14,704 Plots, 58 Sites, 30 events, 1 Purpose: BCG delivering for members across north-west Victoria
As harvest wraps up across much of our region, it feels timely to reflect on just how much ground the BCG team has covered over the past few months, quite literally, and the impact that work is having for growers.
The BCG harvest program commenced on 30 October, starting with barley at Ultima and Manangatang, and concluded on 30 December with our final NVT faba bean trial at Wonwondah. In between, our harvest tracked right alongside our farmers, from Balranald and Merinee in the northern Mallee, across to Telopea Downs in the West Wimmera, and as far east as Colbinabbin. The team has been everywhere.
As was the case with many growers, our harvest program hasn’t been without its challenges. Rain delays, fire ban days and the occasional mechanical issue, all tested patience and planning. But, as farmers do every year, the team adapted, worked around the challenges, and kept moving forward to ensure trials were harvested accurately and on time.
What makes this even more impressive is that harvest is only one part of the story. While headers were rolling, the BCG team was also soil sampling across region inclusive of our large-scale Farming Systems trial at Kinnabulla, finalising the story for the vetch end use work and understanding the movement of nitrogen in the Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen trial at Karyrie. In coming weeks, we’ll also be back in the paddock sowing treatments in the cover cropping trial at Curyo, if the rain allows the opportunity. It’s a reminder that BCG’s work doesn’t pause, it layers.
One of the most striking observations from this harvest was the number of surprising yield results, particularly in what many would classify as a Decile 4 and below season. We are seeing evidence that farming systems continue to improve in their ability to capture and convert limited rainfall into grain. Practices relating to weed management, soil management and testing, rotations, variety selection, and machinery set-ups at sowing and harvest are all contributing to stronger outcomes than many would have traditionally expected.
Importantly, our focus does not stop at productivity alone. The key area of emphasis for BCG remains profitability, ensuring that gains in yield can be translated into sound economic outcomes. Understanding where investment pays, where risk sits, and how decisions stack up financially are central to refining farming systems for the long term.
This year our research program was supported by 45 trial site hosts, and we sincerely thank each of them for their generosity, flexibility and trust. Without growers opening their paddocks, this work simply wouldn’t happen.
The breadth of the 2025 trial program was significant. It spanned crop variety evaluation, disease management, targeted weed control, durum wheat management, phosphorus, soil amelioration, herbicide and adjuvant packages, and an extensive nitrogen program covering timing, rate, product type, placement and emissions.
In total, the team delivered 14,704 trial plots across 58 trial sites, supported by more than 30 events. Our Main Field Day alone welcomed over 500 people, something to be proud of.
BCG is also proud to be a node of the Victorian Drought Hub. Each year we deliberately direct research, discussion and events to support farmers through all four stages of drought: uncertainty, being in drought, recovery from drought, and the good seasons. This ensures that farm businesses, our people and our communities are equipped with the knowledge, tools and confidence to navigate variability and prosper in all conditions, not just the favourable ones.
Behind the scenes, BCG continues to invest in infrastructure to ensure our trials and events are delivered efficiently and to a high standard. Just as importantly, we are investing in people. With a team of 28 and growing, we are proud to be developing the next generation of agricultural professionals, with graduates and expertise drawn from across Australia and internationally. We thank our farmers, sponsors and collaborators for supporting BCG through shared expertise.
We value our strong collaborations with CSIRO, other farming systems groups, and all major Australian universities. Most importantly, we care deeply about the information we deliver to farmers and we develop that content in consultation with growers, ensuring it is practical, relevant and decision-focused.
The scale of work is significant, but the purpose remains simple: delivering independent, trusted research that helps farmers make better decisions and strengthens the long-term prosperity of our region.
Thank you to the members who sign up each year. When the team is sitting on the header from October until late December, we remain motivated by the vote of confidence through your membership.
The BCG team will be delivering many of the research outcomes from 2025 at our Trials Review Day on February 20.
We look forward to supporting and working with you all again in 2026.
