One busted as crime investigatorsbrush up on NLIS to catch more

Trialling ‘meteograms’ topredict daily plant water use

Carathool shire serves up dinnerfor thousands

Look deeper for carbon, worldwide greenhouse accounting

Fragile skin sampling, gypsymoths, wild chickpeas

2Rustlers 5Winter water 7Waste produce 8-11Climate & soils 12-13Genetics

JUNE 2011

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WELL ahead of schedule, the majorupgrade of laboratory facilities atElizabeth Macarthur AgriculturalInstitute near Camden is almostfinished.

On a trip to meet the Institute’sstaff and inspect the construction,NSW Primary Industries Minister,Katrina Hodgkinson, said the newfacilities were all aboutprotecting jobs in the bush.

She is pictured in the 120-metre-long main corridor of the newlaboratory complex with two of theproject managers, Barry Kay andJono Gregory.

– Story p2

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2 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

THE $56 million upgrade of lab-oratory facilities at ElizabethMacarthur Agricultural Institute

(EMAI) near Camden is nearingcompletion, well ahead of schedule.

The new laboratory precinct and therefurbished existing laboratories willbe the only diagnostic and research fac-ilities of their type dedicated specifical-ly to primary industries in Australia.

EMAI is the State’s central animal,plant and aquatic biosecurity facility.

“Having these new facilities is allabout protecting jobs in the bush,”NSW Primary Industries Minister,Katrina Hodgkinson, told EMAI staff.

She said EMAI would continue toachieve this through the crucial rolesof protecting NSW from pests anddiseases, and safeguarding Australia’sexport market access and internatio-nal trade reputation.

The minister visited EMAI recentlyto meet the Institute’s staff and inspectthe progress of construction.

After 60 weeks of building, electri-cians, plumbers, painters, tilers andcleaners were putting the finishingtouches on the new diagnostic, res-earch and quarantine containment lab-oratories, which are almost ready tocommission.

A 16-week commissioning plan has

been developed to ensure all systemsperform as specified and that the lab-oratories comply with standards andrequirements of the Australian Qua-rantine Inspection Service and the Off-ice of the Gene Technology Regulator.

Ms Hodgkinson said she wanted tohear “frank and fearless advice” fromthe EMAI research staff involved inthe constant watch for potentiallydamaging disease incursions.

Sample testing at the Institute has

significantly increased in the past 12months.

More than 17,000 tests were con-ducted on samples submitted to theState Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratoryduring April.

The EMAI Virology and Plant Healthand Diagnostic Laboratory have expe-rienced a similar trend in the numberof samples being submitted for test-ing.

In the past year, approximately200,000 samples were tested in virol-ogy, 20 per cent up on the number ofsubmissions the previous year.

Throughput of certification testingin the laboratories is also increasing,with rising numbers of export cot-ton, canola and cereal seed samplesbeing tested.

Many tests were for disease diagno-sis, monitoring, accreditation and res-earch purposes, and a significant num-ber were to demonstrate freedom ofdisease in animals prior to export, inc-luding one batch of 10,000 tested inthree days.

The breaking of the drought also hada large impact on the rising numberof tests as farmers started restockingtheir properties and problems such asparasites emerged.

Ms Hodgkinson said the increasedthroughput of laboratory samplesdemonstrated the importance of EMAIto agriculture, the environment andthe NSW community.

“Without the scientific research anddisease diagnosis, control and preven-tion services provided by EMAI wewould be at the mercy of any pest ordisease that reared its head,” she said.

Broad sweep of climate and greenhouse gas research

A SYMPOSIUM in Armidale hasoffered some fascinating insightsinto the research work going onto help agriculture adapt toclimate change and reduce itsgreenhouse gas emissions.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) and theUniversity of New England (UNE)staged the symposium, throughtheir joint venture partnership,the National Centre for RuralGreenhouse Gas Research.

DPI Wagga researcher De LiLiu’s climate modelling showedthat in the years 2021-2040,wheat yield and biomass wouldbe affected by shorter growthduration caused by advanced

flowering and maturing, andlower soil water balances.

Tamworth economist, FionaScott, reported on sorghum andmaize simulations for 2030 thatshowed that retaining cropresidues was one of the mostbeneficial strategies to maintainyields. (She has also analysedsorghum gross margins possiblefrom various climate adaptationstrategies, pX).

DPI nitrous oxide researcher,Graeme Schwenke, believes thegreater use of nitrogen fixingpulse crops in Australia’snorthern grains region shouldlead to substantially reducedN2O emissions, as would splitapplications of nitrogen fertiliser.

The recent bout of wet weatherin northern NSW showed whenfertiliser nitrogen is applied atonce at sowing, much of it canbe lost if heavy rain falls soonafterwards.

UNE researcher, Roger Hegarty,provided an overview of options

to reduce livestock methaneemissions, including feedsupplements, breeding for lowemissions and rumen modifiers,concluding that livestockemissions and productivityneeded to be managed togetherto balance financial andenvironmental outcomes.

Preliminary estimates ofmethane emissions from sheepproduction on UNE’s Trevennademonstration site show sheepon the more fertile flats producelower emissions per kilogram oflive weight gain than those onthe less fertile slopes (AgricultureToday, May 2011, p9.)

DPI’s biochar research isshowing a variety of results.

Lukas Van Zwieten and SteveKimber’s work on ferrosols innorthern NSW shows whilebiochar can increase soilcarbon, results depend on boththe biochar feedstock and thesoil type it is applied to.

Early results from Malem

McLeod’s biochar research atTamworth showed that plotsamended with poultry litterbiochar had more carbon andavailable phosphorus, higher pH,and greater yields of summergrass, compared to control plots.

Warwick Badgery’s preliminaryanalysis of his soil carbonresearch in the Lachlancatchment showed that topsoilcarbon levels increased withrainfall and with total phosphorusapplications, but there was littledifference in carbon levels underdifferent land uses.

One surprising finding, whichwill be further investigated, issoil carbon was lower inpaddocks that were leftungrazed for more than 50 percent of the time.

Presentations from UNE PhDstudents offered plenty of foodfor thought.

For instance, one study hasfound increasing soil pH couldreduce N2O emissions in acid soil.

Another study showed carbonin plant roots in a northern NSWduplex soil was three timeshigher in native woodlandcompared to native pasturesand six times higher than incropping systems.

A third study found theinvasive weed lantana had thepotential to colonise the northand east coasts down toVictoria, and the southwestcoast under some climatescenarios.

If you’d like to know moreabout all 36 presentations at thesymposium, they are availableon the website of the NationalCentre for Rural GreenhouseGas Research.

Visitwww.une.edu.au/piic/ncrggr.php■ This column is also online atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

More climate and soilcarbon stories, p8-11

New labs ‘protect jobs in the bush’

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson; Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute plant health technicalofficer, Mary Ann Terras; plant pathologist, Dr Alison Seyb and (background) Virology Laboratory leader, Dr Peter Kirkland.

TOM BRAZand RON AGGS

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Your partners in profitable, sustainable and adaptive agriculture

… working with you to find innovative solutions to emerging issues like adapting to climate change,

efficient water use and controlling pests and diseases.

Find out more at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au or phone 1800 808 095

TL1804728

AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 3

Rural crimeinvestigators‘hot’ at jobsTWENTY rural crime investigators fromthe NSW Western Division haveimpressed their tutors, learning detectionand stock handling skills that will helpthem bust rustlers and managerecovered stock.

In four days of training at Tamworth,they learned the tracing procedures ofthe National Livestock IdentificationSystem (NLIS) database for cattle, sheepand goats and associated procedures atsaleyards and on properties.

They also completed the NSWDepartment of Primary Industries (DPI)StockSafe course.

Understanding the workings of the NLISwill fast track future investigations thatrequire identification of livestock, whoowns them and where they belong.

StockSafe will help when they nexthave to get “hands-on” in the field,tracking or recovering missing animals.

The course is designed to cater to awide range of individuals with varyingdegrees of stock handling expertise andcovers OHS, animal behaviour andhandling, and animal welfare.

“These blokes were hot on the job,”said NSW DPI’s senior regulatoryinspector for the Central West, PaulAnderson, who organised the training.

“They picked up the key ideas veryquickly, so I reckon they’ll be veryeffective,” he said.

At the start of the training, thecorporate spokesman for NSW policerural crime investigators, assistantcommissioner, Peter Gallagher, said theNSW Government was making positivestatements supporting the importance ofenforcement against stock theft andother rural crimes.

Griffith rural crime investigator, PaulClancy, is pictured (above left) checkingNLIS tags and management tags oncattle at StockSafe training in Tamworth,while his colleagues inspect a mob ofsheep (below) during the NLIS trainingcourse.

NLIS tracers bust Gulgongrustler and recover cattleCONVICTED Gulgong cattle

rustler, Murray Douglas Dale,came unstuck when police

rural crime investigators found hehad tried to dupe the National Live-stock Identification System (NLIS)database.

He will face sentencing in Augustand his legal counsel, David Dalton,has told Mudgee Local Court hisclient is “under no illusion” his off-ences carry a full-time jail sentence.

Among many charges under theStock Diseases Regulation and StockDiseases Act, Dale faced three countsof providing false and misleadingevidence on National Vendor Dec-laration (NVD) documentation.

Mudgee-based rural crime inves-tigator (RCI), Detective Senior Con-stable Adam MacDougall, said theNVDs provided tracing evidencethat was central to the case.

Magistrate Jan Stevenson told Dalethere was a push to have cattle steal-ing “taken quite seriously”.

Dale, 37, pleaded guilty to six char-ges of cattle theft, three under theStock Diseases Regulation and StockDiseases Act, and made admissionswithout entering a plea on numer-ous other charges.

The other charges included threecounts of removing approved iden-tifiers from stock, 61 counts of sell-ing or disposing of identifiable stockthat were not identified and sevencharges relating to giving stock falseidentification.

The RCIs found the NLIS databaseto be a valuable tool in tracing 111stolen cattle – 96 from Gooree Pas-toral Company and the rest fromother properties, worth more than$150,000.

A total of 79 were returned.DetSenCon MacDougall said the

initial breakthrough came wheninvestigators traced a draft of 41Angus cows sold in April last yearthrough the Dubbo saleyards to aCondoblin buyer.

“Of that draft we were able to trace38 head back to Gooree Pastoral

Company’s Biraganbil property,”he said.

“We then traced more stolen cattlesold by the defendant to growers atYeoval, Trangie, Dubbo, Lue, Ryl-stone and Hill End Road, Mudgee.

“We also seized 20 head of cattleon the defendant’s property.”

Some of the stolen cattle had beensold at the Mudgee saleyards but noMudgee stock and station agents hadbeen found to have done anythingwrong.

All the cattle seized were Angus,Wagyu or Angus/Wagyu cross that

would have been worth more than$150,000 last spring in the CentralWest.

A conviction for stealing cattlecarries a maximum sentence of 14years.

Mr Dalton told the court his clienthad made restitution amountingto $120,000 and was being asked topay a further $30,000.

He asked that Dale be given timebefore sentencing to make arrange-ments to pay the additional $30,000in compensation.

He will be sentenced on August 4.

RON AGGSCamden

Goree Park pastoral manager, Tony McManus, and Detective Senior Constable Adam Macdougall with a stolen beastfrom a mob that had 16 different Property Identification Codes of origin. BELOW: Mustering suspect cattle in theMebul area. As a result of this search warrant, police located and seized another 20 head of stolen cattle.

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

Production Editor Maryann JenkinsTel (02) 4570 4444 Fax (02) 4570 4650

Advertising Nicole WilliamsTel (02) 4570 4410 Fax (02) 4570 4630nicole.williams@ruralpress.com

Circulation Distribution InquiriesTel (02) 4570 4444

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Inclusion of any advertising supporting material inthis publication does not necessarily implyendorsement of the product or company byDepartment of Primary Industries. TL1804734

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

GRADUATE trainee with theNSW Department of Prim-ary Industries (NSW DPI),

David Gale, is honing his researchskills on a project investigating alt-ernative ways to control bacterialdiseases in tomatoes.

“At the moment the main meansof controlling bacterial diseases intomatoes is through the use of cop-per-based sprays,” he said.

“This means large amounts ofcopper are being used, but perhapswith unintentional consequences forsoil health.

“I am working on a project lookingat the use of a range of fungi whichmay have the potential to either inc-rease the plant’s immune responseto the disease, or directly addressthe bacterial infection.

“This could become an importantpart of an integrated pest manage-ment program for tomatoes thatbetter controls bacterial infection,while protecting soil health.”

Mr Gale is one of four graduatetrainees employed by NSW DPI for21 months under a program toenhance professional developmentand future career opportunities.

“I grew up on the NSW CentralCoast without any agricultural back-ground and developed an interestin 2004 on work experience at theGosford Primary Industries Insti-tute,” Mr Gale said.

“In 2009, during my final year ofundergraduate studies for a degreein agricultural science at CharlesSturt University in Wagga Wagga, Iundertook an internship with theEH Graham Centre for AgriculturalInnovation.

“During the time I was exposedto the practical applications of thetheory covered at university.

“In 2010 I undertook an honours

project on the use of compost as apartial substitute for synthetic pho-sphorus fertilisers in baby corn inthe Mekong Delta, which included afour-month field trial in Vietnam.

“Since starting at the ElizabethMacarthur Agricultural Institute

in the graduate program I haveworked with a range of researcherson everything from the developmentof project proposals to the under-taking of projects.

“The program has presented anenormous number of opportuni-

ties which I am grasping with bothhands.

“But who knows what opportu-nities will present themselves by theend of the year, and next year theadventure will continue.”■ Contact EMAI, (02) 4640 6428.

4 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

THE NSW Food Authority has caught twoof Australia’s biggest retailers in the act offalsely describing the origin of fruit for salein two Sydney stores, Minister for PrimaryIndustries, Katrina Hodgkinson, revealed.

It is the first time Coles and Woolworthshave been fined for Country of Origin lab-elling breaches – labelling imported fruit asAustralian produce – and both have beenplaced on the NSW Food Authority’s Nameand Shame register.

They were busted at Newington and StMarys labelling imported lemons and grape-fruit as Australian, contrary to the rules ofthe Food Act (2003) and the Food StandardsCode.

“Consumers are conscious of where theirfood comes from and are right to expecthonesty when it comes to labelling,” MsHodgkinson said.

“The NSW Government does not want tosee consumers misled and our farmers dis-advantaged by dodgy in-store labelling.

“It may be seen to be of commercial advan-tage by some retailers to imply that their pro-duce is of Australian origin.

“This is illegal and will not be tolerated.”Ms Hodgkinson said the State’s 40,000 far-

mers would rightly be outraged by this case.“Our farmers produce $1.2 billion in fresh

fruit and vegetables a year and deserve bet-ter than to have supermarkets trade on theirclean-green reputation using products thatwere grown thousands of kilometres away.”

Read the Name and Shame register atwww.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/penalty-notices■ Full story atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases

Supermarketsbusted overdodgy labels

Trainee graduate, David Gale, is relishing his participation in a NSW DPI research project investigating the use of fungito control bacterial diseases in tomatoes.

TOM BRAZOrange

Trainee targets fungi toreduce copper spray use

Rain good news for winter crops

I AM pleased to see thatwidespread rain in late May hasallowed winter crop sowing toresume.

Planting had been brought to astandstill in some areas aftermore than a month of dryweather.

Growers are now back in theirpaddocks sowing the largest areaof winter crop in more than adecade.

The Department of PrimaryIndustries (NSW DPI) isforecasting that 5.23 millionhectares of winter crops will besown in NSW this season.

It is estimated that 4.5 millionhectares will be planted to wintercereals and 730,000 hectares topulses and oilseeds.

Mice have caused havoc in somecentral and south-westerndistricts, with some crops needingto be resown.

Good conditions over summerhave resulted in a bumpersummer crop.

Grain sorghum yields thisyear are up 65 per cent on lastyear to more than 640,000tonnes.

The prospects for cotton arealso bright, with excellent yieldsfrom irrigated crops and themarket riding high.

Farmer of the YearENTRIES for the 2011 NSWFarmer of the Year and YoungFarmer of the Year Awards closeon Thursday, June 9.

I know farmers are generallyreluctant to put themselvesforward for such awards, butI strongly encourage you todo so.

These prestigious awards are acelebration of our industries’achievements and resilience, anda rare opportunity to showcaseagriculture to the widercommunity.

Previous entries demonstratethat there are plenty ofinnovative farm managers outthere who have much to offer toother farmers.

The winners will also berewarded with prizes of $10,000and $5000.

Entrants will be judged on theirfarm management skill, the useof innovation, profitability,

environmental sustainability andcommunity involvement.

Entry forms can be downloadedfrom the NSW DPI website.

Halal at DubboI RECENTLY visited Dubbosaleyards to announce animportant boost to the livestockindustry at Nyngan.

KJ Halal Meat Pty Ltd isreceiving NSW Governmentassistance in a $500,000 upgradeto its Nyngan abattoir facility.

The upgrade will create eightnew jobs and help to retainanother three jobs.

This is a good example of theNSW Government’s commitmentto support businesses in regionalcommunities to invest in growthand create jobs.

The company’s site in Nyngan isone of the few wholly-accreditedhalal plants in NSW.

It has a growing client base inMuslim butcher shops inSydney and anticipates furthergrowth following improvementsmade to the plant.

The company also sources itsstock from Western NSW andprovides services to other localbutcheries.■ This column is also online atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

Katrina Hodgkinson

Fungus funding: A naturallyoccurring fungus that kills theweed giant Parramatta grass isgetting a leg up.

Nigrospora oryzae is pathogenicto giant Parramatta grass in thefield, causing a crown rot diseaseand a 12 month project will furtherresearch how this occurs.

The Rural Industries Researchand Development Corporation willprovide $144,000 to David Officer,a researcher at Grafton NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI), and colleagues at RMIT.

Mr Officer said the effects of thisdisease have been observed for adecade in the Clarence Valley butthe identity of the agent was onlydiscovered more recently.

Giant Parramatta grass is one offive weedy sporobolus grasses foundin Australia and preliminary researchhas shown it is the only sporobolusspecies affected by the fungus.

“We will develop protocols for theculturing of commercial quantitiesof N. oryzae spores, once we havesuccessfully completed hostspecificity testing,” Mr Officer said.

The project is part of theAustralian Government’s NationalWeeds and Productivity ResearchProgram.■ Contact David Officer,david.officer@industry.nsw.gov.au or visitwww.rirdc.gov.au/weeds

In BriefIn Brief

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AgToday

reports on the latest Agri Research &

ManagementInformation

(Inserted into The Land each month& view online www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday)

Call today to secure your positionCall Nicole (02) 4570 4410nicole.williams@ruralpress.com

✓✓ Catchment Health✓✓ Pastures✓✓ Beef✓✓ Urban Agriculture

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AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 5● ● ● ●

COLEAMBALLY graingrower,David Cattanach, hopes anew weather forecasting sys-

tem he will trial through winter willreduce guesswork in deciding whento irrigate.

Recent advances at the Bureau ofMeteorology (BoM) have broughtthe development of a new system,known as the Australian Commu-nity Climate and Earth Science Sim-ulator (ACCESS).

Through the coming winter, NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI) and the BoM will join farm-ers like Mr Cattanach to trial howwell ACCESS can predict evapo-transpiration, the measure of dailyplant water use.

“Knowing projected plant wateruse would help me make timelyirrigation scheduling decisions, par-ticularly at the beginning of spring,which is often hard to judge,” MrCattanach said.

“To date there has been too muchattention on developing tools to tellme what happened yesterday, whenI only need to know how much soilwater there is today and how muchI will use over the next week.”

The most popular current ways ofpredicting evapotranspiration areeither to invest in soil moisturemonitoring equipment, or use his-toric weather data which assumestomorrow’s water use will be com-parable to the same period the pre-vious year.

“Remaining profitable requiresever increasing attention to detail tomaintain efficiencies,” Mr Cattanachsaid.

He knows with costs high andmargins thin, getting irrigationscheduling wrong can be costly.

As a participant in the ACCESStrial, he will receive via email a week-ly package of information whichthe BoM has called a “meteogram”.

A meteogram is a graph whichshows the forecast for a location,available in two formats.

The first provides a forecast sevendays ahead at three hourly inter-vals and the second three days aheadat hourly intervals.

In addition to predictive evapo-transpiration values, forecasts areavailable for temperature, air pres-sure, wind speed and direction, pre-cipitation, cloud cover and relativehumidity.

Meteograms from the ACCESSmodel (such as those picturedright) will be available by subscrip-tion from the BoM and will be tri-alled at four key sites – Deniliquin,Griffith, Tumut and Tamworth.

The assessment will involve a sta-tistical comparison of weekly fore-casts at the four sites.

NSW DPI agricultural climatolo-gist, Michael Cashen, said it wasimportant to note meteogram fore-casts were based on one computermodel, with no input from Bureauweather forecasters.

“So they may vary from officialforecasts and warnings that farmersmay see over the internet and in thebroader media,” Mr Cashen said.■ Contact Michael Cashen,Wagga Wagga, michael.cashen@industry.nsw.gov.au or(02) 6938 1849.

NSW Department of Primary Industries irrigation officer, Iva Quarisa, discusses daily plant water use with Coleambally irrigator, David Cattanach. They arestanding in a Pioneer line 33T39 crop, yielding around 11.5 tonnes per hectare, a waxy line milled for corn starch. The Cattanachs also grow soft wheat andmalting barley in the winter.

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Winter trial of new dailywater use ‘meteograms’

AgricultureTodayonlineYou can downloadAgriculture Todayfrom the web onpublication day asa full replica of thepaper – atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday you’ll findthis and previouseditions, archivedto 2005.You can also findmore news andinformation fromthe NSWDepartment ofPrimary Industries atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au The July edition ofAgriculture Today,to be published onThursday, July 7,will featurepastures, beef,water andcatchment health.

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6 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

SOCIAL media, alsoknown as Web 2.0 is thepresent, not the future.

Put simply, it is a veryfast way of connectingwith anyone who has acomputer, or a phone withaccess to the internet.

With new technologycomes the opportunity tonetwork with peoplearound the globe fromyour farm, office orkitchen table.

This new form ofconnecting can be a veryuseful way to find peoplewith knowledge orexpertise on an endlessnumber of subjects.

It can buildunderstanding aboutissues of interest, directyou to relevantinformation and help tosolve problems.

NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI)began using the Web 2.0tool “Twitter” last Augustto engage the public andprovide speedy practicalhelp in the battle againstplague locusts atwww.agriculture.nsw.gov.au/locusts

Twitter is a free ‘‘micro-blogging” service that letsyou send and readmessages (“tweets”).

The NSW DPI locust

control centrebroadcasted tweets onemerging hotspots andforecasts, while directingaudiences to a locustwebsite for morecomprehensiveinformation.

Victoria’s JusticeDepartment began usinga range of social mediatools to deal with issuesaround the bushfires thatswept Victoria in February2009 and respond topeople’s demand forupdates as the crisisunfolded.

From a small base of130 people, Victorianbushfire news spread“virally” to more than80,000 in quick time usingthese tools.

The growing role of Web2.0 cannot beunderestimated and isn’tas scary as it seems,once you know the ropes.

Examples showing thepower of this type of viralspread of information arein the news daily, forexample the Brisbanefloods, Cyclone Yasi andthe political protests inTunisia and Egypt.

I decided to give it a goand set up a free twitteraccount at the end of2010.

I am now following abunch of people aroundthe world who areinterested in thingsrelevant to me and mywork, and I have agrowing number of people

following me.Through twitter I can

access a vast array ofinformation to share withmy own networks – andthe information flows veryfast.

I really like this Web 2.0tool because I only followpeople who interest me.

I can link with a broadrange of people andexchange up-to-date,often first-hand storiesthat go beyondmainstream media ornews pieces.

Twitter is quick and easyto use once you set upyour account and three orfour times a day I spend afew minutes flickingthrough topics or sendingtweets.

There are some goodsimple guides to help getyou started with twittersuch ashttp://twittercism.com/twitter-101/ or, if you are amore visual person, go toyoutube.com and type in‘how to use twitter’ wherethere are lots of shortinstructional videos.

If this all seems toomuch then just go ask ateenager!

If you want to exchangeideas or tap into RuralWomen’s Network andreview my tweets, visitour website,www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/rwn■ This column is alsoavailable to be viewedonline atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

Easy, free tweet accessto universe and beyond

COMMON wheatgrass, anative Australian plant, hasbeen selected by researchers

hoping to deliver a home-grownperennial wheat variety.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries Cowra-based researcher,Matt Newell, said the perennialnative, Elymus scaber, had thepotential to successfully crossbreedwith annual bread wheats.

“This year we started an intensivebreeding program using commonwheatgrass we collected from sites atCanowindra, Ganmain, Holbrook,Wagga Wagga and Panuara, nearOrange,” Mr Newell said.

“Clearly the plant is well-adaptedto local conditions and we hope tocreate a hybrid plant which is bothperennial and able to produce agrain crop.

“We are selecting bread wheat par-ents which have the most potentialto crossbreed, such as the varietiesused to breed triticale, a hybrid ofwheat and rye.

“Elymus plants are being used asboth male and female parents to

improve the chances of producing asuccessful hybrid.”

On the upside, Elymus specieshave produced hybrids with wheat,barley and rye, but for the wheatbreeder it will be a long and labori-ous task.

There are many obstacles to over-come in achieving a cross betweentwo dissimilar plants.

“To increase our chances we havechosen 15 bread wheat varieties tomanually pollinate with Elymus,”Mr Newell said.

The crossing experiment is in itsinfancy, however early signs suggestthat a hybrid plant between the twospecies should be possible.

“Hand pollination is a finickyoperation, yet one which is neces-sary to ensure accuracy in thebreeding program,” he said.

“Once we have viable hybrids itwill take a number of years to breedthe plants and produce enough seedfor a series of greenhouse and on-farm trials.”■ Contact Matthew Newell,Cowra,matt.newell@industry.nsw.gov.au(02) 6349 9739.

BERNADETTE YORKOrange

THE Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFICRC) has funded the NSW DPIperennial wheat breedingprogram.

The CRC recognises thepotential of perennial wheatcrops to address climatevariability by providing extraflexibility for farmers.

But the quest for perennialwheat is not limited to thebreeding program.

Their search for perennialwheat began in 2008 with theevaluation of imported perennialwheat varieties, sourced mainly

from the NSW Department ofPrimary Industries’ TamworthCereal Collections Unit, theKansas Land Institute andWashington State University.

Field trials near Woodstockand at the Cowra AgriculturalResearch and Advisory Stationhave been evaluating theimported material andeliminating those which can’tsurvive Australian conditions.

Six varieties from the on-farmtrial near Woodstock sown in2009, have persisted into 2010.

Continued collaboration withinternational partners enabled

testing of a further 19 newvarieties with different geneticorigin in 2010.

Another 27 new varieties arebeing evaluated this year.

Mixed farming systems,especially, would be able to takeadvantage of a perennial wheatcrop which could be grazed orharvested as a grain crop,depending on the season.

Researcher, Matthew Newelland technical assistant, SusanLangfield, are picturedinspecting plants underevaluation at the Cowra researchstation.

Home-grownperennialswith potential

Trials to eliminate what can’t adaptPhoto: Bernadette York

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AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 7● ● ● ●

Carrathool putswasted produceon for dinnerHAILED as the beginning

of something “remark-able and quite exciting”,

a unique new project will deliv-er otherwise wasted produce tothe tables of hungry families inNSW and the ACT.

Waste Not Want Not hasfound a solution to the wasteof perfectly good food that doesnot meet the very narrow spec-ifications for commercially acc-eptable products.

The project, devised by theCarrathool Shire, is also intend-ed to build community spiritand resilience.

It is the brainchild of UnitingChurch rural chaplain, JulieGreig, NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) ruralsupport worker, Lou Revelant,the Shire’s community develop-ment officer, Penny Davies, andlocal farmers.

Two-thirds of the predomin-antly rural population of Carr-athool Shire live in the town-ship of Hillston and the small-er villages of Carrathool, Gool-gowi, Merriwagga and RankinsSprings.

Traditionally a grazing andcropping area, with innovationsin irrigation, the industry hasnow expanded into citrus, cot-ton, viticulture, walnuts, olives,potatoes, lettuce, mangoes,cherries, corn, rice and a largecattle feedlot.

The project originally aimedto provide at least 16,000 kilo-grams of food each year — theequivalent of 35,320 daily serv-ings of vegetables.

Already local farmers havepromised 200 tonnes of pro-duce – more than 440,000 ser-vings.

“Food that does not meetcommercial specifications – itcould be too small or have ble-

mishes on the skin – is going towaste,” Mr Revelant said.

“One grower last year plough-ed in 3000 tonnes of pumpkins.

“Seeded melons are left to rot.”With the help of Waste Not

Want Not, some of this foodwill now be saved and distrib-uted through Foodbank in Syd-ney to charities throughoutNSW and the ACT.

Originally, Julie Greig approa-ched Parramatta Mission totake the available produce.

Realising the quantities weretoo great for the mission, theyreferred her to Foodbank, thelargest hunger relief organisa-tion in Australia, endorsed bythe Australian Food and Gro-cery Council as the food indu-stry’s preferred means of dispo-sal of surplus product.

CEO of Foodbank NSW,Gerry Andersen, attended therecent launch of the project andsaid he had never been sotouched by a community.

Foodbank distributes to 450charities, 80 tons a week, 57 percent to country areas.

However, Mr Andersen saidthe organisation needs to inc-rease the quantity of food dis-tributed from 19,000 tons to50,000 tons by June 2015.

He said two million Austra-lians need help once a year andone million need help everyweek.

Half of those are childrenwho go without dinner or goto school without breakfast.

“We really can make a dif-ference – and we’ve got to,” hesaid.

Shire council community dev-elopment officer, Penny Davies,said the Waste Not Want Notproject – a whole communityworking with an organisationsuch as Foodbank – was unique.

“Coming out of years of dro-ught, this is a way our commu-nity can contribute to the broa-der picture,” she said.

“This is the beginning ofsomething quite remarkableand quite exciting.”

“There have been calls for thecity to support the bush.”

Now that farmers are in a pos-ition to look with some hopeto the future they can say “here’ssomething we can do for you”.

Mr Revelant said in additionto altruism and a desire to seeproduce not go to waste, par-ticipants now also have incen-tive of a tax benefit, thanks toa certificate issued by Foodbank.

He said Waste Not Want Notwould help build resilience inthe Carrathool community.

He has been with the govern-ment’s agriculture departmentin its various guises for 40 years.

After retirement he returnedto do drought support workand now has a rural supportrole, building resilience andcapacity in preparation forfuture disaster.

“We need to make communi-ties more self-sufficient, resilientand able to survive further crisesand consequences like depres-sion, suicide and poverty,” hesaid.

Mr Revelant hopes there willbe an opportunity for other reg-ions to get involved in projectslike Waste Not Want Not.

That would mean productswould be available for Foodbankthroughout the year, providinga consistency of supply butfrom different sources.

For the moment, however, org-anisers wanted to start smalland get it right.■ Contact Lou Revelant,Griffith, lou.revelant@industry.nsw.gov.au or 0419 167 662.

Uniting Church rural chaplain, Julie Greig; Montoro Olives managing director, Phill Vann; Foodbank NSW CEO,Gerry Andersen, and rural support worker, Lou Revelant, with newly-harvested olives. Montoro will donate itsinternationally-renowned olive oil for some special Foodbank hampers.

Five properties now have tick feverTHREE northern NSW cattleproperties have been confirm-med positive for tick fever inMay, taking the number ofinfected NSW properties tofive.

“All the properties have beenplaced under quarantine byNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) regulatoryofficers and the cattle remain-ing on the properties are und-ergoing treatment for cattleticks and tick fever,” said NSWDepartment of Primary Ind-ustries (DPI) regional veteri-nary officer, Paul Freeman.

“Veterinarians from NSWDPI, the Livestock Health andPest Authority and privatepractice are working to ensureno further livestock deathsoccur.”

Mr Freeman said tick feveris caused by a parasite of redblood cells and the only thingthat can spread tick fever iscattle ticks.

“The number of new cattletick infestations this year isdown more than 40 per centon the same time last year,with 43 infected propertiesquarantined so far this seasoncompared to 74 (then),” hesaid.

“But there have been 11 add-itional cattle deaths from tickfever following the initial lossof 13 head earlier this year onbeef properties at McKees Hillnear Casino and Deepwaternear Glen Innes.

“Tracing of stock move-

ments onto the McKees Hillproperty led investigators to aproperty at Backmede whereone cow has died from tickfever.

“An additional 10 cattle havedied at a Doubtful Creek pro-perty linked to the Backmedeholding.

“There has also been a prop-erty at Old Koreelah on theQueensland border where tickfever has been confirmed inone bull.”

Mr Freeman said the impor-tant message for stockownerswas to check their stock forcattle ticks and any signs oftick fever, because treatmentsare available and early identi-fication can keep losses to aminimum.

The Cattle Tick AdvisoryCommittee met recently andreiterated the need for stock-owners who bring in Queens-land cattle or horses to keep

them in a holding paddock fora week or two as a biosecuritymeasure before allowing themaccess to the entire property.

“That way the animals canbe monitored for ticks and ifcattle ticks are found then theentire property is not quaran-tined – just the holding pad-dock.

“Cattle brought in fromQueensland should also betreated with a macrocyclic lac-tone (ML) to guard against theintroduction of resistant cat-tle ticks.”

Mr Freeman said signs oftick fever in cattle includefever for several days, loss ofappetite, weakness, a reluc-tance to move and red urine.■ Contact NSW DPI atWollongbar on(02) 6626 1201, private vets,local LHPA or theemergency animal diseasewatch hotline, 1800 675 888.

Cattle Tick Advisory Committee chairman, Nick Keatinge (centre),with members, Neil Summerville, Fleur Tonge, Malcolm Reid, IanRoth (NSW chief vet), Trish Holt and Terry Toohey.

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AN EXTENSIVE soil surveyin the Monaro and Boorowaregions has shown little dif-

ference between the total carbonprofiles in similarly managed nativeand introduced perennial pastures.

However, differing volumes ofcarbon stored at study sites were“exciting” and significantly influ-enced by climate, by virtue of tem-perature and rainfall patterns.

“Research into the levels of organ-ic carbon in soil has commonlyfocused on the surface of the soilprofile, and has not captured infor-mation on carbon stored at depth,”said postgraduate researcher, SusanOrgill.

“Management plays an importantrole in the accumulation of soil org-anic matter and future investigationsmay need to look deeper than 10centimetres to realise the full extent.”

In 2009 and 2010 a network ofsoil carbon monitoring sites in theMonaro and Boorowa regions weresampled to a depth of 70 centime-tres and analysed for total organiccarbon content.

They were coarse textured, duplexsoils under long-term native andintroduced perennial pastures.

Ms Orgill, a soils professional offi-cer with the NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI), said per-ennial pastures could significantlyincrease the level of organic carbonin soil.

“Perennial grasses function thr-oughout the year, generally withextensive root systems that encour-age large amounts of organic mat-ter to be accumulated deep in thesoil profile,” she said.

Ms Orgill was excited by the vol-umes of stored carbon.

On average, soil under both nativeand introduced pastures in the war-

mer Boorowa region stored morethan 50 tonnes of carbon per hec-tare to a depth of 70cm.

Similar soils in the cooler wet win-ters and hot dry summers of theMonaro held more than 70t/C/hato a depth of 70cm.

“Overall, similar volumes of bio-mass are being grown in both reg-ions but the difference in the vol-ume of carbon storage is attributa-ble to the rate of decomposition,driven by climate,” Ms Orgill said.

She said Boorowa’s non-seasonalrainfall pattern made summer rain

the prime time for organic decom-position – in the wet soil, organismswere more active.

“In the Monaro winter, when themoisture is available for decompo-sition, organisms are less active,” shesaid.

In both regions, a significant pro-portion of this carbon was storedat depths greater than 30cm.

At the Boorowa sites, more than15 tonnes of carbon was stored onaverage in the 30-70cm soil depth,while in the Monaro, the amountwas more than 20 tonnes.

Two sites that had not been underagricultural management for morethan 20 years were also sampled.

“Interestingly, these sites had sim-ilar levels of total organic carbon tothe long-term perennial pastures,”Ms Orgill said.

“The general view is that agricul-ture reduces the amount of carbonstored in the soil compared to nativesystems but I think through agricul-tural management we could exceedthe amount.

“I think some soils have far greatercapacity to store carbon.

“Perennial pastures in particularcan accumulate more organic mat-ter in the 30 to 100cm soil depth thansome types of native vegetation.

“At this depth the soil profile soilis generally less saturated with car-bon so it can hold and protect more.”

This research highlights the roleof climate in sequestering carbon inagricultural soils and the impor-tance of subsoil carbon accumula-tion.

“We know the capacity of soil tosequester carbon depends on theamount of biomass produced andreturned to the soil and the soil’sprotective capacity,” Ms Orgill said.

“Climate, temperature and rain-fall strongly influences both of theseprocesses – that is, how much wecan grow, where, and how long itwill stay in the soil.”

Ms Orgill’s PhD is funded by theFuture Farm Industries Co-opera-tive Research Centre, NSW DPI andSouthern Rivers CMA.■ Contact Susan Orgill,Queanbeyan,susan.orgill@industry.nsw.gov.auor (02) 6298 0806.

8 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

Excited by the soil carbonvolumes found deeper down

Postgraduate researcher, Susan Orgill, says a significant proportion of carbon was stored at depths between30 centimetres and 70cm in soil core samples (background and below) from the Boorowa and Monaro regions.

Frosts appear to correlate with El Niño

INCIDENCE and severity offrosts appear to be highlycorrelated to cycles of the ElNiño Southern Oscillation(ENSO).

Frost data is often hard tocome by and relies heavily onthe diligence of the observernetwork and can be very sitedependent.

For accurate assessments,air temperature is measuredin a shaded enclosure calleda Stevenson Screen at aheight of approximately 1.2metres above the ground.

Typically, minimum

temperatures of two degreescelsius in the screen equateto frost conditions at groundlevel.

Lower temperatures meanmore severe frost.

In a recent desktop study,staff from the Bureau ofMeteorology reviewed thetrend in frost incidence at sixlocations in the NSW grainbelt since 1961 andcorrelations with cycles of theENSO based on sea surfacetemperature analysis.

The sites were Hay, WaggaWagga, Cowra, Dubbo,Gunnedah and Moree.

Analysis revealed a declinein the number of frosts at allfour sites from 1961-2010 byapproximately 10 per centeach decade, the exceptionbeing Wagga Wagga.

The most significant decline

was in Cowra, whichaveraged a decline of ninefrost days per decade; leastsignificant was Wagga Waggawhich averaged a decline ofonly 0.9 days per decade.

El Niño patterns typicallyhad greatest influence on thenumber of frosts and theseverity of frosts in a year,particularly in the southernsites, although impacts werealso observed at bothGunnedah and Moree.

El Niño (dry) years aregenerally associated withwarmer day time temperaturesand La Niña (wet) years withcooler days.

While the analysis showedless frost days, El Nino yearsalso appear to extend thepotential frost period in aseason and may affectanthesis in winter cereals.

Climate forecast productssuch the Bureau’s PredictiveOcean Atmosphere Model(POAMA) become moreaccurate as we enter theearlier winter months.

Current POAMA forecastsindicate continued warming ofPacific sea surfacetemperatures, indicativeof El Niño conditions and ashift in Indian Oceantemperatures, indicative ofa positive Indian OceanDipole.

While it is wise to keepwatching these forecastpredictors, it is commonknowledge now that suchpatterns have historicallyreduced the probability ofwinter and spring rain in theMurray Darling Basin.■ This column is also online atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

Farmer of the Year applications:Applicants for the 2011 NSW Farmer of the Yearand Young Farmer of the Year Awards areencouraged to get their nominations in nowbefore entries close next Thursday, June 9.

The annual awards recognise the best farmersin NSW, focusing on their agriculturalmanagement skills, their use of innovation,profitability, environmental sustainability andcommunity involvement.

The finalists play an important part in promotingthe sector and educating urban audiences aboutfarmers’ contributions on many levels.

North Coast blueberry grower, Ridley Bell,winner of the 2010 title, has described the awardas a rewarding experience.

The awards are an initiative of the NSWFarmers’ Association and NSW Department ofPrimary Industries, with support from The Landand the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.

The Young Farmer of the Year award is open tofarmers aged 16-35 years, while the Farmer ofthe Year award is open to all farmers aged over35 years.

The Young Farmer receives $5000, and theFarmer of the Year wins $10,000.■ Application forms are available atwww.nswfarmers.org.au or atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au, and entries closeThursday, June 9.

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AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 9● ● ● ●

Better worldwidegreenhouse accountsPROMINENT NSW Department

of Primary Industries (DPI) res-earcher, Dr Annette Cowie, was the

only Australian among a small and selectgroup who met near London recentlyto talk about global soil carbon moni-toring standards and methodologies.

Dr Cowie is director of the NationalCentre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Res-earch, a partnership between NSW DPIand the University of New England.

“The meeting at Rothamsted Researchwas sponsored by the United KingdomBiotechnology and Biological SciencesResearch Council and the Energy Tech-nologies Institute, and supported by Pro-fessor Sir John Beddington, the chiefscientific adviser to the UK Govern-ment,” Dr Cowie said.

“A major outcome will be recommen-dations for how methods for soil carbonestimation, based on a combination ofmodelling and measurement, can beimproved.

“This is needed to more accurately acc-ount for greenhouse gas emissions and

sequestration associated with soil carbonchanges in agricultural and forestry sys-tems across the globe.

“The workshop will also provide rec-ommendations to improve managementof biomass production systems to inc-rease sustainability of bioenergy, espe-cially with respect to soil health.”

The group will also suggest options tomodify the current greenhouse gas acc-ounting approach for bioenergy, to pro-vide incentives for improved sustaina-bility of supply.

Dr Cowie sees bioenergy as a signifi-cant future low-carbon renewable ener-gy source but said there was a need forglobal fine-tuning of policies that pro-mote sustainability.

“It is often considered carbon neutralbecause carbon released during combus-tion is taken up again by plant regrowth,”she said.

“However, there are concerns that int-ensive biomass production systemscould partially negate the climate changebenefit of bioenergy.

“Soil carbon stocks could be depletedif biomass production removes wholeplants, compared to removal of just grain

or logs in conventional cropping or for-est systems,” Dr Cowie said.

“Particular concerns surround thereplacement of tropical forest on peat-lands with oil palm plantations.

“This can cause huge losses of biomassand soil carbon.”

Dr Cowie said the expansion of bio-energy could cause “indirect land usechange” if use of agricultural land forbioenergy crops led to deforestation else-where to supply land for food, feed andfibre products.

“In contrast, sustainable options forbiomass production, such as throughcoppiced eucalypts in agroforestry sys-tems, would avoid these pressures,” DrCowie said.

“It is important to design policies thatencourage sustainable bioenergy sys-tems, and reduce incentives for land usechanges that may have negative conse-quences in greenhouse and other res-pects.

“To do this we need better scientificunderstanding of processes that affectsoil carbon during land use change.”■ Contact Annette Cowie, Armidale,annette.cowie@une.edu.au

Dr Annette Cowie says sustainable options for biomass production, such asthrough coppiced eucalypts in agroforestry systems, would avoid “indirectland use change” where growing bioenergy crops on agricultural land leads todeforestation elsewhere to supply land for food, feed and fibre products.

HOWARD SPENCERCoffs Harbour

Creating robust and responsive grazingA CLIMATE adaptation program forsouthern NSW is continuing to assessfactors that producers can control.

The Southern Livestock Adaptation2030 program has been looking at theimpact of long term weather changes.

“Regardless of what policy is in place,producers have to deal with the weath-er as it comes,” said NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) grazing sys-tems specialist, Phil Graham.

“You are looking for robust farm sys-tems that handle the changes, and pol-icy arguments now occurring in the pub-lic forum are partly a distraction fromthe issues that farmers always need toconsider.

“We’re talking about a potential 1.2degrees warmer by 2030 across south-ern NSW – and half of this has alreadyoccurred – plus 15 per cent less rain.”

This program funded by the FederalDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheriesand Foresty is examining how manage-ment changes can modify the impacts.

Mr Graham (pictured) said a sheep

producer in the Trangie region who imp-lemented a genetic change which imp-roved the gross margin of a Merinooperation by $10 per dry sheep equiva-lent, in today prices, would financiallycover the slight decrease in stocking raterequired to manage with lower pastureproduction by 2030.

“An improvement of $10/DSE over 10years is achievable with current genet-ics,” he said.

“Even allowing for the extra expense

in changing a ram team over in one year,the cash flow position of the businesswould be better in five years and wouldcontinue to improve for 10 years untilthe benefits of the change flowed throughthe flock.”

Mr Graham said the benefits of thisexample could apply to all areas of sou-thern NSW.

Catchment Management Authoritiesare encouraging summer feedlots whichsave pasture from being killed and main-tain ground cover.

“As the pasture growth season becomesshorter, summer feedlots will help main-tain a higher stocking rate to use the bet-ter winter production that will occurwith warmer winters.

The genetic benefits in the Trangieexample added to the feedlot benefitscreate a more robust grazing system,responsive to weather changes now andin 20 years.■ Contact Phil Graham, Yass,phil.graham@industry.nsw.gov.au0428 272 552.

Calculating nitrogen lost as ammoniaFIELD measurements will start thiswinter to measure nitrogen lost asammonia from fertiliser applied tocropping paddocks in northwestNSW, using ammonia measuring mastssuch as the one pictured right.

Data will help farmers better managerisks involved in surface fertiliser appli-cations, both pre-crop and in-crop.

“It is well known that soil-incorpo-rated fertilisers are relatively safe fromvolatilisation loss, but the potentiallosses from surface application havenot been documented for the north-ern grains region,” said NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries (DPI) soilscientist, Dr Graeme Schwenke.

Volatilisation is the process of nitro-gen loss from the soil solution intothe atmosphere as the gas ammonia.

Farmers are increasingly looking toapply nitrogen in-crop, in response tothe crop growth potential, rather thanapply all fertiliser at sowing.

Dr Schwenke said a potentially signif-icant proportion of fertiliser applied tothe soil surface may be lost if not soonfollowed by sufficient rain.

“A range of factors can contribute tothe magnitude of these losses, includ-ing soil properties such as pH and limecontent, and weather conditions ofhumidity and wind speed,” he said.

“Potential cost savings could be sub-stantial, given the increasinglylarge proportion of crop budg-ets being spent on fertilisers.”

Nitrogen losses as ammonia volatil-isation will be assessed in a range offarmers’ paddocks with different soil

properties and climatic conditions, ina two and a half year project fundedby the Grains Research and Develop-ment Corporation.

“We will compare losses from severalproducts applied at padd-ocks both with and withoutnaturally-occurring sur-

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10 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011

Useful BoMweather pageson the internet

THE Bureau of Meteorology web-site is a treasure trove of facts,figures and statistics about our

weather and climate.It is so rich in content it can be hard

to find what you want, so here is a guideto some of the most useful pages forlandholders.

Water and the Land (WaTL): TheBureau has designed WaTL as the mainentry point for people on the land.

If you want to know anything aboutyour local rainfall, cloud, wind, tem-perature, air pressure, humidity, eva-potranspiration or sunshine hours,this is the site for you.

You are also one click away from theSouthern Oscillation Index, all fore-casts and observations in Australia, his-toric climate statistics, and backgroundinformation about our weather andclimate.

The only thing to remember is whenyou are in any of these pages, whichare located all over the BoM website,you need to click the back arrow in thetop left hand corner of your screen toreturn to the WaTL home page.

Seasonal outlooks: This is one of theBoM’s most popular sites.

Each month the Bureau updates itsthree-month outlook for rainfall andmaximum and minimum tempera-tures, providing the information as theodds for exceeding the median rain-fall or temperature.

The median is based on historicalstatistics.

This site also gives you the latestupdate on El Niño and La Niña andstreamflow outlooks.

You can access this site through thelink above or through WaTL.

El Niño and La Niña: This is animportant site because ocean temper-atures in the Pacific and Indian oceanshave a huge influence on Australia’sclimate.

It provides fortnightly updates onocean surface temperatures (illustrat-ed) and subsurface temperatures, themovement of the Southern OscillationIndex, trade winds, cloudiness, andcomputer model outlooks for bothoceans.

The site contains a map showingocean surface temperature anomaliesfrom the median for the time of year.

Climate Data Online: This is a fasci-nating site which gives you access toall historical weather observations forlocations all over Australia.

For your nearest location you canfind complete daily weather observa-tions for the current month and theprevious 14 months.

You can get all records of daily andmonthly rainfalls, maximum andminimum temperatures, and hoursof solar exposure that are available.

The information is available in tablesand in graphs.

Monthly statistics for each of theseindices are also available.

You can access this site through itsown link or through WaTL.

Australian Water Availability Pro-ject: BoM is one of the partners inthis project, which provides up to datemaps for surface and subsurface soilmoisture.

The maps show water availability aspercentiles or as a fraction of satura-tion.

Maps are also available for other ind-ices such as temperature, rainfall andevaporation, and historic maps areavailable back to 1900.

Wet farm walkers paddle tosuccessful floodplain grazingA RECENT rainy farm walk on theRichmond floodplain coveredthe advantages of retaining waterto make wet pastures productive.

NSW DPI presenters, Carol Rose,Trevor Rose and Bede Clarke,covered plant identification andnut-ritional values, optimal grow-wing conditions, management toencourage or discourage partic-ular species, and animal healthissues.

The day was part of the SoilHealth for Floodplain Graziersproject, funded by the NorthernRivers Catchment Management(NRCMA).

The Authority has providedmany landholders with incentivefunding for on-ground worksand members of its board joinedthe farm walk to the wet pasturearea on Peter and Cheryl Mar-shall’s property at Coraki.

NRCMA incentive funding hasenabled farmers to improve soilhealth and protect vulnerable areas.

Previous work between farmers andthe NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) has identified watercouch as an important pasture spe-cies that thrives in wetter conditions.

Water couch enables farmers to bet-ter use the lowest sections of their

properties and reduce the environ-mental impact of farming in uniqueconditions on a fragile part of thefloodplain, according to NSW DPIsoil advisory officer at Wollongbar,Abigail Jenkins.

“Elevation and soil type play a largepart in determining which speciescan provide productive pasture withminimum impact on the environ-ment,” Ms Jenkins said.

“After the farm walk, most ofthe landholders who went alongsaid they would increase thediversity of their pastures.

“Doing so can reduce season-al pasture shortages.

“On other farms this has alsomeant less money spent on fer-tilisers and increased produc-tion.”

The farm walkers also discus-sed how they could minimiseblack water entering river estu-ary and better manage acid sul-fate scald areas.

Black water contains low con-centrations of oxygen, the resultof standing water covering veg-etation in warm conditions.

It damages vegetation and aqu-atic life on the floodplain andin rivers and estuaries.

Scalding often results wherethe water stands too long over acidsulfate soils.

NSW DPI’s Simon Walsh presen-ted an overview of black water andthe factors influencing fish kills, withhistorical photos of fish kills from thelate 1800s.■ Contact Abigail Jenkins,Wollongbar,abigail.jenkins@industry.nsw.gov.auor (02) 6626 1357.

NSW DPI district agronomist, Carol Rose, discusses the management of wet pastures on the Richmond floodplain.

Landholders Peter Marshall and Barry Hermanidentify plants using the book Legumes and Herbsof the North Coast of NSW.

REBECCA LINES-KELLYWollongbar

■ Water and the Land (WaTL) –www.bom.gov.au/watl/index.shtml■ Seasonal outlooks –www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/■ El Niño and La Niña –www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/■ Climate Data Online –www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/index.shtml■ Australian Water Availability Project –www.eoc.csiro.au/awap/

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AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 11● ● ● ●

Adapting sorghum to meet change THE cropping model Agri-

cultural Production SystemsSimulator (APSIM) has offered

some insight into the performance ofexisting strategies developed to copewith future climate change forsorghum in north western NSW.

“APSIM has also explored methodsfor managing current climate vari-ability,” said Fiona Scott, a NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI) economist at Tamworth.

“The strategies tested include varia-tions to crop residues at sowing,plant population, row configuration,sowing time and variety maturity.”

The climate of northern NSW by2030 is likely to be warmer and drier.

Simulations based on a historicalbenchmark climate period between1961 and 1999 and projections for2030 were conducted for sorghum,using a Global Climate Model CSIROMk 3.5-A2 scenario.

By 2030, CSIRO Mk 3.5 predictsmaximum and minimum tempera-tures will rise between 1.6C and 1.7C

and rainfall will decrease by 10 to 11per cent at Moree.

“Gross margin budgets were used toestimate individual crop profitabilityunder any change in variability underboth recent climatic conditions andthe 2030 climate scenario,” Ms Scottsaid.

A long-term average price of $190 atonne was used.

Since the model was for continuoussorghum, fallow costs from June toSeptember were used ($64 perhectare) plus estimated typical grow-ing costs, based on current NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI) gross margin budgets forsorghum in northern NSW.

An example economic analysis atMoree focused on the interactionbetween row configuration of solidplant, single skip and double skip andplant populations of three, five andseven plants per square metre with amedium maturity variety, Octobersowing, average stubble levels and 100kilograms of nitrogen per hectare.

In the base time period 1961-1999,the option with the highest averagegross margin per hectare – $479/ha, -was solid plant configuration ateither three or five plants per m2.

Growers in the Moree area haveindicated interest in double skip con-figurations when a dry season isexpected.

In low in-crop rainfall years (thelowest 30pc of years), the highestaverage gross margin - $241/ha - wasfrom double skip at three plants/m2.

However the double skip configura-tion would be a disadvantage in yearswith high in-crop rainfall.

In high in-crop rainfall years (thehighest 30pc of years), the highestaverage gross margin was from solidplant at seven plants/m2 ($876/ha).

For 2030 projected average grossmargins, the option with the highestaverage gross margin per hectare –$424/ha - was solid plant configura-tion at five plants/m2.

In low in-crop rainfall years, thehighest average gross margin –

$252/ha – was double skip at threeplants/m2.

In high in-crop rainfall years, thehighest average gross margin –$809/ha - was from solid plant at 5plants/m2.

For 2030, solid plant at fiveplants/m2 generated the highestoverall average gross margin – it wasthe same configuration as that for the1961-99 period – but gross marginwas 11 per cent lower.

Emerging technologies such as“Stay-Green” traits may alter theseresults, however, APSIM does notcurrently have the physiology of suchvarieties in the model framework.

Ms Scott’s associates, Bruce Haighand De Li Liu at NSW DPI, and BobMartin at the Primary IndustriesInnovation Centre (PIIC) con-tributed to the modelling.

They say APSIM can produce usefulresults for climate change adaptationscenarios in northern NSW.

Further analysis of yield drivers isto be done.

Recent CSIRO reports on GlobalClimate Models’ levels of predictiveskill for Australia have indicated ahigh variation between models, andfurther work along these lines willrequire selection of the best fornorthern NSW and Queensland.

Further economic analysis andmodelling will include comparisonsof the better options for each crop inprojected 2030 climate conditions,and modelling for maize, wheat andwheat-summer crop rotations.

The Australian Centre for Inter-national Agricultural Research, thePrimary Industries Innovation Cen-tre, the University of New Eng-land and NSW DPI supported theresearch.

You can read current NSW DPIgross margin budgets for sorghum innorthern NSW at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/farm-business/budgets■ Contact Fiona Scott, Tamworth,fiona.scott@industry.nsw.gov.au(02) 6763 1156.

PRIMARY producers from variousindustries in the lower HawkesburyNepean Catchment have been openingtheir gates for deliveries of compostand mulch.

Since November 2009, 30,000 cubicmetres of compost has been deliveredto vegetable growers, turf farms,orchards, grazing and dairy farmers inthe Hawkesbury Nepean region.

This month will mark coverage of400 hectares, in a project thought to bethe largest of its kind in Australia.

The compost is being providedthrough the NutrientSmart Farmsproject, which aims to improve waterquality in the Hawkesbury Nepeanriver system, by reducing nutrientrunoff.

The project is undertaking on-ground works, capacity building andeducation with primary producerlandholders, to reduce the export ofnitrogen by more than 70 tonnes peryear and phosphorous by more than15 tonnes per year.

Compost workshops are being heldin a number of locations, covering dif-

ferent agricultural enterprises involvedin the project.

At the workshops, farmers have dis-covered the benefits compost canbring to soil health and structure,reductions in water use, improvednutrient availability and bed stability.

“A Richmond grower, ValentineMicallef, says the application of com-post has helped maintain the structureof his formed beds after recent heavyrain,” said NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) educationofficer, Virginia Brunton.

“Areas of paddocks that would nor-mally show reduced growth due to ahigher proportion of sand are nowshowing crop improvement.

“Mr Micallef is so convinced he isplanting out areas he vowed oncenever to plant on again.

“At another site, Camden Park, thefarmers have participated in a researchtrial monitoring the impact of compost.

“Early results indicate an increase insoil carbon and improvement in soilstructure, making the heavy soil easier towork.”

An important part of the project wasto bring compost suppliers and farm-ers together, each understanding theneeds of the other.

Ms Brunton said the project hasraised awareness of the importance ofhigh quality, contaminant free com-post.

“Farmers now realise they have to askfor and be prepared to pay for qualitymaterial and the producers now knowthey have to supply a high qualityproduct if the good name of compostis to be preserved,” she said.

More field days, workshops, anddemonstrations will be held.

The project is funded through theAustralian Government’s Water for theFuture Program and is part of theHawkesbury Nepean River RecoveryProgram.

NutrientSmart Farms is a joint ini-tiative between NSW DPI and theHawkesbury-Nepean CatchmentManagement Authority.■ Contact Virginia Brunton, Gosford,virginia.brunton@industry.nsw.gov.au(02) 4348 1900.

Farmers participated in a research trial monitoring the impact of compost at Camden Park. RIGHT: Parts of Richmond growerValentine Micallef’s sandier paddocks that would normally show reduced growth are now showing crop improvement from thecompost and he is planting out areas he vowed once never to plant again.

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12 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

DNA barcoding can accuratelyand rapidly identify destruc-tive gypsy moths using minuteamounts of insect material.

Gypsy moth caterpillars ann-ually cause millions of dollars’damage to overseas forestryreserves, native forests andsome crops.

Although the moth is not nat-urally occurring in Australia,quarantine has interceptedadults and their egg masseshitching rides on imports.

Distinguishing adult gypsymoths from closely relatednon-pest species by morphol-ogy is no easy task and identi-fying isolated egg masses to aparticular moth is in most casesimpossible.

So there is a need for an alter-ernative method to provideaccurate and rapid speciesidentifications of interceptedsamples at all stage of their lifecycles.

NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI)researcher, Dr DavidGopurenko,colleaguesat theAustralianMuseum andoverseas collabora-tors have shownthat DNA barcodingis the answer.

“Barcoding rapidly providesvaluable information at thevery early stages of a pestincursion,” Dr Gopurenkosaid.

“Material obtained from small

amounts of sampled tissue, suchas an egg or a leg, is enough toanalyse.

“The sampled DNA barcodeis compared against a DNA

barcodereference

librarydeveloped

from mus-eum voucher

specimensto identify

specieswith greater

confidence, much fasterthan standard identificationmethods.”

DNA barcoding of gypsymoths has also provided someinsight into the genetic varia-tion among geographically dis-tant global populations.

This information is useful foridentifying possible sourcesand pathways of an incursion,and for determining mitigationresponses.

Dr Gopurenko is currentlycollaborating to develop DNAbarcode libraries for a varietyof economically importantinsect groups, including leaf-hoppers, biting midges andwhiteflies, and some impor-tant fungi and plant groups.

The work, conducted at theDNA barcoding facility atWagga Wagga AgriculturalInstitute, is funded by the NSWGovernment’s BioFirst initia-tive.■ Contact David Gopurenko,Wagga Wagga,david.gopurenko@industry.nsw.gov.au (02) 6938 1946.

DNA barcode to identifyintercepted gypsy moths

BLOOD cards will replace hairsamples as the preferred methodfor dermatosparaxis testing.

Dermatosparaxis is a fatal inheritedconnective tissue disorder charac-terised by extreme skin fragility, cau-sed by the presence of abnormal col-lagen in the skin.

The condition has been document-ed in multiple sheep breeds, includ-ing white dorpers, and also in cattleand humans (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrometype VIIC).

To help breeders, the genetics labo-ratory at the Elizabeth MacarthurAgricultural Institute has validated analternative sample collection methodusing blood cards.

“The impetus for this validation wasto improve the overall service quality,by reducing the number of failed res-ults due to poor quality hair samples,”said technical officer, Naomi Porter.

Since the inception of a DNA-basedscreening test for dermatosparaxis in

white dorpers, 6.1 per cent of samplessubmitted have failed to produce aresult.

Many of the failed samples are attri-buted to seasonal variation in thequality of hair samples from sheep.

The new blood card method is notinfluenced by these environmentalconditions and will help breeders tomeet deadlines that rely on DNA testresults.

Mrs Porter led the development ofthe blood card.

“The laboratory continues to encou-rage screening for the DNA mutationresponsible for dermatosparaxis inwhite dorpers,” she said.

“The Dorper Society and its mem-

bers have made an enormous effort,both nationally and overseas, to iden-tify at-risk individuals.”

From the samples submitted for DNAtesting, 12.1pc have been identified ascarriers (with one copy of the defec-tive gene), and six affected individu-als with two copies have been diag-nosed.

The adoption of the DNA screeningtest by Dorper breeders has allowedthem to better manage their breedingprograms to reduce the incidence ofthis fatal condition.■ Contact Dr Brendon O’Rourke,Camden,genetics@industry.nsw.gov.au(02) 4640 6474.

Technical officer, Naomi Porter, punches five tiny discs from the blood card,extracts the DNA, then processes the sample through real time Polymerase ChainReaction. RIGHT: The blood card.

LEFT:Dermatosparaxisis a fatal tissuedisordercharacterised byextreme skinfragility. Photo:Department ofAgriculture andFood, WesternAustralia.

New method found forfragile skin sampling

LEFT:Researcher, DrDavidGopurenko,says DNAbarcoding willrapidlydistinguishbetween pestand non-pestgypsy mothspecies.AustralianQuarantine hasinterceptedadults and theiregg masseshitching rideson imports.

Phot

o: S

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Entries will be on display at the Show for visitors to view the stunning high-end products made from timber–a sustainable and renewable resource.

Visit the Forests NSW stand to enter the People’s Choice Award.There’s a prize for one lucky voter who chooses the winning piece.

The Forests NSW stand will also feature information on three great reasons to choose timber and International Year of Forests 2011.

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AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 13● ● ● ●

Markers for heat tolerancein durum and bread wheatGRAIN yield and bread-mak-

ing end-use quality of Aust-ralian wheat crops is already

seriously impacted by the frequentoccurrence of short heat eventsgreater than 35 degrees celsius, latein the growing season.

With global warming, this situa-tion is only set to worsen, with sig-nificant implications for farm pro-ductivity and world food security.

Wheat varieties in commercialproduction were developed for opt-imal performance under currentclimatic conditions.

With global warming, the expect-ed increase in the frequency andmagnitude of extreme heat eventswill require varieties with improvedheat tolerance to maintain produc-tivity.

NSW Department of Primary Ind-ustries (DPI) is a partner to newresearch collaboration to study heattolerance in Australian wheat, ledby the Australian Centre for PlantFunctional Genomics (University ofAdelaide) and including researchersfrom the International Centre forResearch in Dryland Agriculture(ICARDA), Syria.

Tolerance to heat stress is a diffi-cult trait for the wheat breeder toselect.

Natural heat events are unpredic-table and almost invariably accom-panied by water deficit.

Furthermore, tolerance is geneti-cally and physiologically complex,and its expression varies accordingto exactly when the stress occursduring development.

For decades, researchers have rel-ied on the end-product (grain yield)as an indicator of heat tolerance,that is, plants that produced well inhot conditions are considered heattolerant.

But are they?Some varieties are good at “heat

avoidance”, which means they have

heat-coping strategies without act-ually being heat tolerant.

These plants tend to cool them-selves during periods of high tem-perature by maintaining open leafpores, called stomata, which pro-vide a form of evaporative cool-ing.

This increases water extraction

from the soil, and could become aliability when water is limited.

Other plants have true tolerancemechanisms that allow them to pro-tect critical physiological processeswhen their tissues are heated to hightemperature.

As yet, the molecular processesgoverning heat tolerance in durumand bread wheat are unknown.

With funding from the GrainsResearch and Development Corpo-ration, the program will developand apply controlled environment(growth chamber and greenhouse)assays to identify sources of heattolerance in Australian and exoticlines of durum and bread wheat.

In parallel, germplasm will begrown at the NSW DPI field site atLeeton to assess grain yield andgrain quality under Australian heatstress conditions.

Tolerant lines identified will thenbe tested for regional adaptation,by growing them in the ManagedEnvironment Facilities (MEF) atMerredin, Yanco and Narrabri –sites being specifically set up toscreen for heat and water stress.

The project also aims to identifyheat tolerant bread and durumwheats suitable for genetic studies,which are becoming increasinglyeasier with the emergence of newimproved genomics resources forwheat.

These genetic studies will providemolecular markers to allow selec-tion of heat tolerance without theneed for unreliable field-based tests.■ Contact Dr Livinus Emebiri,Wagga Wagga,livinus.emebiri@industry.nsw.gov.auor (02) 6938 1629.

LIVINUS EMEBIRIWagga Wagga

According to cereal geneticist at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, DrLivinus Emebiri, some wheat varieties are good at “heat avoidance”, whichmeans they have heat-coping strategies without actually being heat tolerant.

Wild chickpeas breed disease resistanceTHE national chickpea breedingprogram based at Tamworth Agri-cultural Institute has made consid-erable progress in adapting the cropto Australia, however progress insome key areas is constrained by alack of genetic variability.

The genesis of this problem tracesback to the domestication of chick-pea 10,000 years ago in the fertilecrescent of the Middle-East.

Domestication of crop plant spe-cies stands out as one of mankind’sgreatest achievements: a reliablefood supply was a pre-requisite forthe emergence of civilised commu-nities.

The flip side, however, is the nar-row gene pool that emerged fromthe domestication bottleneck.

Following the development ofchickpea varieties with improvedresistance to Ascochyta blight, themajor disease problem in Australia,emphasis in the breeding programis now expanding to include twoother important diseases, Phytoph-thora root rot (PRR) and Root-lesion nematode (RLN).

PRR is a peculiarly Australian pro-blem: northern NSW and south-ern Qld are the only regions in theworld where it causes significantproduction losses in chickpea.

Moderate levels of resistance havebeen identified in the chickpeagermplasm and incorporated intovarieties such as Jimbour, Yorkerand PBA HatTrick.

However, these varieties can stillbe affected by the disease under fav-ourable conditions (especially above

average rain leading to waterloggedsoils).

RLN is significant because bothchickpea and the winter cereal crops(wheat, barley) grown either beforeor after it are susceptible, so there arelimited opportunities for reducingdisease inoculum in the soil.

As with Phytophthora, there isonly limited resistance to RLN inthe world chickpea collection.

Fortunately for breeders, chickpeacan be hybridised with two closelyrelated species: Cicer reticulatum (theprogenitor species) and C. echinos-permum.

Representing the genetic diversi-ty of chickpea prior to domestica-tion, these two species are a verita-ble Aladdin’s cave, offering an arrayof riches, especially in the form ofresistance to many diseases.

Nearly 20 years ago, pathologistsand breeders at Tamworth discov-ered C. echinospermum accessionswere highly resistant to Phytoph-thora.

Soon after, Dr John Thompson,from the Queensland Departmentof Primary Industries’ Leslie Res-earch Centre, Toowoomba, showedboth wild relatives were highly res-istant to RLN.

Separate breeding sub-programswere then initiated to transfer resis-tance to the two pathogens intochickpea.

Although the wild species are clo-sely related to chickpea, they eachhave a number of undesirable fea-tures (eg. prostrate habit, shatter-ing pods, rough or spiny seedcoats)

that require repeated backcrossingto chickpea to eliminate.

The team at Tamworth is nearingthe end of the process, having rem-oved the primitive, adaptive char-acteristics and replaced them with“domesticated” features such asupright plant type, non-shatteringpods and seeds that look like nor-mal chickpeas.

A large number of lines are now setto enter the mainstream breedingprogram.

Those lines will this year be ent-ered in stage one regional trials for

the first time to assess their yieldpotential.

If all goes to plan, new varietieswith a broader range of disease res-istance could be in farmers’ fieldsby 2016.

Chickpea is now established as animportant rotational crop in north-ern NSW where it plays a criticalrole in replenishing soil nitrogenand breaking the cereal disease cycle.

– TED KNIGHTS■ Contact Kristy Hobson,Tamworth, (02) 6763 1174,kristy.hobson@industry.nsw.gov.au

Fortunately for breeders, chickpea can be hybridised with two closely relatedspecies, Cicer echinospermum (pictured) and C. reticulatum, for resistance tophytophthora root rot and root-lesion nematode.

Harvesters threaten lupins: Interstateimporters of harvesting machinery into NSWhave been reminded they must comply withmovement conditions aimed at preventing theintroduction of the devastating disease lupinanthracnose.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSWDPI) Director of Plant Biosecurity, Dr SatendraKumar, said anyone wishing to import used grainharvesting machinery from Western Australia andSouth Australia must first obtain a permit.

Download fromwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/permits

Dogs collared before aerial baiting:In an ongoing program, a total of 39 dogs trappedin the Walcha, Macleay and Hastings areas onprivate land, State forests and National Parks, arenow fitted with collars housing global positioningsystem (GPS) tracking devices.

Researchers will use GPS loggers to work outexactly where the dogs travel and where theytake the baits when aerial baiting trials occur.

The collars are also equipped with a mortalitysensor so researchers know if the dogs are alive.

Water management charges: Newwater management charges set by theIndependent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal willbe implemented from July 1.

Some sectors have raised concerns about howthe prices have been determined and PrimaryIndustries Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, hascommitted to a review of bulk water charges.

■ Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/recent-news/agriculture-news-releases for these and other regular newsupdates and information from NSW DPI.

In BriefIn Brief

Photo: Sharon Kiss

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For more information aboutNatural Resource Management,

please contact theBorder Rivers-Gwydir CMA

in Inverell on (02) 6728 8020or Moree on (02) 6757 2550

or visit our website atwww.brg.cma.nsw.gov.au

June 2011 Border Rivers-Gwydir CMAChairman’s ColumnSunday 5th June 2011 celebrates World EnvironmentDay and provides us with a good opportunity to reflect onwhat’s been happening in our “backyard” to contribute tothe health of our landscapes.The Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment ManagementAuthority (CMA) is one of 56 regional natural resourcemanagement (NRM) organisations that work withlandholders and community members around the countryto help them look after their land for future generations.In 2009-2010 in NSW alone, 2113 community eventswere held by NRM organisations with 33,025 participantsand 2964 partnerships were formed with landholders toimprove the management of their natural resources on69,369 hectares of land. Also, across the state, 350,223hectares of native vegetation was enhanced orrehabilitated.You might still be wondering what’s been happening inthe backyard of the Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA. In 2009-2010 we developed 81 partnerships and invested morethan $6.5 million with farmers, community groups,schools, government agencies and industry groups in theregion.This figure was substantially supported by thesepartners through their significant contribution of over $2million.This resulted in the management of 19,282hectares of land for improved natural resourcemanagement outcomes.The Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA funded, supported orparticipated in 56 events in the 2009-2010 year at whichalmost 2,500 people from within and outside thecatchment area attended.Throughout 2009-10, $148,000 was invested to supportthe catchment’s environmental education network andconduct workshops for students and teachers to increasetheir knowledge and skills in natural resourcemanagement.We invested more that $2 million in on-ground worksfrom Collarenebri to Tenterfield and Boggabilla to Bellatato manage weeds of national significance, invasivespecies, native vegetation, soil condition, salinity, waterquality, wetlands and riverine ecosystems.To help us celebrate World Environment Day, why nottake some time to think about how you can help lookafter our land for future generations.

14 AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011● ● ● ●

Avoid ‘home brews’ but hitmice before winter planting

Still time to scan ontablelands for lambs

Grass shelter helpsEverGraze survival

RESIDUAL populations ofswarming mice are expected tosurvive winter and baiting tospread again in spring.

Cold weather will slow downbreeding but mice will survive bydigging a little deeper into moistsoil or sheltering in stubble andpasture.

Several chemical options areavailable for mice control forcrops but they’re now in highdemand and you may face a wait,if you haven’t ordered yet.

Don’t be tempted to mix “homebrews” using insecticides andother chemicals.

Most mouse damage can beprevented by monitoring for theiractivity and acting early, prior towinter planting.

Implement control measures assoon as possible after you seethem.

Legitimately, bromadiolone(mixed with grain supplied bythe farmer) for perimeter baitingof crops is available from

Livestock Health and PestAuthorities (LHPA) under acurrent permit.

Authorities have treated morethan 100 tonnes of grain withbromadiolone – the most baitthey had prepared in more than adecade.

Perimeter baiting is a controlmeasure designed to preventmice moving into crops, so thetiming of this method isimportant.

Once mice are in-crop, zinc-phosphide coated grain is theregistered control measure.

This bait can be applied at arate of one kilogram per hectareand is very effective in knockingdown populations.

One grain of this bait will kill amouse, and each kilo contains upto 20,000 grains.

The cost for this chemicalshould be around $10 to $12 perkilo and is available from ruralsuppliers.

Zinc-phosphide manufacturershave also ramped up productionto between 20 and 30 tonnes aday.

Home brews on the other handhave been shown by research tobe ineffective in controlling micewhile also posing a considerablerisk to the environment, farm

animals, children and non-targetspecies.

They are also a major danger tooperators mixing these brews(apart from contraveningpesticide regulations).

It will be much better to waituntil you can get your hands onthe legitimate treatment.

Mice can become bait-shythrough poor practises,compounding the problem,making future control difficult.

The risk for crop damage couldextend into spring as well whencrops are running up to head.

It will be essential to monitornumbers during the growingperiod, because baiting may alsobe required later in the season.

Using a “pulse” technique - twoto three baits over three weeks -in July-August is a very effectivecontrol method if monitoringindicates mouse numbers maystill be high.

NSW DPI agronomists or LHPArangers can offer advice fromconsiderable experience fromprevious control campaigns andresearch, or visitwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/vertebrate-pests/mice■ This column is also online atwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agtoday

LAST month, Agriculture Todayreported Cooma livestock officerDoug Alcock’s work showing thatpaddock engineering – aligningfences with topography and add-ing wind breaks – could increaselamb survival and consequently,farm profits.

More good news in the samevein – the EverGraze Proof Site atHamilton, Victoria, found dur-ing 2009 that twin lamb mortal-ity was reduced by almost 40 percent in Merino and Coopworthewes through the use of perennialgrass hedgerows.

Acacia shrubs have been used aswindbreaks at the EverGraze site atWagga Wagga, with similar results.

Tall pasture species are sown inrows 10 to 15 metres apart and all-owed to grow rank during theirreproductive phase during spring.

A mixture of palatable perenn-ial grass and subterranean cloveris sown between the rows.

Perennial species suppress weedsand get away quickly after the aut-umn break, allowing pasture tobe saved for winter lambing.

They have the added advantageof drying out the soil over sum-mer, reducing waterlogging.

Tall wheatgrass (Tyrell hedges)between one metre and 1.2m widewere established 10m apart at theHamilton site during 2004.

The height and resilience of thetall wheatgrass stems means theyremain upright after animals movethrough the hedge.

When overgrown and rank, thespecies is relatively unpalatable,meaning stock will eat the inter-row forage, leaving the hedges rel-atively intact.

But producers must be vigilant intheir management of tall wheat-grass to ensure it does not invadeother areas because it presents ahigh weed risk

“Data from the EverGraze Wag-ga Wagga lamb survival trials sup-port the findings from Hamilton,”said Dr Michael Friend, with theEH Graham Centre.■ Visit www.evergraze.com.auor contact Dr Michael Friend,mfriend@csu.edu.au or (02) 6933 2285.

CLOSER management of pregnantewes isn’t hard and means grea-ter lamb survival at weaning time

arrives for Kate Davies, “Box Ridge”,Coonabarabran.

In the west of the State, active manage-ment of ewes during pregnancy coulddeliver as many as 12 per cent morelambs next spring, according to sheepand wool livestock officer, EdwardJoshua, with the NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI) at Dubbo.

“This is the year to scan ewes and iden-tify which sheep are carrying singlesand twins or triplets,” Mr Joshua said.

Scanning their flock told the Daviessomething they didn’t know.

“We’ve been guilty in the past of run-ning all the ewes together after weaningand wondering why some just neverseemed to be fat enough at joining, wouldscan dry and ultimately be culled,” MrsDavies said.

“It turns out that most of them werelast years’ twinners – our most produc-tive ewes.”

Mrs Davies said “for us, managementof breeding ewes is about available feedduring the breeding cycle”.

“We use scanning information, mon-itoring of available pasture and moni-toring of ewe fat score at critical stagesto track ewe progress and make deci-sions about what ewes will require fromthe available feed.

“Good conditions last spring and earlysummer made it easy to get our Merinoewes to a fat score three or four for anautumn joining, but that doesn’t hap-pen every year. “

In winter, their twinners will need thebest feed and a ration of grain and morefeed after weaning to recover their fatscore before next joining.

Mr Joshua said ewes in fat score twocould need extra nutrition, which couldinclude a barley supplement.

“Dry ewes can be sold,” he said.

“The art of pregnant ewe managementis to get the foetuses through to wean-ing with minimum losses.”■ Contact your local NSW DPI sheepand wool livestock officer, attend a

Making More From Sheep workshopon managing scanned ewes orparticipate in a Top Lamb Cropgroup or visitwww.makingmorefromsheep.com.au

Producers practicing fat scoring ewes at a recent “Making More From Sheep”workshop that focused on managing scanned ewes.

Lamb survival increased where shrub and pasture windbreaks createdshelter in EverGraze trials at Wagga Wagga and Hamilton, Victoria.

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LARGE gaps occurred in on-farmtree planting programs duringthe decade of drought and now,

higher than average rainfall offers anopportunity to starting rejuvenation.

“When better to plant more treesthan now, in the international year offorests,” asks Forests NSW Narranderanursery retail manager, Daniele Wood-en.

“On-farm tree planting can be aneasy component of management andwith the right advice, a profitable addi-tion to the income stream in the longterm,” Ms Wooden said.

“Unproductive tracts of land havepotential for wood production or to beset aside for tree planting for carbonsequestration and carbon offsets.”

Forests NSW has one metropolitanand five regional nurseries around theState, offering a wide selection ofnative plants in tube stocks, plant traysand advanced pots.

Ms Wooden said nursery staff weretrained, experienced locals who couldoffer planting options to suit individ-ual situations and the region.

“They also provide a big selection ofadvanced cultivated varieties of nativeplants, including grevilleas, grasses andgrafted gums,” she said.

“Trees and shrubs have a maximumchance of establishing quickly with fastgrowth rates and reduced likelihood oflosses.

“On-farm planting programs willalleviate the impacts of salinity, highwater table, and soil erosion fromflood, wind and heavy rains.

“Crops, stock and integrated pestmanagement programs all benefit fromnative tree planting.

“Tree plantings will increase theabundance and biodiversity of benefi-

cial organisms useful for managementof pest problems, provide shelter forstock, create windbreaks for the protec-tion of crops and pastures, assist withfire protection, and could even serve asdrought fodder.”■ Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au if youwould like more information oradvice as well as tree plantingproducts.

AGRICULTURE TODAY | Thursday, June 2, 2011 15● ● ● ●

Time to rejuvenatetrees on farms is now

Impact of plantingnew pine forest onsoil carbon stocks

Daniele Wooden at work in the Forests NSW Narrandera nursery.

Containerised pine seedlings being grown at Forests NSW Tumut nursery.

■ Narranderra – (02) 6959 1223■ Dubbo – (02) 6884 5319■ Muswellbrook – (02) 6543 2622■ Wagga Wagga – (02) 6931 2600■ Cumberland – (02) 9871 3222■ Gunnedah – ( 02) 6742 3126

Forests NSW NurseriesForests NSW Nurseries

SARAH CHESTERAlbury

Forests NSW delivers 9.8 million pine seedlingsFORESTS NSW is delivering 9.8 mil-lion radiata pine seedlings to forestsacross the State.

Forests NSW land management andforestry services director, Ross Dick-son, said the seedlings would be usedto regenerate some of the 205,000hectares of State forest pine plantationacross NSW, which contribute around$200 million to the NSW economyeach year.

“Most of the seedlings have been pro-duced at Forests NSW nursery atBlowering dam near Tumut,” he said.

“The nursery is reaping the benefitsof the Government’s $3 million devel-opment program to introduce contain-er stock into the nursery during thepast four years.

“Forests NSW move towards contain-er stock, as opposed to bare-rootedseedlings, has helped to ‘droughtproof ’ the nursery as well as a raft ofother benefits.

“Stage one of the $1.5 million devel-opment program, which began in2007, enabled the nursery to producean additional four million containerseedlings.

“Stage two of the expansion program,which is almost complete, will cost $1.5million and allow the nursery to growan additional five million containerseedlings.”

Mr Dickson said an additional 40casual staff have been employed atTumut nursery to help with the mas-sive lifting program now underway.

Lifting is due to conclude in earlySeptember.

Seedlings have also been dispatchedfrom Forests NSW nurseries atNarrandera and Grafton.

Seedling destinations are 4.5 millionto Hume Region (around Tumut andTumbarumba); 4 million to MacquarieRegion (around Bathurst, Orange,Lithgow and Oberon); 1.2 million tothe Monaro Region (around Bombalaand Moss Vale); and 70,000 to theNorthern Region (around Walcha).

Mr Dickson said the planting and re-establishment process was vital to thesustainability of the forestry industry.

The industry supports more than20,000 jobs.

– SARAH CHESTER

THE area of land on which pineplantations are grown in Aust-ralia and around the world isincreasing.

This is due to demand for tim-ber and wood products, and theclimate change mitigation poten-tial that forests offer.

A large proportion of futureexpansion of pine forest planta-tions is likely to occur on agricul-tural land, because availability ofalternative areas is limited.

Farmers in suitable locationsmay have the opportunity todiversify their operations anddevelop alternative incomesources.

While research has shown thatthe above ground biomass ofplantation forests is a substantialsink for atmospheric carbon, theestablishment of pine plantationshas been shown to cause a declinein soil carbon.

However, the biological, physi-cal and chemical drivers thatcause this loss of soilcarbon and the poten-tial for soil carbon to berecovered in forestsover time is poorlyunderstood.

To improve ourunderstanding of theimpact afforestation ofpastoral land has onsoil carbon stocks, aresearch project, led byDr BP Singh of theNSW Department ofPrimary Industries(DPI), is underway inthe Pinus radiataforests of the CentralTablelands of NSW.

Drs BP Singh, JamesQuilty and PushpinderMatta of NSW DPIhave selected 16 pairsof pine plantations ofdifferent ages and adja-cent pastures in low(700 millimetres a year)and high (1000mm/year) rainfall areas ofthe Central Tablelands.

The forests at theselected sites vary inage from young (up to12 years) through tomature stands (up to36 years).

Soil samples are being collectedfrom incremental depths between10 centimetres to 30cm from thepasture and to 40cm in the forest-ed areas for determination oftotal, dissolved and particulateorganic carbon contents.

The microbial biomass carbonwithin the top 10cm of the soilprofile in both pasture and pinewill also be determined.

“We will also quantify the rateof turnover of soil organic car-bon through the microbial pool,”Dr Singh said.

The project started in May 2010and will run until the end of thisyear.

This project is supported byfunding from the AustralianGovernment Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries and For-estry under its Forest IndustriesClimate Change Research Fund.■ Contact James Quilty,james.quilty@industry.nsw.gov.auor 0405 697 699.

James Quilty at Glenwood State Forest on MtCanobolas, taking soil samples with a hand auger.

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