The Grower Group Alliance has facilitated a 3-day frost extension study tour for WA grain growers, flying into Melbourne and visiting 9 different sites on throughout north west and the Mallee region of Victoria, before flying out of Adelaide.

It provides a high impact, hands-on learning experience, with excellent industry networking opportunities.

The itinery covers:

Day 1 / Wed 7 Sept

1. Uni of Adelaide – hosted by Brendan Kupke. Brendan is exploring the use of PGRs to delay crop development as a frost risk mitigation tool.

2. The Frost Learning Centre, Clare SA – hosted by Mick Faulkner. Mick will be discussing the latest frost research happening at the Frost Learning Centre in the Mid North HRZ.

3. An on-farm visit with a local grower who will talk about their experience with frost and mitigation strategies they use to combat it - site TBC

Grower networking dinner with Mallee Sustainable Farming Systems grower group at Loxton, SA.

 

Day 2 / Thur 8 Sept

1. Loxton Research Centre - Grower experiences exchange meetup with presentations from SA Mallee growers and the Mallee Sustainable Farming Systems group. After morning tea, the exchange will continue with presentations from WA growers and from WA grower group delegates.

2. Ouyen Trials site visit - Ag Vic chickpea and lentil trial at Ouyen. Audrey Delahunty will show the tour the work her team is contributing to the National Pulse Phenology project.

3. Birchip Cropping Group meetup– BCG are based in the VIC mallee and have a keen interest in frost research. In the past they have hosted National Frost Initiative trials looking at row spacing and skip-row seeding, seeding rates.

Grower networking dinner with Birchip Cropping Group grower group at Birchip, VIC.

 

Day 3 / Fri 9 Sept

1. An on-farm visit with a local Birchip grower who will talk about their experience with frost and mitigation strategies they use to combat it.

2. Birchip Cropping Group main trial site visit.

3. Field Applied Research (FAR) Hyper yielding field site visit. Kenton Porker will show how FAR are increasing the yields of major crops (wheat, barley and canola) in the high rainfall zone at Inverleigh.

Participants to pay their own return airfares, some meals, plus a non-refundable upfront deposit of $250 (this will be used as a float for various on-tour group expenses). GRDC funds will be used to cover accommodation, 2 grower networking dinners, car hire and fuel (total value around $1,000). FBG has been given up to 2 places on the tour, so please get in touch if you would like to participate.

More information can be found here.

This tour is made possible with thanks to the Grower Group Alliance, GRDC, DPIRD and grower groups.