This program is supported by Wheatbelt NRM through funding from the Australian Government

Wheatbelt NRM Sustainable AgricultureTrials & Demonstration Program

Guidelines2014

Closing date for application is 26th September 2014

Contents

APPLICATION GUIDELINES 1

ABOUT WHEATBELT NRM’S SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM 1

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FUNDING 1

Project: Sustainable Agriculture Trials & Demonstrations 2

WHAT IS AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT? 2

ON-FARM TRIALS AND DEMONSTRATIONS 3

APPLICATION PROCESS 4

WHO CAN APPLY 5

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 5

WHAT WILL NOT BE FUNDED 5

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 5

EXAMPLES 6

Analysing and interpreting the effect of a new management practice 6

Improved cropping precision 6

Agroforestry Trial/Demo 6

Pasture demo 6

WHO TO CONTACT FOR ASSISTANCE 6

EOI Application Guidelines

About Wheatbelt NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture Program

Wheatbelt NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture Program assists farmers to maintain a productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural industry. The Program aims to increase the adoption of farming practices that improve our natural resources, including biodiversity, soil health and water quality while also contributing to production outcomes for our farmers.

Our program will achieve this by:

• Supporting innovative, sustainable cropping management on Wheatbelt farms

• Promoting grazing management practices that are sustainable

• Integrating trees into agricultural systems for biodiversity, water and soil outcomes

• Increasing adoption of direct soil management practices that have environmental benefits

• Building and supporting knowledge sharing that enhances sustainable agriculture

• Identification and development of technological innovation for advancing NRM

Sustainable Agriculture Funding 2013-2018

Wheatbelt NRM is keen to work directly with the community, including farmers, landcare and grower groups and industry bodies to establish trial and demonstration sites that represent a range of practices and are located in regions containing different landscapes/soils/farming and social systems across the Avon Basin. Successful applicants will be provided with technical and coordination support from Wheatbelt NRM staff and project partners. Projects will be supported for up to four years to maximize learning by local communities about the costs and benefits of incorporating the practice into a farm enterprise.

This EOI process is being run to identify sites and on-ground activities for the Sustainable Agriculture Trial and Demonstration project.

Multiple applications are encouraged, with only one trial/demonstration per application form. Projects can run for 1 to 3 years.

Project: Sustainable Agriculture Trials & Demonstrations

Grants of up to $20,000 are available to farmers and groups for approved trial and demonstration projects which aim to encourage the adoption of innovative practices associated with the following themes:

• Improved soil management e.g. Biological ameliorants application, treating soil acidity or non-wetting issues, increasing soil carbon etc.

• Innovative crop management e.g. chaff management to reduce burning and weed seeds, crop rotation optimization for soil health, maximizing stubble retention, reducing fertilizer application etc.

• Sustainable grazing systems e.g. optimizing forage shrub integration across multiple paddocks for improved farm profit, integrating perennial pastures to maximize cover, innovative stock management to optimize productivity and soil health etc.

• Tree crops e.g. Reducing establishment cost of Brushwood through direct seeding, optimizing mallee harvesting methodologies, establishment of integrated grazing/sandalwood systems, bush tucker establishment etc.

What is an eligible project?

• Your proposed activity must align with the desired outcomes of the Sustainable Agriculture Trials and Demonstrations Project,• All activities proposed must go beyond common farming practice (e.g. lime application and standard soil testing is considered common practice)• Trials can run from 1 to 3 years, but all trial activities MUST be completed by 31st December 2017• All activities proposed must not be required by law • All activities proposed must not cause adverse impacts

What items will be funded?

• Your proposed activity must align with the desired outcomes of the Sustainable Agriculture Trials and Demonstrations Project,• All activities proposed must go beyond common farming practice (e.g. lime application and standard soil testing is considered common practice)• Trials can run from 1 to 3 years, but all trial activities MUST be completed by 31st December 2017• Activities proposed must not be required by law

On-farm trials and demonstrations

Trialling is the most popular method of evaluating or demonstrating a new technology or practice before adopting it across the whole farm. Using variable rate controllers and harvest yield monitors farmers now have the capability of evaluating changes themselves, provided that the trial is designed following key principles.

Trial principles

1 Ask a question (what, how, when or where).2 Apply treatments that are likely to make a difference (one or two at most).3 Make sure the trial covers the range of soil types or zones of interest. 4 Sow and harvest the trial in the same direction (should occupy at least two seeder bar widths- recorded using GPS).5 Ensure the trial is harvested where the comb does not enter the neighbouring treatment. This prevents the data becoming confounded by the experimental approach.6 Analyse the yield data as using a paired t-test or by eye. Strong treatment effects may even stand out by eye on some parts of the paddock.7 Avoid combining data and simply comparing the means or averages of strips.

Trial activities

The following questions will assist you in identifying all of the activities which will occur during the trial.

Activity information is requested in both questions 4 and 8 of the application form:

1 Who is responsible for trial design, site selection and set-up? What level of rigour does the trial have? Do you need support for this aspect of the project?2 What equipment is needed for the trial, and who will get it/set it up? E.g. Fencing, seeders, sprayers, trial markers, mouldboard ploughs, fuel, chemical etc.3 Who is responsible for monitoring and harvesting the trial? Are clear instructions in place for this? Do you need support for this aspect of the project?4 Who is responsible for analysing results? Have they been involved from the beginning with trial design? Do you need support for this aspect of the project?

Budget items can include on-ground costs for the trial and may include technical support, e.g. seedlings, soil ameliorants, agronomy support, trial design and implementation, with the overall budget assessed for value for money and project private vs public benefit (see Assessment Criteria below).

Analysis and interpretation of trial results

Please indicate in your project activity schedule if you will be conducting the interpretation and analysis of trial results, or if you require support from Wheatbelt NRM in this phase of the project. Funds can also be used to provide external support for the analysis and interpretation of your results.

Communication and extension

All communication and extension relating to approved projects will be managed and funded directly by Wheatbelt NRM. Funds for communication and extension are to be excluded from your project budget. It is expected that all successful project participants fully support the widespread promotion of their project, including field days/walks, workshops, case studies/fact sheets.

Further information to support on-farm trial development

‘Trial Design and analysis using precision agriculture and farmer’s equipment’ (Lawes, 2010)http://www.gga.org.au/files/files/1042_RogerLawes_Trial_design_and_analysis_using_precision_agriculture_and_farmers_equipment.pdf

‘Doing successful On Farm Research’ (Lawrence et al 2004) http://www.gga.org.au/files/files/1061_OFRFinal.pdf

‘Test as you grow manual’ (Department of Agriculture and Food)http://www.gga.org.au/files/files/1041_Test_as_you_grow_manual.pdf

Application Process

Successful applicants will be requested to make their sites available for future monitoring and possible field days/extension.

Applications must be submitted to Wheatbelt NRM by 5 pm, 26th September 2014

If applications are deemed suitable following the initial assessment process (10th October 2014) the applicant will be contacted to negotiate the proposed design, establishment and management of the

project to address NRM issues and to negotiate the final project budget. Applicants may be required to collaborate with other applicants where similarities exist between multiple project applications.

Successful applicants will be advised via a letter of offer from Wheatbelt NRM.

Successful applicants will be provided with technical and coordination support from Wheatbelt NRM or project partners and will be expected to follow best-practice guidelines for implementation of the activity.

A funding management agreement will be signed between Wheatbelt NRM and the land owner.

Who can apply

The following criteria are required to be met by applicants for this funding program.

• Applications can be submitted as a group or individual farm business.• Applicants require an ABN and public liability insurance for the duration of the project. • Applicants must carry out activities on properties within the Avon River Basin.• For group applications, proposed activities require the agreement of each landholder.• All planning permissions are to be organised by the applicant. • State Government Agencies and Wheatbelt NRM staff are ineligible to apply to this funding

program.

General Eligibility Criteria

• Funding recipients are expected to make a significant contribution to the costs of the project via in-kind and/or financial contribution, depending on the level of private benefit that may be derived from the project activities. As a general rule, the contribution should be equal to the funding requested, but this is negotiable depending on the nature of the project. If you have any questions about this aspect of the program, please contact us for further explanation.

• All proposed activities must be carried out in the Avon River Basin. • All necessary approvals, licenses, permits, etc. will need to be arranged by successful funding

recipients.

What will not be funded

The following activities will not be funded:

• Activities outside the Avon River Basin.• Activities undertaken prior to commencement of the project.• Activities with the potential to adversely impact on any matter of national environmental

significance as identified under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

• Infrastructure construction.• Activities or materials that are normally part of a landholder’s responsibility for the management

of their property such as the purchase of equipment, purchase of lime or dolomite, and weed/ pest control.

Assessment criteria

Applications will be competitively assessed on how well they provide sufficient evidence against the following criteria:

1 Degree of innovation of the practice to be trialled/demonstrated in relation to the themes (cropping/soil health/agroforestry/grazing).2 Current level of adoption of the practice.3 Ability of the trial/demonstration to promote the practice within the farming community (results measured and reported/site accessibility and visibility).4 Activities are deliverable within the allocated timeframe and budget. 5 Project presents good value for investment and costs are appropriately estimated.

Note: The Sustainable Agriculture Program aims to reach industry and community groups across the region, and target different types of management practices. Applicant should also have completed acquittals for all past projects with Wheatbelt NRM on time and in a satisfactory manner. The assessment process will take these aspects into consideration when prioritizing applications.

ExamplesAnalysing and interpreting the effect of a new management practice

A farmer would like to trial a compost product on a section of a paddock to assess it’s effectiveness as an alternative fertliser. The farmer applies for assistance through the soils trials project for support to conduct a trial across the paddock to compare the treated area with non-treated areas. The project is approved by Wheatbelt NRM and a Project Manager works with the farmer to plan the paddock trial program. The farmer and Wheatbelt NRM will work together to gather the information and analyse the data. The Project Manager will work with the farmer to arrange the extension activiities to promote the results amongst the farming community.

Improved cropping precision

A farmer would like to set a trial using new equipment to undertake variable rate application of fertiliser and lime . The farmer submits a project application to Wheatbelt NRM for support to conduct the trailling of the new equipment and variable rate application on their farm. The project is approved by Wheatbelt NRM and a Project Manager works with the farmer to plan the setup of the trial program. The farmer (with support from Wheatbelt NRM if required) then undertakes the activites and provides the results to the Wheatbelt NRM Project Manager to arrange analysis and interpretation. The Project Manager will then provide the results to the farmer, and develop a case study on the project for promotion amongst the farming community.

Agroforestry trial/demonstration

A farmer with stands of brushwood would like to harvest the biomass to supply an emerging market. There is limited knowledge on the best height to harvest brushwood stems to ensure the full coppicing of the stand for future production. He/she applies for assistance through the agroforestry trials project for support to trial different stem cutting heights. The project is approved by Wheatbelt NRM and a project manager works with the farmer to plan the trial. The farmer would undertake the harvesting and the data from the re-growth would be monitored following the trial plan. The project manager would organise a field event to share the knowledge of the trial and develop a case study on the project for promotion within the community.

Pasture trial/demonstration

A grower group has identified within their group an interest in pastures and would like to conduct a trial with native grass species that have not been established and managed in their area before. The group can apply for assistance through the grazing trials project. The project is approved by Wheatbelt NRM and a Project Manager will work with the group to design the demonstration site. The grower group and the project manager will work together to undertake the information gathering required in the demonstration plan. The project manager will organise a field day to showcase the demonstration site and develop a case study on the project for promotion within the community.

Who to contact for assistance

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their application with one of the following staff prior to submission.

Soil Health & CroppingTracey Hobbs9670 3106thobbs@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Agroforestry & GrazingJo Wheeler9670 3121 jwheeler@wheatbeltnrm.org.au