Australia’s longest cropping rotation trial open for inspection
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Cattle News
- Sep 07, 2017
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The agricultural industry will get the opportunity to inspect Australia’s longest running annual cropping systems experiment at a crop walk at Longerenong College on 3 October.
The Longerenong Rotation No.1 trial, better known as LR1, was established in 1916 making 2017 the 102nd year the trial has been investigating the suitability of cropping rotations on soil fertility in the Wimmera.
Officially opening the event will be VFF President David Jochinke, who will commemorate the centenary of the LR1 trial.
Along with the LR1 trial, the Sustainable Cropping Rotations in Mediterranean Environments (SCRIME) trial will also be open to the public on the day.
The SCRIME trial has been running since 1998 and was established to investigate cropping systems in relation to the soil resources (chemical, physical and biological), financial performance and pest and disease management.
Attendees will have the opportunity to walk through the SCRIME trial site followed by presentations from leading agricultural researchers and economists.
Agriculture Victoria senior scientist Dr. Roger Armstrong will give insight into the long-term effects of rotations and tillage on grain yields, protein, and soil mineral nitrogen supply. Agriculture Victoria Senior
Research Scientist Fiona Robertson will present the long-term effects of rotations on soil nitrogen and carbon sequestration.
The effect of crop sequences on diseases and rotations for control of Cereal Cyst Nematode diseases will be discussed by Agriculture Victoria Senior Plant Pathologist Grant Hollaway.
Profitability is the underpinning success of any farm business. University of Melbourne Associate Professor Bill Malcolm has analysed the economics of the cropping rotations and will update attendees about the most profitable rotations in the Wimmera.
The LR1 centenary and SCRIME crop walk is a free event hosted by Agriculture Victoria and Wimmera CMA. It will be held at Longerenong College on 3 October from 1.30pm.
For more information, continue to watch the BCG website at www.bcg.org.au or phone the BCG office on (03) 5492 2787.
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