Grain growers discuss mice, frost, waterlogging, snails and subsoil constraints

By: "Farm Tender" News
Cattle News
Oct 05, 2017
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Grain growers dealing with issues such as mice, frost, waterlogging, snails and subsoil constraints have outlined the challenges they are experiencing to the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s Southern Regional Panel.

Having just completed its annual spring tour to assess the impact of cropping constraints and the progress of key GRDC research investments, the Panel is now factoring growers’ insights into the GRDC’s research, development and extension (RD&E) investment response.

Panel members and GRDC southern regional and national staff met with growers, researchers, agronomists, advisers and other grains industry specialists to gain a greater understanding of key issues confronting growers and identify future RD&E priorities.

Panel chair Keith Pengilley says the two concurrent three-day tours through parts of South Australia generated valuable intelligence for the Panel which has just commenced a new two-year term.

“Growers were honest and forthcoming in detailing the issues that are having the most impact within their farming systems and on their profitability,” Mr Pengilley said.

“The visits further confirmed that mice are a major concern for growers throughout SA, as well as Victoria, and are causing more frequent and significant damage year on year.

“Modern farming systems involving minimum tillage, maintenance of crop residues and higher yielding crops appear to be favouring the survival of mouse populations from one season to the next, and this year has been particularly bad – many growers have had to bait multiple times and the success of baiting programs has been variable.

“Having spoken with growers and their advisers, it is evident that as an industry we need to better understand mouse behaviour, biology and population dynamics in our current farming environment so we can explore potential alternative management options for growers.”

Frost is another issue that appears to be increasingly affecting growers’ production systems and profitability, according to Mr Pengilley.

“While we can’t prevent frosts from occurring, it is a constraint that the GRDC continues to address through significant RD&E investments – such as the $20 million National Frost Initiative which aims to deliver to growers a combination of genetic and management solutions, along with tools and information to better predict, plan and manage frost events,” Mr Pengilley said.

Snails continue to present problems for growers, especially on the Yorke Peninsula and in the South-East, where slugs are also regularly causing damage.

“Sandy dune/swale soils in the Murray Mallee and subsoil constraints in parts of the South-East were other agronomic issues front of mind for many growers,” Mr Pengilley said.

He said the Panel and the GRDC more broadly would now look at those issues and opportunities raised by growers to assess how effective current investments are in addressing these as well as taking a holistic approach to identification of future RD&E responses that will drive profitability.

This year’s Panel tour was split into two groups: one group travelled through SA’s Lower and Mid North, including a visit to the Hart Field Day, as well as the Yorke Peninsula; the other group began its tour at Loxton before travelling through the Murray Mallee and South-East.

Meeting with growers on-farm was a regular activity over the three days which also comprised visits to trial sites, research centres and downstream enterprises.

Panel members and staff were impressed with the initiative, commitment and innovative nature of the many growers they met throughout the tour.

“Our grain growers are certainly achieving an amazing amount of success despite the challenges they face,” Mr Pengilley said.

“They are diversifying to spread risk, adding value to what they produce, reducing costs, increasing efficiencies and adopting new varieties, technologies and agronomic practices to improve their enterprises and income streams.

“As growers pursue greater profitability, it is critical that the GRDC – the growers’ RD&E arm – continues to invest in areas that are going to give growers the greatest return.

“And that is why the Panel tour is so important. It is one of a number of mechanisms that give us an intimate appreciation of the constraints and opportunities to grower profitability, helping to inform targeted GRDC investments.”