Approximately one third of all Australian commercial scale farms across Australia produce hay each year. Export quality oaten hay demands a price premium but achieving quality standards set by hay buyers along with optimal yields can be tricky. BCG is currently running its second of three years of trial work as part of the National […]
Whether it happened at 1am with a coffee to keep you going or 1pm while listening to a podcast, much of the seed for this season is in the ground and working its way to the surface if it hasn’t already made it up. Paddock establishment surveys as part of a GRDC funded project – optimising plant establishment, undertaken by […]
As we near the Spring months, conditions warm up and pest populations will increase along with the temperatures. Russian wheat aphid (RWA), first found in Australia in 2016, is a relatively new pest for Australian cropping systems. Although the behaviour and populations of RWA in Australia are not yet fully understood, it is known that […]
Globally, there are more than 580 documented cases of invertebrate pests evolving resistance to one or more of 325 unique chemicals. In Australia, the grains industry has a level of ongoing reliance on limited control methods for insect pests, particularly cheaper broad-spectrum chemistries. The ‘Supporting the sustainable use of insecticides and local on-farm implementation of […]
In recent weeks BCG has been monitoring 13 paddocks around Birchip to better understand mice numbers and their behaviour. The aim was to find answers to questions raised about the level of mouse activity in the area and their feeding preferences. The hypothesis was that the stubble type that had become the habitat of a […]
In 2015, BCG hosted its first graduate in the Agronomist Development Program (ADP) as part of the broader Regional Research Agronomists Program which is co-funded by the GRDC and Agriculture Victoria through a Bilateral Research Agreement. Co-ordinated by Agriculture Victoria, the program enables graduates to work across a range of areas, gaining skills in agricultural […]
In his short time in Australia, visiting research fellow Dr Terry Griffin, has proved to to be an experienced researcher and engaging speaker who is passionate about assisting agricultural communities across the world to harness the potential of agricultural data. “Big Data” is a term that many could be a little scared (or sick) of […]
Take home messages Rainfall over the summer fallow period will cause nutrient leaching from stubbles. Stubble crop type determines initial value of stubble and what may be leached due to rainfall. It is important to consider other loss pathways such as microbial breakdown and volatilisation as well as leaching when calculating stubble nutrient value following […]
Take home messages Know your growth stages. Application timing of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in barley could prove key at harvest. Understand the lodging risk of your varieties prior to PGR application, it may not be necessary. Nitrogen application rate had no effect on PGR application response in barley. Background 2016 was an exceptional season […]