GRDC Irrigation Discussion Group Meeting – Around 35 people attended a Field walk in the Corowa district on Wednesday 18 December, 2019. The group met at ‘Buraja Station’ to view Alistair Robb’s irrigated sorghum seed crop and heard about pivot maintenance and managing wheel tracks from Paul Upton, Uptons Engineering, improving water use efficiency in pivots from Paul Lavis, IK Caldwell and calculating pumping costs from Dennis Watson, DEDJTR. The group then moved to the Dye family’s irrigated maize crop and heard about strip tillage and phosphorus placement from Rosie Dye, IK Caldwell, and soil amelioration demonstrations from John Fowler, Murray LLS, and Dr Ehsan Tavakkoli, NSW DPI.

The Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day – Around 80 people attended the annual Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day on 7 November. The day began with a walk through the pasture trials at the Leah family property before moving to the Moll family farm for the crop agronomy session. Adrian Clancy (Grain Brokers Australia) and Lachy Herbert (Riverina Oils) discussed grain markets while Andrew Millgate (NSW DPI) informed the crowd on new stripe rust strains. The GRDC National Variety Trials (NVT) were also inspected, with the cereals session led by Peter Matthews (NSW DPI) and the canola session led by Don McCaffery (NSW DPI). Daniel Moll also unveiled the new dual-purpose triticale variety, Kokoda, for Waratah Seed Company Limited.

GRDC northern Pulse Check Discussion Group, Rand – The northern Pulse Check discussion group pre-harvest meeting was held at Rand on 21 October with around 33 people attending. Topics included: bean and chickpea agronomy, grain marketing and grain storage. In the paddock, farmers and advisors saw beans, chickpeas and lentils sown side-by-side. There was discussion around phosphorus placement and its impact on pulse growth as well as liming and incorporation.  Chris Toohey, Elders, spoke on crop-topping in pulses while Mark Richards, NSW DPI, spoke about new pulse varieties for the region.  Allan Peake, CSIRO, described the new GRDC ‘Pulse Adaptation’ project, Chris Warrick, Primary Business, spoke on preventing insects in silos as part of a GRDC investment in grain storage and Ben McClusky, Market Check, gave an update on forecasted Australian pulse production.

GRDC southern Pulse Check Discussion Group, Dookie – The ninth southern Pulse Check discussion group pre-harvest meeting was held at Dookie on 21 October, attended by around 25 people. The first of the day’s paddock walks was held in Alexander’s crop of Samira faba beans, with the group also visiting a nitrogen fixation demonstration in the same paddock comparing faba beans sown with and without inoculant.  The Binnie family hosted the second visit to a paddock of Luxor albus lupins.  Scott Barlett, Agpro Consulting, discussed spray topping for late weed control while Chris Warrick, Primary Business, talked about insect control in silos, the use of phosphine in sealed silos for insect control and how to use a pressure test to establish if a silo is sealed.  Ben McClusky, Market Check, also talked about pulse markets.  There was discussion around setting up headers for harvesting pulses, and the importance of calibrating headers for the different crop types to ensure accurate yield mapping.

Riverine Research Centre Open Day, Yarrawonga – Cereal Agronomy was the focus of the Riverine Plains Inc and FAR Australia Riverine Research Centre Open Day, held on 24 September and attended by around 130 people, including around 50 University of Melbourne Dookie agriculture students.  Kat Fuhrmann (FAR Australia) spoke first on fungal diseases, addressing the increasing rates of septoria tritici blotch (STB) in the medium rainfall zones, also covering the emergence of SDHI (succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors) fungicide resistance and Ramularia Leaf Spot, an emerging disease in barley. Kenton Porker (SARDI) and Michael Straight (FAR Australia) outlined the major findings from the past three years of work on the GRDC Managing Early Sown Wheat project trials, while Kenton also spoke on dual-purpose and longer season barleys for the Riverine Plains region. Michael Straight then described the Riverine Plains Inc evaluating 17 different wheat varieties sown from late March – early April and late April – early May. The trials, now in their second year, are providing valuable data for members regarding variety performance in the region. The day finished with a panel session which included Michael Straight, Kenton Porker, Jamie Cummins (Yarrawonga) and Matt Coffey (Elders), addressing a range of issues in relation to hay vs grain.

Riverine Plains Spring Tour, Walla Walla, Lockhart and The Rock – 26 people participated in the Spring Tour held on 10 September. The tag-along tour was organised by committee members John Bruce and Ian Trevethan and included visits to Garry Mickan’s Walla Walla property (mixed farming lamb feed-lotting) and Di and Warrick Holding’s property at The Rock (disc seeding systems, transitioning from tyne to disc systems). There were then visits to John Stevenson at Warakirri Ag Trusts, Lockhart (corporate agriculture, safflower trials) and Sandy Day, Lockhart (weed seed destructor).

Irrigated Discussion Group Meeting, Mulwala – 15 farmers and advisers attended the first Irrigation Discussion Group meeting on 30 August. The group was formed through a project led by the Irrigated Cropping Council which aims to link new and innovative GRDC research investments with local, farmer-driven groups. At the meeting, the Dye family volunteered to host an irrigation focus paddock trial for the group, looking at sub-soil manuring to improve soil structure and water holding capacity.  The treatments will include; deep ripping, sub-soil poultry manure, surface-spread poultry manure, surface-spread gypsum, subsoil (mixture of gypsum and poultry manure).  Maize will be sown at the site, with yield measurements taken over the next few years to evaluate the treatments.

GRDC Southern Pulse Check Discussion Group, Dookie – Around 20 farmers attending the pre-canopy closure Pulse Check meeting at Dookie on 13 August. The meeting focused on nitrogen fixation and disease management. Results from the nitrogen fixation demonstrations sown at Bungeet and St James were discussed, as well as the different treatments and cost-effective ways of increasing the amount of inoculant applied.

Soil Health Workshop, Mulwala – Around 12 farmers participated in a soil CRC workshop on Understanding adoptability of techniques and practices for improved soil management. The workshop followed the In-Season update on 8 August and was led by researcher Catherine Allen (CSU) and provided farmers with the opportunity to discuss and prioritise their soils issues, the adoption of new practices as well as information sources.

Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update, Mulwala – Around 60 people attended the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update on 8 August at Mulwala. James Manson, Southern Farming Systems, spoke on harvest weed seed control (HWSC) in the southern region, addressing the effectiveness, practicality and profitability of several HWSC techniques. Nick Ennis, Lawson Grains, spoke on using precision agriculture to identify different production zones, enabling production to be ‘pushed’ in higher producing zones while helping to identify and improve constraints in lower production zones. Kate Coffey (Riverine Plains Inc) presented the outcomes from the GRDC investment Optimising Crop Nutrition in Canola, looking at sulphur and nitrogen nutrition. Dale Grey, Agriculture Victoria, presented his climate update via videolink, while Jane McInnes and Cassie Schefe (Riverine Plains Inc) gave an update on current research being undertaken by the group, as well as how to read soil moisture graphs. Cassandra also gave an overview of her travel to Canada and USA as part of the GRDC funded travel scholarship, awarded through the southern region Recognising and Rewarding Excellence Award, 2019.

Farm Business Management Essentials, Mulwala – A group of 18 farmers attended the Farm Business Management Essentials Workshop in Mulwala on 29 July. The workshop was facilitated by Tony Hudson, Hudson Facilitations. Topics included; understanding your annual tax return, using financial ratios to understand business performance, understanding profit in your business, identifying ways to improve financial and overall business performance and how to positively influence bank’s opinions. The workshop was kindly funded by the Rotary Club of Yarrawonga and the Border Golf Club Resort.

GRDC Canola Paddock Walk – Around 30 farmers attended a canola crop walk in North Boorhaman on 9 July. Phil Bowden (Bowden Rural Services) and Don McCaffery (NSW DPI) spoke about insects in canola and animal health issues in grazing crops, as well as canola varieties for grazing. The crop walk was part of the GRDC Managing Early Season Canola Establishment Pests in NSW project.

GRDC Farm to Profit Business Update, Mulwala – Approximately 60 people attended the GRDC Farm to Profit Farm Business Update held on 25 June at Mulwala.  The event featured topics including; storing grain on-farm, buying, leasing or investing off-farm, taking a profit first approach to precision agriculture and farm business resilience – being profitable with climate variability.

GRDC Southern Pulse Check Discussion Group, Dookie – The Dookie Pulse Check group met on 21 June, with a focus on nutrition. Lee Menhenett (Incitec Pivot) spoke about using grain sample analysis to understand nutrient removal in pulse crops and Scott Palmer (SLTech), discussed how micronutrients could be applied in liquid form to pulse crops. Other discussions included targeting soil testing to better understand the location of low pH areas by breaking up the sampling intervals.

GRDC Northern Pulse Check Discussion Group, The Rock – On 18 June around 30 farmers met at The Rock to view the GRDC and NSW DPI “Updating nutrient response curves” trials at the Kingston family farm. Graham Sandral (NSW DPI), discussed early results from the trial while Ian Menz (NSW DPI) explained the effect of temperature and rainfall. John Stevenson and Brad Chant (Warrakirri Cropping), hosted a paddock walk through a crop of chickpeas.

Farm Cash Flow and Budgeting Workshop, Yarrawonga – A group of 18 farmers attended the Farm Cash Flow and Budgeting Working on 12 June in Yarrawonga. Topics of conversation were financial fitness, planning, cash flow, forecasting and budgeting. The workshop was presented by Wodonga TAFE and facilitated by Jan Barnard from AgBiz Assist.

GRDC Opportunity for Profit Workshop, Dookie – In late March Rural Directions Pty Ltd and Think Agri delivered the GRDC’s Opportunity for Profit workshop. The workshop covered the four primary profit drivers that can lead to differences in long term financial performance; gross margin optimisation, a low-cost business model, people and management and risk management.

GRDC Insects in Canola Workshop, Corowa – 11 farmers and advisors attended the GRDC Managing Early Season Canola Pests workshop in Corowa on 27 March. Presenters Phil Bowden (AOF/Pulse Australia) and Don McCaffery (NSW DPI) spoke on insect identification, early season pest management options, monitoring techniques and paddock risk assessments.

Agribusiness Dinner and Presentation of the John Hanrahan Scholarship – The Celebration of Agriculture Dinner, held on 22 March at Corowa RSL, was an opportunity to get together to celebrate food, farming and fellowship. Over 110 people saw the inaugural John Hanrahan Scholarship awarded to Mitchell Priestly, who is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne. An auction was held on the night to raise funds for the scholarship with products generously donated by a large number of individuals and organisations. Dennis Hoiberg (Lessons Learnt Consulting) was the key-note speaker, covering aspects of resilience.  The dinner also provided an opportunity for Riverine Plains Inc to celebrate its 20^th Anniversary, with past Chair (2010-2012) and long-serving committee member, Andrew Russell, speaking on the evolution of the group since its establishment in 1999.

GRDC Southern Pulse Check Discussion Group Meeting, Dookie – A pre-sowing GRDC Pulse Check meeting was held at the Ludeman family farm at Waggarandall on March 15, attended by around 20 people. The meeting started with a session covering the lessons learnt from a difficult 2018 season, followed by Bruce Larcombe (Larcombe Agronomy) on pre-emergent herbicide options in pulses. Wimmera farmer and entrepreneur, David Matthews, spoke on his experiences growing and marketing pulses while Anthony Cutter (AGT Foods) also gave a market update.

GRDC Northern Pulse Check Discussion Group, Rand – Around 30 growers attended the GRDC Northern region Pulse Check meeting at the Hilton family property, near Rand on March 14. Chris Toohey (Elders), spoke on pre-emergent herbicide use and Dan Zinga (New Edge Microbials) spoke on Rhizobial formulations and biological markets. Participants then heard from Brad Chant (Warakirri Cropping) on different inoculant systems.

GRDC Mixed Farming Masterclass, Rutherglen – 40 people attended the GRDC Mixed Farming Forum held on 13 March at Rutherglen, with farmers and advisors exploring topics around sheep in the cropping system. Dr Kristy Howard (Inspiring Excellence) spoke on correct feeding of sheep to ensure ewe and lamb survival, while Matt Mahoney (AgriDome) and Josh Buerckner (IK Caldwell) addressed the importance of sown fodders on a mixed farm. Alison Frishke (BCG) presented the Grain and Graze research on the value to livestock on grazing stubbles and Danielle England (AgInnovate) briefly presented the Grain and Graze work around managing business risk on a mixed farm.

Australian Cool Farm Initiative Meeting, Mulwala – On 12 March, Elisabeth Reaves from the Sustainable Food Lab (Vermont, USA), Juliette Caulkins the Mars Petcare Global Sustainable Sourcing Director (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Sarah Heazlewood, Mars Petcare, Regional Sourcing Manager Asia Pacific (Wodonga) came to meet with participating Australian Cool Farm Initiative Farmers. The meeting was a chance to discuss the project, the results so far as well as what is happening in the future. Some key messages from the project to date are that; soil carbon is important in continuously growing healthy crops, to include grazing as part of your cropping rotation, include a pulse in your rotation (if possible) and get to know your soils.

GRDC Grains Research Update – On Thursday 22 February around 95 growers and advisors attended the annual GRDC Grains Research Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa. Harm Van Rees, Cropfacts, presented key findings from the National Paddock Survey and spoke about the yield gap. Jorden and Jennifer Lindgren, 2018 Saskatchewan Young Farmers of the Year, spoke on their grain operation at Norquay, Saskatchewan, Canada, while Graeme Sandral, NSW DPI, spoke on crop nutrition. Rohan Brill, also NSW DPI, spoke on canola agronomy, with James Hunt, La Trobe University speaking on the management of early sown winter wheats. Cassandra Schefe, Riverine Plains Inc, also presented findings from GRDC research projects currently underway.

Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting – On 7 February 2019, over 100 farmers and agribusiness representatives attended the annual Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting at the Buraja Recreation Reserve Hall. The audience participated in a harvest debrief before hearing about the local performances of wheat, barley and canola varieties. Presentations were also made about the outlook for pulses and grain commodity markets.

Past Events 2018

The Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day – Around 55 people attended this annual field day held on 8 November 2018. Topics included grain markets, forage options and seed availability, dual purpose wheat, as well as the cereal and canola National Variety Trials.

GRDC northern Pulse Check Discussion Group – 38 People attended the inaugural meeting of the Northern GRDC Pulse Check Discussion Group for the NSW Riverine Plains region. The first field day was held on 26 October 2018 at Rand and involved faba bean and lentil paddock visits. Roy Hamilton spoke on a farmer’s perspective on pulses while James Madden (Madden Consulting) spoke on the positive and negative elements of pulses, as well as harvesting issues.  Marketing pulses & harvester fire safety was addressed by Phil Bowden (Pulse Australia) and Gary Drew (Lupins for Life) spoke about value adding.

GRDC southern Pulse Check Discussion Group – The final GRDC southern Pulse Check paddock walk for the year was held on 25 October at St James, attended by 14 people. Chickpea and vetch crops were inspected and discussions included dessication, grazing pulses, pulses for soil health, harvesting and fire management. Guest speakers included Phil Bowden (Pulse Australia), Alison Frischke (BCG) and Cassandra Schefe (Riverine Plains Inc).

Inaugural Crop Competition – Tony Chaston of Gerogery was announced as the winner of the Riverine Plains Inc inaugural crop competition at the Baker Seed Co Annual Field Day on Friday 19 October.  His outstanding paddock of RGT Accroc wheat earned him 5 tonnes of new proprietary cereal seed valued at $5,000, kindly provided by crop competition sponsor, Baker Seed Co.

Riverine Research Centre Open Day – Cereal Agronomy was the focus of the Riverine Plains Inc and FAR Australia Riverine Research Centre Open Day, held on 27 September and attended by around 70 people. A panel including Michael Straight, Nick Poole (FAR Australia) and James Hunt (La Trobe University) addressed the impact of the late August frost. The early sowing of wheat was discussed by Rachel Coombes (Agriculture Victoria) and Ian Trevethan (Riverine Plains Inc). James Hunt, also spoke on winter wheats versus spring wheats while Michael Straight and Nick Poole spoke on the place of winter barleys in the Riverine Plains and Dr Maarten van Helden (SARDI) spoke about Russian Wheat Aphid. Drought information for NSW and a finance update was also provided. Guest speaker, Eric Watson (Canterbury, New Zealand) also shared his farming practices and how he achieved his 16.79t/ha world record wheat crop.

GRDC Spray Technology Workshops, Dookie and Rutherglen – Riverine Plains Inc hosted two GRDC effective Spray Application Workshops on 13 and 14 September, 2018, attended by a combined total of 44 people.  The half-day workshops, held at Dookie and Rutherglen, were presented by Bill Gordon, from Bill Gordon Consulting and were designed to assist farmers enhance the performance of their sprayers, improve their spray applications and get equipped with the new information regarding 2,4-D label changes.

GRDC southern Pulse Check Discussion Group – Around 30 growers and advisors attended the Riverine Plains Inc Pulse Check Discussion group canopy closure crop walk at Bungeet on 3 September. Faba bean, chickpea and lentil paddocks were inspected, with discussions focussing on spring pulse management. Guest speaker was Helen Burns, who along with Jason Condon (both NSW DPI) spoke on pH stratification and how this affects pulse production potential.

In-Season Update – Around 65 people attended the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update on 9 August at Mulwala. Speakers included Kate Coffey and Ian Trevethan (Riverine Plains Inc) who presented local results from a GRDC project looking at harvest weed seed control techniques. Mark Day also spoke on his experiences with HWSC techniques and incorporating stubble management into his program.  Cassandra Schefe (Riverine Plains Inc) and Michael Straight (FAR Australia) gave a local research update. A panel session with Chris Minehan from Rural Management Strategies, Rob Ingliss, Livestock Production Manager with Elders and local Yarrawonga farmer, Adam Inchbold addressed dry season management options for failed crops. Dale Grey also provided an update on the key climate indicators for the coming season.

Canola Systems Paddock Walk – The Spotlight on Canola Systems Field Day held on 26 July was attended by 46 people and included visits to the Riverine Plains Inc farmer scale Canola Systems Trial at Daysdale as well as the GRDC and Riverine Plains Inc Optimising crop nutrition in canola in the southern region of NSW project sites at Coreen and Howlong.

GRDC southern Pulse Check Discussion Group – On 16 July a group of 15 farmers and advisors interested in pulse production took part in the first pulse check discussion group paddock walk for the season. The paddock walk involved visits to chickpea and faba bean crops in the Devenish area, and generated good discussions  around establishment, weed control, pollination and marketing.

GRDC Business Update, Mulwala – On Wednesday 27 June around 80 people attended the GRDC Farm Business Update at Mulwala. Brad Knight (GeoCommodities) discussed the benefits of on-farm storage while Phil O’Callaghan (ORM Pty Ltd) talked about potential ways to increase profitability on farms. Leo Delahunty (Templemore Partners) discussed issues around succession planning while Paul Higgins (Emergent Futures) spoke on how to think about emerging technologies.

Stubble Project Paddock Walk – 35 people attended the final paddock walk held as part of the GRDC stubble project on 21 June 2018 at the Riverine Research Centre at Burramine. Michael Straight (FAR Australia) and Cassandra Schefe (Riverine Plains Inc) discussed the results of five years of research comparing the effect of different stubble management strategies on crop growth and development. Also  discussed were the key findings from the small plot trials established to determine the impact of stubble on row spacing, application of nitrogen, Yellow Leaf Spot and plant growth regulators.

Advanced Spray Course – On 19 June 2018 AgSkilled held an Advanced Spray Course at Oaklands which was attended by 20 people.  Craig Day of Spray Safe and Save facilitated the course.

Pulse Check Discussion Group Pre-Sowing Meeting – On 7 March 2018, 14 people attended a pre-sowing Pulse Check Discussion Group meeting in Dookie with Phil Bowden from Pulse Australia. The meeting provided an opportunity for those interested in lentil and chickpea production to discuss marketing and production issues including paddock and variety selection, herbicide options, inoculant use and early nutrition.

Agribusiness Dinner and Launch of the John Hanrahan Scholarship – On Friday 2 March 2018, Riverine Plains Inc hosted an Agribusiness Dinner at Corowa, attended by 165 people. The dinner was held in celebration of the families, communities and businesses involved in agriculture across the region, as well as being the official launch of the John Hanrahan Scholarship. Rural Bank Managing Director and CEO, Alexandra Gartmann, spoke about her own leadership journey as well as Rural Bank’s Scholarship Program. The evening also included a food and wine display which showcased the diverse range of produce originating from north east Victoria and southern NSW.  Produce featured in the display was donated by a number of local businesses, before being sold in hampers and raising monies for the Scholarship Fund.

Soil Pit Days – Riverine Plains Inc held 4 soil pit sessions during February 2018 which were attended by a total of 65 people. The sessions were facilitated by Dr Cassandra Schefe at a number of locations, with soil pits being used to demonstrate local soil characteristics as well as the effects of water and nutrient movement last season.

• The Miepoll and Bungeet Soil Pit events were held on 6 February 2018 through the Improving fertiliser and chemical use through local, real time weather and soil information for farmers of the productive plainsThis project is supported by Goulburn Broken CMA, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
• The Rand Soil Pit event was held on 8 February 2018 through the Linking nutrient movement to soil at weather stations in the Murray Region. This project is supported by the Murray Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
• The Rutherglen Region Soil Pit and Weather Station tour washeld on 23 February 2018 and was a Soil Moisture Probe Network Project event (a partnership between Riverine Plains Inc and Boorhaman Landcare Group). This project is supported by North East CMA through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

GRDC Grains Research Update – A highly respected list of speakers attracted 120 attendees to the GRDC Grains Research Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on 15 February 2018. Presentations were made on nitrogen dynamics in modern cropping systems, Riverine Plains Inc local research outcomes, productivity constraints in dryland systems, inoculant survival on acid soils and agronomy management in canola.

Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting – On 1 February 2018, over 100 farmers and agribusiness representatives attended the annual Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting at the Buraja Recreation Reserve Hall. The audience participated in a harvest debrief before hearing about the local performances of wheat, barley and canola varieties. Presentations were also made about the outlook for pulses and grain commodity markets.

Past Events 2017

Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor Demonstration – 35 people gathered at Culcairn on 20 December 2017 to learn about the importance of harvest cutting height to achieve good harvest weed control.  Graham Kotszur put the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD) through it’s paces in a 5.5 tonne/ha crop of Beckom wheat.

The Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day – The “Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day” was held on 2 November, 2017 and attended by around 70 people.  Attendees were shown through the wheat and canola GRDC National Variety Trials and heard discussions on canola disease control, the importance of flowering dates and sowing windows to minimise frost risk, new pasture grass varieties and their digestibility, as well as grain marketing.  The field day was supported by Murray Local Land Services (LLS) through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Pulse Check Discussion Group – A Pulse Check Discussion Group was held on 19 October 2017 at Dookie, attended by 30 growers and advisors.  There was good discussion about agronomic traits, fungicide and herbicide management, paddock selection, yield potential, desiccation and nitrogen fixation. There was also a discussion on mitigating the increased fire risk associated with lentils and chickpeas. Attendees also inspected a crop of chickpeas.

Spring Field Day – On 28 September 2017 The Spring Field Day was held at the Riverine Research Centre (RRC) at Burramine, which is a collaboration between Riverine Plains Inc and FAR Australia.  A crowd of around 65 farmers, sponsors, advisors and industry representatives attended the day and heard about the research being conducted at the RRC site, as well as fungicide resistance, management of early sown wheat in terms of sowing date and grazing management as well as fertiliser use within the region.

Powerline Safety Workshop – 35 people attended a Powerline Safety workshop on 26 September 2017.  The key points of the day included farmer obligations under Work Health and Safety legislation, identifying and addressing electrical safety risks, what to do in an emergency and ways to make powerlines and supporting structures more visible. The workshop was hosted by the Bourchier family in Oaklands.

Soil Pit Workshop – On 22 September 2017 a series of soil pits were inspected in the Boorhaman/Rutherglen region.  The 15 attendees looked at the season’s soil moisture readings and the impact of soil type on water movement. This event was held as part of the Soil Moisture Probe Network Project, a partnership between Riverine Plains Inc & Boorhaman Landcare Group.

Northern NSW Study Tour– 15 Riverine Plains Inc members went on study tour of Northern NSW from 20-25 August 2017. The group visited the University of New England’s Smart Farm in Armidale to look at remote monitoring and virtual fencing, met with Matt Foster from GrazeAg to learn about pasture renovation and have a tour of the BOSS Engineering Factory. The group also visited Beefwood farms to look at an autonomous Fendt tractor, Ian Gurley’s farm to learn about how pooling grain with his neighbours is working to increase price, as well as the University of Sydney wheat breeding site. The group also attended the AgQuip field days and visited the DOW Agri science site to look at chemical trails for some new broadleaf weed herbicide technology.

In Season Update – 75 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update held at Mulwala on 10 August 2017.  The update provided information on the seasonal outlook, crop nutrition, pest management, canola agronomy and disease management, as well as precision agriculture.  An update of the research projects conducted by Riverine Plains Inc was also presented.

GRDC Farm Business Update – On 28 June 2017 Riverine Plains Inc hosted a GRDC Farm Business Update held in Yarrawonga/Mulwala.  An audience of 80 heard farm business management information from a variety of industry experts.  The range of topics included interest rates, enterprise risk and returns, the importance of a great team, superannuation changes and utilising depreciation offsets when purchasing land.

Farmer Focus Groups The five-year GRDC-funded ‘Stubble Project’ established four focus farms at Corowa, Henty, Yarrawonga and Dookie, with large, commercial scale trials at each focus farm. The trials evaluated a range of stubble management options and paddock walks were held at each site during August and October 2017.  The August paddock walks saw a total of 50 growers and agribusiness representatives attend across the four sites.  The October paddock walks had a total of 45 participants attending across the four sites.

Farm Safety Workshops – Two workshops were held at Oaklands and Mulwala on the 19th & 20th June. The  sessions covered a range of legislative issues regarding farm worker health and safety, with a focus on farmer’s primary duty of care under the 2012 Workplace Health and Safety Act.   The sessions were facilitated by Caroline Graham of Safe Ag Systems and were attended by around 50 people.

Nitrogen Efficiency Day –  On the  6 June around 40 people attended the Nitrogen Efficiency Field day near Henty. The event featured FertCare calibration specialist Russell Nichol, who demonstrated how to calibrate three different fertiliser spreaders to improve the evenness of spread.  Catch trays were used to collect urea spread from each machine, which was then weighed and the results graphed using specialised computer software. After the test, the spreaders were adjusted with post-calibration testing showed all machines spread at a greater width and a more even distribution than pre-calibration.

At lunch time, a special presentation was  made at lunchtime by Michael Straight, FAR Australia on the results from the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources project Management strategies for improved productivity and reduced nitrous oxide emissions. 

Soil Pit Day and Nitrogen Workshop: Boorhaman –  On the 23rd March around 15 growers attended a soil pit day near Boorhaman. The pit was used as a backdrop to discuss the soil moisture results from nearby probes, the impact of soil type on water movement, and where the N went in 2016. This was followed by a discussion about the effects of last season and also how nitrogen strategies might be affected in 2017.  This event was supported by the North East CMA through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting – The Buraja Recreation Reserve Hall was host to 100 farmers and agribusiness representatives on March 2nd  for “Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting”.  This annual event continues a tradition begun by the late John Sykes “Sykesy” in providing a forum to discuss the season that was, and hear about varieties and agronomic information relevant to the year ahead. Attendees heard from Mark Harris, Nick Poole, David Burch, Rohan Brill, Lisa Castleman and Tim Glass on issues relating to the 2016 season, wheat, barley, canola, and pulse issues as well as grain marketing.

Corowa GRDC Grains Research Update – On the 16^th February over 100 farmers, advisers and agribusiness representatives attended the annual GRDC update at Corowa. A number of high profile speakers addressed a range topical issues for 2017. Speakers included John Kirkegaard, CSIRO (opportunities and challenges for continuous cropping systems ), Mark Conyers, NSW DPI (strategic tillage), Dr Cassandra Schefe, RPI (Riverine Plains Research in Progress), Frank Peairs, Colorado State University and Rachel Taylor-Hukins, NSW DPI (Living with the Russian Wheat Aphid), and Greg Condon, GrassRoots Agronomy and Michael Walsh, University of Sydney, (strategies to Manage Weed Seed Blowouts in 2017). RPI member Roy Hamilton also spoke on the recent member study tour to South America.

Harvest Weed Seed Machinery tour – On the 24th January a small group of growers joined a local tour looking at three different mechanical options for harvest weed control. The group  saw home-made mechanical options for a) separating chaff and straw behind the header in readiness for baling and b) the collection of chaff in a chaff cart towed behind the header. The group also discussed the merits of adding a ready-made chaff deck to the header (to separate the chaff from straw) and placing the chaff in the wheel track for follow up herbicide control.

The Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day

The “Evan Moll Gerogery Field Day” was held on 3 November 2016, and attended by around 70 people.  Attendees were shown through the wheat and canola GRDC National Variety Trials.  Options for direct heading and wet season dessication, grain marketing, summer crop options and other agronomic issues were also discussed.  Two soil pits were used to show how the wet conditions affected plant root development and how root growth can be affected by different subsoil constraints. The field day was supported by Murray Local Land Services (LLS) through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Spring Field Day

The Spring Field Day, held on 13 September 2016, was the inaugural event at the Riverine Research Centre (RRC), which is a new collaboration between Riverine Plains Inc and FAR Australia.  A crowd of around 90 farmers, sponsors, advisors and industry representatives attended the day and heard about the research being conducted at the RRC site, as well as nitrogen management and wet season agronomy.  Attendees were also shown through the RRC trials, which included nitrogen timing trials, nitrogen source trials, and trials evaluating NDVI technology as a method for determining crop nitrogen requirements.

International Study Tour

Twenty Riverine Plains Inc members visited Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil from 28 August – 12 September 2016.  This was the group’s second international agricultural study tour and incorporated visits to a wide range of farms, leading research facilities, no-till specialists and agricultural commodity businesses with a focus on no-till cropping systems. The tour was supported by the GRDC’s Grower and Advisor Development Program.

Social Media for Agriculture Workshop

On 8 September 2016, six people attended a practical skills session to explore social media and mobile technology use in agriculture.  The workshop was held at Mulwala and was facilitated by Charles Sturt University, in partnership with the Graham Centre.

Precision Agriculture Workshop

Riverine Plains Inc hosted a ‘Making Big Data Pay’ workshop for farmers looking to do more with precision agriculture at Mulwala on 16 August 2016.  Around 20 attendees heard about making the most of yield and frost sensor technology, moisture probes and EM38, NDVI and elevation mapping. Applications for variable rate technology in irrigation, managing plant density, strategic pest control and fertiliser applications were also discussed. The workshop was made possible with the support of Murray Local Land Services, with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

In Season Update

70 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update held at Mulwala on 11 August 2016.  The update provided information on the seasonal outlook, crop nutrition, pest management, canola agronomy and disease management, as well as precision agriculture.  An update of the research projects conducted by Riverine Plains Inc was also presented.

GRDC Making More Profit from Crop Nutrition Workshop

Riverine Plains partnered with the GRDC and Birchip Cropping Group to deliver a series of presentations centred around Making More Profit from Crop Nutrition. The workshop was held on the afternoon of 11 August 2016, following the In-Season Update, and was attended by 50 people.  Topics included phosphorus management and understanding critical soil nutrient levels, chasing micronutrient responses and nitrogen management.

Drone Technology Workshop

On 14 July 2016 Riverine Plains Inc and Southern Growers hosted a workshop which showed local growers the latest in drone technology and demonstrated how drones can be useful agricultural tools.  The workshop was held in Berrigan and attended by 85 people.

GRDC Farm Business Update

On 24 June 2016 Riverine Plains Inc hosted a GRDC Farm Business Update held in Yarrawonga/Mulwala.  An audience of 80 heard about employing and retaining quality staff, investing in agricultural land, principles of selling grain, communication tools and multi-peril crop insurance.

Farmer Focus Groups

The five-year GRDC-funded ‘Stubble Project’ is looking at ways to improve and maintain profit and sustainability in stubble retained cropping systems across the region.  The project has established four focus farms at Corowa, Henty, Yarrawonga and Dookie, with large, commercial scale trials at each focus farm. The trials are evaluating a range of stubble management options, with supporting small scale trials focusing on specific issues such as row spacing and cultivar selection, N timing and disease management.

Paddock walks were held at each site during July and October 2016.  The July paddock walks saw a total of 50 growers and agribusiness representatives attend across the four sites.  The October paddock walks were led by Nick Poole, with a total of 70 participants attending across the four sites.

Fertiliser spreader calibration day

Fertiliser is an expensive input and improving the efficiency of in-crop applications can save money and boost production. To help farmers get the most out of their fertiliser spreaders, a “Drop In” fertiliser spreader calibration day was held at Rutherglen on 2 June 2016.   The event featured Russell Nichol, a Fertcare registered calibration specialist, who calibrated 3 spreaders in front of 40 growers who dropped in over the course of the day. The day was run as part of the GRDC Stubble Project, which has a component looking at improving the nitrogen use efficiency of crops sown in stubble retained systems.

Seeder Day

Approximately 60 people attended the Seeder Day events held at Barooga and Dookie on 22 March, 2016. A number of farmer owned seeders were used and growers were able to see firsthand how each machine handled medium-high stubble loads.  A number of machinery dealers were also present.

Being a Better Boss Workshops

Riverine Plains Inc supported Partners in Grain (Victoria) in hosting two workshops at Tungamah around Legal Obligations and Managing People on 8 and 15 March 2016.  These workshops provided the 24 participants with much needed training and support across a complex area of farm business management.

Soil Pit Day at Dookie

On 3 March 2016, 6 growers attended a soil pit day in the Dookie district.  Soil pits were dug at Boxwood and Bungeet and provided an opportunity to look at different soil types within the Dookie region. The day had a focus on identifying the key constraints to plant growth and rooting depth.

GRDC Update
A highly respected list of speakers saw 120 growers and industry representatives attend the GRDC Grains Research Update at Corowa on 18 February, 2016.  The event was hosted by Riverine Plains Inc and presented the latest in grain industry research and extension to help growers prepare for the season ahead.

Sprayer Training Workshop

A large crowd of 100 people attended the Sprayer Training Workshop held at Rennie on 5 February 2016.  The half-day workshop was conducted by Craig Day, from Spray Safe & Save, and provided training on optimising boom spray setup for effective herbicide delivery, with an emphasis on achieving good spray coverage in stubble.  Up-to-date information on nozzle selection, drift reduction, herbicide selection and rates and recent changes to regulation were covered.  A range of spray rigs and equipment were also available for inspection.

Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting

The Buraja Recreation Reserve Hall was host to 100 farmers and agribusiness representatives on 4 February 2016 for “Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting”.  This annual event continues a tradition begun by the late John Sykes “Sykesy” in providing a forum to discuss the season that was, and hear about varieties and agronomic information relevant to the year ahead.

Soil Pit Day at Rutherglen
On 19 January 2016, 15 farmers attended a Soil Pit Day at Rutherglen.  The soil pits (at Lilliput and Browns Plains) were dug next to soil moisture probes which measured water movement and storage over the course of the season. The pits were dug in different soil types and the group discussed how the physical soil structure and clay content influenced water movement, root penetration and nutrient movement.  The group also used the results from nearby deep nitrogen sampling and moisture probes to discuss how to make the most of soil information when making nitrogen decisions. This event was supported by the North East CMA through the Soil Moisture Probe Network Project, and the Sustainable Agriculture Victoria: Fast-Tracking Ag Innovation initiative made possible with the support of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal together with the William Buckland Foundation.

Gerogery Agronomy Field Day

The Gerogery NVT Agronomy Field day was held on 5 November 2015 and despite the rain, was well attended by 50 growers. The Field Day was coordinated in conjunction with Holbrook Landcare, and supported by Murray Local Land Services (LLS) and NSW DPI.  Farmers and advisors had the chance to review new canola and cereal varieties prior to commercial release. Other agronomic topics discussed included new lucerne varieties, Blackleg resistance in canola, sustainable grazing management and dual purpose crop varieties for grazing and cropping.

Nitrogen Efficiency Field Day
Riverine Plains Inc and FAR Australia hosted a Nitrogen Efficiency Field Day at Yarrawonga South on 17 September 2015. The field day presented current research information on the cycling of N in cropping systems, and highlighted the key processes responsible for N losses to the 40 attendees. Strategies for improving efficiency, and the importance of fertiliser type and quality were discussed. The day finished with a fertiliser spreader calibration, which demonstrated the importance of set-up in optimising fertiliser application across the paddock.

GRDC Farm Business Update
On 8 September 2015 Riverine Plains Inc hosted a GRDC Farm Business Update held in Rutherglen. An audience of 30 heard about topics such as farm expansion, risk management, key areas to improving the farming business and increasing connectivity.

Western Australia Herbicide Resistance Study Tour
From 30 August to 5 September 2015 a group of 19 growers visited Western Australia with the key focus of gathering the latest knowledge on herbicide resistance. The tour included a mix of farm visits and grower groups, as well as a visit to the Metro Grain Centre and the Australian Herbicide Resistance Institute (AHRI). The study tour was supported by the GRDC’s Grower and Advisor Development Program.

In Season Update
100 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update. Held in Mulwala on 13 August 2015 the day provided timely information on crop and pasture pests, the seasonal outlook, canola agronomy, the Victorian Farmland Values Index and cropping systems in Northern Europe. An update of the research projects conducted by Riverine Plains Inc was also presented.

Silverleaf Nightshade (SLN) Workshop
A collaborative project between NSW Primary Industries and Murrumbidgee Landcare, with funding from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is targeting SLN control across four states. Riverine Plains Inc worked with the project team to coordinate a small group workshop on 13 August 2015 (11 growers) to address best management practices for the control of SLN.

Farmer Focus Groups
The five-year GRDC-funded ‘Stubble Project’ is looking at ways to improve and maintain profit and sustainability in stubble retained cropping systems across the region. The project has established four focus farms at Corowa, Henty, Yarrawonga and Dookie. There are large commercial scale trials at each focus farm, which are evaluating a range of stubble management options, with supporting small scale trials which focus on specific issues such as row spacing and cultivar selection, N timing and disease management.

Paddock walks have been held at each site during July and October 2015. At the July paddock walks a total of 110 growers and agribusiness representatives attended across the four sites. The October paddock walks were led by Nick Poole, with a total of 50 attendees across the four sites.

Release of  “Between the Rows”
The summarised findings from research into row spacing and drill opener type conducted by Riverine Plains Inc from 2009 – 2014 was released in March 2015. The “Between the Rows” report was produced in partnership with FAR Australia, who collaborated in the delivery of the research project. The research was conducted as part of a GRDC project focused on management options to improve water use efficiency in cropping systems.

Cover Cropping Field Day
Riverine Plains Inc hosted a cover cropping paddock walk at Pine Lodge with US Cover Crop expert, Steve Groff on 23 February 2015. The field walk, attended by 40 people, generated discussion about the benefits of cover cropping in our area and how specific cover crops may be able to fit into the regions’ systems.

GRDC Update
A highly respected list of speakers attracted 130 attendees to the GRDC Grains Research Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on 19 February 2015. Growers heard the latest in grain industry research and extension in preparation for the cropping season ahead.

Sykesy’s Buraja Meeting
The Buraja Recreation Reserve Hall was filled with 100 farmers and agribusiness representatives on 5 February 2015. The meeting continued a tradition started by the late John Sykes “Sykesy” in providing a forum to discuss the season that was, and hear about variety and agronomy information relevant to the year ahead.

Strategic Tillage Machinery Day
With increasing interest in the use of strategic, shallow tillage to incorporate stubble and manage weed burdens, Riverine Plains Inc hosted a machinery day to showcase and demonstrate a range of implements designed for effective incorporation of stubble on 29 January 2015. The day was supported by The Sustainable Agriculture Victoria: Fast-Tracking Innovation initiative made possible with the support of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) together with the William Buckland Foundation. Approximately 120 people attended the event held at Howlong.

Soil Carbon Field Day

On the morning of 14 October 2014 a small group attended the Soil Carbon Field Day, held at the Rutherglen site of the Soil Carbon project.  Soil Carbon Project Officer, Dr Bill Slattery, presented results from sites at Rutherglen, Culcairn and Tocumwal, which were established to evaluate if the addition of fertilisers/nutrients post-harvest can influence soil carbon dynamics and the release of greenhouse gases (such as nitrous oxide), which are generated through the activity of soil microbes.

Nitrous Oxide Field Day

Nitrous oxide is also the focus of a FAR Australia/Riverine Plains Inc project; “Management strategies for improved productivity and reduced nitrous oxide emissions”.  A Nitrous Oxide Field Day was held at the Wilby field site, near Yarrawonga on the afternoon of 14 October 2014.  Nick Poole (Managing Director of FAR Australia), and Michael Straight (FAR Australia Field Research Officer) presented the findings to date from this site, and discussed strategies to manage nitrogen losses (including gas emissions) from cropping systems.

GRDC Farm Business Management Update

On 16 September 2014 Riverine Plains Inc hosted a GRDC Farm Business Management Update held in Mulwala.  An audience of over 80 heard about topics such as tax effective debt reduction, communication, succession planning, grain marketing, modern machinery as well as a motivational speechAchieving success, getting there and going on with it, from Stan Alves, OAM, AFL coach, elite athlete and media commentator.

Farmer Focus Groups

This five year GRDC-funded ‘Stubble Project’ is looking at ways to improve and maintain profit and sustainability in stubble retained cropping systems across the region.  The project has established four focus farms at Coreen, Henty, Yarrawonga, Dookie.  There are large commercial scale trials at each focus farm, which are evaluating a range of stubble management options, with supporting small scale trials which focus on specific issues such as row spacing and cultivar selection, N timing and disease management.

Paddock walks have been held at each site during July and September 2014. At the July paddock walks, a total of 73 growers and agribusiness representatives attended across the four sites. The September paddock walks were led by Nick Poole, with a total of 92 attendees across the four sites.

In Season Update

65 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the Riverine Plains Inc.  In Season Update.  Held in Mulwala on 13 August 2014 the day provided timely information on insect control strategies, Sclerotinia and Beet Western Yellows Virus, improving nitrogen use efficiency, the seasonal outlook and future seed coating technologies.  An update of the research projected conducted by Riverine Plains Inc, was also provided.

Cost of Production Workshop

15 farmers attended a half day workshop in Mulwala on 4 June 2014 to learn to evaluate the true financial position of their farm business.  The workshop was a joint initiative by Riverine Plains Inc and Murray Local Land Services to address a perceived weakness in the agricultural sector – a lack of understanding and awareness of true business profitability when making management decisions on farm.  The workshop, run by Brett Pekin and Andrew Wylie from BLP Agribusiness Solutions, guided participants through how to properly evaluate their accountant’s information when making financial management decisions.

Stubble Research Forum

On 5 March 2014 Riverine Plains Inc partnered with the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation to present a Stubble Research Forum.  The forum covered a range of issues specific to stubble retention systems.  It was held at Corowa and provided a platform for the 42 growers, researchers and industry experts who attended to engage and network, and increase their understanding about the role of stubble in carbon sequestration.  The importance of soil biology in building carbon and nutrient cycling was the keynote address.  Various organisations, including Riverine Plains Inc presented local research results.

GRDC Grower Update

A reputable list of speakers attracted 120 attendees to the GRDC Grains Research Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on 13 February 2014.  Growers heard the latest in grain industry research and extension in preparation for the cropping season ahead.  The update delivered timely, quality information to growers.

International Study Tour

The 13-19 January 2014 marked a significant milestone as the group’s first international farm study tour!  With the assistance of an Industry Development Award from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) a group of 20 members visited the south island of New Zealand, where they examined high-input farming techniques from some of the region’s leading grain and mixed farmers.  The trip was an amazing success, both in terms of the ideas participants came home with and also on the social front.  It also paved the way for some other international forays in the future.

Paddock Walk
Nick Poole led a successful paddock walk on 3 September 2013.  The audience of 55 learnt about the Riverine Plains Canopy Management and Row Spacing Trials.  Discussion focused around management options and late season Nitrogen and fungicide options for the current crop.  The group then saw two new trials, the Plant Growth Regulator Trial and Yellow Leaf Spot Trials.

Spring Bus Trip
In 2013 the focus was on the many great things to see and learn in our own Riverine Plains backyard.  On 2 September 2013 a small group of 20 visited Godde’s Grain & Fertilizer at Culcairn to learn how old silos had been converted into sealed storage.  Dr Bill Slattery, the Riverine Plains Soil Carbon Project Officer outlined the trial at Culcairn and discussed why this may be beneficial to reducing greenhouse gases.  A factory tour of Kotzur Silos provided much interest as did a tour of the Trevethan Family Farms learning about diversification and of course looking at machinery.

In Season Update
80 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the In Season Update.  Held in Mulwala on 7 August the day provided timely information on Slug Management, Time of Sowing, Seasonal Outlook, Global Agriculture, Crop Sensors and Biosecurity in the Grains Industry.

Tech Toolkit
In following with the changing needs of the modern farmer, Riverine Plains Inc held a 2013 Tech Toolkit workshop providing farmers with the opportunity to interact with major agri-software providers and learn ways in which technology can help improve the triple bottom line of the modern farming business.  An audience of 60 attended the workshop held on 16 July at Corowa.

Sustainable Farming Business Workshop
On Thursday 13 June 2013 Riverine Plains Inc joined with RSM Bird Cameron and NAB Agribusiness to present an interactive workshop to assist farmers in driving their agricultural business into the future. An audience, of over 100, heard about topics such as innovative business models for family farms, the Personal Property Security Act, commodity prices, interest rate outlook and world economics.

GRDC Grower Update

A reputable list of speaker attracted 150 attendees to the GRDC Grains Research Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on Thursday 28 February.  The audience heard the latest in grain industry research and extension in preparation for the cropping season.  The update delivered timely, quality information to farmers.

Speaker notes are available below:

Disc seeders and pre-emergent herbicides – Sam Kleeman
Meeting the cropping system’s demand for nitrogen – John Angus
How pulse manuring fits out farm system – Mark Day
Pulses pay their way – Neil Schirmer
Revising sowing dates – James Hunt
Strategic cultivation – Mark Conyers
Yellow Leaf Spot – Andrew Milgate

Spring Field Day

The Spring Field Day was held on 12 october 2012 providing farmers with the opportunity to see the latest canola and wheat varieties, view research into more profitable pulse crops, see Riverine Plains own water use efficiency research as well as visit a plant growth regulator demonstration.

Paddock Walk
70 growers viewed trials investigating improving water use efficiency at the Spring Paddock Walk held at the Riverine Plains Trial Site at Coreen on 4 September 2012.  Nick Poole provided a summary of the three years of results investigating the impacts of row spacing in no-till systems.  Group discussion took place on seasonal issues including Yellow Leaf Spot and late season Nitrogen and Fungicide options for the current crop.

In-Season Update
A timely drop of rain and a reputable and invaluable list of speakers led to over 140 attendees at the Riverine Plains Inc In-Season Update at the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort on Thursday 9 August, 2012. Topics of interest included a Seasonal Outlook, Integrated Weed Management Research, Green/Brown Manuring, Grain Storage, Canola blackleg genetic lines and Canola harvesting.

Farm Profitability Workshop
Riverine Plains, National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness and RSM Bird Cameron held a farm business management seminar How do I really know if my farm is profitable? at Corowa on 13 June 2012.  The seminar was well attended by an audience of 75.  Topics discussed included building an asset base outside the farming business, the Carbon Farming Initiative, practical ways of improving farm profitability and a commodity Update.

Canola Workshops
Riverine Plains Inc, in conjunction with Birchip Cropping Group, hosted two canola expos at Dookie (Victoria) and Corowa (NSW) to bring growers up to speed on developments in the industry and help guide their decisions for the season ahead. The workshops were funded by the GRDC and brought some of Australia’s leading experts to the region to discuss canola agronomy and marketing.  75 growers and agribusiness representatives attended the workshops.

GRDC/Riverine Plains Inc Grower Update
150 farmers, researchers and agribusiness representatives attended the Grains Research and Development (GRDC) Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on 1 March 2012.  The audience heard the latest in grain industry research and extension in preparation for the cropping season.  The update delivered timely, quality information and provided farmers with the chance to hear and question nationally renowned researchers and consultants.

Yield Mapping Workshop October 2011
20 farmers took the opportunity to attend a pre-harvest Yield Mapping Workshop at Mulwala on 21 October.  Attendees had the opportunity to work in a small group with Giuseppe Cuteri, who helped develop both the Case and New Holland mapping systems and is experienced in both teaching and troubleshooting these systems.

Spring Field Day September 2011
Farmers had the opportunity to view trials investigating improving water use efficiency at the Spring Field Day held at the Riverine Plains Trial Site at Coreen on 6 September 2011. Group discussion took place on seasonal issues including crop establishment, disease management and nutrition and seed bed utilization. The field day was well attended by 90 farmers and agribusiness representatives.

Soil Carbon Workshop August 2011
Farmers were challenged by the practicalities of building soil carbon at a workshop held on 31 August 2011.  The 30 farmers in attendance heard about the concept of growing soil humus as a ‘crop’ to increase their economic productivity under cereals and in a mixed cropping/pasture rotation.  The group then visited two farms to see first-hand the issues of putting the theory into practice.

In Season Update August 2011
More than 70 farmers and agribusiness professionals attended the Riverine Plains In-Season Update held at Mulwala on 4 August. Speakers delivered valuable information on the issues most likely to cause concern during the rest of the growing season. Topics covered included a project comparison of row spacings under drill and tyned seeding systems and how this affects crop structure, water use efficiency and yield of wheat and canola. Information about strategies for mouse control was provided as well as a farmer talk on a low capital based farming operation. Ideas on worldwide pesticide application and regulation were presented as well as a seasonal outlook and current yield predictions.

Pre-emergent Herbicide Paddock Walk July 2011
23 farmers attended a paddock walk on 27 July with well known research scientist Dr Chris Preston from the University of Adelaide where they inspected the Riverine Plains Inc Integrated Weed Management trial site at Bundalong and discussed pre-emergent chemistry and management issues including stubble, weed control and other agronomic challenges. The site at Bundalong is part of a national trial program and having a site locally is critical for growers to gain confidence in pre emergent herbicides.

Farming Business Beyond 2011 July 2011
Riverine Plains Inc in conjunction with Platinum Sponsors National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness and RSM Bird Cameron held a Farming Business Beyond 2011 seminar at Corowa on 5 July 2010. 90 people attended the interactive workshop designed to drive agricultural businesses into the future. Topics included a global economic overview, steps you can take to ensure you keep more of the income you receive, economic forces that will impact your farming business and a commodity price outlook.

Integrated Weed Management Workshops March 2011
Associate Professor Dr Chris Preston from the University of Adelaide and specialist weed management consultant Andrew Storrie from Agronomo Consulting presented workshops at Morven and Mulwala on 21 and 22 March.  The workshops delivered information on the practical implementation of weed management strategies to combat resistance and helped equip growers to better identify and manage the cropping weed challenges they face.

Summer Forage Field Day March 2011
Farmers looked at the summer forage trial at Tungamah on 16 March.  The trial is part of a Grain & Graze 2 project researching crops grown for changing weather conditions.  The ‘Forages for a new climate’ project is trialling both traditional crops and more tropical species on a dryland basis while varying sowing and irrigation timing, fertiliser regimes, crop selection, and length and timing of grazing to get better results.

Stubble Management Workshops March 2011
Over 100 farmers attended two workshops to hear one of Australia’s leading exponents of No-Till Agriculture, Bill Crabtree.  The workshops were held at Rand and Mulwala on 15 March and covered topics such as the value and challenge of thick stubbles, the risks and rewards of keeping all stubble, reducing stubble loads with machinery and when burning is an option.

Precision Agriculture Workshops February/March 2011
SPAA – Precision Agriculture Association and Riverine Plains Inc presented three different Precision Agriculture Workshops on 28 February and 1 March.  The workshops were designed to help improve adoption of Precision Agriculture and to demonstrate the benefits and show that it is not that difficult.

GRDC/Riverine Plains Inc Farmer Update February 2011
The 2011 year got off to a roaring start as 160 farmers, researchers and agribusiness representatives gathered at Corowa to attend the GRDC Farmer Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on Thursday 17 February 2011.  Copies of the papers are available below:

 New herbicide management solutions Chris Preston (43 KB)

 Barley varieties and agronomy update – Neil Fettell (51 KB)

 National and global grain marketing trends – Ron Storey (86 KB)

 NSW Canola agronomy update 2011 – Don McCaffery (55 KB)

 Yellow Leaf Spot management – Greg Platz (192 KB)

Yield Mapping Workshop  October 2010
21 farmers attended a Yield Mapping Workshop held at Coreen on 28 October 2010.  The workshop was presened by Guiseppe Cuteri and covered basic set up of software and headers to produce maps, how to check data in the office and store it for later use and analysis.

Spring Field Day October 2010
Farmers had the opportunity to view trials investigating improving water use efficiency at the Spring Field Day held at Riverine Plains Trial Site at Bungeet on 8 October 2010. Group discussion took place on seasonal issues including a locust update, the seasonal outlook, rust and disease strategy, summer crop options and harvest management.

Soil Health Workshop September 2010
Cost effective accumulation of soil carbon was the hot topic at a Soil Health Workshop held on 16 September 2010. The 25 farmers in attendance heard about the latest research findings on soil organic matter and soil organic carbon from soil scientist Cath Botta. Damian Bougoure, a research scientist from the Victorian DPI demonstrated ways of measuring soil biology and participants were able to look at soil biology in their own samples they had brought along to the workshop. The workshop was supported by a Murray CMA 2010 Community Grant.

Riverine Plains Fungicide and Nitrogen paddock walk September 2010
70 growers took the opportunity to discuss fungicide products and timings and late nitrogen applications in relation to cereal growth stages in a hands-on ’get your boots dirty’ day on 6 September.  The paddock walk was held at the Riverine Plains Trial Site located at Coreen and was led by Nick Poole, a renowned research agronomist with experience in both Australian and European cropping systems.

Farming Business Beyond 2010  August 2010
Riverine Plains Inc in conjunction with Platinum Sponsors National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness and RSM Bird Cameron held a Farming Business Beyond 2010 seminar at Corowa on 12 August 2010.  Over 80 people attended the interactive workshop designed to drive agricultural businesses into the future. Topics included formulating and implementing strategy, wheat swap management, value adding and an economic update.

Disease Management in Cereals Workshop August 2010
Forty-four farmers and agribusiness professionals attended two interactive Disease Management in Cereals Workshops held at Mulwala on 5 August.  The hands-on workshops were presented by Nick Poole, the Research Coordinator for the Foundation for Arable Research in New Zealand and included sessions on cereal growth stages and disease management.

Inspiring Farming Women Workshops June – August 2010
26 rural women graduated form the Inspiring Farming Women Course in, a project that was supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under Australia’s Farming Future program.  The five-workshop course was developed to further the business, development, networking and leadership skills of the participating farming women.  An important part of the course was action learning and participants completed action projects to implement the learning from the course.

Dookie Precision Ag Discussion Group held at Dookie August 2010
SPAA and Riverine Plains Inc held a Precision Ag Discussion Group at Dookie on 11 August.  Discussion topics included crop sensing technology, nitrogen response work, variable rate prescriptions and a report from the SPAA Advanced PA training held in Adelaide.

In Season Update July 2010
A large crowd of 125 attended the In Season Update held on 22 July at Mulwala. Topics covered included spray application technology, the seasonal outlook, opportunistic summer cropping, water use efficiency in no-till controlled traffic mixed farming systems, soil organic matter and locust information.

Rand Precision Ag Crop Walk and Discussion Group  July 2010
SPAA and Riverine Plains Inc held a Precision Ag Crop Walk at Rand on 21 July which was attended by approximately 80 farmers.

Stubble Trouble Field Walks June 2010
During June Riverine Plains held a series of discussion days and field walks which focused attention of one of this year’s most prevalent sowing issues – the difficulty of managing high cereal stubble loads in direct drill systems. The on-farm days were run at Oaklands, Dookie, Boomanoomana, Rutherglen and Culcairn and attracted over 200 local farmers.

Summer Cropping Field Day March 2010
Farmers had their final chance to see how the summer crops on David Cook’s property have done as part of the National Water Commission’s Farms Rivers Markets project.  And what a year it has been for summer crops, with over 325mm since September!  Participants saw how the safflower harvest went and how the sunflower, mung bean, white French millet and lab lab crops were growing with all that rain.  Early data from the moisture probes has shown that most of the moisture stored in the top 60cm of the chemical fallow stubble has been lost, compared to the crops which have used this moisture to grow.  A BBQ followed and farmers were able to inspect the CrossSlot seeder (no till opener) that was used to sow the crops.

Farm Families Fun Day March 2010
Over 170 people converged on the picturesque Mulwala Foreshore on 14 March 2010 for the “Farm Families Fun Day”.  The event was organised by Riverine Plains Inc along with other community groups and provided an opportunity for farming families to ‘take a break’ from the pressures of farming and the drought.  The waterslide and tube rides on the lake proved popular.  Face painting and a jumping castle also kept the youngsters entertained, while parents had the opportunity to have their aches and pains rubbed away with a free massage.  A BBQ lunch was enjoyed by all and there was plenty of mingling and talk about the season ahead.

Precision Ag Variable Rate Workshops  March 2010
During March farmers participated in Precision Ag Variable Rate Workshop held at Rand and Dookie.  The workshops were facilitated by Precision Agriculture Association (SPAA) and provided training on phosphorous replacement, creating prescription maps, making variable rate happen, yield data processing and phosphorous removal maps based on yield zones.

GRDC Farmer Update February 2010
160 farmers, researchers and agribusiness representatives attended the GRDC Farmer Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at Corowa on Thursday 18 February 2010.  Copies of the papers are available below:

Papers for the following presentations are available by clicking on the links:

 The PA Journey – Adam Inchold (246 KB)

 Crown Rot of Wheat – Andrew Milgate (80 KB)

 Trace Element Nutrition – Evan Ryan (92 KB)

 Optimum inputs in wheat – John Sykes (80 KB)

 Residual Herbicides – Barry Haskins (47 KB)

 Rhizoctonia – Gupta Vadakattu (144 KB)

 Soil Carbon Story – Clive Kirkby (102 KB)

Summer Cropping Field Day  February 2010

Over 40 farmers attended a field day at the trial site of the new National Water Commission’s Farms, Rivers, Markets project which is being run by the University of Melbourne’s Dookie College in conjunction with Riverine Plains Inc. The project aims to assess what potential summer crops have and what effect they will have on the following wheat crop.  The field day looked at six different options, safflower, sunflowers, white French millet, lab lab, mung beans and a fallow, each with their own moisture probes (0-120cm).

Header Set-Up Workshops  October 2009

Header set-up workshops providing participants with information on how to get the most from collecting, using yield maps and the set-up of machines were conducted at Dookie on Monday 12 October and at Rand on Tuesday 13 October 2009.

New Zealand Young Growers visit Riverine Plains October 2009

Riverine Plains hosted the Arable Y’s, a group of young farmers from the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR).  The group visited member’s farming operations on 11 and 12 October.  Feedback from the Arable Y’s was great and they are waiting to host a group from Riverine Plains.

Wimmera/Mallee Agri-Tour September 2009

A bus trip to Victoria’s Wimmera and Mallee regions from 8-10 September, included Nuseed’s headquarters, trial and nursery plot site, disc and tyne seeding trials, the Victorian No-Till Farmers Association Conference, and the Birchip Cropping Group’s main Field Day.

Managing crop risk by monitoring soil moisture workshop September 2009

This workshop held on 9 September, presented by the South Australian No-Till Farmers Association’s R&D manager Mr Greg Butler, outlined the benefits of monitoring soil moisture in broad-acre cropping therefore improving post-emergent nitrogen strategies and grain marketing forecasts.

NSW Spring Field Day 

50 farmers attended the NSW Spring Field Day held on Thursday 17 September 2009.  Farmers learnt about improving water use efficiency in no-till cropping and stubble retention systems in the morning at the Riverine Plains Inc Trial Site at the Hanrahan family property at Coreen.  Following morning tea, the group visited the ‘Canola in Depth’ trial site (CSIRO, EH Graham Centre and FarmLink) to learn about the contribution of subsoil constraints to canola yield decline.  A team of eminent CSIRO researchers, led by Dr John Angus and Dr Tony Swan were on hand to relate their experiences in this field.

Paddock Walk to examine fungicide products and timings

On Wednesday 2 September 2009, over 70 farmers attended a paddock walk led by renowned New Zealand research agronomist, Nick Poole.  The hands-on ‘get your boots dirty’ paddock walk was organised to give growers the opportunity to discuss fungicide products and timings and late N applications in cereal crops.  The fungicide day was held at the Riverine Plains Trial Site located at John and Peter Alexander’s property at Bungeet, and also featured some discussion on canopy management and the timing of N fertiliser applications, which again would be influenced by crop potential, weather outlook and a range of other factors.

10 Year Anniversary and Sponsors Dinner

On Friday 14 August 2009, Riverine Plains Incorporated celebrated it’s 10 Year Anniversary with a fabulous dinner attended by 100 guests, including past and present chairmen, committee members, sponsors and members.  Past chairmen Dick Shirley, David Cook and Adam Inchbold addressed guests and provided an insight into the groups history.  Current deputy chair, Peter White thanked the group’s sponsors for allowing Riverine Plains Inc to provide what the membership wants – which is to help them continually strive towards sustainable, profitable farming.  Treasurer, Jan Davis, concluded the formalities by saying it had been an exciting, challenging and rewarding journey over the past 10 years and proposed a toast to Riverine Plains, to friendships made and to the future.

In Season Update

On Thursday 23 July 2009 Riverine Plains Inc held an In-Season Update at Mulwala which was attended by 100 people.   The keynote speaker was Dr Nick Poole, research coordinator at the Foundation for Arable Research in New Zealand.  Nick spoke about the linkage of cereal growth stages with important fungicide and nitrogen decisions.  He also reviewed diagnosing growth stages, discussed fungicides and how they work at specific growth stages and reviewed nitrogen and fungicide options based on results from previous projects.

James Hunt, research scientist, CSIRO Plant Industry reviewed methods of assessing yield potential and benchmarking crop performance using Water Use Efficiency and more complex crop simulation tools.  Attention was also paid to common misconceptions and pit-falls in applying water use efficiency techniques, and ways of making all tools more relevant to the Riverine Plains.
Dale Grey of Cobram DPI provided farmers with the seasonal outlook, discussing what sort of spring they could expect and provided a yield forecasting update.
Brett Whelan from the Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture reviewed the technology that is available for on ground, in-crop imaging and discussed what we know about using this technology as well as what we don’t know.

Business decisions in tough times seminar

On Wednesday 8 July 2009 Riverine Plains Inc, National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness and RSM Bird Cameron held a seminar Business decisions in tough times at Corowa. The seminar was well attended by 110 people.

Ben Westmore, Economist at NAB Agribusiness provided an update on the state of the economy.  Mr Richard Koch, Managing Director of ProFarmer then provided information on the Grains Outlook for 2009.

RSM Bird Cameron and NAB agribusiness presented a case study on Tough decisions in tough times.  The case study centred around a typical farming family facing decisions regarding the family business.  Issues such as intergenerational succession, asset ownership, business structures, finance and debt issues, opportunities for acquisition of additional farming assets were some of the topics discussed.  This case study was designed to focus discussion on issues and provide options and methodology to address those issues.

Mr Gerard O’Brien, Director of RSM Bird Cameron spoke about The template for making tough decisions in tough times, providing a template that people can use to help work through issues that a review of a farming businesses operations and structure would possibly uncover.

Riverine Plains Inc hosts visit from WA Young Growers Tour

A group of 14 young growers from Western Australia visited the Riverine Plains area on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June 2009.  The group included members of the Liebe Group and South East Premium Wheat Growers Association who were on a 10 day tour visiting SA, Victoria and NSW.  The group enjoyed their time with their host families and visiting various agricultural enterprises in the region.

Precision Agriculture Discussion Group  

The Advanced Precision Agricultural Discussion Group has continued to meet on several occasions throughout the year.  On Friday 27 February 2009, forty farmers attended a Precision Agriculture Discussion Group meeting at Corowa.  Discussion topics included a review of results from the advanced PA group, interim strategies for nitrogen and phosphorus for 2009 and a recap of where you should be heading with zonal management.

Bus Trip to NSW Conservation Agriculture Field Day

On 17 and 18 February 2009 a group of 29 farmers travelled to the Young area.  Along the way the group enjoyed two very interesting farm visits at Greenethorpe with Richard Langley and Warwick Hodges.  The group attended the NSW Conservation Agriculture Field Day at Temora on 18 February before heading home.

GRDC Farmer Update

185 farmers, researchers and agribusiness representatives attended the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update hosted by Riverine Plains Inc at the Corowa RSL Club on 12 February 2009.  The audience heard the latest in grain industry research and extension in preparation for this year’s cropping season.  The update delivered timely, quality information to farmers and provided farmers with the chance to hear and question nationally renowned researchers and consultants.

2009 GRDC Update

Papers for the following presentations are available by clicking on the links:

• Cereal variety update for 2009.  Frank McRae, NSW DPI.
  Cereal Variety Update (PDF 76 KB)
• Rotations for winter cropping systems featuring results from local Riverine Plains trials.  John Sykes, John Sykes Consulting.
  Improving Winter Cropping Systems (PDF 29 KB)
• Phosphorus management in dry seasons.  Sean Mason, University of Adelaide.
  Phosphorus (PDF 97 KB)
• Nitrogen – using legumes to grow your own.  Mark Peoples, CSIRO Plant Industry.
  Nitrogen (PDF 221 KB)
• Integrated weed management and the implications of herbicide tolerant crops.  Murray Scholz, 2008 Nuffield Scholar.
  Integrated Weed Management (PDF 13 KB)
• Break Crops and dry seasons.  John Angus, CSIRO Plant Industry.
  Break Crops and Dry Seasons (PDF 50 KB)
• A drought presentation delivered by local farmer Roy Hamilton.
  Drought Presentation (PDF 533 KB)

Farmers in Drought – Family Fun Day Out

330 people attended the “Farmers in Drought – Family Fun Day Out” held on the picturesque Mulwala Foreshore on Sunday 14 December 2008.  Riverine Plains Inc organisers were extremely pleased with the day, especially the support and  generosity extended by many local community groups and businesses.

Long queues of children and adults enjoyed the waterslide rides, tube rides on the lake and the ice-cream van.  Face Painting and a visit from Santa were also crowd pleasers with children.  Mums and Dads had their aches and pains rubbed away by local massage therapists, while the crowd was well catered for by the Rotary Club of Yarrawonga-Mulwala, with the assistance of the Lions Club of Yarrawonga.

Drought and Community Support workers from NSW Department of Primary Industries, Anglicare and North East Victorian Division of General Practice were in attendance helped many farmers with queries regarding assistance available and free health checks were provided by staff from Yarrawonga Community Health Centre and Northeast Health Wangaratta.  The aim of the day was to provide families with some short term relief from the drought.

North East Victoria Spring Crop Crawl

55 farmers attended the NE Victoria Spring Crop Crawl held on Wednesday 15 October 2008.  Farmers travelled by bus to various sites around Katamatite, Burramine and South Yarrawonga.  Highlights included the Pacific Seeds Canola Systems Trial and Large Scale Wheat Demonstration, North East Phosphorous trials, Agrichem Trace Element Trial, Pioneer Breeding Trial, Goldacres/Raven liquid fertilizer injection system, Demonstration of John and Evan Ryan’s airseeder which they have converted into a fluid fertilizer applicator and the National Variety Trials for Wheat, Triticale and Canola.

Riverine Plains Inc NSW Spring Field Day 

40 farmers attended the NSW Spring Field Day held on Monday 13 October 2008.  At the Balldale site, John Sykes presented results of the GRDC funded project “Improving Winter Cropping Systems on the Riverine Plains”.   This included results from the Crop Comparison after Wheat and Canola, Triticale, Barley and Wheat Maximum Yield Experiments, Wheat Fungicide Experiment, Wheat Phosphate Experiment and Wheat Input Experiment.

Pre-Harvest Yield Mapping 

On Friday 10 October 2008, 30 farmers attended a pre-harvest yield mapping workshop.  Ed Cay of gps-Ag facilitated a discussion group on the generic principles behind making good yield maps including the benefits of yield maps, harvest checks and the importance of them, protein sensors and equipment required to get yield mapping.  Farmers then had the opportunity to ask brand specific questions of company representatives from Case IH, gps-Ag and John Deere.

Precision Agriculture “Ride and Drive” Workshops

130 farmers discussed and trialled guidance systems and auto steer at two workshops held on 17 and 18 September at Oaklands and Burrumbuttock.  The workshops gave farmers the opportunity to take part in a discussion group facilitated by John Sykes of John Sykes Rural Consulting.  Discussion topics included cost savings, what can be achieved by using PA equipment, what type of guidance equipment should a farmer be investing in, do farmers need to use variable rate technology, are yield maps essential and other new developments in Precision Agriculture.  Out in the paddock, individual farmers demonstrated machinery with sub meter, 10cm through to 2cm guidance and auto steer.  The owners and suppliers of the various systems were available to answer questions.

Riverine Plains Inc Central NSW Agri-Tour

From 27 to 29 August 2008, thirty-one people enjoyed this year’s bus trip to Central NSW, based around Griffith.  The purpose of this study tour was to meet and learn from farmers who are ultimately doing the same thing, but in a different climatic and agronomic region, and possibly in a different way.  The farmers and industry participants were exposed to the latest in agronomic research, farming systems and innovation.  The trip proved to be a refreshing and exciting insight into agriculture from a central NSW perspective.  Many thanks to the West Hume Landcare Best Management Practice Group, who generously subsidised the trip.

The Business of Farming Update

Some of the biggest issues being confronted by farmers at the moment were addressed at a seminar held by Riverine Plains and the National Australia Bank on 19 August 2008.  Over 120 people attended The Business of Farming Update in Mulwala to hear speakers on topics ranging from grain marketing to climate change.

Seeder and Establishment Day

On 8 July 2008 over 120 farmers attended a Seeder and Establishment Day held on properties at Henty, Pleasant Hills and Culcairn.  Farmers demonstrated their seeding equipment including a John Deere 1590 no-till drill, Abati Titanium 40 10 no-till seeder, Flexi-coil 820 floating hitch cultivator and Flexi-coil 2320 air seeder.

Appreciating the end product of Barley

On Wednesday 2 July 2008, 40 growers attended a barley forum held at Yarrawonga.  The guest speaker was Mary Raynes, Barley Industry Development Officer from the Department of Primary Industries at Horsham.   Mary spoke about the Australian brewing and malting industry, barley prices, industry issues relevant to the grower and provided an overview of the Australian barley industry and varieties that fit the market place.  Growers also had a virtual tour of a malthouse and brewhouse.  Throughout the evening, growers were taught to appreciate the end product of Barley by sampling international and local beers, comparing flavours and brewing techniques, while enjoying a meal to compliment the selection.

No-Till in the Riverine Plains

On Friday 29 February 2008, 120 people attended a practical workshop focused on no-till and precision agriculture.  The workshop was presented by the Victorian No-Till Farmers Association (VNTFA), Murray CMA and Riverine Plains Inc.  Speakers included local and interstate farmers and agronomists.

GRDC Update a huge success

More than 150 growers attended the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update we hosted at the Corowa RSL Club on 14 February 2008.  GM canola was an important topic covered at the GRDC Update.  It included an outline of stewardship principles for the introduction of GM canola, advice on GM canola management and the presentation of a study which observed the impact on weed populations from a decade of growing glyphosate-resistant GM crops in the United States by visiting US weed scientist Dr Phil Stahlman.  Other key topics included making the best use of soil moisture, cost-effective use of phosphorus fertiliser in local conditions, and current drivers in international grain markets.

Farmers in Drought – Family Fun Day Out

Riverine Plains Inc again hosted a “Farmers in Drought – Family Fun Day Out.  340 people from both sides of the border attended the event held on the picturesque Mulwala Foreshore on Sunday 9 December 2007.  The success of the event was a result of the support and generosity of local community groups, individuals and businesses.  Queues of children and adults proved the popularity of the waterslide and the ice-cream van.  A children’s jumping castle, face painting, and a visit by ‘Santa’ were also crowd pleasers with youngsters.  Mums and Dads were fortunate enough to be treated to free massages provided by Yarrawonga massage therapists.  Overall, there was lots of fun and laughter and we are confident that the event provided families with a little bit of time-out from the stresses of the drought.

North East Victoria Spring Crop Crawl

On Thursday 13 September a crowd of 70 toured north east Victoria.  At Ryan’s farm at Yarrawonga they learnt about Canola Variety Trials.  The Ryans then spoke about their fluid fertizer applicator on their airseeder and provided a demonstration.  A liquid fertilizer injection system was also demonstrated.  The group then travelled to Inchbold’s, at south Yarrawonga, and saw the Canola, Triticale and Wheat National Variety Trials, before moving to Bruce’s at Boomahnoomoonah to learn about the various trace element trials.

NSW Spring Field Day

On Wednesday 12 September 90 farmers attended a Field Day at Balldale to learn about the results of the GRDC funded project “Improving Winter Cropping Systems in the Riverine Plains.  Of particular interest were results from the Third Crop Program, a trial identifying the third crop options after wheat and canola.  Fungicide options for stripe rust and stem rust control were also discussed as well as drought support.   John Sykes also spoke on increasing the yield of canola, and the progress of the GRDC funded project “The contribution of subsoil constraints to canola yield decline”.  Farmers then learnt about the agronomy and management of new annual legumes from Dr Brian Deer.  To conclude the morning a Liquid Fertilizer Injection System was demonstrated.

Ripping Yarns from Europe Field Day

On Tuesday 25 September a field day was held at Buraja to discuss the effect of ripping and gypsum or lime application on canola and other crops.  Professor Gordon Spoor, a visiting UK consultant and international expert on soil compaction was the guest speaker.  Professor Spore addressed topics such as Soil Compaction including the results of the FarmLink “What lies Beneath” project and the canola project about compaction.  Deep ripping was also discussed and practical soil instruction about recognising soil structural problems.

The Business of Farming Update

A huge crowd of 200 attended “The Business of Farming” Update held on Wednesday 22 August at Corowa.  Keynote speaker Rob Napier, Director of Napier Agrifutures, a firm specialising in strategic planning for agriculture and agribusiness spoke about “The New Agriculture – How the world’s leading farmers are responding.  He discussed what is driving the changes in agriculture, how the leading farmers are responding to achieve success and provided a take home “health” check list.  Having just returned from a study tour to Romania, England and Ireland, Rob’s approach and knowledge was both inspirational and motivational.  Other topics presented included: Wheat Hedging Position, Seasonal Outlook, Economic and Financial Update, Pulse Market News, Farm Debt; the 2007 experience, Stripe Rust Update and Benchmarking Benefits.

South West Victoria Agri-Tour

On Monday 6 August nineteen farmers travelled to South West Victoria by bus for a three day agri-tour. The agri-tour was kindly subsidised by a GRDC Industry Development Award.  Highlights included farm visits, a plant tour of Barrett Burston Malthouse and learning about the work being carried out by Southern Farming Systems and Agvise

Learning Plant Language Workshops

Wayne Smith, no-till agronomist from Western Australia delivered his workshops titled “Learning Plant Language” on 18 July.  Both the morning and afternoon sessions were fully attended by 60 farmers in total.  Tony Good a consultant with Mike Stevens & Associates in Cowra also attended and provided a good insight into trace element issues (deficiencies and toxicities) in the local area and what to look out for.  Wayne and Tony complemented each others presentations and gave attendees a lot to look for in their crops in the coming months and years.

VNTFA Winter Crop Walks

On 4 and 5 July 2007 a group of nine Riverine Plains members travelled to the Wimmera to join two days of the VNTFA Crop Walks.  The farmers learnt about wide row spacings, (12”-15” on cereals and 30” on pulse and canola crops), Trifluralin in no till and full residue retention, knife points, press wheels and faba beans.

‘Understanding and managing the spray application process’ workshop

On Monday 2 July, 28 people braved the cold weather to attend a workshop conducted by Graham Betts of “ASK GB” which covered all facets of spraying practice including selection of droplet size for specific targets and drift reduction, de-contamination issues, spray planning and new sprayer technologies.  Attendees came away from the day with a broader knowledge of how to maximize returns from spraying equipment – both in terms of maximizing contact with the target and minimizing loss – and, for some people, a greater level of confidence in what is a crucially important operation of all farms.

Lab to Land Workshop 

On Friday 29 June 2007 Belinda Barr, Communications and Education Manager for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics Pty Ltd, presented a Lab to Land Workshop at Mulwala.  The workshop explored the techniques used by plant breeders and scientists to develop cereal crops with new and or improved traits as well as providing an insight into how these discoveries have been utilised within breeding programs.

Precision Agriculture Discussion Group

There continues to be a high level of interest in Precision Agriculture from both existing members of the discussion group and new members.

CSIRO and DPI Victoria provided members with the opportunity to attend a series of Soil Water Training Workshops looking at topics such as Measuring and managing soil water, Examining soil water variations within paddocks, Linking soil water with climate and seasonal conditions and an introduction to Yield Prophet.  The Dookie workshop was held on 26 March 2007 and was attended by 19 people.  The Rand workshop was held on 27 March 2007 and was attended by 18 people, while the workshop at Yarrawonga was held on 28 March 2007 and was attended by 12 people.

On Friday 27 July an enthusiastic group of 12 Yield Prophet users attended a Yield Prophet Workshop with Dr James Hunt and Dr Zvi Hochman in Mulwala.  The new features introduced since last season were demonstrated.  “Probability of Exceedence” was discussed at length enabling participants to better understand the Yield Prophet graphs.  Participants were also shown the potential role of probability in on-farm decision making.

No-Till Farming Workshop

On Friday 23 March 2007, seventy-five farmers attended a No-Till Farming workshop conducted by Western Australian No-Till Consultant Wayne Smith.  Wayne began his career with the WA Department of Ag and has since formed his own consultancy business.  His monthly newsletters are well known.  His strengths lie with creative and practical herbicide solutions, stubble retention and cover cropping.  Wayne was one of the pioneering no-till agronomists in WA.

Biological Farming Discussion Group 

On Wednesday 14 March 2007 the second Biological Farming Discussion group took place at Yarrawonga & Border Golf Club with an audience of 42 people.  Three local farmers led a panel discussion by providing an introduction to the farm, how the farming system has changed and developed over time, key features of the current farming system and the underlying philosophy of the system.  Findings from a study of gross margins, costs and yield data for a range of biological farms in the Riverine Plains were presented.  Discussion focused on the common themes and key features, the key costs of a biological farming system and what can be done to increase biological activity in soils.

GRDC Farmer Update

A record audience of 170 attended the GRDC Update held at Corowa RSL on Thursday 22 February.  The attendance was one of the highest for a Farmer Update in many years. The program featured speakers who are leaders in their field and was designed to provide growers with some of the latest research information on crop production and included topics on post-drought management.

NSW Spring Field Day

Friday 6 October 2006 saw approximately 40 farmers attend a Spring Field Day at Balldale in NSW where they learnt about the preliminary results from the Third Crop Trial including Maximising yields of Wheat (after Wheat) Triticale and Barley, Fungicide Options for 2006 and Comparing Cereals with alternate crops like Canola and Lupins.  Of particular interest to attendees was the discussion on whether to cut for hay or gain.  Discussion then took place on the Biological Seed Treatment Project investigating the efficacy of various biological seed treatment strategies for wheat in the Riverine Plains cropping system.  The morning concluded with farmers having the opportunity to look over DBS disc and tyne machines and partake in discussions on both.

North East Victorian Spring Field Day

The effects of the dry season and some serious haymaking activity meant that numbers at the Spring Field Day held on Wednesday 4 October 2006 were well down on previous years.  However, those that did attend made the most of the opportunity to grill the presenters with lots of questions and hopefully walked away with lots of practical tips for this season. Participants looked at several trials the group has located at South Yarrawonga, Telford and Devenish including: Phosphorous Type Trial, NVT Wheat and Canola Variety Trials, Precision Agriculture, Inter Row Sowing and a Paired Paddock (half conventional and half biological).

Quality Grain Storage Field Day

On Thursday 7 September 2006 a Quality Grain Storage Field Day was conducted at Culcairn with 30 participants.  Peter Botta (DPI Victoria) and Joanne Holloway (NSW DPI) covered issues such as Quality grain storage systems and methods, sealed storage and phosphine use, alternative control methods, aeration and grain drying, Storage options, looking at your specific needs and planning a storage system, Insect identification, Chemical use, Regulatory requirements and cost of storage and grain marketing.

Northern NSW Farm Study Tour

38 farmers traveled to Northern NSW during the week of Monday 21 to Friday 25 August 2006.  The aim of the trip was to study cutting-edge cropping techniques including controlled traffic farming, precision agriculture and growing grain legumes incorporating mixed farming and cutting edge machinery development.  Participants traveled by coach to farms at Parkes, Spring Ridge, Gurley, Collarenebri, Burren Junction, Coonamble, Gulargambone and Narromine as well as visiting the AgQuip Field Days.

The Business of Farming

An audience of 125 attended an update on The Business of Farming held at Corowa on Thursday 17 August 2006.  Keynote speaker was Malcolm Bartholomaeus who spoke on grain marketing.  Other topics included the Seasonal Outlook, Economic and Financial Update, Ethanol and Biodiesel and Good Accounting Practice.

Stubble Handling Demonstration

Over 130 farmers gathered at South Yarrawonga on 2 August 2006 to see if disc seeders offer any new opportunities and advantages over existing tyned machines and to assess the ability of disc seeders to provide options for improved stubble handling and good seed placement in local conditions.  Attendees heard the various manufacturers explain the benefits of their respective machines before running them and answering questions regarding their performance.  Most machines were sowing either oats or urea to identify seed placement and this aspect was closely scrutinised with farmers scratching in sown rows.

Biological Farming Discussion Group

On Thursday 27 July 2006, 31 people met at Yarrawonga & Border Golf Club for the inaugural Biological Farming Discussion Group, facilitated by Cathy Botta.  The discussion began by focusing on developing a shared understanding of the range of perspectives on biological farming.  A shared understanding of the importance of soil life in biological farming systems was developed.  Options for increasing soil biological activity in agricultural systems were discussed along with identifying areas of interest to be explored further.

Precision Agriculture Discussion Group

There continues to be a high level of interest in Precision Agriculture from both existing members of the discussion group and new members.  On 5 April 2006 a Precision Agriculture Discussion Group was held at Yarrawonga and was well attended by 22 farmers.  Discussion topics included Lime and Gypsum mixed rate applications, EMs, Nitrogen Rates, Summary of the 2006 Precision Agriculture work and Takeall control.

The second Discussion Group will be held at Dookie on 13 September 2006 covered issues including Using Precision Agriculture to save money, Fertilizing only required areas and testing for estimating soil moisture, Variable rate urea spreading, EM results from Autumn 2005-06, implications for lime and gypsum next year and Deep Soil N Testing.

As an extension of the Discussion Group, a hands-on Precision Agriculture Software workshop took place at Corowa TAFE on Wednesday 18 October and was attended by 10 farmers.  Participants learnt how to make their own maps and prescriptions.

Long Range Weather Forecast

On Thursday 6 April 2006, 54 people enjoyed dinner at The Slug and Lettuce Restaurant, Yarrawonga and heard a fascinating presentation by Dr. David Stephens – a leading long-range weather forecaster from West Australia’s Department of Agriculture.  Dr. Stephens interpreted and summarised complex charts and graphs of weather patterns specific to Australia and explained just how vital data collected from the islands of Hawaii and Rapa is used in determining whether our region will experience a La Nina or an El Nino.

GRDC Farmer Update 

Thursday 23 February 2006 saw 110 people attend our GRDC Farmer Update held at Corowa RSL Club.  The program featured highly regarded local and interstate speakers on topics such as Precision Agriculture, Grain Trading, Leaf Disease Strategies and Linking Climate Change to Farming Systems.

North East Victoria Crop Crawl

Tuesday 18 October 2005 saw 50 farmers attend the North East Victoria Spring Crop Crawl.  The program for the day covered a Yield Forecast Update and DPI Stripe Rust Trial Results, presented by Dale Grey, DPI Cobram, Faba Bean Crop Inspection, the Syngenta Fungicide Trial, Longreach Variety Trial and the National Variety Trial long season wheat trial, and the Syngenta Trial Site at Dookie College showing the benefits of various herbicide treatments. The program was concluded with a BBQ lunch.

Quality Grain Storage Field Day

Over 30 farmers attended a Quality Grain Storage Field Day on Thursday 29 September on-farm at Devenish.  The day was facilitated by Peter Botta of DPI Benalla who outlined the many and changing requirements for successful grain storage to meet present and future market needs.

Spring Field Day

The Spring Field Day was held in the Balldale/Burraja area on Wednesday 14 September 2005 commencing at Balldale at the Third Crop Trial Site identifying the third crop options after wheat and canola.  Discussion then took place on Stripe Rust Management strategies, before moving to look at a paddock at Burraja sown by a no-till disc seeder through lupin stubble.  The final stop was IK Caldwell’s Yield Prophet computer simulation of H45 wheat paddock at Burraja.  Approximately 60 farmers attended and the day proved a very effective way to provide important information to our grass roots members.  A BBQ lunch and plenty of farmer discussion concluded the program.

Winter Update for your Farm Business Management Skills

120 people attended the Winter Update for your Farm Business Management Skills on Tuesday 9 August 2005 at Corowa RSL.  This was the first Update we have conducted with a business management theme, and the program which included Yield Forecast Update, Business Planning, Succession Planning, Economic and Finance Update, Risk Management, Benchmarking and Leasing Land v’s Purchase proved very popular with men and women alike.

South Australia Farm Study Tour

From 29 August to 2 September 2005, thirty-nine farmers flew to South Australia for a Farm Study Tour visiting Adelaide, the Yorke Peninsula and Clare Valley.  Participants returned fresh with enthusiasm and new ideas.  Comments included: “Excellent Trip”, “Brings on out of the box thinking”, “Well organised and conducted tour – thank you Riverine Plains” and ”The best thing I’ve done since I started farming”.

Seeder and Establishment Day 

Thursday 28 July 2005 saw approximately 50 farmers attend the Seeder and Establishment Day, kindly hosted by Gerard and Kate McKinley, John and Peter Alexander and Steve and Andrew Dickie.  The three seeders visited were all very different systems, and had all been tested in some extreme sowing conditions this year.  The owners have obviously put a lot of time and thought into the purchase and development of their seeding gear and it was great to hear first hand their thoughts and ideas and how the machines performed in very dry and then very wet conditions.

Precision Agriculture Discussion Groups

The GRDC funded project “Zonal Management in the Riverine Plains” continues to create a high level of interest from both existing members of the discussion group and new members.  On 2 March 2005 a Precision Agriculture Discussion Group was held at Yarrawonga and was well attended by 21 farmers.  The second Discussion Group was held on 12 July 2005 with 35 attendees.  The final Discussion Group for the year, featuring a Software “Come and Drive” Demonstration, was held on 7 October 2005 at Yarrawonga and attracted 30 attendees.

Chemical Risk Management Workshop

On Monday 18 July 2005, 27 farmers attended a Chemical Risk Management Workshop conducted by Graham Betts at Rennie.  Key objectives of the day included reducing chemical drift (loss), improving results in less than ideal conditions, improving pest control with better boom setup, understanding what the real target is, learning how to manage spray droplets and better managing environmental risk.  This workshop was run due to membership demand.

Short Term Drought Management Strategies Forum

In response to the late break, Riverine Plains Inc in conjunction with John Sykes Rural Consulting and NSW DPI held a forum at Burraja on Friday 10 June 2005 to help farmers keep on track in relation to yield potential for crops and to plan for changes where they needed to.  75 farmers from both sides of the river attended, gaining information on the seasonal outlook, yield outlook, drought assistance available, supplementary feeding strategies, financial strategies and tax planning.  The forum concluded with a BBQ lunch, lots of talk about the weather and some long awaited rainfall.

GRDC Farmer Update 

Thursday 24 February 2005 saw 120 people attend our GRDC Farmer Update held at Corowa RSL Club.  The program featured highly regarded international and interstate speakers.  Showbags containing speaker notes and sponsors promotional material were distributed to each of the attendees.  87% of attendees indicated a high level of satisfatction, with 98% indicating they were likely to use three pieces of new information.  The committee was pleased that the Riverine Plains Inc GRDC Farmer Update was the most successful out of all of the Updates held in South East Australia.

Spring Field Day

The Spring Field Day was held at Lowesdale on 16 September 2004 and looked at the Third Crop Trial Site and the NSW DPI Wheat and Triticale Variety Evaluation Trial.  The date was brought forward so that Stripe Rust Management could be discussed.  Approximately 120 farmers attended and the day proved a very effective way to provide important information to our grass roots members.  A BBQ lunch was the perfect end to an informative day.

Western Australia No-Till Farm Tour

From 6-10 September 2004, forty-two members flew to Western Australia for a No-Till Farm Tour visiting areas such as Northam, York, Meckering, Hyden and Katanning.  Comments from the attendees included “the best trip I’ve ever been on”, “I’ve returned with a new level of enthusiasm for agriculture” and “I can’t wait to try some ideas on my farm”.

GRDC Farmer Update 

On 18 August 2004 110 people attended the GRDC Farmer Update held at the Department of Primary Industries – Rutherglen Centre.  The theme for the day was “Keeping you at the Cutting Edge” and the vast array of speakers kept the audience well informed.  Comments from the day included “a very good balance of speakers on topical subjects” and “excellent mix of competent and highly regarded speakers”.  The committee was interested to note that the standout topic was herbicide resistance.

Seeder and Establishment Day

An excellent day was held on 14 July 2004 including three farm visits each attracting 40-60 people.  The first visit was to Don Hunt, north of Euroa, looking at his Agridrill AD95 fitted with Janke tynes and deep banding kit.  Ross Heywood and Craig Reynolds at Congupna were next looking at their self built air seeder frame to suit their irrigated farms.  Ross and Craig also trialled a Nichols parallelogram and demonstrated it as a single tyne at 8 and 10 km/hr.  The final stop was at Greg Holmes at Lake Rowan.  Members were interested in learning about the DBS 40ft bar on 10 inch spacing with large Case tow behind cart that Greg uses.

Precision Agriculture

The GRDC funded project “Zonal Management in the Riverine Plains” continues to create much interest.  On 17 March 2004 a Precision Agriculture Field Day was held at Burraja and was well attended by 85 farmers.  Industry speakers outlined some of the guidance, autosteer and precision spraying technology currently on the market.  As an extension of the project a Precision Agriculture Discussion Group was formed and met on 7 July 2004 and 8 October 2004 with approximately 20 farmers attending both discussion groups.

Pre-Season Updates

Designed to provide farmers with topical pre-season information two Pre-Season Updates were held; one at Howlong Golf Club, attended by 50 farmers, on 4 March and one at Dookie College, attended by 40 farmers, on 5 March 2004.  Topics covered included Stripe Rust and Wheat Varieties, Riverine Plains Inc Disease Survey Results from Canola and Wheat diseases in Spring 2003, Frost Monitoring on-farm and the consequences of breakdown in Blackleg Resistance.