Come to the much-anticipated BCG Main Field Day on September 11, to get your questions answered by Agriculture Victoria Seasonal Risk Agronomists Dale Grey and Dale Boyd.
Mr Boyd manages the Agriculture Victoria soil moisture probe network which cover the whole state and includes both cropping and pasture paddocks.
The BCG Main Field Day paddock is the home to one of the moisture probes in the Agriculture Victoria network and has been in place since 2012, Mr Boyd explained.
“Originally the probe was installed as part of a plot trial in 2012, when the site was last the main site for the Birchip Cropping Group,” Mr Boyd said.
“We now have seven years’ worth of data which is available to everyone to look over.”
Mr Boyd will provide some insight into the historical data but will also look at the trends for soil moisture across the Wimmera, Mallee and South Australian broad areas, for 2019.
“For large areas of western Victoria rainfall in December 2018 has assisted in setting up the 2019 season. Having soil moisture probes in these regions has enabled us to understand how widespread and effective this rainfall penetrated down the profile,” says Mr Boyd.
Mr Grey will deliver his ever-popular spring weather outlook, bringing the much loved and respected Very Fast Break YouTube series to the stage.
“El Niño, positive India Ocean Dipole, Southern Annular Mode and Sub-Tropical Ridge are all climate drivers that have been active in 2019,” said Mr Grey.
“Victoria is delicately poised with areas of great potential, areas that are poor and regions that could go either way. Whether it rains in spring and jack frost keeps away will affect the outcome.”
The 2019 BCG Main Field Day will be held on the Sunraysia Highway, 9km west of Birchip (travelling to Woomelang), on September 11 from 9am. Entry is free for BCG members and $50 for non-members. Breakfast (available from 8.15am) and lunch are available to purchase on-site. For more details contact BCG on (03) 5492 2787 or visit www.bcg.org.au/events.
