
ADA271.0621 FDF forum socials (Facebook linkedIn 1200x628)8

BUILDING DROUGHT RESILIENCE

How prepared is your farming business to predicted climate change? Climatic risk (including drought) is an accepted part of farming and historically most businesses have been able to survive these challenging periods and rebound.  However climate change is increasing this variability, to an extent that events are predicted to be...
  • Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Future Drought Fund
  • Grace Evans
  • SW Victoria
  • Current
IMG 7232 (1)

MAXIMISING THE FARMING SYSTEM BENEFITS & CLOSING THE ECONOMIC YIELD GAP FROM GRAIN LEGUME PRODUCTION IN THE HRZ

What are the key constraints to pulse grain yields and break crop effects, and how can they be overcome?
  • GRDC, Agriculture Victoria
  • , Grace Evans, Greta Duff
  • Vite Vite North
  • Current
ARG in spring barley

UPSKILLING TASMANIAN GROWERS AND ADVISORS TO MANAGE ANNUAL RYEGRASS THROUGH EXPOSURE TO EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE AND PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING

This investment will upskill growers and advisors in Tasmania on the management of ryegrass through confidently adopting locally tailored strategies to manage annual ryegrass and leave a lasting legacy of knowledge and skills.
  • GRDC & University of Adelaide
  • Brett Davey
  • Tasmania
  • Current
Cover Crop walk

MIXED COVER CROPS FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING

A project is currently underway, focusing on ‘Mixed Cover Crops for Sustainable Farming’, with funding through the National Landcare Program Phase 2 (NLP2). Ag Excellence Alliance is leading the work and Southern Farming Systems have been subcontracted to undertake the work in south-west Victoria, Gippsland and Tasmania.
  • Australian Governments NLP2 & GRDC
  • Ashley Amourgis, Brett Davey, Natalie Jenkins
  • South West Victoria, Gippsland & Tasmania
  • Current
Deep N soil sampling

DEEP BANDING NITROGEN

This project aims to demonstrate options to current fertiliser management practices which typically involve large applications of surface applied nitrogen (mainly unprotected urea) onto crops at early stem extension. This is often at a time when soils are at field capacity and waterlogged, resulting in inefficient use of fertiliser. The...
  • Australian Governments NLP2
  • Ashley Amourgis
  • South West Victoria
  • Current
NVT canola IWM wheat

IWM LONG TERM LAKE BOLAC TRIAL

Build upon the legacy of the work begun in 2012 and continue to explore the effect of crop competition, herbicide intensity and rotation on annual ryegrass control in the HRZ.
  • GRDC
  • , Audrey Gripper
  • Lake Bolac
  • Current
AGV DIS WHT TAR NTH 5

SOIL AND PLANT TESTING

This project involves an intensive soil and plant testing demonstration program involving approximately 100 growers across the southern region. At nutrient responsive sites, growers will be supported to instigate fertiliser test strips to illustrate responses, supported by plant tests. The impact on nutrient use efficiency, profit for each grower and...
  • Ashley Amourgis, Grace Evans
  • Current
Fig 16 Ryegrass in Crop

WEED COMPETITION

Measure the value of crop competition for annual ryegrass control across the LRZ, MRZ and HRZ's in cereals and break crops. Test the interaction of herbicide and crop competition control. Degree of crop competition changed by changing sowing date and sowing rate.
  • , Greta Duff, Grace Evans
  • Current
NVT wheat germinating in direct drilled hemp stubble

NATIONAL VARIETY TRIALS

NVT involves the conduct of field trials of advanced fixed breeding lines, accepted for inclusion in NVT Trials, according to agreed protocols, to provide independent crop varietal evaluation data for growers. NVT Trials test Lines submitted by Breeders for independent benchmarking against other breeding lines and popular commercial varieties. When...
  • GRDC
  • , Audrey Gripper, Brett Davey
  • Inverleigh, Lake Bolac, Hamilton, Tasmania
  • Current
Faba Bean Nodulation

NITROGEN FIXATION

Pulses are estimated to fix about 120kg N/ha, or more than 220,000 tonnes N across Australia, worth about $220 million each year. However, not all pulses are well nodulated and fix N to their potential, especially on acidic soils. It was recently estimated (by the GRDC) that N fixation could...
  • GRDC & MSF
  • , Greta Duff, Grace Evans
  • South West Victoria
  • Current
HYC2 GD 253

HYPER YIELDING CROPS

The purpose of this investment is to assist growers and their advisors to effectively implement new knowledge, tools, technologies or practices into whole-of-farm systems to set new attainable yield benchmarks. It will also extend, build upon and extract additional value from historic R,D&E outcomes from HYC in Tasmania.
  • GRDC & FAR Australia
  • Ashley Amourgis, Greta Duff, Brett Davey
  • South West Victoria & Tasmania
  • Current
Pulse Validation

PULSE VALIDATION

Develop pulse agronomy for the HRZ in order to promote their place in the rotations of farming systems in the region.
  • GRDC & Ag VIC & Southern Pulse Agronomy
  • , Greta Duff, Grace Evans
  • Inverleigh, Lake Bolac, Hamilton
  • Current
Alternative Legume Crops

ALTERNATIVE LEGUME CROPS

The aim of the Alternative Legume Crops Project is to identify legume species suited to, but not currently grown across a variety of farming systems and environments in Victoria to expand the range of rotations available to Victorian grain growers. This may include crops sown within the traditional winter cropping...
  • GRDC & Ag Vic
  • , Audrey Gripper
  • Inverleigh
  • Current
Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit

INTERCROPPING TO EXPLOIT RAINFALL FOR PROFIT

The aim of the Cereals – Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit project (VGIP2B) is to identify novel rotation and fallow management options that can be reliably adopted within southern Australia to make more efficient use of annual rainfall patters and improve farm profits.
  • GRDC & Ag VIC
  • , Audrey Gripper
  • Willaura
  • Current

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