Edition #1: March 2016

Julianne Hill, RCSN western region coordinatorA new year brings new faces to the GRDC’s five western region RCSN groups, which met during February to discuss and update priority grains R,D&E issues in each of the State’s port zones.

The RCSNs are made up of a mix of 12 grain growers, advisers, consultants and other industry stakeholders. Their role is to capture and rank regional grains issues to feed into investment planning by the GRDC’s western panel and regional grower services team.

During the past three years, the RCSNs have facilitated GRDC spending of $1.2 million in 36 fast-tracked (one-three year) projects across the WA grainbelt and in 2015-16 the GRDC is investing more than $1.0 million into RCSN projects in the western region.

At their February meetings, the RCSN groups reviewed outcomes from 2015-funded projects and ranked the importance of issues and ideas for 2016 and beyond.

This was done with input from researchers, industry experts, GRDC western panel members and GRDC staff. A brief overview from each group is outlined below.

All RCSN projects centre on localised validation of State or national R&D outcomes, advancing profitable farming systems in each port zone, extending information and/or capacity building.

The next round of RCSN meetings and open RCSN meetings for all grain growers are scheduled for late July and early August. More information about these events, RCSN projects and group members can be found at: www.rcsn.net.au.

Tonight GRDC is staging a free panel discussion event for WA grain growers in Geraldton. This is being held from 6pm, in collaboration with Fairfax Media, as part of a national series of panel events and hosted by Liam Bartlett. The panel will include a team of industry experts. To register interest contact Jess Doyle: 0422 498 620 or grdcevents@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

I hope you find this edition of the RCSN Newsletter interesting and feel free to forward it to colleagues or clients. I can be contacted on 08 9726 1307 or regionalcroppingsolutions@gmail.com.

Playing the season in the Geraldton zoneManaging seasonal variability, profiling soil types to assist with in-season decision-making, using soil amendments and/or deep ripping and managing inputs to yields are some of the top priorities identified by the Geraldton port zone RCSN.

In the past two years, this group has prioritised investments into projects investigating nutritional packages and variable rate technology for a range of local soil types, early sowing opportunities, farm business planning, spray fallow techniques and nutrient use efficiency and soil water interactions.

Pathways to profit in the low rainfall zoneThe Kwinana East RCSN has ranked rainfall and climate variability, water use efficiency, business management and dealing with subsoil acidity and compaction as its highest priority research issues in this port zone.

This group has previously requested investment into stored soil water (using soil moisture probes and models such as Yield Prophet®), furrow formation and inter-row compaction, spray fallow techniques, lime incorporation and frost workshops.

Trapping moisture key in Kwinana WestTop priorities for the Kwinana West RCSN group include moisture utilisation, machinery management, overcoming non-wetting soils, profitable rotations and soil compaction.

Previously, this group has sought investment into variable rate technology with zoning, soil types and paddocks, Spot type net blotch (STNB) in barley, frost management workshops, testing paddocks for compaction and silvergrass control.

Diseases and weeds big issues for AlbanyBarley disease and head loss, managing soil acidity, herbicide resistance, effective solutions for water repellent soils, frost, nematode control and controlled traffic farming systems have been identified as top regional priorities by the Albany RCSN group.

This group’s priorities have previously led to GRDC funding a herbicide resistance survey, research into monitoring and control methods for snails and slugs, a series of pre-seeding frost workshops and soil health trials.

Esperance group tackles farm systemsEsperance RCSN members ranked herbicide resistance and management, break-crops, efficient fertiliser use, early sowing, compaction and mechanical stubble residue options among their region’s top R,D&E priorities.

This group has directed investment into projects investigating technologies for aiding in-season management decisions, control measures for snails and slugs, early sowing and practices to reduce rhizoctonia.

Research Update - easy-to-find local trial resultsLatest available RCSN, western region and national farm trial results, reports, soil conditions, climatic and other grains information can be found on the GRDC-supported Online Farm Trials (OFT) website.

This hub, at www.farmtrials.com.au, allows you to click on your location or search by region, topic or project to find targeted data of interest to you. There is a ‘trial browser’ function to cater for areas with slow internet speeds.

New Resources - the ‘go to’ GrowNotesGRDC unveiled its latest western region GrowNotes for Oats at the recent Grains Research Update, Perth.

These valuable online resources complement existing western GrowNotes for Wheat and Canola and provide extensive management information and farm practice reference notes specifically for each crop in WA conditions. They can be found at: www.grdc.com.au/GrowNotes

RCSN Feature corner - Bob Nixon wows the Farm Business UpdatesKwinana East RCSN member Bob Nixon was a popular presenter at the recent series of GRDC Farm Business Update meetings - held during February at Munglinup, Narrogin and Dalwallinu.

These updates discussed a broad range of management, profitability and economics topics and Bob was charged with providing a grower’s perspective about managing risk.

In a recently-released GRDC feature video, Bob explains that even in some of the drier years experienced in WA’s eastern grainbelt during the past decade, his family has managed to turn a profit through economies of scale and keeping chemical and fertiliser costs under control. For the full story click here.

Meet your local member: Profile of Kwinana West’s Tony WhiteTony White runs a 5000 hectare mixed grain, sheep and beef cattle operation at Miling, north-west of Perth.

He says he was attracted to joining the Kwinana West RCSN group as part of his continual drive to seek out and share information with other growers.

"By having networks, we can get together, discuss similar problems, understand others' operations and hopefully get a start at making improvements,” he says.

To read more about Tony click here.

Keep an eye out for...

a list of all western events, click here.

the latest GrowNotes - your one-stop shop for trial results and best practice recommendations, click here.

Driving Agronomy, GRDC’s weekly radio program, click here for the latest podcasts.

GRDC Radio podcasts that are timely and relevant to the Western cropping region of Australia, click here.

the latest episode of GroundCover TV, click here.

Hot Topics for the western region, click here.

Fact sheets for the Western region, click here.

For more information about the RCSNs in the western region, contactJulianne Hill, RCSN western coordinator0447 261 607regionalcroppingsolutions@gmail.comwww.rcsn.net.au@Julianne_HillPO Box 89, Brunswick, WA 6224, Australia

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Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC)Level 4, East Building, 4 National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600

PO Box 5367 KINGSTON ACT 2604 AUSTRALIATelephone: (02) 6166 4500 Fax: (02) 6166 4599