Riverine Plains is hosting a virtual field day for grain growers looking to learn more about increasing crop diversity in their farming systems on Tuesday 8 September, 2020, from 9:00-9:30am.

Increasing the diversity of crop species can have positive benefits on soil health compared to monocultures, or where break crops are used minimally, with summer cover cropping, green/brown manuring, intercropping or companion cropping all providing opportunities to increase species diversity at different points in the rotation.

To look at this in more detail, a long-term trial site has been established by Riverine Plains Inc at Burramine, Victoria, to examine how more diverse rotations can impact soil function and winter crop yields, as well as profitability.

The virtual field day aims to introduce growers to the benefits of increasing diversity in their systems and  also features a virtual tour of the trial site. Speakers include;

• Jane McInnes (Riverine Plains Inc)
• Dr Cassandra Schefe (AgriSci): Increasing diversity in cropping systems, site and project overview
• Professor Terry Rose (Southern Cross University): Results from 2019
• Nathan Lawless (Burramine): Benefits to farmers
• Brendan Christy (Agriculture Victoria): Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial (also sown at the
site) 

For more information, please download the Virtual Cover Cropping Field Day (Burramine) Flyer 2020, contact Riverine Plains Inc Project Officer Jane McInnes on 03 5744 1713 or email jane@riverineplains.org.au.

To register for this event, please click here.

To download the Riverine Plains Field Day notes on Increasing diversity in cropping systems, please click here.

To download the Agriculture Victoria Field Day notes on the Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial please click here.

This trial is part of the Plant-based solutions to improve soil performance through rhizosphere modification project, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) and led by Southern Cross University. This project is supported by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s ‘From the Ground Up’ program through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial is funded by the Victorian Grains Innovation Partnership with  Agriculture Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.