The BCG Season Research Results compendium is one of the biggest, and most valued, publications we produce and its release each year in February, at the members-only BCG Trials Review Day, is the result of many steps from trial idea to printed product.
What does it take to pull together?
BCG research officer, Genevieve Clarke, explained the process starts early in the calendar year when decisions are made about what trials will be sown. Throughout the season lots of assessments are made which ultimately result in a compendium article.
“We have as much information about the season as growers do,” Ms Clarke said. “And like broadacre cropping, it is difficult to predict what results we’ll get,” she added. “Some are interesting, some are more relevant and sometimes the outcomes are surprising,” she said.
Lots of notes, photos and data is collected throughout the season to provide a complete understanding of crop growth. Data is also ‘reality-checked’ for outliers before being analysed in any detail.
“If you don’t have good reliable data during the season it makes accounting for treatment differences difficult at the end,” says Ms Clarke.
“As much as we’d like to think we can pick differences by sight – the reality is the differences can be much more subtle,” said Ms Clarke. And even if a difference is proven, in some cases this doesn’t result in a statistically or commercially significant difference.
Making sure inconsistencies, such as localised pest damage or a variation in soil type, are noted and mitigated is also important.
“Accounting for these kinds of variations in a trial is one of the reasons we replicate the same treatment four times in most of our trial work,” she said.
When BCG members take their seat on Friday 15 February 2019 at the Birchip Leisure Centre they can be assured the numbers have been crunched and relevant to their businesses.
“If the difference doesn’t offer an economic or production incentive to change there’s not much point in pushing it as an idea for growers to adopt.”
“Our research is for growers,” Ms Clarke said. “We can present results and make suggestions on management practices, but it is up to the grower to decide if there is a fit in their business. We always need to keep them in mind.”
For staff it is both a hectic and rewarding experience.
Finding time during the harvest, Christmas and summer holiday period to write compendium articles can be difficult, but it is all with the aim of ensuring information is ready.
“The most enjoyable part is seeing everything come together. These are trials we have worked on all year and made predictions or watched with interest about what might happen, but it is at the very end that the whole story comes together.”
The BCG Seasons Research Results Compendium is a members-only publication made available to members at the BCG Trials Review Day on Friday 15 February 2019 at the Birchip Community Leisure Centre.
Memberships can be purchased on the day or via the website; www.bcg.org.au. For more information, contact the BCG office on 03 5492 2787 or email [email protected].
