Hear from 3 of BCG's Agronomist Development Program graduates
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- US & World News
- Apr 15, 2018
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In 2015, BCG hosted its first graduate in the Agronomist Development Program (ADP) as part of the broader Regional Research Agronomists Program which is co-funded by the GRDC and Agriculture Victoria through a Bilateral Research Agreement.
Co-ordinated by Agriculture Victoria, the program enables graduates to work across a range of areas, gaining skills in agricultural research, extension and consultation and working at Agriculture Victoria, agribusiness and a farming systems groups and an opportunity to build extensive networks within the industry.
Recently, we caught up with three of the graduates who spent time at BCG, to find out more of their experiences and where they are now.
Genevieve Clarke
Supervised by Ashley Wallace, Agriculture Victoria, Horsham
What attracted you to the ADP? How did you hear about it?
I heard about it through university. In our final year, there were always emails about jobs and opportunities coming across the inbox. Someone suggested I should apply, so I did. It looked like a great opportunity to get started in an industry I really had no experience, but knew the theory. It presented me with the opportunity to experience a number of roles while being well supported by supervisors and other staff that are invested in your development. It was a great confidence booster.
Please provide a brief overview of what you have done in the Program?
I started in 2016 splitting my 18 months evenly across three placements at BCG, Tylers Rural in Rupanyup and Agriculture Victoria in Horsham. I gained experience in trial work, agronomic advise, extension and research and met lots of people in the grains industry.
What were the highlights?
Did you learn anything surprising about working with growers and researchers?
Did you learn anything surprising about working with growers and researchers?
Probably a highlight was being able to have so much interaction with growers. Research is great, but it’s important relevant content and outputs are extended to growers so practice-change can be supported.
I undertook an individual research project in conjunction with BCG, which assessed the value of Gibberellic acid on oats and how it could contribute to grazing recovery or hay production, where results were compiled for the BCG annual results manual and also present at the 18th Australian Agronomy Conference, Ballarat, Victoria in 2017.
What attracted you to agricultural studies?
It has always interested me. My Aunt and Uncle have a cattle farm near Tamworth and I always loved helping out there as a kid. My mum studied agricultural science and probably sparked my interest in science from a young age.
What exciting new developments in agriculture would you like to learn more about?
Some of the emerging technologies and plant breeding. Seeing how far we can push the barriers of production like growing pulses in marginal areas.
Where are you working now?
Now working with BCG.
Tom Batters
Supervised by Dale Grey, Agriculture Victoria, Bendigo
What attracted you to the ADP? How did you hear about it?
I heard about the program online either in a Google search or on social media. The main attraction was the different placements offered. To be able to work at three different locations, with new people and in different environments really appealed to me as a great start to my career.
Please provide a brief overview of what you have done in the Program?
I started in late January 2017 in Bendigo with Dale Grey at Agriculture Victoria. I spent six weeks there learning about the climate and climate drivers before I moved up to Birchip in the middle of March.
I spent six months at BCG across two stints and was exposed to a range of experiences in trial and extension work. I helped with most major operations to get a trial up and running from sowing right through to harvest. I also had my own trial, ‘Maximising forage production with different grazing species’, which enabled me to do in-field assessments and full statistical analysis which ended up in the 2017 BCG Season Research Results compendium. Aside from the physical trial work I also had the chance to do some extension work including writing eNews articles and presenting my research at both the Main Field Day and the Trials Review Day.
In mid-July I moved to Swan Hill for four months to work at AGRIvision consultants where I worked with agronomists helping growers make better decisions on farm. I learnt a lot about cropping and agronomy here and got to see many different paddocks throughout the Mallee and Wimmera. I also spent time looking at the impact of dune seeps in the Mallee and doing some tissue sampling.
What were the highlights? Did you learn anything surprising about working with growers and researchers?
The highlights for me was seeing the different systems for growing crops throughout the Mallee. Coming from a farm, you can start to think that there is one way to do things but I soon learnt that there are many different styles and ways to operate a farm. Learning some of these techniques, plus how the research goes from the plot to the paddock, was very interesting.
The researchers’ passion was a bit of a surprise too. The interest they take in helping you learn about agriculture was fantastic. As an example, I remember walking with Dale on the way to grab some tea for the night and along the way Dale pointed out all of the common agricultural weeds he could see on the nature strip and in people’s front lawn. It was a bizarre time and place to do a weed ID session but it just showed how enthusiastic he was to help me learn!
What attracted you to agricultural studies?
Growing up on the family farm and being surrounded by agriculture from a young age was always a driving force in my enjoyment for agriculture. Also, the opportunities that are in agriculture are exciting and I really see a lot of potential for the industry into the future.
What exciting new developments in agriculture would you like to learn more about?
The new technologies that are becoming and are already available to farmers. Things like imagery, robotics, drones, data analytics, driverless tractors and anything else that can help make a farmer’s job easier. I see these having a real potential in helping farmers for the future to grow better crops and manage their systems more effectively.
Where are you working now?
I have recently taken up a position at AGRIvision consultants in Swan Hill.
Jasmine Marsh
Supervised by Ashley Wallace, Agriculture Victoria, Horsham
What attracted you to the ADP? How did you hear about it?
I was attracted to the ADP because at university, and throughout honours, I had not gained any industry or field experience. I also didn’t know what area I wanted to go into and this program gave me a taste of a few areas within the industry.
Please provide a brief overview of what you have done in the Program?
I was at Agriculture Victoria for the first two months before heading to BCG for five months working with the research team doing assessments out in the field. I also got the opportunity to help with planning and undertaking events as well as write a couple of articles for Stock and Land and BCG eNews.
In August I moved back to Horsham where I was at Landmark Horsham for three days a week and Agriculture Victoria, two days a week until harvest. At Landmark Horsham I worked with the agronomists when they were advising local growers.
At the same time at Agriculture Victoria, I was working on my own research project Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) in collaboration with Piotr Trebicki and his team. I also got the opportunity to present this work at the 13th Australasian Plant Virology Workshop, Waiheke Island, New Zealand. I also worked with James Nuttall and Ash Wallace on their research areas. I was soil sampling, processing samples as well as harvesting with BCG at their Longerenong site.
What were the highlights?
Did you learn anything surprising about working with growers and researchers?
Did you learn anything surprising about working with growers and researchers?
The highlights for me were being able to talk to people in different areas about the industry and getting to see different systems or parts of the industry that people who just work in research or commercial agronomy may not get to see.
Other highlights would include now being able to shut a Mallee gate by myself.
What attracted you to agricultural studies?
I had a high school teacher who suggested that I look into agricultural science because I loved science and biology at school. So, I decided to go down that path. I love the way that the agricultural industry is constantly adapting to meet the challenges it faces on a regular basis.
Where are you working now?
I am currently still in Horsham completing my last few months of the ADP program. While in Horsham, I will be going back and spending some time with Landmark Horsham as well as working at Agriculture Victoria writing up a journal manuscript on the BYDV work.
Picture - Louisa Ferrier, Genevieve Clarke, Tom Batters and Jasmine Marsh
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