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Walgett’s jollygood fallow

IT HAS been a one in 20 yearperfect spring at Walgett, withregular rain and cool

temperatures, allowing for goodgrain filling.

Ten years ago it would havetaken David and Peter Ricardothree weeks to cultivate their 5000hectare farm, “Morvenvale”, 25kilometres south of Collarenebri.

The Ricardos’ farm has changedover the decade, since theyintroduced zero till tramlinefarming.

One of the main impacts of theirnew system has been more stablereturns and reduced risk.

“We no longer rely on in-crop

rainfall as much and only sowwhen the soil profile containsenough moisture,” said David(pictured).

They store that moisture throughpreserving the soil ground coverand timely spraying of herbicide,and work hard at getting thespraying right for when there ismoisture.

With current technology, theRicardos can now cover the areain four days, says districtagronomist and local crop judge,Myles Parker.

Read his report on what workedbest in the Walgett district thisseason, p6.

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2 Thursday, October 30, 2008 ■ AGRICULTURE TODAY

ALL eyes interested in geneticallymodified canola have turned tosee how the first crop yields andcompares with existing varieties.

Fifty five growers this yearsowed approximately 4900hectares in NSW after the StateGovernment amended the GeneTechnology (GM Crop Moratorium)Act 2003 in March this year, toallow commercial cultivation ofGM canola.

Unfortunately, like conventionalcanola crops, the Roundup Ready(RR) crops are suffering fromdrought in some areas, so it isexpected not all of the 4900ha willbe harvested for grain.

The geographic spread of RRcanola extends from Parkes southto the Victorian border.

For 2008, the two delivery sitesin NSW are Grenfell and Lockhart.

No non-GM canola will bereceived into these two sites thisseason.

Depending on the uptake nextseason, more sites will be accept-ing GM canola in 2009.

Three seed companies werelicensed by Monsanto to intro-duce four varieties to the marketthis season.

These same four varieties will bethe only RR varieties available in2009.

There will be no new varietiesuntil 2010, according to the seedcompanies.

Nuseed have the open-pollinatedearly-mid maturing variety GT-61,whilst Pioneer Hi-Bred released amid maturing hybrid 46Y20 (RR)and Pacific Seeds have twohybrids, the mid maturing Hyola601RR and the early-mid maturingHyola 502RR.

Growers and their advisers haveundertaken accreditation trainingand are expected to meet therequirements under the Steward-ship program, which includes theAustralian Crop Management Planand the Australian ResistanceManagement Plan.

Experience with the RR tech-nology this season has beenfavourable, as most crops onlyneeded one “over the top”

spray of Roundup Ready herbicide.Early vigour and strong crop

growth have also been noted butthis should not be any different toother hybrids already on the mar-ket, whether herbicide tolerant ornot.

The industry sees the biggestadvantages will be the progressivereplacement of the generallylower yielding, lower oil contenttriazine tolerant varieties current-ly being grown in paddocks withhard to kill broadleaf weeds orwith Group A resistant annual rye-grass.

RR technology will need to bemanaged very carefully in thefuture as annual ryegrass popula-tions resistant to glyphosate her-bicide are real, and have been

observed on isolated firebreaks orfencelines on some farms.

Research into annual ryegrassresistance and its management iscontinuing under the guidance ofDr Chris Preston at the Universityof Adelaide.

RR canola is just one tool ofmany in the fight against weedresistance.

Performance and weed controldata will be available for growersgoing into 2009.

There are 12 commercialresearch sites this season and twoindependent National Variety tri-als comparing the various herbi-cide technologies and varieties.■■ Contact Don McCaffery,Orange, (02) 6391 3648,[email protected]

FIRST it was a lack of water,and now lack of phosphorus(P) threatens global food

supplies. Phosphate rock is mined in only

a few places, including China, theUS and Western Sahara.

Due to the limited supply andhigher energy costs,superphosphate, manufacturedfrom phosphate rock, is becomingexpensive, so there is greatinterest in other sources of P.

University of Adelaideresearchers Chris Penfold andAnnie McNeill suggest threeoptions for organic broadacrefarmers who are not allowed touse superphosphate.

One option is to increase the Puse efficiency of crops andpasture species.

Field grown plants in drylandsystems vary widely in theirability to extract P from soil and fertiliser, so it may bepossible to breed crops withhigher P use efficiency andgreater capacity to use lesssoluble forms of P.

Trials have found that rye andtriticale appear more P efficientthan wheat.

Some legume species excretesolubilising compounds that canmake P more available.

A second option, difficult to doin semi-arid climates, is toincrease soil organic matter.

The third option is manures andcomposts such as deep litter frompigs and chickens.

The rising cost ofsuperphosphate and N fertiliserssuch as urea now make the P andN in manures and composts morevaluable and more cost efficientto transport.

Fortifying compost with rockphosphate can increase plantavailability of P because theorganic acids and humicsubstances produced by bacteriaand fungi in the compost helprelease P from the rock.

Anaerobic digestion of manuresleaves a residue rich in P and Nand produces methane, whichcan be a fuel source.

Burning manures with minimaloxygen (pyrolysis) will similarlyproduce energy (gas or oil) and achar with varying levels ofavailable P and N.

At Wagga, NSW Department ofPrimary Industries’ Jeffrey Evansis looking at ways to make P inreactive phosphate rock more

available to plants grownorganically.

Elemental sulphur mixed withthe pulverised rock helps dissolvethe rock and makes the P moreavailable, but there are stillproblems to address to make thisstrategy more effective, includingpreventing the rock and sulphurseparating on application.

The University of TechnologySydney’s Sustainable PhosphorusFutures program is investigatingP levels in human excreta andtechnologies to safely recycle it.

“According to some studies inSweden and Zimbabwe, thenutrients in one person’s urineare sufficient to produce 50-100per cent of the food requirementsfor another person,” theUniversity’s website says.

“Combined with other organicsources like manure and foodwaste, the phosphorus value inurine and faeces can essentiallyreplace the demand forphosphate rock.

“In 2000, the global populationproduced three million tonnes ofphosphorus from urine andfaeces alone.”

Jeffrey Evans says acombination of processes and useof recycled organic inputs andcheaper mineral P sources willhelp farmers in future.

Mr Evans says these includebreeding plants that can betteraccess P already in the soil.

For example, plants with biggerroot systems, and plants that cansurvive in low P soils, using P-solubilising microbial inoculants,and using green and compostedmanures in combination withmodified rock phosphates, arelikely to have an increasing rolein securing P for agriculture. ■■ Read about Mr Evans’ researchat http://www.bfa.com.au/_files/x06aoj_036p.pdfRead the Penfold and McNeill paperat http://orgprints.org/12466/Find the UTS Phosphorus Futureswebsite athttp://phosphorusfutures.net/

Sources of P otherthan the rare rock

All eyes on GM canola

Dr Chris Preston of the University of Adelaide in a well-grownRoundup Ready hybrid canola crop at Wallendbeen.

The first cropalmost readyfor harvesting

DON McCAFFERYOrange

Some organic spelt more responsive thanwheat to phosphorus. Field day today, p6.

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TL1649765

AGRICULTURE TODAY ■ Thursday, October 30, 2008 3

Maintain watch for locustsTOM BRAZOrange

If locustsswarm as theydid in 2004 and2005, they couldmove hundreds of

kilometre a day, chewingtheir way through massivequantities of green feed.

Just ten hectares ofbanding locusts become a

one square kilometre swarmthat can consume 10

tonnes of valuable pastureor crop every day.

Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/info/locusts

LANDHOLDERS in theRiverina and central NSWare being urged to continue

monitoring for plague locuststhroughout the warmer months,even if they see mature locustsin the air.

NSW Plague Locust Commiss-ioner Graeme Eggleston saidnew waves of locusts could con-tinue hatching in affected areasfor many weeks and hatchingcould start in previously unaff-ected areas.

“Hatchings over the last monthhave confirmed our fears ofwidespread egg laying lastautumn and there could soon bea new generation of eggs laid assurviving locusts mature,” MrEggleston said.

“It is vitally important thatlandholders continue looking forbanding locusts, especially ifthey noticed any locusts inautumn.

“Banding locusts can be veryhard to find, especially in cropsand good pastures, so farmersneed to get out and have a closelook over their whole propertyregularly.

“There is a good chance youwon’t see them until you are lit-erally almost on top of them.”

Signs to look for are an unusualpatch of discolouration in pas-ture or crop and increased birdactivity near the ground, accord-ing to Mr Eggleston.

“At the front of a dense bandthere is a thick dark mass oflocusts that can number intothousands per square metre,” hesaid.

“The length of a large band canstretch for a kilometre or more,devouring all green feed in itspath as it moves and the locustsmature.

“Banding is much easier tospot from the air, so we are con-ducting aerial surveys in somehotspots and areas where locustactivity was reported in autumn.

“But landholders should notrely on aerial surveillance to dothe job for them.”

Mr Eggleston said the worstaffected areas continued to bethe Wagga, Gundagai, Narran-dera, Forbes and CondobolinRural Lands Protection Boards(RLPB).

“Large number are also report-

ed from Murray, Hume, Youngand Riverina, with parts of cen-tral NSW now hotting up,” hesaid.

“Hatching started lateSeptember and hopefully we areover the biggest wave of hatch-ings, but we don’t know forsure.

“That is why landholders needto look closely for both bandinglocusts and fresh egg beds, andreport them to their local RLPB.

“In fact landholders arerequired by law to reportlocusts and to treat locusts ontheir property.

“If locust density is highenough on your property andthey are a threat to your neigh-bours, you will be supplied withthe appropriate pesticide.

“Assistance will only be givenin situations where the scale ofthe problem is beyond the capa-bility of individual landholdersto control.

“The Australian Plague LocustCommission is responsible forspraying in western NSW.”

Mr Eggleston said early report-ing of locust activity wouldensure action could be takenbefore the locusts could devel-

op wings and begin flying.“We could see some surviving

locusts flying in the near futureand we could even see someswarming if there is a significantshortfall in reporting,” he said.

“Controlling swarming locustswith aerial spraying is difficult,expensive and nowhere near aseffective as controlling bandinglocusts, and in many cases isnot even an option.

“This is why it is so importantto look, report and treat band-ing locusts now.”■■ Contact your local RLPB, orvisit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Banding locusts can be very hard to find, especially in crops and good pastures. Signs to lookfor are an unusual patch of discolouration in and increased bird activity near the ground.

THE fresh produce on your table isdefinitely good for you – but hasgrowing it been good for the envi-ronment?

The new yardstick to test this isFreshcare Environmental, the freshproduce industry’s code of practicefor responsible on-farm manage-ment of activities that may risk envi-ronmental harm.

Freshcare is the name of thenational on-farm assurance pro-gram for Australian growers, ownedand operated by the fresh produceindustry.

“Growers can use this auditablecode of practice to show they arebalancing their farming operationswith care for the environment,” theeditor and a lead author of the code,NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) horticulturalistJoseph Ekman, said.

“The code can be applied to themanagement of any farm, to inte-

grate management plans with envi-ronmental risk management andfarming operations.”

“It is a useful tool for checkingyour environment, then planningand adapting to climate change.”

Freshcare Environmental coversgood agricultural practices for man-agement of chemicals, fertilisersand soil additives, water use, land and soil, biodiversity protec-tion, waste, air qualities and energyuse.

“This can link to local CatchmentManagement Authority prioritiesand funding programs,” he said.

The code is compatible withCattlecare, Flockcare, Graincare andany other on-farm programs basedon good agricultural practices.

Many farmers already have a foodsafety certification, so they can nowintegrate their environmental man-agement practices into a single on-farm management program.

“Certification to the code providesgrowers with a green credentialfrom a program that fresh producebuyers already know and trust,” MrEkman said.

Freshcare is working with somevolunteer grower groups as part of a National Landcare-Elders collabo-ration with Horticulture Australia,to further develop training strategies and resources for the pro-gram.

NSW DPI has been a major collabo-rator in the development.■■ contact Joseph Ekman, Gosford,(02) 4348 1922 or Freshcare,1300 853 508.

Check that your freshproduce is eco friendly

LEFT: Access towater, efficientwater use andthe impact ofwater run-off arecriticalconsiderationson Central Coastfarms thatparticipated inFreshcare trials.(Photo: JoeEkman)

A TASTE of Kangaroo, the recent special pro-motion to the Sydney food sector of the ben-efits of this native meat, staged in theParliament House dining room at the invita-tion of Ministers Ian Macdonald and TonyKelly, was a roo coup.

Six of Sydney’s top chefs, Tony Bilson,Jean-Paul Bruneteau, Sean Connolly, DarrenHo, John Leong (pictured) and Ray Kersh,conducted a master class.

At cutlery-point, they held spellbound 150chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, hotel foodand beverage managers, specialty butchers,meat processors, food and hospitality train-ing institutions. And the food media.

The “masters” seemed to seduce allpalates – that’s what the hard facts saidlater; more than half the attendees volun-teered the requested feedback and of those,94 per cent of the food trade participantssaid they’d be likely to use kangaroo meat.

Repeatedly, there were murmurs of satis-faction all round, between breaks for Q andA from industry experts Michael Mulligan,president of the Kangaroo IndustryAssociation of Australia, Mike Archer,University of NSW Dean of Science, JenniceKersh, principal of Edna’s At Your Table andPeter Ampt, author of Consumer attitudes tokangaroo meat products.

They all said they would come back formore, like the bloke who, when the MCasked were there any questions after theexquisite presentation of Mr Connolly’s leanroo mince tartare (raw, cold) served on acrisp ficelle crouton, blurted out, OliverTwist-like, “yeah, can I have another one”?

Taste test’sjump start

■■ Sustainable harvesting of roos, p13.

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Editor Ron AggsTel (02) 4640 6457 Fax (02) 4640 6400

Production Editor Matthew WatsonTel (02) 4570 4444 Fax (02) 4570 4650

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Inclusion of any advertising - supporting materialin this publication does not necessarily implyendorsement of the product or company by theNSW Department of Primary Industries. TL1629180

Editor Ron AggsTel (02) 4640 6457 Fax (02) 4640 6400

Production Editor Matthew WatsonTel (02) 4570 4444 Fax (02) 4570 4650

Advertising Joanne MansellTel (02) 4570 4676 Fax (02) 4570 [email protected]

Circulation Distribution InquiriesTel (02) 4570 4444

National Sales Melbourne (03) 9287 9000Sydney (02) 9313 8444

Inclusion of any advertising - supporting materialin this publication does not necessarily implyendorsement of the product or company by theNSW Department of Primary Industries. TL1680097

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-today


SIGNIFICANTLY more west-ern flower thrips (WFT)were attracted to yellowtraps in a research trialwhich explored the use ofsticky ribbon to catch insectpests.

At the Gosford Horticult-ural Institute, NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries(DPI) research scientist,Leigh Pilkington, said blueand yellow sticky traps areroutinely used to monitorflying insect pests in green-houses.

“We found that trapsplaced above lettuce plantscaught more than thoseplaced around the plants,”Dr Pilkington said.

“Commercial growerscould also expect pestmovement to occur alongventilation windows anddoors and sticky ribbontape in these locations mayalso slow the spread ofpests and diseases.”

Dr Pilkington said whilethe sticky ribbon trapsalone were not significantenough to control westernflower thrips, the traps didcontribute to the integratedpest management (IPM) pro-

gram which helps reducepesticide use.

Western flower thrips hasbeen a major pest in Austra-lian agriculture since theearly 1990s, mainly becauseof the insect’s ability to vec-tor several diseases includ-ing tomato spotted wilt virus.

According to Dr Pilkington,managing them in hydro-ponic lettuce is made diffi-cult by the lack of registeredpesticides.

“And by using a number ofstrategies, including goodcrop hygiene and monitor-ing, IPM helps prevent pestsfeeding on crops and introducing pathogens,” he said.

The sticky ribbon trap trialwas funded by HorticultureAustralia Ltd.■■ Contact Dr LeighPilkington, Gosford,(02) 4348 1953.

– BERNADETTE YORK

A SURVEY is underway tohelp develop biological con-trols for fruit fly anddecrease the reliance onpesticides.

PhD student, JenniferSpinner, is collecting stoneand pome fruit, citrus, cap-sicum, tomato and grapes,which have been affectedby fruit fly, to be held incontainers in a controlledtemperature environmentuntil the emergence ofeither fruit fly or parasiticwasps.

“The wasps which emergewill be kept in the lab andused for trials,” she said.

Parasitic wasps are tinycreatures that lay their eggsinside another insect, usingit as a food source, ultimate-ly killing it.

If this host insect is a pestinsect, then the parasiticwasp can be used to control

it, defining the wasp as abio-control agent.

“The ultimate aim of theproject is to rear these tinywasps in large quantities inthe lab, so that growers maybe able to use them to con-trol fruit fly and decreasetheir reliance on pesti-cides,” Mrs Spinner said.

She said the current chem-icals registered for fruit flycontrol were under reviewbecause they could be toxicto mammals if used incor-rectly.

“The community and the

environment would bothbenefit from a reduction inthe use of these chemicals ifa suitable biological controlcould be found.

“There are also biodiversi-ty benefits for the environ-ment,” Mrs Spinner said.

She is collecting primarilyfrom home gardens andsmall orchards in WaggaWagga, Ganmain, Coota-mundra, Lake Cargelligo,Gundagai and Albury.

The survey will run untilthe end of February 2009.

Mrs Spinner is conductingher PhD with the Co-opera-tive Research Centre forNational Plant Biosecuritybased at the EH GrahamCentre for AgriculturalInnovation at Wagga andlaboratory analysis of thefruit is being conducted atCharles Sturt University.

– SARAH CHESTER

SLIGHT easing indrought figures acrossthe State this month

will be welcomed byfarmers and ruralcommunities.

September rains in someareas have resulted in thearea of NSW droughtdeclared falling by 2.4 percent to 69.2pc.

Another 16.8pc ismarginal, with only 14pcsatisfactory.

And while we have along way to go beforeconditions are satisfactoryacross the board, at leastthis is a smallimprovement on the pastfew months.

Most of the State had atleast average rainfall inSeptember, but so far inOctober it has beenrelatively dry.

September rain provideda lifeline for many wintercereal crops and pasturesthat were struggling tosurvive.

In the north of the Statethe harvest of the wintergrain crop is about to getunderway.

In the central andsouthern areas more rainis still needed to lock incurrent yield estimates ofa State wide 5.8 milliontonne wheat crop.

Parts of the Hunter,Maitland, Northern NewEngland and TamworthRural Lands Protection

Boards (RLPBs) areenjoying improvedconditions and havemoved from marginalstatus to satisfactory,however, the situation inthe south remains dire.

The NSW Governmenthas committed more than$400 million to droughtassistance and willcontinue to stand by ourrural communities.

This funding includessupporting the hard workof the DPI drought supportworkers team, whichcontinues to co-ordinatestress relief andinformation activitiesacross the State.

In this financial yearalone there have been 130workshops and eventsheld in NSW.

They attracted 6849 farmfamily and communitymembers.

Since the beginning ofthe current drought, 2222events have been co-ordinated by the DPI,with more than 119,308people attending.

These activities play akey role in supportingrural communities.

The gatherings givefamilies a chance to take abreak from the hard workand stress and cometogether with neighbours,friends and colleagues fora free social outing.

Report locustsA GROWING number ofreports have beenreceived from farmers inrecent weeks of locusts ontheir properties.

It is crucial that farmersremain extremely vigilantand report any signs ofhatchings or locustmovements to their localRural Lands ProtectionBoard (RLPB), so thatnecessary action can betaken.

Some of the hardest hitdrought areas in the Stateare now facing plagues oflocusts, with DPIconducting aerialsurveillance in many areasin the south to spot bandsfrom the air.

Hundreds of landholdersare working with theirlocal RLPBs to treat the banding locusts before they take to thewing.

The locust responsecontinues to operate as ateam effort between NSWDPI, the Australian PlagueLocust Commission, NSWFarmers Association andthe Rural Lands ProtectionBoards.

Hard in central, south Insect pests go forgold – and stick to it

Technical officer, Katrina Coutts, working on the stickydemise of insect pests at the Gosford HorticulturalInstitute.

Fruit fly bio control survey

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SCIENTISTS at the OrangeAgricultural Institute (OAI)have come up with a simple

plan which could save the appleindustry millions of dollars andboost production well into thefuture.

A research team has started aninnovative trial to evaluate theeffectiveness and cost ofreworking high density appleorchards.

“We aim to demonstrate togrowers how they canreplace old trees withnew varieties, returnthe orchard to full pro-duction within twoyears and save moneyby retaining expensiveinfrastructure,” NSWDepartment of PrimaryIndustries temperatefruit industry leader,Dr Shane Hetherington,said.

“Most orchards arenow taking advantageof high density produc-tion and we’re plan-ning ahead to givethem money savingoptions when, every 10years, they replacetrees.”

Rather than knockingout old trees andreplacing expensiveirrigation and trellissystems, Dr Hethering-ton proposes that thetrees be top-worked with newvarieties.

“We are grafting new varietiesonto the old rootstock, so notonly are we keeping the valu-able infrastructure, we’re alsogiving the new grafts a kick-starton an established root system,”he said.

“We have trees at OAI whichwill produce fruit this season,just 12 months after grafting,

and we predict theywill return to full

production next year.”High density systems offer sig-

nificant production benefits –higher yield potential perhectare, uniform high qualityfruit and easier harvest, canopyand pruning management – butnewly planted trees usually takethree to four years to reach fullproduction.

NSW DPI’s future vision for theapple industry embraces the

development of a national inte-grated pest management (IPM)strategy which Dr Hetheringtonis developing.

“Horticulture Australia Ltd hasentrusted us to give growersenvironmentally-friendly andsafe IPM practices which willallow them to produce the qual-ity fruit demanded by local andoverseas consumers,” he said.

“Another Horticulture Aust-ralia project at the Institutewhich will boost IPM and the

future of the industry is a wool-ly aphid-resistant, dwarf root-stock trial.

“Growers will have the benefitof growing easy to manage,space-saving trees which areresistant to woolly aphid, one ofthe most devastating applepests.”■■ Contact Dr ShaneHetherington, Orange,(02) 6391 3860, [email protected]

NSW Department of Primary Industries horticulturists Lester Snare (left) andJeremy Bright (right), with Shane Hetherington, have come up with a plan to saveinput costs and boost apple production. Just 12 months after being grafted, thesetrees will produce fruit this season.

Grafting vision speeds apples

POTENTIAL gross marginsfrom water savings couldmore than offset yield losses,where rice farmers delaypermanent applications ofwater.

Reduced water availabilityand drought have led a fewrice growers to successfullytrial the technique of delay-ing the application of perma-nent water, to save water andimprove water productivity.

The thinking behind such asystem is quite the oppositeof conventional thinking onrice growing, according toNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) rice indus-try leader John Lacy andagronomist Rachael Whit-worth.

“The application of perma-nent water is delayed untilpanicle initiation and flushesare only carried out to sup-plement rainfall to keep thecrop alive,” Mr Lacy said.

Rice is stressed morebetween flushes with thisproposed system.

Due to the moisture stressthe crop experiences, cropgrowth and yield are likely tobe reduced by 10 to 20 percent, compared to a conven-tionally grown crop.

“However with lowerinputs and potential watersavings of up to 20 to 30pc,the gross margin per megal-itre of water applied andyield in tonnes per megalitre,are likely to be higher than aconventionally grown crop,”Ms Whitworth said.

Last season Griffith grower,Dick Thompson, was able toachieve a water productivityof close to 1.2 tonnes permegalitre by delaying theapplication of permanentwater.

He sowed the crop in earlyNovember and did not applypermanent water until midDecember, at the time whenthe crop was severely mois-ture stressed.

It quickly recovered afterthe application of permanentwater.

The crop was topdressedjust prior to panicle initia-tion and Mr Thompsonensured that deep water wasimplemented at the criticalearly microspore stage.

This season a collaborativeapproach between NSW DPIand Murrumbidgee Irrigationwill see two demonstrationscarried out in the MIA withwater stressed rice, where

water use, rainfall, inputsand yield will be accuratelymeasured. ■■ Contact your local districtagronomist if you areinterested in trialling thedelayed watering system.

Rice extension officerKathryn Bechaz andheader contractor GarryHarriman in DickThompson’s crop, whichyielded 1.2 tonnes permegalitre.

Unconventionalpath to applyingwater to rice

Cruelty fineKYOGLE Local Court has convicted aWoodenbong man of animal cruelty.

Ken Pethers, 50, pleaded guilty to onecharge of aggravated cruelty to 11 cows,and one charge of failure to provideproper and sufficient food to 155 cattle.

He had failed to comply with feedingmanagement recommendations and anotice served in relation to the care ofthe animals.

An RSPCA NSW Inspector first visitedMr Pethers’ property in February 2007,after receiving a complaint about thecondition of his cattle.

Over the following months, NSWDepartment of Primary Industries, theRural Lands Protection Board and policemade further visits.

Eleven emaciated cattle wereeuthanased on Mr Pethers’ property inAugust 2007, on the recommendation ofveterinarians who deemed it cruel tokeep them alive.

The Kyogle magistrate imposed a twoyear good behaviour bond and orderedMr Pethers to pay court costs and $625in veterinary costs.

All charges were under the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals Act.

New mellow yellow pasta varietyA NEW, brighter, deep-yellow pasta thatmeets Aussie tastes and cooking stylewill be the culinary end product of animproved durum wheat variety bred tobe released to growers next year,Minister for Primary Industries IanMacdonald said.

The new variety is Caparoi, a midseason semi-dwarf durum with a highlevel of resistance to stem rust, flagsmut and yellow leaf spot – and anadequate level of resistance to leaf rust,stripe rust, stinking bunt, root lesionnematode, common root rot, and blackpoint.

“It has improved dry land grain yieldover other durum varieties and hasperformed well under the adverseconditions experienced in recent yearsin trials,” Mr Macdonald said.

Weed guideTHE new Weed Control in Summer CropsGuide will soon be available.

It will provide a comprehensive guideto weed control options in fallow priorto summer cropping, as well as grassand broadleaf weed control in summercrops.

The guide enables growers andagronomists to quickly gain an overviewof various herbicide options and likelycosts before referring to the label formore detailed information.

The guide should ideally be usedduring crop rotation planning to ensurethat weeds can be cost effectivelymanaged throughout the cropping cycle.

Making NewsMaking News

More crops and grains, p7-9.

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AT WALGETT, the season hasagain highlighted that those whocarefully managed their summerfallow to retain stored moisture asclose to the surface as possibleare in a good position for the 2008harvest.

North west NSW received excell-ent summer rain from November2007 through to February, settingup large tracts of fallow for the2008 winter crop, then the rainceased for more than threemonths.

Walgett’s greatest agriculturalresource is the fertile selfmulching soil that can store up to200 millimetres of valuable plantavailable moisture for cropping.

This stored moisture gave grow-ers a tremendous buffer, nowmore valuable than ever, againstthe risk of receiving minimal incrop rainfall.

How the fallows were managedplayed an important role in howcrops that received minimal incrop rain, except for the excellentearly spring falls, have performed.

Fallows that were kept clean ofweeds through timely fallowspraying generally kept theirmoisture reasonably close to thesoil surface.

This gave farmers the opportuni-ty to sow into the stored moisturewhen the sowing window opened,using moisture seeking narrowpoints and press wheels.

Users of tyned implements orchains to control weeds lost valu-

able surface moisture, so did any-one who was late to spray summerweeds.

They lost the opportunity tostart sowing before June, whereasthose who had good fallows werewell into sowing when the Junerain fell.

Good fallows enabled an efficientfinish to sowing, then gave theopportunity to sow early cropslike faba beans and canola.

June is not late to sow by anymeans, but producers with largeareas to sow will have many cropssown at the tail end of the mainseason.

These later crops will be flower-ing and trying to fill grain when itis hot and will have less time toget their roots deep into the pro-file to use all the moisture storedover summer.

This season also saw crops thatnever satisfactorily establishedtheir secondary roots, and sowere surviving on their primaryroots and did not thrived until rainfell in early September.

Crops already up when rain fellin June shot off with strong rootsystems that would go deep intothat summer stored moisture.

As the climate becomes moreunreliable, careful herbicide man-agement of fallows and the reten-tion of soil ground cover becomesan even more important issue.

Growers and agronomists in thisdistrict are well aware of this andare already seeing substantialinvestment into new technologiesto manage this year’s summer fal-low with the purchase ofWeedSeeker spray rigs.

As each season goes by the samelesson is learnt – a profile ofstored moisture is the best start tothe season.■■ Contact Myles Parker, Walgett,(02) 6828 0126,[email protected]

Manage summer fallowto store soil moisture

MYLES PARKERWalgett

THIS is the Walgett district’s2008 prize winning crop –Sunlin wheat, grown by

Chris Star and Belinda Harrisat “Conbogolong”.

They bought the propertyrecently and will adapt it to notillage and controlled traffic.

Mr Star and his operationsmanager, Trevor Rogash, standin the crop, sown on floodedcountry on the CastlereaghRiver – it received more than300 millimetres of rain inspring, better than twomegalitres of irrigation.

Well managed for rust, it mayexceed five tonnes per hectarewhen harvested in about afortnight.

Walgett 2008wheat winner

EXCITED organic farming resear-chers have found some spelt geno-types more responsive than wheatto phosphorus, which may givegrowers a viable option in lowphosphorus soils.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries’ (DPI) Robyn Neesonsaid the final results of spelt trials from this year’s harvest wouldindicate which genotypes offeredthe best yields and processingqualities.

“From a pool of 88 we’ve identi-fied the top 12 spelt genotypeswhich have varying degrees of dis-ease and aluminium resistance,making them very adaptable in cereal rotations,” Ms Neesonsaid.

The top 12 varieties, chosenfrom a three-year research projectto lift the yield and quality oforganic spelt, are being show-cased today at the VictorianRutherglen Research Centre.

Grain growers from NSW andVictoria will see and hear aboutresults from trials in both States.

NSW DPI’s Dr David Luckett, fromthe EH Graham Centre at WaggaWagga, will highlight milling char-

acteristics and Casalare Pastadirector, Barry Hewitt, will discussspelt products and marketing.

Growers will inspect the spelttrial crops and get information onstripe rust susceptibility.

Funded and supported by theRural Industries Research andDevelopment Corporation, Biolog-ical Farmers of Australia, VictorianDPI and the EH Graham Centre(NSW DPI in collaboration withCharles Sturt University), spelt tri-als have been run at Rutherglen,Cootamundra and the YancoAgricultural Institute.■■ Contact Robyn Neeson, Yanco,(02) 6951 2735,[email protected]

Organic spelt at Rutherglen

LEFT: Organic farming liaisonofficer Robyn Neeson checksone of 12 spelt genotypes,adaptable in cereal rotations.


FARMERS who had never seen cropswith 10 tonne yield potential gottheir first look this month at a YancoAgricultural Institute field day.

With climate change irrigation allo-cations likely to be variable, NSWDepartment of Primary Industries ispromoting varieties adapted to bothirrigated and dryland conditions.

At the Yanco field day, farmersviewed the largest cereal varietyevaluation ever conducted underirrigation, according to NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI) rice farming systems industryleader, John Lacy.

“Last season we aimed for 10tonne yields thinking we could notreally achieve them – but we did, sowe are a little more confident wecan do it again this season,” Mr Lacysaid.

“We are using the Eight Tonne Clubmanagement package and addingsome extra nitrogen for 10 tonnes.”

Bread and durum wheat, barleyand triticale varieties are being eval-uated for adaption to high yieldingirrigated management conditions.

This season the varieties are alsobeing evaluated under dryland con-ditions in spring to see if the yieldranking with just a pre-irrigation isthe same as fully irrigated trials.

Mr Lacy said the 30 predominantlylocal visitors to the Yanco field daywere extremely impressed at theyield potential.

Field days were also scheduled atthe duplicated trial site atColeambally demonstration farmand smaller site at Griffith.

With smaller sites also at Hillston,Kerang and Jerilderie, the completetrial carries a total of 4000 plots.

The project is funded by theGrains Research and DevelopmentCorporation.

Project leader, NSW DPI senior

plant pathologist Andrew Milgate,said the trials were evaluating linessubmitted by plant breeding compa-nies including Enterprise GrainsAustralia, Australian Grain Tech-nologies, High Rainfall Zone,Longreach and Barley BreedingAustralia.

Representatives from the compa-nies attended and spoke at the fieldday.

Field day participants also viewedan irrigated wheat variety specific

management trial, investigating theeffect of row width and plant popu-lation on yield.

“Farmers are tending to widensowing rows to make it easier tosow stubbles, so we want to see ifthis affects yields,” Mr Lacy said.

“A Barley Breeding Australia vari-ety trial was also inspected.”■■ Contact John Lacy,(02) 6951 2738, Andrew Milgate,(02) 6938 1990, or AaronHutchison, 0427 672 350.

PERFORMANCE of barley in thenorth of the State, either as maltor feed, is under scrutiny in morethan 40 agronomy trials.

The ability to produce and supply consistent grain yield andquality is the major constraintthat northern producers face.

After wheat, barley isAustralia’s biggest crop, witharound 30 per cent of annual pro-duction from northern NSW usedfor mainly domestic malt pro-duction (beer) and 70pc for feed.

These trials are assessing arange of recently released andabout to be released barley vari-eties, including their capacity to adapt to different environ-ments.

Research has included lookingat a range of recently releasedvarieties, including Commander,a malting barley from BarleyBreeding Australia’s southernbreeding program and two feed varieties, Hindmarsh andShepherd, from the old VictorianDPI breeding program and thenorthern node of BarleyBreeding Australia respectively.

Dr Guy McMullen, NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries’ (DPI)Northern Farming Systemsresearch leader at Tamworthleads the project, funded by theGrains Research and Develop-ment Corporation.

Since the project encompassessuch a large area, including partsof Queensland, officers fromNSW DPI and Queensland’sDepartment of Primary Indus-tries and Fisheries are workingwith other industry bodies.

Extensive replicated and paddock trials include evalua-tion of various agronomic prac-tices, for example the effects ofnitrogen by variety by sowingdate, sowing depth by sowingdate work, disease evaluation,paddock benchmarking, andgrower, agronomist and advisorsurveys.

The work has been showcasedat spring field days in the region.■■ Contact James Fleming,Coonabarabran,(02) 6842 1377 or GuyMcMullen, Tamworth,(02) 6763 1155.

STRIPE rust affected crops canbe baled for silage or hay, theonly likely disadvantage

being the quality loss of thehighest nutritional part of theplant – the leaf area.

Where stripe rust causes deathof the green leaf area, there willbe a corresponding loss in quality, so the more rust affects acrop, the greater the loss inquality.

As stripe rust requires livingtissue to survive, the spores willnot survive the ensiling process orbeing dried for hay.

There is also no known effect onlivestock from eating silage or haymade from rust infected crops.

The only other issue with cuttinga crop or crop-pasture mix forsilage or hay will be thewithholding period on the

fungicides previously used in thecrop.

If you are thinking of cutting acrop in a marginal area, be awareof the withholding period of anyfungicides you have used or mayconsider using if you are growinga rust susceptible variety.

Each of the four main rustfungicides has a differentwithholding period, which variesfor harvest and grazing or cutting.

For Propiconizole (for example,Tilt) the withholding period is

seven days for grazing or cutting,for Tebuconazile (eg Folicur) it is14 days, Terbutryn (eg Bayleton)four weeks and for Expiconazole(eg Opus), six weeks.

The withholding period can varyfor different fungicide brands andfor harvest it is often longer, so besure to read the labels of anyfungicides you have used beforecutting a crop.

Some of the fungicides also havean additional export for slaughterinterval.

In making silage or hay thepotential quality will bedependant on the growth stage atcutting.

In drought stressed crops qualitycan deteriorate quickly, as leavesare the first to drop off as theplant puts all resources intoreproductive growth.

Cutting rusty crops for silage or hay

Confident of ten tonnes

Technical officer Aaron Hutchison top dressing an Eight Tonne Clubtrial crop at Yanco.

Chris Roche, a grower from Armatree, in a crop of Hindmarshbarley during a paddock benchmarking session.

Agronomy trialsfor northern barley

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OVER the last twoyears NSW Depart-ment of Primary

Industries (DPI) has sownareas with legumes andlegume-cereal mixes at theHenty field day site.

Field day visitors havepaid the plots a lot of atten-tion, particularly noting differences in dry matterproduction.

There has been someresearch on the rate oflegume cereal mixes forsilage and cutting time.

“However, the last few dryseasons have highlightedhow much misinformationthere is regarding quality offodder,” NSW DPI districtagronomist at Albury, JanetWalker, said.

“Including cereal increasesdry matter production butdoes not offer the same dis-ease break as a straightlegume pasture.

“Too much cereal can alsoreduce the quality, so gett-ing the right balance isimportant.

“Sowing the right varietyfor an area is important tomaximise good quality feed.

“Once flowering begins inany species, the forage qual-ity declines.”

If a variety is too short sea-soned for an area, it willflower and seed withoutmaking the most use of thegrowing season for dry mat-ter production.

Annual legumes for foragecan offer an alternativebreak crop for farmers whodo not grow a pulse crop orlucerne in rotation.

Often they are used wherecountry is unsuitable, suchas with heavy soils, or whenproducers face marketissues with pulses.

Annual legume based for-age crops for silage or haystill offer the disease breakfrom continuous cereals orwheat-canola rotations.

Mrs Walker says this isparticularly so in zero-tillprograms where stubbleborne diseases such as yel-low spot and crown rot canreduce wheat yields.

“Short term pastures in acropping rotation have anumber of advantages, inc-luding nitrogen fixation,besides acting as a diseasebreak,” she said.

While there is variationdepending on seasonal con-ditions, research shows theamount of nitrogen (N) fixedby a legume pasture can be

20-25 kilograms N fixed forevery tonne of legume pas-ture.

Hence a four tonne pasturecould fix 100kg N.

Annual pasture legumesare also an option to controlherbicide resistant weeds.

Particularly when makingsilage, the crop should be cut before weeds setseeds, enabling good con-trol of herbicide resistantweeds.

Weeds control during theestablishment of the annuallegume is still importantuntil the pasture becomesmore competitive.

Weed control during estab-lishment results in a moreproductive pasture thatminimises weed seed pro-duction.

Some diseases are commonto crops and pastures.

For example, they can hostphytophthora root rot,which can infect subse-quent pulse crops.

For this reason thereshould be a break of at leasttwo years before sowingpulse crops followinglegume based pastures.■■ Contact Janet Walker,Albury, (02) 6051 7704,[email protected]

THERE have been somestriking differences in theCentral West in cropresponses to management.

Fence-line comparisonsvaried as much as threetonnes per hectare.

The rain that proved mostcritical fell in early April andinto May, opening the sow-ing window for some farm-ers, according to NSWDepartment of PrimaryIndustries district agrono-mist at Condobolin, NathanBorder.

“The majority of the dis-trict was forced to wait untilJune for the next generalsowing rainfall,” Mr Bordersaid.

“Early sown crops, general-ly the highest yielding in theregion, were able to usestored summer rain, whichgreatly added to yield poten-tial.”

Wet summers as experi-enced last summer areuncommon in the CentralWest, and weed controlstrategies employed byfarmers varied significantly.

According to Mr Border,some farmers investedheavily on glyphosate, withup to four applications ineach paddock.

Some others used combi-nations of herbicide and cul-tivation, because glyphosate

became unattainable inDecember-January, whileother farmers did not con-trol weeds and either grazedthe paddocks or ignoredthem completely.

Another dry spring hasproven that results of thesedifferent practices were sig-nificant.

“Timing of weed controlappears just as critical asmethod when there is a lackof groundcover and a hardsoil surface,” Mr Bordersaid.

“Delaying activity decreas-ed crop potential – grazingdid not provide effectiveweed control, and croppotential was further lost onthese paddocks.”

Effective weed controlincreased stored subsoilmoisture.

Ungrazed paddocks hadmore groundcover and weresofter, opening an earliersowing window on marginalrain.

Some paddocks emergedwhen sown on less than 10millimetres of rain.

Many farmers with earlycrops were able to expandtheir sowing window withtechnologies such as knifepoints and press wheels,which allowed deeper sow-ing into the moisture band.

Some farmers dry sowed

their paddocks, whichemerged on the next rainfall,even though it was notenough to sow on, and acouple of farmers dry sowedwith disc seeders and thecrop emerged because ofthe minimal soil moistureloss at sowing.

With early sown crops,rates of 35 to 40 kilogramsper hectare resulted in lesswater availability for grainfill because of excess tillerand leaf growth.

Sowing rates of 20 to30kg/ha built higher yieldpotentials because of moreavailable water.

“The better crops this yearhave resulted from gettingthe little things right witheffective timing, use of alter-native technology such asmoisture seeking and drysowing, and by minimisingweeds or disease limita-tions,” Mr Border said.

“Successful managersmonitored crops regularly,planned their programswell, and remained flexible.”

Alternative crops havereaped rewards, as cerealdisease has still been anissue in some paddocks.■■ Contact Nathan Border,Condobolin,(02) 6895 1012,[email protected]

Variations in CentralWest yield potential

Albury district agronomist, Janet Walker, and Gordon Murray, working for the EHGraham Centre, checking frosting in peas at Henty.

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COVER cropping has beenused on the SouthAmerican continent for

decades to protect bare soilfrom erosion, to improve waterinfiltration and suppress weeds.

As part of a Grains Researchand Development Corporationfunded project on IntegratedWeed Management (IWM),researchers from NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries atthe Wagga Wagga AgriculturalInstitute are investigating thebenefits of cover cropping for

weed control in no-till andorganic systems.

“It’s already clear cover crop-ping in organic systems hasenormous potential to controlweeds and ameliorate the soil,”research scientist, Hanwen Wu,said.

In organic systems, greenmanure crops have previouslybeen included in IWM strategiesfor problem weedy paddocksbut there is some cost to incor-porate; similarly in no-till sys-tems, with either green or brownmanure crops, and in somecases use of a non-selective her-bicide.

Farmers in the Central Westare evaluating crimp rolling ofthe standing cover crop.

“Crimp rollers are generallybetween 600 millimetres andone metre in diameter withwater or oil for additional ballastand are towed behind a tractorto flatten the standing crop,” theDepartment’s technical officerat the Institute, Eric Koetz, said.

“The roller has a series of 10-12blades or blunt knives runningaround the drum approximately15-16 centimetres apart and 6-8cm tall.

“The action of rolling theknives across the crop com-

bined with the weight of theroller flattens the crop andcrimps it every 5-6cm, breakingthe stem and killing the covercrop.”

Crimp rolling produces amulched layer several centime-tres thick on the soil surface,suppressing weed germination,improving water infiltration intothe soil and reducing evapora-tion.

A number of different cropsincluding cereal rye, wheat,oats, barley, vetch, foragecanola and mustard are beingevaluated in experiments atWagga Wagga and Wellington.

Three management strategieswere applied to the cover crops- cut and removed (as a control),cut and retained, and crimpedand rolled.

Potential allelopathic com-pounds leached from stubblemay also help to suppress sum-mer weeds.

Cover cropping dramaticallyincreased soil moisture.

Compared to the cut-removedcontrol, the treatments of cut-retained and crimped-rolledresulted in 100 per cent and50pc increases in soil gravimet-ric moisture content in the 0-10cm layer when assessed in

May 2008 prior to sowing.These significant differences

were maintained at the 10-30cmlayer but all management strate-gies resulted in very similarmoisture contents at 30-50cm.

Retaining a thick mulch forweed control reduces the needto cultivate instead, reducesdiesel use and tractor runningcosts.

Accumulation of soil moistureunder cover cropping might fur-ther improve crop establish-ment and yield.

This experiment is into its sec-ond year of a three year phase.■■ Contact Hanwen Wu, (02)6938 1602 or Eric Koetz, (02)6938 1954, Wagga Wagga.

Cover cropping forbetter weed control

Dr Hanwen Wu standing in cut and retain cereal rye.

IN RECENT years drier-than-averageseasons have reinforced the benefitsof stubble retention and minimal soildisturbance in retaining moisture forsowing and grain filling.However, the benefits of minimum orno-till under current practices havereached a plateau and overseasexperience is showing that themaintenance of soil ground coverholds great prospects in retainingsoil moisture.As farmers search for newtechniques to deal with the changingclimate, several grower groups areevaluating the benefits of covercropping for improved moistureinfiltration, soil health and weedcontrol.

Ground CoverGround Cover

NORTHERN farmers are beingadvised to act now to preventglyphosate-resistant summerweeds from establishing andaffecting future crop options.

“Summer weeds are starting togerminate in winter crops foll-owing the good spring rains andit is important to get on top ofthem early to prevent a build upof seed and an ongoing prob-lem,” NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) weedsspecialist, Andrew Storrie, said.

“Two summer weeds that areglyphosate resistant, awnlessbarnyard grass and liverseedgrass, are appearing in both winter crop and fallow padd-ocks.

“Other difficult to controlspecies such as fleabane andsowthistle have also germinatedand will create problems duringharvest and the following peri-od.”

Mr Storrie said there were noeasy options available to con-trol grasses late in cereal orbroadleaf winter crops, butaction must be taken now, or a

bigger seed bank will createmore of a problem.

“Selective grass herbicides arenot an option because they havelong or unspecified harvestwithholding periods,” he said.

An integrated approach isrequired – knockdown herbi-cides such as glyphosate andReglone are registered for pre-harvest weed control but thereare serious management issuesinvolved in using these.

“Using them early enough tocontrol the grass weeds couldcause yield loss or reduction ingrain quality,” he said.

“If there are glyphosate resist-ant weeds present, glyphosatewon’t control the weeds in ques-tion, particularly if they areallowed to tiller.

“The third problem is that thecoverage of contact herbicideslike Reglone on the target weedsin a crop nearing maturity mightnot achieve sufficiently high lev-els of control.”■■ Contact Andrew Storrie,Tamworth, (02) 6763 1174,[email protected]

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IT IS possible that cane toadpopulations occur further downthe NSW coast and further west

than the current known distribu-tion.

In future, changes in climaticconditions and weather patternsmay see toads establish in areaspreviously considered unsuitable.

Recent events like natural disas-ters, including floods such as theone on the Far North Coast inJanuary 2008, have providedopportunities for toads to betransported in flood waters anddebris to new areas.

Previously, disjunct populationsof the pest had been confirmed inNSW as far south as PortMacquarie, although recent sur-veys and reports from the localsindicate that these have now dis-appeared.

Research has indicated that canetoads are continuing to spreadsouthwards and westwards inNSW, albeit slowly.

One challenge facing all pestmanagers is detection of animalswhen their numbers are low.

That said, NSW has a couple ofthings in its favour that might slowthe spread of cane toads.

The climate is drier than the sub-tropics of Queensland and theNorthern Territory, with unsea-sonal dry spells, particularly onthe Mid North Coast and muchcolder minimum temperatures.

Unseasonal frosts were alsoreported to have killed many canetoads on the North Coast over the

last two years, though not in num-bers significant enough to preventtheir spread.

Attempts at containment in thepresent known areas of populationin the subtropical parts of theNSW can only be managed withextensive community support andparticipation.

Populations occur in the shiresof Tweed, Byron, Ballina andLismore, with separate disjunctpopulations around Yamba andBrooms Head.

The need for water to breed andsurvive could slow their spread tosome degree – they dehydrate atabout the same rate as a wetsponge and must rehydrate everytwo days.

They tend to avoid heavily vege-tated areas and steep banksaround water holes.

Providing off stream water todomestic stock, fencing off watersupplies and revegetating aroundfarm dams can limit access forbreeding.

Horse manure provides an insectfeed source at night for canetoads, and is best bagged andremoved or sold.

To aid identification, monitoring,control and education, the NSWDepartment of Environment andClimate Change has released anumber of leaflets, includingCheck your load, Life as a CaneToad and Frog or Toad?■■ Contact Philip Gardner,Armidale, (02) 6738 8526,[email protected]

EXPERIENCED or new managerscan obtain specific qualifications todeal with vertebrate pest animals.

“The NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries’ Vertebrate Pest Manage-ment course focuses on providingtechnical and practical advicebased on current research and best practice techniques,” courseco-ordinator, Cathy Crawford, said.

“In a week long course, partici-pants have an opportunity to net-work with a wide variety of pest ani-mal management specialists.”

In 2008 the course was for the firsttime delivered to AustralianQualification Framework standards

and has now become nationallyrecognised.

It offers participants the chance tolearn about in animal trapping tech-niques, pest animals surveying, and developing a local pest animalplan.

Another educational opportunity,the Stakeholder Training Project,funded through the InvasiveAnimals Co-operative ResearchCentre, recognises prior learning asa contributing factor towards for-mal qualifications.

This project, run through TocalCollege, credits land managers withextensive field experience, eventhough they may not have under-

taken any formal training in thepast.

“Participants can achieve nation-ally recognised certification at Cert-ificate III, IV and diploma levelsdepending on experience,” Tocaleducation officer, Ken Ryall, said.

“Each candidate is independentlyassessed against common nationalcriteria, and can use their certifi-cate for career progression.

“Additional training needs forindividual candidates can also beidentified during their assessment.”■■ Contact Cathy Crawford,Goulburn, (02) 4828 6601 or0428 401 077,[email protected]

■ Information andupdates from theInvasive Animals Co-operativeResearch Centre

■ Principles ofmonitoring andpractical surveyingtechniques

■ Principles ofvertebrate pestmanagement

■ Pest and PesticideControl Orders,legislation andpolicy

■ Pest animal impactson the environment

■ Biology and controlfor the fox, rabbit,pig, hare, goat, wilddog, deer, mouse,cats, birds

■ Post mortems■ Various trapping

demonstrations

Course Content IncludesCourse Content Includes

Cane toads are great hitchhikers andeveryone in affected areas can help limittheir capacity to advance:■ Inspect and wash trucks on and off

site, including tyre wells, beforeloading and after delivery

■ Inspect and clean the underside ofshipping containers while they are oncontainer trucks

■ Inspect and clean pallets, timber andother building supplies before loadingand after movements

■ Inspect pot plants, mulch and othernursery materials before loading andafter movements, eg ti-tree and sugarcane mulch, soil and rock materials

■ Locate unloading bays in drierelevated areas away from drains orsurface water

■ Regularly inspect culverts and drainsadjoining unloading facilities,particularly during the October toMarch breeding season

■ Bund unloading areas with a 300 to500 millimetre low wall of smoothplastic PVC liner, buried about 50-100mm in the soil and firmly attached topegs driven into the ground

■ Regularly inspect the unloading siteand bunding for cane toads

■ Remove rubbish or waste in yardsand storage areas where cane toadswill shelter during the day

■ Statutory declaration of freedom fromcane toads of products or packaging

■ Report incidences of cane toadmovements to Department ofEnvironment and Climate Change(Parks and Wildlife)

■ Dispose of cane toads humanely

Retard The SpreadRetard The Spread

LEFT: TonyCathcart, adiplomacandidate,demonstratesa pest animalmonitoringtechnique,using thetyres tosmooth theroad and latercheck foranimalstracks. NSWDPI offers aweek longvertebratepestmanagementcourse.

Education of pest managers

Containing cane toadstakes community help

The glassy frown of a cane toad, now a teaching aid, after a visitto the taxidermist.

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For further information send 2 x 55c stamps to:D-Ter, Dept AT PO Box 3, Oyster Bay NSW 2225.Enquiries: Phone: (02) 9589 0703, Fax: (02) 9589 0147.

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YOUR SALES?


FEW perennial forages can fillthe autumn-summer feed gapin most low rainfall farming

areas.However, shrubs have the poten-

tial to do this, so a new evaluationtrial is exploring the potential ofnative Australian shrubs for low tomedium rainfall (300-500mm)farming systems.

Shrubs can provide other benefits – drought tolerance, high protein content, ability to store carbon, use water atdepth, reduce soil erosion and, insome cases, grow in saline condi-tions.

The native forage shrub evalua-tion trial, called Enrich, consists of50 species and 4700 plants andhas been established at NSWDepartment of Primary Industries’Condobolin Agricultural Researchand Advisory Station as part of a

Future Farm Industries (FFI) CRCproject.

According to NSW DPI agrono-mist and FFI researcher, PeterJessop, rangeland graziers andmany farmers already know thebenefits shrubs offer livestock –fodder, shade and protection fromwind and rain.

To some degree, native foddershrubs such as Old man saltbush,Rhagodia and introduced Leuc-aena and Tagasaste have alreadybeen incorporated into Australianfarming systems but there is thepotential to make use of others.

“While shrubs often contain highprotein levels, they vary in theirdigestibility,” Mr Jessop said.

“They often contain undesirablecompounds, such as salt andoxalates in the case of saltbushesand tannins which can reduce ashrub’s grazing value.”

“This means that supplements orother feeds such as hay or grainor, where feasible, complementaryherbaceous pastures need to befed simultaneously with shrubs tocounter the imbalance and pro-vide a balanced diet.

“These extra inputs can howeverreduce the economic benefit ofusing shrubs in a grazing system.”

Traditionally the majority ofshrub plantations have consistedof one species.

This project is exploring the possibility of combining shrubsthat complement each other andis also evaluating the contributionthat lesser known or previouslyunevaluated shrubs might con-tribute to more robust and pro-ductive shrub systems.

“For instance, one type of shrubmight contribute high biomassand protein while another mightcontribute to digestibility anddesirable rumen fermentation patterns,” Mr Jessop said.

He said Condobolin was selectedfor the focus of the main NSWshrub evaluation because it repre-sented a large area of the State’smedium rainfall mixed farmingzone.

It is one of three main evaluationsites in South Australia, NSW andWestern Australia, with datarecorded from these sites beingcomplemented by 11 other small-er sites across the southernStates, established in partnershipwith various regional groups.

The trial shrubs have beenselected from an intensive screen-ing of more than 60 species forbiomass production, nutritivevalue for livestock, and bio-active effects on rumen microorganisms and gastrointestinalparasites.

They have come from two proj-

ect planting sites in SouthAustralia and Western Australiaover the last three years.

Mr Jessop said Enrich was thefirst project in Australia to evalu-ate so many potential forage

shrubs for so many characteris-tics at the same time and in somany locations across southernAustralia. ■■ Contact Peter Jessop, Dareton,(03) 5019 8407.

MORE than 60 Central Westgraziers inspected the Ever-Graze proof site at Panuara,near Orange, mid month, dur-ing the first stage of a three-year project that aims toincrease the profitability oflivestock enterprises by 50per cent and improve naturalresource management out-comes.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) establishedthe site to determine the bestuse of perennial native pas-tures, comparing set stockingrates with a low intensity four-paddock rotational grazing systemand a 20-paddock cell grazing sys-tem

“These EverGraze systems arematching the demand of breedingewes to seasonal pasture growth, todetermine what makes the mostsustainable system,” NSW DPI

researcher, Warwick Badgery, said.“Forage and biodiversity values of

native pasture species were out-lined at the field day, along withtheir identification and where andhow they grow.”

The trial began in February,and Dr Badgery said althoughlimited data on the performanceof the systems was available atthis stage, he was extremelyhappy with the number of par-ticipants at the field day andtheir reactions.

“Local farmers said they wouldfollow the trial and one said henow knew why his sheep haddone okay on paddocks hethought were weed infested.”

EverGraze is a partnershipbetween NSW and Victorian DPI,Australian Wool Innovation Ltd,Meat and Livestock Australia,

the Co-operative Research Centrefor Future Farm Industries and NSWCatchment Management Author-ities (CMAs). Lachlan CMA support-ed the field day.■■ Contact Dr Warwick Badgery,Orange, (02) 6391 3814,[email protected]

EverGraze first stage near Orange

Central West graziers at theEverGraze field day.

Exploring the future ofnative forage shrubs

Researcher Peter Jessop is involved in a native shrub evaluationtrial of 50 species and 4700 plants at Condobolin.

DIFFERENT ways forage shrubs might beused in a farming system:■ Targeting marginal areas where crops

or pasture are unviable and a feed gapexists

■ As alleys or blocks of shrubs incropped paddocks

■ Where a farmer wants to reduce theuse of supplements or buying in feedssuch as grain or hay

Possible UsesPossible Uses

Managing natural resources in the Hunter region

Applications are sought from residents of the Hunter region to

be part of the Hunter Community Reference Group (CRG).

The CRG provides the Catchment Management Authority (CMA)

with a community perspective on priority natural resource

issues, and helps exchange information between the CMA and

local communities.

Up to 15 positions are available for Hunter residents with various

interests, knowledge, skills and experience to represent the

diversity within the Hunter community. In particular the CMA is

looking for people involved or interested in coast and marine

issues, fishing, mining, farming and grazing, young people, and

people with specific natural resource management skills and

interests.

If you are interested in getting involved, obtain an application

form from www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au and submit it by

Monday 3 November 2008.

Expressions of interest are also welcome from residents living in

the Manning, Taree and Central Coast areas for Community

Reference Groups yet to be established in these areas.

Call (02) 4930 1030 for more

information or send an email to

[email protected]. TL1679380

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WHILE the notion promotedfor decades that farmerscould make an income from

planted trees has largely failed totake hold, a new project could pointto generation of additional incomefrom stock shelter and carbon,before considering income from tim-ber sales.

It is a farm forestry option whichcould provide short-term benefits tofarm businesses, while waiting forlonger-term timber sales.

Plantations for Australia: The 2020Vision, launched in 1997, includedthe objective of a transition fromindustrial scale plantations to small-er scale farm forestry.

“It hasn’t happened on a significantscale,” said David Thompson of theNorthern Inland Forestry InvestmentGroup and 2020 Vision national co-ordinator.

“Only eight per cent of the 1.9 million hectare national plantationestate can been described as farmforestry,” he said.

Managed Investment Schemes(MIS) are the major contributor toAustralia’s future wood supply security, though the focus is on short

rotation pulpwood plantations, andshortages of sawlogs are looming.

“On the Northern Tablelands, forexample, farmers were not willing toreplace annual agricultural incomesfrom grazing or cropping, with along-term uncertain income fromtimber sales,” Mr Thompson said.

“Most farm forestry in the region isthrough opportunistic harvesting ofexisting private native forests, ratherthan from trees specifically plantedfor timber.”

The Engineered Woodlands projecthas been spawned to address the sit-uation, with funding assistance fromthe Namoi and Border Rivers-GwydirCMAs.

Since inception of the project inSpring 2007, the potential of thisfarm forestry system has beenenhanced by the release of the

Federal Government’s CarbonPollution Reduction Scheme.

It is possible agriculture will be cap-tured in the greenhouse gas emis-sions reduction net by 2015.

At present, offsetting emissionsthrough tree planting is a key mitiga-tion option under the scheme.

Farmers will want to integrate treesinto their systems in the most bene-ficial way, minimising disruption toagricultural income.

The Engineered Woodlands con-cept may fit the bill – analysis of con-tour plantings based on data from afarm near Armidale suggests the con-cept can generate additional incomefrom stock shelter alone, even with-out income from timber sales.■■ Contact Brendan George,Tamworth, (02) 6763 1238, or DavidThompson, Northern Inland ForestryInvestment Group, 0419 681 818.

ECONOMIC benefits from shelterin a contour planted engineeredwoodland were estimated bymodelling for a typical NewEngland sheep property, “TheHill”, near Armidale.

Tree establishment costs were$421 per hectare.

Benefits were a 50 per centreduction in sheep death rates andlambing rates increasing from 80to 90pc.

Stock were excluded from thetree plantings duringestablishment, graduallyreintroduced in year two, andincreased until normal carryingcapacity was resumed five to sixyears after planting.

It was assumed that plantingtrees in stages would make it

possible to maintain overall farmstocking rates, by moving stock toother paddocks while treesestablished.

These parameters were runthrough a hypothetical NorthernTablelands farm model assuming a10 year tree development period,covering 11pc of the farm (15 haplanted annually for 10 years).

Benefits for improved lambingand death rates were phased inover the development period.

No timber returns were includedin the model.

Results indicate a substantialreturn on investment in shelter asa result of higher lambing rates,lower deaths and thereforeincreased sales of surplus ewe andwether hoggets.

Engineered woodlands

Landowner James Street checks his trees on one of 16 pilot farmsparticipating in an engineered woodlands trial.

Involves 16 pilot farms. Key featuresinclude:■ Use of an entire paddock for tree

establishment to minimise fencing,hence substantially reduceestablishment costs

■ Using wide-spaced tree belts (seephotos)

■ Design of plantings and paddocks toproduce multiple income streams(grazing, cropping, timber and carboncredits) from both traditionalagriculture and trees

■ Only the very best suitable tree speciesand establishment techniques are usedto maximise timber growth, carbonsequestration and to ensure livestockcan be re-introduced into the paddocksas quickly as possible.

The ProjectThe Project

Case study model suggestseconomic benefits possible

Wide-spaced tree belts aredesigned to allow agriculturalactivity to continue betweenthem once trees have becomesufficiently established after oneor two years. Tree spacings suitfarmers’ machinery and pastureor stock management, and arealigned to maximise microclimatebenefits.

SPECIALCONSERVATION

SCHEME

Provides loans to farmersin NSW to help improvethe natural resource oftheir farm by completingcertain conservationworks on their property.

Who can apply?Eligible Primary Producers who ownand work farming land and who:* earn the majority of gross income

from the farm* have net assets less than $5 million* show they can provide suitable

security* have the ability to repay an

additional loan

What assistance is availableFixed interest rate loan up to$150,000Repayable up to 15 yearsRepayments each six months

Some of the works I can apply forinclude:Soil conservation workNoxious weed controlImproving stock and domestic watersupplyUpgrading/improving existing irrigationsystemsHail nettingDe-silting/refurbishing damsHay sheds and silosPlanting perennial species.

Should you have any further queries about obtaining assistancethrough the Special Conservation Scheme please do not hesitate tocontact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 02 6391 3000 or tollfree on 1800 678 593.

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161 Kite StreetORANGE NSW 2800Locked Bag 23ORANGE NSW 2800Telephone: 02 6391 3000Toll Free: 1800 678 593Fax: 02 6391 3098Email: [email protected]: www.raa.nsw.gov.auABN 17 283 358 394


SUSTAINABILITY of commer-cial kangaroo harvestingrelies on their populations

not exhibiting long-term declinesthat might compromise theirviability.

Ecologically sustainable har-vesting seeks to take animals ata rate within the capacity ofspecies and their habitats tomaintain themselves.

The available evidence strong-ly supports the claim that underthe current harvest rates andstrategies, commercial kanga-roo harvesting is ecologicallysustainable.

All viable populations arecapable of net growth.

Under favourable conditionsbirths will exceed deaths and apopulation will have net growth.

However, even populationsthat are undergoing a tempo-rary decline, such as during adrought, can be harvested sus-tainably.

Extensive modelling studiesthat simulate kangaroo popula-tions in a natural environmenthave demonstrated that sus-tainable harvesting can occurduring and after a majordrought.

These results are supportedby the long-term kangaroo mon-itoring programs undertaken byeach State agency responsiblefor managing the commercialharvest.

Kangaroo harvesting is notconstant across the landscape,but very patchy.

Many areas on co-operativeproperties will be inaccessibleto harvesters, with low to noculling.

At a regional scale a differentpattern emerges.

Most kangaroo harvesting isconcentrated around sites thathave chillers to store carcasesfor the meat trade.

On a regional scale, areaslocated more than approximate-ly 100 kilometres from a chillerbox have low rates of harvest-ing.

Kangaroo harvesting is regu-lated by controlling the num-bers taken under a variablequota system that holds har-vest rate relatively constant andis set as a proportion of the pop-ulation size – called a propor-tional harvest strategy.

This strategy relies on an accu-rate estimate of population sizeand allows adjustments in thequota that tracks populationtrend.

While it is expensive to imple-ment, it provides information onthe state of the population sizeand trend (growing, declining orstable), which is then used todetermine future quotas.

This takes into account varia-tion in the environment, andconsequently variation in thekangaroo population.

The proportional harveststrategy is simple yet robust,

used for many wildlife harvestsaround the world, with a trackrecord for sensible manage-ment.■■ Dr Steve McLeod is a NSWDPI kangaroo specialistlivestock research officer who,with colleague Dr Ron Hacker,produced a report for the

Murray-Darling BasinCommission in 2004 thatquantified the impact of sexselective harvesting onkangaroo populations, whichbecame the basis for theKangaroo Management OptionsReport and for their book, Livingwith Kangaroos.

MORE farmers around NSW aremaking their farms “fish friendly”,thanks to funding from the NSWEnvironmental Trust and supportfrom the NSW Farmers Association,Murray-Darling Basin Commissionand NSW Council of FreshwaterAnglers.

“Farmers are using the money foron-ground works and to set up fishfriendly demonstration farms,” NSWDepartment of Primary Industriesproject officer, Charlotte Jenkins,said.

“For example, on the South CoastTerry and Jill Bunn will trial naturalsolutions for creek bank erosion toprotect their revegetated creekbanks.

“Near Wagga Wagga Chris Müller iserecting new fence lines and puttingin off-stream water to manage hisstock access to the river.

“Ninety seven per cent of NSWrivers have been modified, and as aresult we have lost native fish habi-tat and native fish numbers havedecreased.

“Some of our native fish areclassed as endangered.

“Our rivers and creeks are affectedby activities on the land that drainsinto them.

“Primary producers manage near-ly 70pc of land in NSW, so they are atthe forefront of efforts to improvenative fish numbers and enhancethe aquatic environment.”

Fish friendly farmers managestock access to rivers and creeks,plant native vegetation on river-banks, build road crossings thatallow fish to move upstream, leavefallen tree trunks and branches

(snags) in the river, and prevent soilerosion.

“All these activities benefit bothfish and farms,” Ms Jenkins said.

“Off-stream water points and ripar-ian fencing improve stock waterquality, while riparian plantings pro-tect stock and crops from wind,heat and cold stress.”

Fish Friendly Farms began in 2006with 30 workshops for farmers heldthroughout NSW.

Nearly 600 farmers participated in these sessions and learnt what they could do to benefit

native fish species and fish habitat. Two eye catching information

booklets were also produced: Whatfish is this? and 7 key tips for a fishfriendly farm.

The program’s success led to itbeing a finalist in the 2008 BanksiaEnvironmental Awards.

The new on-ground works will beshowcased at field days to allowother farmers to see the benefitsthey could gain for their farms,creeks and native fish. ■■ Contact Charlotte Jenkins,Taylors Beach, (02) 6626 1107.

Sustainableharvesting ofkangaroos

LEFT: This mob ofroos hascomfortably settleditself in suburbia,alongside stockand adjacent to amajor highway.Many areas on co-operativeproperties areinaccessible toharvesters, withlittle or no culling.

STEVE McLEODOrange

IF SOME animals are taken out of apopulation, the resources that those animalswould have consumed become available to theanimals that remain.

Since resources may then be less limited,the fecundity of individuals is enhanced andmortality is reduced.

The population compensates for theharvested animals.

However, if the rate of removal is too high,the population will be unable to compensateand will slide to extinction if harvestingcontinues.

Sustainable use is the use of biologicalresources in a way and at a rate that does notlead to the long-term decline of biologicaldiversity, maintaining potential to meet theneeds and aspirations of present and futuregenerations.

Theory Behind HarvestingTheory Behind Harvesting

You can readAgriculture Today onthe web and downloadthe full edition eachmonth atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-todaySelected stories arealso archived back tothe first online editionin September 2005 –follow the links.NEXT MONTH: Soilhealth, more on theclimate, and farmsafety.

Ag Today OnlineAg Today OnlineFunding for fish friendly farmers

ABOVE: Terry and Jill Bunn’s South Coast “fishfriendly” farm has revegetated river banks andstock management fencing.

LEFT: NSW DPI Fish Friendly Farms projectofficer, Charlotte Jenkins (photo courtesyMurray-Darling Basin Commission).

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We’re here to work with you in restoring andmaintaining the vitality of the environment in the Lachlancatchment.Whether you’re a small or large landholder, communitygroup, or local agency, we provide advice, professionaldevelopment, strategic planning, and practicalassistance for the work you want to do on your patch.Located in ten offices throughout the catchment area,our staff are easy to access and can help you identify,plan and implement natural resource management,environmental and sustainable farming projects.Contact your local Lachlan CMA office to find out more:Boorowa, Young, Cowra, Temora, Grenfell, Forbes,Parkes, West Wyalong, Condobolin and Hillston.

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FARM modelling of lambproduction systems indi-cates that focused feedingof high quality conservedforage may reduce totalmethane emissions andemissions intensity at nonet cost, and may havepotential to reduce theexposure of farm systems toclimate risk.

Results from modelling byNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries’ Cooma livestockofficer, Doug Alcock, willneed validation with corrob-orating field data in orderfor the effects to be includ-ed in any formally recog-nised carbon accountingsystem.

However, at $30 a tonneCO2 equivalent, the reduc-tion in emissions liability isbetween two and four dol-

lars per hectare per year forthe systems analysed.

At a farm level, emissionsare a function of the numberof animals, their dailymethane output and thetime they spend on thefarm.

Most prime lambs spendsignificantly less than a fullyear on the farm and lambsthat reach market weightsand are slaughtered soonerproduce less total methane.

Mr Alcock checked themethane output of variousproduction feeding strate-gies using GrassGro – a graz-ing system model and deci-sion support tool – whichuses historical daily weath-er data to simulate theimpact of pasture growthand supplements on animalperformance.

He simulated a typicalprime lamb enterprise atWagga Wagga (July lambingat three ewes per hectare)using weather data between1957 and 2006, and testedthe impact of productionfeeding weaned lambseither grain or silage.

Feeding strategies werecalled Targeted or Ad lib.

Targeted supplements werefed as required to reach the slaughter weight onFebruary 1; Ad lib supple-ments were fed when green

available herbage mass fellbelow 1000 kilograms drymatter per hectare (seetable).

Total methane from lambswas least from ad lib feed-ing, falling by 20 per centand 37pc for silage and grainfeeding respectively.

Feeding grain reducedmethane more than feedingsilage, mostly due to evenearlier sale dates butstarchy diets also reducemethane yield.

Despite substantial reduc-tions in methane outputfrom lambs, whole farmemissions fell between onlyfour per cent and 11pc,since emissions from breed-ing ewes increased due tohigher autumn feed intakewhen lambs are sold earlier.

With silage priced at $67/tand grain at $250/t, produc-tion feeding only breakseven over the long term –but the strategy doesreduce exposure to risk indry years.

If agriculture is ultimatelyincluded in a carbon pollu-tion reduction scheme,these strategies also havethe potential to reduce per-mit liabilities arising frommethane emissions.■■ Contact Doug Alcock,Cooma, (02) 6452 3411,[email protected]

THE high cost of grainand the higherAustralian dollar

during much of this yearare real reasons why somefeedlots are reducing their‘days on feed’.

For some, feeding forover 200 days is not asprofitable as in the past.

The long fed programmesaim for the high qualityJapanese market, withmarbling being one of themost important criteria.

As some feeding programsreduce to closer to 150days, other traits willbecome more important.

As with the domesticgrain fed industry, whichfeeds from 70 to 120 days,profits are driven byweight gain and carcaseyield, as well as quality.

Carcase yield is drivenby the amount of musclein the carcase and theextent to which thissmooths out and reducesthe carcase fat.

It is likely that feedlotsbuying feeder steers willlook for those cattle thatgrow quickly, still havesome marbling, and arewell muscled.

When you visit theOklahoma State Universityweb page, it describes 268cattle breeds.

The descriptions areprobably written by therelevant breed societiesbecause they all comeacross as the best breed.

Most breeds are prettygood, but the best animalis often a combination oftwo or more breeds thatperform in those traitsthat produce fertile andmarket suitable cattle inyour environment.

It’s not just the hybridvigour, although that’spretty useful, but ratherthat you’ve identified theprofitable traits and bredand maintained them to ahigh level.

One of the greatest mixesof breeds for southernAustralia is that created bycombining enough Britishblood with enoughEuropean blood.

The proportion of eachwill affect the maturity ofthe animal, so the rightamount will bedetermined largely by thenutrition available.

Generally somewhere upto 50 per cent European

blood over British or midmaturing Bos indicuscattle works really well.

But if you’ve beensupplying the feeder steermarket with a straightbred British animal, howeasy is it to change things?

There are lots of systemsand plenty of people thatwould love to give youadvice, useful or not.

A very simple system isto look at how manyreplacement heifers youneed each year.

Look to breed these fromyour youngest females,just as you do now.

For the older cows, oftenthose over about fiveyears, give them a bit ofexcitement by putting aEuropean bull in theirjoining paddock thisNovember.

They’ll probably get athrill from it, you will too,and it’s not hard to do.

The progeny will growwell and heifers and steerswill sell at a premium.

The hardest thing will begetting your mind aroundit.

Have fun picking asuitable bull, but don’tcompromise ontemperament, fertility,calving ease or structuralsoundness.

Feeder steers – howeasy is it to change?

Livestock officer Doug Alcock at NSW DPI’s Monaro Grasslands trial site atBungarby.

Methane (CH4) has a 100 yearglobal warming potential 23times greater than carbondioxide (CO2) and ruminantscontribute around 10 per cent ofAustralia’s total CO2 equivalentgreenhouse gas emissions.As a by-product of digestion,methane output from ruminantsis determined largely by theirfeed intake.The more they eat the moremethane they produce.

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IT’S the dreaded grass seed sea-son, which costs the sheepindustry greatly each year.

Recent research is backing upprevious logic that shows reduc-ing wool length leaves both wool,and the carcases of sheep des-tined for slaughter far less con-taminated than if sheep remainunshorn.

Grass seeds from species suchas Barley grass, Spear grass, Silvergrass, Wire grass and Erodiumwool, cause the problem.

“Processors suffer inefficiencyalong the slaughter chain, associ-ated with the heavy trimmingrequired on heavily infestedlambs,” one of the trial operators,Jane Mason, said.

Ms Mason, NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) sheepand wool livestock officer for theCentral Tablelands, says produc-ers pay the price in downgradedcarcases and skins and must alsosuffer the animal health and pro-duction consequences of seedinfestation.

These consequences includeabscesses, reduced weight gains,increased lamb mortality, reducedmarket advantage and qualityassurance, and food safety.

Ms Mason said a recent trial setup at multiple sites near Yeoval in

the Central West aims to explorethe most efficient and economicmethods for reducing grass seedcontamination in weaner sheep intheir first summer.

The trial, funded by Meat andLivestock Australia, was initiatedby a group of local sheep produc-ers under the direction of KarlBehrendt of Agrorum Consultingin Bathurst.

The trial examines the animaland pasture management systemssuggested to reduce the amount ofgrass seed pick up.

Conventional shearing is onestrategy known from previousresearch to reduce grass seed.

However, no research had everbeen done on whether reducingwool length by the Bioclip methodof de-fleecing consequentlyreduced seed contamination.

The Bioclip side of the trial hasbeen performed by ShepherdOperations, Molong, with a major contribution by AnthonyShepherd.

The first part of the current trial,initiated last summer at RosevillePark Merino Stud near Yeoval,explored the biological benefit ofusing Bioclip to reduce grass seedpickup, compared to convention-ally shearing or not shearing at all.

Results have been consistent

with previous research, suggest-ing that reducing wool length,regardless of the harvest methodused, reduces seed contaminationin weaners in both skin and car-case.

Similar results were recorded forbioclipped or conventionallyshorn sheep but leaving sheepunshorn was significantly unfav-ourable.

Economic comparison betweenconventional shearing and theBioclip method is yet to be com-pleted.

Other NSW DPI staff, livestockofficer Ashley White andresearcher, Edwina Toohey, havealso provided expertise into themeat science side of the trial.

The next stage of developmentwill look at pasture managementsystems that can be used toreduce grass seed contaminationin young sheep.■■ Contact Karl Behrendt,Bathurst, (02) 6336 3001, orJane Mason, Orange,(02) 6391 3967.

IN THE south western corner ofthe State, with the season againon a knife edge, it is becoming areal balancing act to ensuresufficient feed for livestock.

Crops and pastures arehanging out for more rain.

“While the situation remainshand to mouth for many, somerecent rain has freshened upcrops and pastures increasingthe chance of aharvest andpromoting somemuch neededpasture growth,”Wagga sheep andwool livestockofficer, GeoffCasburn (pictured),said.

“You need to havea clear, well thoughtout plan to ensureyou make the mostof opportunities or the best outof a difficult situation.”

High lamb markingpercentages combined with lowwinter-spring pasture growthhas meant many producershave been struggling for feed.

Currently pastures in manyareas are short, growth is slowand quality is falling as annualssuch as barley grass mature.

“To take advantage of thegood lambing it is important toensure lamb growth rates aremaximised with the aim ofgetting as many lambs aspossible finished or to a goodstore weight before the seasonruns out,” Mr Casburn said.

“While grain prices haverecently come off the boil,feeding grain to lambs remainsquestionable and care isneeded to insure the sums arecorrect before undertaking a lotfeeding exercise.”

To help in this process, NSW

Department of PrimaryIndustries, in conjunction withthe Sheep CRC has developed alamb feedlot calculator whichcan be accessed free on thesheep CRC website –www.sheepcrc.org.au/index.php?id=301

Mr Casburn said some peoplehad been making the decisionto graze crops unlikely to make

grain, with the aim ofgiving their lambs thebest opportunity forgrowth.

“This has alsoallowed lucernepaddocks to bespelled to enablerecovery and toprovide quality feedlater in the season,”he said.

“When grazing cerealcrops there may be

benefit in providing a loose licksupplement made up of equalparts CausMag, agriculturallimestone and salt.

“For many, cutting silage orhay is an option, however thereneeds to be a focus on quality.”

Cutting for quality increasesoptions as silage and hays withmetabolisable energy levels ofnine megajoules per kilogramand 12 per cent crude proteinor above are suitable to feedgrowing lambs where as8.0MJ/kg is really only suitablefor maintenance feeding of dryanimals.

Having quality hay to sell mayalso increase marketingoptions, since there appears tobe larger quantities of poorquality last season hay on themarket.■■ Contact Geoff Casburn,Wagga Wagga,(02) 6938 1630,[email protected]

RIGHT: Sheep and woollivestock officer, Jane Mason,checking lamb carcases forgrass seed contamination.

Bioclip vs shearing toreduce grass seeds

Balancing act inthe south west

Melamine monitoringMELAMINE has been includedin the Australian Governmentresidue monitoring programdesigned to verify theeffectiveness of controls forchemical residues in the meatindustry.

Residues of melamine areexpected to be highest inkidney and this tissue hasbeen chosen for collection inthe monitoring program.

In the last five years morethan 1500 Australian sampleshave been tested with noreports of melamine residuesin sheep kidney above theanalytical limit of 0.05

milligrams per kilogram.A survey of 150 samples of

beef kidney has been inprogress and no residues ofmelamine had been detectedin 138 samples analysed.

Melamine is not registered inAustralia for use as anagricultural pesticide orveterinary product.

Recently melamineadulteration of infant formulain China has resulted inseveral infant deaths.

For more information visitwww.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/chemicals_melamine_en.asp■■ Contact Lee Cook, Orange,(02) 6391 3722,[email protected]

Making NewsMaking News

Stud and Commercial Boers,Kalahari and Red Boer Goats

[email protected] www.goatsonline.com.au

Ph Fax: (02) 6374 1099

“JOLLEEN”Central

TablelandsNSW

TL1

6485

86T

L161

5142

Avaialble at all leading ruralmerchandise stores

Phone: (02) 6779 2232www.multiblock.com

AttentionGraziers!

DON’T WASTEYOUR VALUABLE

DRY FEED!

MULTI BLOCK keeps youranimals in top condition bystimulating their digestive

systems to convert dry feedinto dollars.

MULTI BLOCK is a high-quality supplementary feed

block that provides high levelsof by-pass protein from lupinsand cotton-seed meal and a

full range of vitamins and traceelements.

LIVESTOCKFEEDING andSUPPLEMENTING

STRATEGIES and SOLUTIONSLick Blocks, Dry Licks,

Loose Mixes, Pre Mixesand Complete Feeds for

All Livestock

Competitive PricingPh: 1800 043 299www.pdbower.com.au

TL1631747


ANGLE GRINDER125MM 730W KITG13SR3-BP-HIT

. 1 Grinding Wheel . 3 Cutting Wheels

. 1 Diamond Wheel . 1 X 8m Tape

. In Case

. 1200W

. 22 Litre

DUST VACUUMRP30Y-HIT

NIBBLER 400WCN16SA-HIT· 400W· Large cutting capacity· 1.6mm steel · 1.2mm stainless

$539 $599

14" CUT OFF SAWCC14SF-HIT

$359

. 355mm

. 2400W

. Soft grip handle

5x CW355WHEELS

BONUS!!!BONUS!!!

AT GASWELD!AT GASWELD!

DISCOUNT TOOL CENTRE

. SPARES . REPAIRS . EXPERT ADVICE. SPARES . REPAIRS . EXPERT ADVICESELLING TOOLS NOT TOYSSELLING TOOLS NOT TOYS

STORE LOCATIONS - FOR YOUR CLOSEST STORE CALL 1300 667 337

• PRICES VALID UNTIL 30/11/08 •

• ILLUSTRATIONS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY • ERRORS AND OMISSIONS EXCEPTED • FREIGHT COSTS CAN APPLY IN COUNTRY STORES

150kg Lifting Table592580. Max. lifted height H: 740mm. Min. height of table: 225mm. Dim. of table: 700 x 450 x 35mm

$399592568700 x 335 x 250mm

Aluminium Tool Boxes - 3 Sizes

5925701500 x 520 x 465mm

5925691250 x 400 x 380mm

$143

$290

$465Wall CabinetSmall 197 Piece Tool Kit532704

$1499

Work Bench - 5 Drawer576839. 1370W x 510D x 870H (mm). With laminate timbertop

EXTRA HEAVY DUTY STEEL PLATECompare Toolex quality & weight before

buying any toolboxes!

LEICHHARDTPORT MAC.PENRITHRUTHERFORDTAMWORTHTAREN PT.TUGGERAHMT GAMBIERWARNERS BAYWOLLONGONG

ALBURYBLACKTOWNCAMBELLTOWNCOFFS HARBOURDUBBODANDENONGCANBERRAGOSFORDINVERELLLAMBTON

425 KIEWA ST170 SUNNYHOLT RD9/7 HOLLYLEA RD31 ISLES DR132 TALBRAGAR STUNIT 1 9/11 CNR SOUTH LINK & STH GIPPLAND UNIT 1 137GLADSTONE ST332 MANN ST67 OLIVER ST53 GRIFFITHS RD7/111 MOORE ST25 JINDALEELOT 4 BATT ST52 SHIPLEY DRIVE36-42 BRIDGE ST6/139 TAREN PT. RD19 ACE CRESCENT173 COMMERCIAL ST EASTUNIT 1 276 MACQUARIE RD82-88 FLINDERS ST

PH: 02 6021 5699PH: 02 9671 3888PH: 02 4625 0972PH: 02 6651 8200PH: 02 6884 7600PH: 03 9799 3188PH: 02 6280 0785PH: 02 4324 3333PH: 02 6722 3151PH: 02 4906 7777PH: 02 9569 5544PH: 02 6581 3130PH: 02 4721 5838PH: 02 4932 4489PH: 02 6762 0550PH: 02 9524 0708PH: 02 4352 2136PH: 08 8723 0322PH: 02 4954 3555PH: 02 4227 1611

Aluminium Truck Boxes - 3 Sizes

SLOW REVVING! LOW NOISE

Also Available:. 2 Cylinder Electric 240v 2.5HP. 2 Cylinder Electric 415v 4HP-7.5HP. 2 Cylinder Petrol 6.5HP. 3 Cylinder Electric 415v 5.5, 10 & 15HPSINCE 1953

TOOLEX PTY. LTD.

May not be availableat all stores

. 180˚ flexible ratchet ring head

. 72 teeth ratcheting mechanism

. Open-end spanner at 15˚ off-set

. Chrome vanadium steel

12 Pce Flexible Reversing Gear Spanners - Metric 8 - 19mm592600

$325

Platinum Series Platinum Series

. 3.2 HP

. 3 Cylinder Cast Iron Pump

. 70 Litre Tank

. 240 V

. 6.5 HP Petrol Motor

. 3 Cylinder Cast Iron Pump

. 70 Litre Tank

T20 593416 T20P 593414

NEW RANGE! THE BEST YOU CAN BUY!!

AIR COMPRESSOR RATING in accordance with

AUSTRALIAN STANDARD AS 4637-2006

$1595$1595

$949$949

$595

$319

$695

10m Hose Reel536011

+

Air Kit + Compressor Packages52 Piece Air Tool Kit592597

Procraft 13J Compressor535696 - 2.5HP 40LPackage Price:

Package Price:Procraft Handyman Compressor580203 - 3HP 50LPackage Price:

Procraft Handyman Compressor580200 - 2.5HP 50L

+ One of these

BUY AS A PACKAGE & SAVE!!BUY AS A PACKAGE & SAVE!!

Water Hose Reels

Air Hose Reels

593075 15m (50ft)593076 20m (66ft)593077 30m (100ft)

$79$99

$139

593073 (Shown)

593074$99

$139

Toolex slow revving belt driven reciprocating air compressors are proudly built to Australian specifications by factory trained technicians using the world renowned Fusheng pumps and premium components. The many thousands of Fusheng units already in service throughout the country are working proof that they are the finest quality compressors available.

TOOLEX LADDERS - HEAVY DUTY INDUSTRIAL

You won’t find better! Don’t buy any ladder until you check out Toolex prices and quality!

EACH LADDER IS INTENDED TO CARRY A MAXIMUM LOAD OF

150KG• Fibreglass Step Ladders - Single Sided Sizes: 6, 7 & 8ft• Fibreglass Step Ladders - Double Sided Sizes: 3,4,5,6,7,8,10 & 12 ft• Fibreglass Extension Ladders Sizes:17, 21 & 25ft• Aluminium Step Ladders - Single Sided Sizes: 6,7 & 8 ft• Aluminium Step Ladders - Double Sided Sizes: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 & 12 ft

FROM

FROM

FROM

FROM

FROM

$359$129

$159$139

$119

NEW

Auto584210

· Automatic (20x)· Includes Industrial dome tripod

and 3m staff (includes cover)

Toolex Surveyors Package

3m Staff 584218

Tripod584216

Or This For

$399!!

592571900 x 500 x 700mm $5895925721200 x 500 x 700mm $759

$9295925731500 x 500 x 700mm

2 DRAWER & 4 TRAY591750550 x 403 x 470mmUnit weight: 44.5kg

ALSO AVAILABLE:591715 - 3 Drawer & 4 Tray705 x 405 x 635mm Unit weight: 64.6kg

ALSO AVAILABLE:591718 - Medium 1065 x 505 x 595mm 591717 - Large 1220 x 615 x 700mm 591751 -X-Large 1220 x 760 x 850mm

Truck Boxes

$449

$239

$465

530384 6” - 1/2hp 3000rpm

530385 8” - 3/4hp 3000rpm

Bench Grinder - 4 Wheel

$129$99

. Includes wire wheel and buff mop.

Pressure Washers

539511. HONDA GC160 Motor. 5HP . 2500 PSI. 9.4 L/Min Volume

Full range available up to 13HP

$995

Large range of accessories!

534100 (Shown). 1/2 tonne

534113. 1 tonne

534107. 2 tonne

Chain Blocks - 3MTR FALL

Full Range Available

$85

$95

$149

A must for allconstruction sites!

Toolex Generators with Earth LeakageComply with workcover requirements

Fitted with Clipsal IP56 weather proof outlets

591019 - 2.5kva591015 - 3.4kva591005 - 4.4kva591026 - 5.9kva591010 - 6.8kva $2295591017 - 8.0kva591016 - 8.0kva Electric Start

TOOLEX PTY. LTD.TH7 Shown

TH2.5 591063 HONDA 5.5hp Engine 2.5kva Recoil start ideal for, emergency lighting or power tools to 2300 W & small motors

TH7 591000 HONDA 13hp Engine 6.8kva Recoil start. Suitable for larger domestic or rural applications. Welders to 170 amp, Compressors to 2.5 hp

Heavy duty frames on all models assembled in Australia

THGC 2.5 591054 HONDA 5.5hp Engine 2.5kva powers tools to 2000 Watts,electric motors up to 3/4hp

$899 $969

$1799

GENERATORS

WORKSITE SPECIAL!from

$1449

RECHARGABLE!

CORDLESS!

38 LED Work Light524777 NEW. 6 lighting options. 3.6v ni-Mh battery. 240v 50Hz charger included!

Ventilation FanStainless Steel593352

Hoses593353

593354 (shown)$465$465$139$139$269$269

• 520 Watt• 300mm• 240v

591716 - SMALL 812 x 482x 445mm Unit weight: 33.4kg

$59

593077(Shown)

NEW

GREAT VALUE

$279

LITHIUM DRILL DRIVERDS18DFL(HE)-HIT

• 18v• 2 x 1.5AMP

Batteries• Carry Case

1400W DEMOLITION NON-ROTARY HAMMERH65SB2 - HIT

· 1,400w. 16 Kg· Triple Dust Sealed· 30mm Hexagon Drive. Includes Standard

Point and Chisel

$1079

110 PIECE BIT SET705315-HIT

$79

$95GREAT DEAL!

GREAT VALUE

TL1679407

walgett’s jolly good fallow - department of primary ... · walgett’s jolly good fallow i t has...

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