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Australia’s defence against crippling biosecurity threats has been strengthened with the launch of the Charles Sturt University Biosecurity Hub.
The hub is a co-investment in research and training of almost $30 million to enhance the nation’s biosecurity defences, protecting our food, farms and communities.
The initiative was launched at the National Press Club in Canberra on August 20, with Deniliquin-based Murray Local Land Services program lead animal biosecurity and welfare Scott Ison among the guest speakers.
Dr Ison was one of the first graduates of the CSU veterinary school and says his CSU degree “opened the door to many opportunities, working in private rural mixed practice and government roles”.
The hub brings together a multidisciplinary team of expert researchers, scientists and trainers from various fields, including microbiology, ecology, veterinary and animal science, environmental science, AI and cyber futures, extended reality and biosecurity training.
CSU has long-standing partnerships in biosecurity, including collaborations with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Asia-Pacific government and industry partners, NSW Government agencies, industry and the community, and is equipped to tackle a range of current or emerging biosecurity threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
The hub focuses on leadership in research and development, traceability innovation, education and training, capacity-building initiatives and building and maintaining strong partnerships.
It will specifically respond to threats as outlined by the CSIRO, where it is estimated that invasive species cost Australia about $25 billion a year.
Estimations for specific diseases are just as dire: the direct economic impact of a large multi-state outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease could reach $80 billion over 10 years.
If khapra beetle were to become established, it could cost the economy $15.5 billion over 20 years.
CSU vice-chancellor and president Professor Renée Leon PSM expressed pride in the global impact the university was having on protecting Australia and neighbouring countries against potentially devastating biosecurity pests and diseases.
“Charles Sturt University is a national leader in biosecurity research and training initiatives, spearheading innovation and transformation efforts to safeguard Australia’s food, farms, environment and communities from the increasing threats posed by pests, weeds, and diseases,” Prof Leon said.
“Our biosecurity hub focuses on strengthening Australia’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to
pests and diseases that threaten our food, farms and our future.”
Biosecurity Training Centre (BTC) academic director David Mackay highlighted the university is at the forefront of training frontline personnel who are protecting Australia’s borders and those of its AsiaPacific partners.
“Charles Sturt University has been working with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) since 2022, utilising the university’s teaching and research strengths to train more than 840 frontline biosecurity officers in capabilities, contributing to the sector’s goal of growing the country’s agricultural production to $100 billion by 2030,” Mr Mackay said.
More than 130 people from industry, government, academia and regional communities attended the launch at the National Press Club.
Dr Ison was among four of Australia’s leading biosecurity experts invited to speak.
Professor Leon encouraged those interested in making a global impact to consider the range of courses offered at Charles Sturt, which equips students with the skills needed to address biosecurity challenges.
“Our diverse range of courses, such as the Bachelor of Veterinary Science, offer strong foundations in sciences, preparing students for a range of careers in biosecurity,” she said.
In the last five years, Charles Sturt University has produced more than 640 graduating students with biosecurity capabilities.
Year 11 agriculture students from Deniliquin High School have swept the pool at the recent NSW School Wether Challenge.
The school claimed a number of podium finishes in their zone competition, but also claimed the Champion Carcass Across All Teams award. The challenge was hosted in Dubbo as part of the National Ram Show & Sale, with competition spread out over August 27 and 28.
Deni High School teacher Emily Pearn said there were more than 60 schools involved, with six months of preparation going into the competitions at Deni High.
“All wethers come from Egelabra Merino Stud, and given to the schools to care for,” she said.
“Over the course of the nearly six-month period, students work out a food ration for the wethers, monitor the animals’ weights and care for their health and welfare.
“There are three sections across which the sheep are judged.
The first being the re-stocker value, meaning, the value of the sheep to be kept and run commercially for the next couple of years - essentially, it’s value before being slaughtered.
“Fleeces are then shorn from the sheep, tested for its quality and micron and given a grade on the characteristics of what makes good wool.
“After the sheep has been given its grade for the fleece, and its wool, the sheep is then weighed, has its fat scored and given a carcass value, meaning what it is worth as meat.
“Combining all three categories and their scores is where the overall winners were determined from.”
In its zone competition, Deni High placed first for carcass value, third for restocker value and first for combined value. Across all competitors, Deni High had the champion carcass and was second in the combined value across all teams.
“The Deniliquin High School students in attendance should be proud of themselves for their efforts on the day,” Mrs Pearn said.
“Judges made mention of the level of professionalism of the Deniliquin High School students throughout the day.
“This year’s awards and recognition are only a continuation of the standard of the agriculture class at Deni High.
“This has been the fifth year in a row that Deni High has placed in the top four of the overall combined value of their sheep.
“Over the course of the nearly six-month period, students work out a food ration for the wethers, monitor the animals’ weights and care for their health and welfare.”
EMILY PEARN
“Special thanks must go to Elders and Rivalea stock feeds for their continued support, Brooke Watts and all involved in running such a great competition for the students.”
Workshops were also available to the agriculture students. These workshops included key areas of agriculture such as meat processing, training working dogs, wool, careers in the industry as well as competing in the young farmers challenge.
“All wethers come from Egelabra Merino Stud, and given to the schools to care for.”
EMILY PEARN
Have you ever stopped to consider why you fill out a National Vendor Declaration (NVD) when you sell stock? One of the important roles of this document is to supply important meat safety information to processors. One of the key parts of meat safety is the potential risk of chemical residues.
Animals may have chemicals in their system either because they have recently been treated with a veterinary drug or chemical, or because they have ingested feed which contained a chemical residue.
Good on farm record keeping is your way of ensuring you know if animals or crops on your property are under withhold due to chemical treatment.
But what if you have bought feed (eg grain, hay or byproducts) from someone else? How do you make sure that there are no chemical residues on that feed which could potentially have an impact on the status of the animals which eat it?
The answer is stockfeed vendor declarations. Much like a sheep or cattle health declaration gives you information about purchased stock, a stockfeed vendor declaration gives you information about the feed you are buying. This includes the potential for chemical residues, or the risk of contamination with Restricted Animal Material (RAM), which cannot be fed to ruminants.
The Commodity Vendor Declaration (CVD) can be found on the Meat and Livestock Australia website (mla. com.au search Commodity Vendor Declaration). It allows important information about the feed to be passed onto the buyer. This includes information about if the feed is
from one property or a mixture of many (eg from a grain depot). It also has a section about RAM and Genetically Modified Organisms. It then has a lot of information about different chemical treatments which may have been used and if anything is under restrictions.
The Fodder Vendor Declaration Form is available from the Australian Fodder Industry Association. It also has information about chemical status of fodder as well as weed biosecurity information.
The Stock food supplier declaration is available to members of the Stock Feed Manufacturers Council of Australia.
The information from these declarations can then allow producers to answer the NVD question about whether the animals have consumed any material that was still within a withhold period when harvested, collected or first grazed. This is question 7 on the Cattle NVD, question 5 on the sheep and lamb NVD and question 4 on the goat NVD.
This information is vital when selling animals, especially if there is a chance that they will soon become meat. Australia has a reputation for ‘clean, green’ produce, largely stemming from systems such as this which give consumers a high degree of certainty that
they don’t need to worry about chemical residues when purchasing Australian meat. By getting a stockfeed vendor declaration when you purchase feed you can do your part to protect consumers and the reputation of the Australian red meat industry from issues like chemical residues.
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Australia’s largest off-grid poultry farm has commenced operations near Goolgowi.
Operated by Agright, a commercial poultry grower in Australia and New Zealand, the 40 shed operation ‘Meriki’ claims to be saving more than 1690 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of our business model,” Agright owner Daniel Bryant said.
“Chicken is already the meat protein with the lowest carbon footprint, but we are continually looking for ways to reduce this footprint further.”
Bryant is the son of Max, the New Zealand businessman behind the establishment of the ProTen poultry empire, before his retirement in 2018.
The high costs and logistical difficulties of connecting to the grid necessitated an innovative off-grid solution for Meriki, and Agright partnered with Australian company Smart Commercial Solar.
The location of the proposed site was more than 19 kilometres from the closest grid connection, but the local network was already overloaded. Rather than change sites Bryan set about seeking off-grid solutions.
“This advanced system powers a small village of six staff houses, 40 large chicken barns, and associated buildings,” a Smart Commercial Solar spokesperson said.
Mr Bryant appeared at an online media briefing last week. “We grow chickens for the leading processors in New Zealand and Australia under long term contracts, and electricity and gas are probably our largest input costs, alongside labour,” Mr Bryant explained.
“So investing in solar quite heavily actually provides us with reasonable returns on top of ESG requirements.”
“Given that it was going to take a couple of years to connect to the grid, we could build a solar and battery system quicker,” Smart CEO Huon Hoogesteger said.
The Goolgowi development encompasses 3.98 MW ground-mounted solar panels that track the sun, a 3.4 MVA PV inverter and 4.4 MWh of battery storage. The network uses a private distribution network of powerlines, covering more than four kilometres, as well as six diesel generations for backup.
“From this central location where the solar and battery system is we distribute that power through an 11 kV line in three directions or more (to supply power to the 40 sheds and six homes) and then some extended lines out to water pumps and freezers,” Hoogesteger said.
While it’s early days Agright says the operation is completely running on renewable energy.
“The whole system is backed up by 2MW of synchronous generators and then the farms, themselves, also have another level of further backup just in case anything could possibly go wrong,” Hoogesteger says.
“Daniel’s chickens are protected by about four layers of redundancy, so that they’re never without power, because chickens without power means dead chickens –it’s all about protecting the health and wellbeing of those chickens.”
The participants in the 2024 Australia Future Cotton Leaders Program (AFCLP) have formally graduated after an intense program featuring face-to-face forums, interactive online discussions, one-on-one coaching and integration with industry activities.
The almost six-month intensive program for young leaders in the cotton farming field exposed participants to numerous industry-leading practices. It runs every two years and is somewhat of an exclusive program to be involved in.
The program usually takes in a cohort of 15 people every two years. With a record number of applicants this year, with 46 strong candidates, organisers decided to take on 16 for the program. Among them was Angus Whittaker from Darlington Point. He learned about the program in 2022, when his brother was a participant and Angus was given the honour of showing the participants around the farm he worked on at the time.
Angus was born and raised on a cotton farm in the Macquarie Valley. Having been raised in an environment conducive to growing, his knowledge around the cotton industry has put him in good stead. Before his greater involvement with the family farm, he worked in an area manager’s role with Customised Farm Management. Now having completed the course, he’s taken what he learned back to the family farm in Warren, NSW. He has encouraged other in the industry to look into the program, which he said have his “confidence”.
“I really think it was good for my confidence in leadership roles and also networking“ he explained.
“I was lucky enough to tour a few different farm sites, and gain a greater understanding of some things.
“The highlight for me was the connections I made throughout the cotton industry.
“I feel very privileged to have been a part of such a talented and motivated cohort.
“It really proves to me that the Australian cotton industry is in very good hands moving into the future“.
“Personally, with the help of our amazing facilitator Jo Eady, I feel like my outlook on leadership has certainly been improved, and I’m excited to implement the learnings throughout my career in agriculture.”
Angus said another bonus was learning more about the industry he loves, which should improve their on farm capabilities.
“Not everyone can wake up and say their work consists of putting food on people’s plates or clothes on their backs.
“I think we’re quite proud to say we do that and to be able to do that within your own family business is pretty special.“
“More broadly, the program really allowed me to see the cotton industry through a wider lens.
“Not just within the farm’s fence but the full supply chain from the ‘Grower to the Garment’ or ‘Field to Fashion’, as they say.”
Angus said he’s always looking at ways to improve production, which he said includes continued learning.
“If you don’t know something, ask an expert in the industry who does because I can almost guarantee that they will be more than happy to help.
“If you’re looking to stretch your leadership skills and build strong connections within the cotton industry, then I really encourage you to apply.
“I couldn’t recommend this program enough.”
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said participants in the most recent program came from across the cotton supply chain including growers, consultants, merchants, and research and extension personnel. Each of them undertook an individual project related to their area of interest further developing their leadership skills in a real-life scenario. Mr Kay said the calibre of the graduates has him excited about the potential for each of them to
advance the already outstanding reputation of Australian cotton.
“Half of the 16 participants are growers, and they will be able to immediately apply what they have learned to their respective farms and share that knowledge with their local farming communities,” he said.
“Likewise, those graduates from other parts of the industry will also be able to positively impact their own areas of focus.
“Pleasingly, the AFCLP is demonstrating its appeal to the best and brightest in the industry, with the average age of the 2024 contingent sitting at 28.”
It’s important you take the time now to get ready for bush fires. It can take as little as five minutes to make your plan. Discuss it with your family so you know what you will do in the event of a fire.
If you're planning to burn off to get ready for the bush fire season, let us know first. You can now notify us of your planned burn online. www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify
Fire agencies, land managers and other stakeholders have been working to identify ways of reducing the impact of fires on our area – protecting lives, homes, businesses, agriculture, the environment and other assets that are important to the Mid Murray Zone.
Therisks, and plans to protect them, have been outlined in the new Bush Fire Risk Management Plan.
A draft of the Mid Murray Zone’s plan is now on public exhibition.
Using feedback from fire agencies, land managers and other stakeholders, the plan identifies ways of reducing the impact of fires across our area.
It establishes treatment strategies to minimise the risk, and outlines who is responsible for carrying out the treatments identified.
These treatment strategies may directly affect you and your property.
These treatment options are as follows:
The reduction or modification of bush fire fuel with the intent of slowing the spread of bush fire and aiding firefighting operations. This may be identified as:
• Asset protection zones – these are typically close to homes, and provide a separation from the bushland to reduce the impact of fires, and give firefighters a safe place to work if protecting homes in a fire;
• Ignition management zones – areas in the landscape maintained at a reduced fuel level to minimise the
propagation of ignitions and limit the rapid escalation of fires;
• Strategic fire advantage zones – these are areas across the broad landscape which, when treated, can help slow the spread of a fire across the landscape;
• Firebreaks – areas designed and managed to provide fuel reduced areas from which a fire can be suppressed.
Activities to prevent or reduce bush fire ignitions whether they be accidental or deliberate. This includes community preparedness programs, fuel management and specific actions in the Ignition Prevention Plan.
Activities such as working with residents to improve their level of planning and preparation for a fire, to increase the survivability of their home and families in the event of a fire.
Specific response requirements for a particular area or value in addition to standard procedures. This may
include specific actions in the BFMC Plan of Operations or Fire Access and Fire Trail plan.
The Mid Murray Zone Bush Fire Management Committee now invites those who live and work in the region to view the draft plan, and provide feedback by October 1, 2024.
You can read the plan at https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ plan-and-prepare/managing-bush-fire-risk/bush-firemanagement-committees/mid-murray-zone.
Copies are also available at the following locations:
• Mid Murray Zone Fire Control Centre, Macknight Drive, Deniliquin;
• Edward River Council Customer Service Centre, 180 Cressy St. Deniliquin;
• Murray River Council Mathoura Visitor & Business Centre, Cobb Hwy, Mathoura;
• Murray River Council Moama Office, 52 Perricoota Rd, Moama.
Where possible, submissions on the draft BFRMP should be submitted through the online portal listed above.
Written submissions can also be sent to The BFMC Executive Officer by email on MidMurray.Zone@rfs. nsw.gov.au or by post to Mid Murray Zone FCC, PO Box 109, Deniliquin.
• Income Tax Returns
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Offices located in Deniliquin, Barham, Hay, Echuca, and Rochester.
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Special rates for the remaining of 2024 for all Fertiliser inculding Lime and Gypsum. We can cover your loads in all sizes from 26t to 62t payloads into The Riverina and Victoria areas. We can also cover your oncoming harvest with no fuss.
I have been encouraged by how much more people in parliament now seem to understand and care about water and its incredible importance to rural New South Wales.
The Minns Government, and particularly Water Minister Rose Jackson, deserve credit for listening and taking our concerns seriously when I raise the flaws in the way we manage our water in this State. In too many parts of rural NSW, we are losing Australian farms and Australian water to overseas interests who deliberately obscure who they are.
We simply don’t know who owns these foreign run farms that are set up on Australian land and powered by Australian water.
Without a register of who owns our water, we are unable to keep track of foreign ownership. I am currently urging the Minns Government to support my Water Management Amendment (Water Access License Register Reform) Bill 2024 which will end this madness.
We all have real concerns about the secret ownership of water licences by foreign entities that use water trusts and a lack of a water register to hide who’s really making the purchase. No-one should be allowed to buy our precious water anonymously and my Bill will end this madness. And because we don’t have a water register YET, we don’t even know who to complain to about this. This situation cannot be allowed to continue and NSW must finally have a water register and my Bill will achieve this.
The time for anonymous water ownership is over. We must know who owns Australian water.
A new decision-support tool developed to help Australian grain growers weigh up the financial pros and cons of summer weed control has been launched.
A$310,835 investment initiative of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), in partnership with CSIRO, the ‘$ummer weeds decision support tool’ was officially launched at the Australasian Weeds Conference in Brisbane. This innovative app has been designed for use by growers in paddocks across Australia’s broadacre cropping regions.
The tool allows growers to enter soil type, soil water, grain price, fertiliser costs, weed control costs and the density of weeds to generate information on yield benefit and return on investment scenarios, when comparing immediate versus delayed weed control.
GRDC weeds manager Sarah Morran said summer weeds cost growers in southern and western regions of Australia more than $350 million in lost yield annually.
“Summer fallow weed control has been identified as a major issue for the grains industry, which is why GRDC invested in a decision support tool to help growers determine the cost benefits of different weed management approaches,” Ms Morran said.
“We know from extensive research that there is clear evidence effective summer weed management can improve productivity and profitability.”
Ms Morran said in Australia’s southern and western cropping regions, yield losses from summer weeds were estimated at $23 per hectare and $13/ha respectively.
“In comparison, summer weed control can range from between $14/ha and $19/ha, so it is a critical consideration for growers in terms of assessing what is right economically for their farming situation,” she said.
“We know the returns from summer weed control can be highly variable due to seasonal variability, weed type and the following winter growing season.
“This new weed decision support tool aims to give growers and their advisers a better understanding of the economics, so they have the confidence to adopt and implement effective weed control strategies.”
CSIRO principal research scientist Everard Edwards, who undertook the research to gather data to support the new tool, said it was particularly relevant to western and southern states, as well as dryland cropping systems in southern NSW.
“In our validation trials in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and north-west Victoria, we found that the yield penalty for not controlling summer weeds in a timely manner could vary greatly –
anywhere from less than 100kg/ha, up to 640kg/ha,” Dr Edwards said.
“By combining important factors such as soil type, soil water, wheat price, weed control cost, fertiliser price and weed load, the app can generate figures on the expected increase in yield potential due to water, the probability of gaining at least 0.2 tonnes per hectare in yield and the expected nitrogen benefit.
“In addition, it provides figures on the probability of at least 10kg/ha nitrogen benefit, the probability of gaining at least $20/ha due to extra water and nitrogen availability and the overall potential return on investment.”
Dr Edwards said a key feature of the app was its ability to work offline, and importantly, in the paddock.
“Critically for growers, this app uses an internal database to generate the figures, so mobile signal or internet connection aren’t required for it to work effectively,” he said.
“It is a genuine in-paddock decision support tool that growers can use to help understand differences between yields and seasonal probabilities.”
The ‘$ummer weeds decision support tool’ can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Anyone who buys a sausage, steak sandwich or other delicacy from Deniliquin Rotary Club’s catering trailer is doing more than satisfying their hunger. They are also making a valuable contribution to the community.
Catering is a major fundraiser for the club and helps it to financially support local, national and international causes.
Maintaining the catering trailer and all the associated equipment required for a ‘kitchen on wheels’ is important, so the club has a regular program of upgrades, the latest being replacement of the bain-marie, as well as purchasing a three-pot slow cooker and some new trestle tables.
Rotarian Tony Kew has been an integral part of the club’s catering services for many years.
“We’re all volunteers who want to raise money for worthy causes,” Tony said.
“Wherever possible we apply for grants when our equipment needs upgrading; then we don’t have to use funds generated from catering revenue.”
The Rotary catering trailer, with its crew of volunteers, is seen regularly at numerous events in Deniliquin and district.
For many years it has provided sustenance to the hordes of visitors at the Deni Ute Muster, and in more recent times has teamed up with the Deniliquin Truck Show Committee to not only help organise this growing event, but also cater for its attendees.
Rotary is famous for its annual Australia Day breakfast in the Waring Gardens, is a regular at Carols by Candlelight each year, provides a monthly breakfast for Edward River Council staff and is often asked to cater at a range of local events. Members also enjoy selfcatering for some of their weekly meetings, especially in the warmer months.
These activities have all aided the club to raise more than $40,000 in the past 12 months alone, mostly to help those in the local area, but also to support Rotary International initiatives.
And Rotary has been doing this for many years, with a long and stellar history serving our community. Next year the club will celebrate its 75th anniversary, having started under the guidance of charter president Ron Prunster in 1950.
Over the years, it has been involved in a plethora of projects, often as the driving force. Among its first contributions to our community were the paving and installation of flood lights at the War Memorial in Waring Gardens, as well as seating in the gardens. It has also planted trees to beautify the hospital surrounds and the town entrances.
Also in its early years, Rotary supported one of its enthusiastic members, former Deniliquin Mayor Hector Campbell, to start a learn to swim program at McLean Beach, with three members in attendance each morning throughout January and February to teach swimming and reduce the tragic number of river drownings that had occurred.
In its first decade, the club raised £6,000 – a huge sum at the time – for construction of the ‘Inala’ facility for elderly residents and, in more recent times, has been a significant contributor to Navorina Nursing Home.
A major project in the 1990s was Rotary Park, which is now home to a vast range of sporting facilities and sports
codes. The first annual Rotary Easter Art Show was also hosted around this time. This event is still running today, in conjunction with the Edward River Art Society.
The club has also contributed around $30,000 towards construction of the Hilltop Patient and Carer Accommodation Centre in Albury, which is used by many local residents undergoing medical treatment.
There have been many other Rotary activities and projects over the past seven plus decades; far too numerous to record here. However, one which will receive plenty of attention over the next six months is the Rotary time capsule, which was buried in the Island Sanctuary on Australia Day in 2000 and will be raised and opened on Australia Day 2025. Plans are underway not only for its contents to be distributed, but also for a fresh batch of envelopes to be buried for the next 25 years.
“Being a part of Rotary and the various projects we undertake is extremely rewarding,” Tony Kew said.
This view is supported by the 2024-25 club president Iain Goodway, who joined Rotary after relocating to Deniliquin as owner of the local Deni Golf Resort.
“My wife Debi and I wanted to be part of the local community and give back a little where we can, and Rotary has been ideal for this,” Iain said.
“Like any organisation you get out of it what you put in, and we get so much personal satisfaction from our involvement with Rotary.”
And while Rotarians make their valuable contribution at local, national and international levels, enjoying fun times together is also very important.
“We have lots of fellowship, especially after we’ve catered for an event with the Rotary trailer,” Tony said.
“It’s all part of being a member of our club.”
This year, Deniliquin Rotary Club was one of seven organisations to be supported by the Murray Irrigation community sponsorship program, receiving a contribution of $1,600 towards its catering equipment. It follows Murray Irrigation’s help several years ago with the purchase of a new hotplate, which was part of a trailer upgrade that also included specially constructed storage.
“Naturally, when we receive financial support from organisations like Murray Irrigation it makes it easier for the club to undertake the upgrades,” Tony said.
“It’s invaluable assistance.”
If you would like to learn more about Rotary, the work it does and what is involved in becoming a member, phone Tony Kew on 0429 812 862 or the club’s 2024-25 Membership Director Leesa Muir on 0447 545 456.
Murray Irrigation is hosting a number of shareholder discussion groups from Monday 16 September to Friday 27 September 2024.
The purpose of these discussions is to gather constructive shareholder input on how we can work together to minimise the impact of buybacks on Murray Irrigation, customers and the local community, and help guide the Board decision making process when implementing solutions.
You can register your interest to attend or host one of these sessions by visiting murrayirrigation.com.au.
There is much to deliberate when considering a shift from surface or drip irrigation to a centre pivot machine. Benefits include the ability for precision irrigation application, reduced risks of water logging seen with surface irrigation, fertigation options and labour savings with the ability to control the system remotely and no late-night slide changes.
However, with the upfront capital investment and ongoing operational costs of pumping water, it’s important to make an informed decision to ensure return on investment before taking the leap.
Here’s a few things to consider in pivot design:
• How will your soil type and undulation affect water infiltration and wheel rut formation? Undertake a soil and topographical survey or look at soil maps if available.
• Prevention of wheel tracks is better than remediation, so consider installing boombacks or dry-wheel sprinkler packs at the start.
• Slightly higher capital costs in pipe size selection can save on operating pressure down the track – higher pressure = higher energy use! Under designed systems are expensive to run.
• Ensure system capacity can meet your planned cropping program water requirements, particularly through peak summer periods (system capacity is the maximum application depth that can be applied to the entire irrigated area in 24 hours (mm/day)).
• Low system capacity could cost yield, but excessively high system capacity increases energy costs and exacerbates runoff by increasing application rate.
• Sprinklers represent about 7 per cent of total capital cost but are responsible for >70 per cent of irrigation performance – it’s important to get them right!
• End-guns can rarely put out the same amount of water as the rest of the machine, so is including an end-gun worth the extra capital and operating expense?
• Water quality - consider lined pipe if you are intending to fertigate or use bore water. If water salinity levels are too high spray irrigation is not recommended.
• Once your pivot is installed, check it’s operating as per the machine specifications, just because it’s new doesn’t mean some adjustments aren’t required. The simplest check is flow rate and pressure at the outer end of the pivot, are they correct.
You can find a centre pivot performance check list by scanning the QR code to go to the Agriculture Victoria Irrigation website. Checking the system up front and regular maintenance will ensure you’re getting the greatest return on investment. Visually you may not be able to see low water application or poor application uniformity across the pivot, but it can still result in yield loss.
For more information chat to a neighbour who’s already installed one or get in contact with the Agriculture Team at Local Land Services.
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As we come to the pointy end of the winter cropping season, there may be some critical decisions and information you’re considering, such as:
• Soil moisture profile
• Seasonal outlook for coming weeks/ month
• Crop growth stage, soil moisture profile and yield potential
• If you have access to irrigation - is there need and capacity to water crops?
• Herbicide/ fungicide requirements
Withmany areas having experienced low rainfall through June-August, even those that received reasonable early rain will be noticing a draw down on soil moisture based on plant growth and weather conditions - big frosts, and recently more sunlight and warmer temperatures coming through. Different soil types will also affect water holding capacity and plant available water (PAW) which is important to keep in mind; soil moisture probes should be used to understand the soil moisture profile in your area and can assist in decision making and understanding your upper and lower limits of soil moisture. Permanent probes are useful in gaining a long-term understanding of full and empty points at depths through the soil profile, however a basic rod probe inserted in the ground at different points can assist in identifying to roughly what depth you have available moisture - this is what your plant roots will be drawing on.
Across the Murray region, there is a network of soil moisture probes which can be accessed free through Farming Forecaster (https://www.farmingforecaster. com.au). You can identify if there is a probe within your area and use this information in decision-making.
Depending on what seasonal conditions you experienced and where your crop is at, you may be needing to make an assessment of crop potential and whether to harvest, graze or cut for hay. The decision you make will depend on individual situation and other enterprise factors; consideration should be given to input costs, crop biomass and growth stage, consistency of crop growth (eg. Plant height, leaf/ stem/ grain composition), yield potential and timing if grown through to harvest.
If you choose to graze crops, ensure livestock are vaccinated and monitored for clostridial diseases, nitrate/ nitrite poisoning and other health issues that can occur in these conditions, further information on grazing crops can be found in listed resources.
There are available resources which can assist in understanding and decision making including:
• Salvaging crops for fodder, grain or grazing - costs and income calculator (nsw.gov.au)
• GRDC Crop Varieties in Soil Water ExtractionPlant Available Water Capacity – crop and varietal differences in soil water extraction - GRDC
• NSW DPI Crop Growth & Development Management Guides - Crop growth and development (nsw.gov.au)
• Grazing Crop Considerations- Cereals for grazing (nsw.gov.au)
For direct links to any of these resources or to discuss in more detail, contact Rebecca Stacey SLSO Mixed Farming, LLS Deniliquin. Rebecca.stacey@lls.nsw. gov.au
Vehicles
Scrapers: Caterpillar 623G, 623B, and 2 x 623F
Excavator: 1 x Komatsu PC200-8, 1 x Hidromek 310LC, 1 x Hidromek 230LC
Longreaches: Komatsu 300-8, 18m Boom & Komatsu 220-5, 14m Boom
Graders: Caterpillar 160M AWD, 2 x Caterpillar 140H
Bulldozers: Caterpillar D7H & Caterpillar D6T with Rake
Tractors: Steiger 450 With Laser Buckets - 14 & 16. Case IH Steiger 535 & 600
Loaders: Cat IT 28B Cat 960F
Low Loaders: 2015 Quad Axel (with Tandem Dolly), SES Tri-Axel
Water Tanker: 45,000 Litres
Roller: Dynapac CA602D (smooth drum & pad foot)
It aims to do this through working across the key pillars of industry diversification, landcare, environmental services, environmental markets and ag research, development and extension.
One of the latest projects from the Barham-based group has been to work in collaboration with the North Central Catchment Management Authority to establish a small-bodied fish nursery at Barham Lakes.
This project - funded by the Tri-State Natural Resource Management Alliancefocuses on Lake 3, which has been restocked with Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon, a threatened small-bodied fish species local to the area.
As habitat, 18 customised fish hotels were installed in the lake.
This process involved canoes and the participation of traditional owners from the Moama Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The fish hotels feature short sections of PVC pipe to offer refuge and hard surfaces for egg laying, as SPSG lay eggs on solid substrates which are fanned and guarded by the male parent until they hatch.
The pipes were anchored in the lake using bricks, and 14 lengths of custom-cut terracotta pipes were also installed.
The CluBarham Lakes Precinct, initially constructed in the 1980s, has been closed to public access since 2014.
Its proximity to the Murray River and Eagle Creek makes it an important ecological site for developing threatened native fish breeding and providing hypoxic blackwater refuge using environmental and consumptive water.
To enhance fish habitat, an old wooden bridge and a large dead tree were positioned in the lake to offer cover from predators and sites for biofilm food production.
Gregory Berns
Gregory Berns is a leading neuroscientist who has extensively studied dogs and how they think. But when he and his wife bought a small farm in rural Georgia and populated it with a handful of cows they couldn’t imagine how their lives would be transformed. As he gets to know his herd, Berns’ affection for them grows, along with his curiosity. He applies his scientific eye to the cognitive and emotional lives of his cows. His cows turn out to have impressive memories, to be capable of forming lasting bonds with people, and to be highly attuned to our feelings. Gregory Berns is a natural storyteller. He falls in love with his cows, and they fall in love with him. In particular, he forms a special bond with BB, his cowpuppy.
$36.99
Sally Warriner
Not Just the Wife of the General Manager is a rollicking memoir of one womanesquo;s life on outback cattle stations, and an homage to the many unsung women like her. With wit and sass, Sally tells the story of how she was so much more than just a wife of a station manager. She was a nurse, a mother, travel agent, a host, an organiser, and whatever else the moment demanded of her. She was just as likely to be found assisting the Flying Doctors or the local Indigenous community as she was organising Kerry Packer’s New Year’s Eve Parties. This is a story about adventure, resilience, the unexpected journeys we need to go on to find ourselves, and having the courage to do something for yourself.
$36.99
Timothy C. Winegard
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito, the incredible story of how the horse shaped human history.
“They say that dogs are humankind’s best friend, but as Timothy C. Winegard makes clear in this sweeping book, it’s the horse that truly deserves that title and not just that one. Horses were revolutionary political allies, tireless explorers, and our deadliest weapons of war as well. And if we’ve come so far, it’s only because the horse has carried us here, and this book masterfully maps each stage in that 5500-year epic journey? Sam Kean, New York Times bestselling author of The Icepick Surgeon. ‘This grand narrative blazes new trails.’ Tim Cook, bestselling author of The Fight for History. The Horse is a riveting, fast-paced account of this noble animal’s unrivalled and enduring place in human history-from that pivotal moment on the windswept grasslands of the Eurasian Steppe five millennia ago, when the first horse was tamed, to the present day.
$39.99
Rhian Allen
Take charge of your dog’s health with a fresh, unprocessed diet.
Feeding dogs a fresh, wholefood diet can help with digestive issues, skin conditions, weight management and overall wellbeing. In Healthy Dog, Happy Dog, Rhian Allen and her team of pet nutrition experts show you how to make simple changes to your dog’s diet for lifelong health benefits. This essential guide includes:
· Guidelines for transitioning to a new diet
· Feeding guides by age, size and ideal weight
· Lists of foods to avoid and embrace
· Healthy snack ideas
· 65 wholefood recipes
· Introductory recipes for puppies
· Recipes and troubleshooting tips for sensitive tummies
· Recipes for healthy weight management.
$29.99
These great titles and more available instore. We post direct to you, contact us today to discuss getting your copies posted* *Postage and Handling fees apply.
Landholders in the Edward River Council region have access to discounted native seedstock through the council’s annual Rural Tree Planting Scheme.
More than 60 varieties of seedlings are available to eligible residents.
The rural tree scheme aims to increase native vegetation in the region by subsidising the cost of native seedlings for local ratepayers with properties of one hectare and over.
Subsidised seedlings are available for order until September 13 at a cost of $1.30 each, which is a saving of about half.
Available varieties include redgum, wattle, bottlebrush, melaleuca, eucalyptus, and more.
Owners of properties from 1ha to 10ha can order 50 tube seedlings.
Properties from 10ha to 500ha are eligible for 150 tube seedlings, and properties over 500ha can access 300 tube seedlings.
Seedlings ordered through the scheme will be ready for collection in May or June.
For more information, contact council’s customer service team on 5898 3000 or council@edwardriver.nsw.gov.au
Application forms and additional details are also available at www.edwardriver.nsw.gov.au.
FARMtalk welcomes community contributions from farmers, experts and professionals who make their living and life on the land. If you would like to contribute, there are several ways to do so.
• Get in touch and give us a tip of a great story idea.
• Contribute an article: If you are an expert in your field then contributing once off, or regularly, is a great way to get started in our FARMtalk magazine. Contact Zoe McMaugh at farmtalk@denipt.com.au or 03 5881 2322.
• Become an author: FARMtalk is open to occasional contributors who are experts in their field or authorities on a subject or area. Once you have contributed an article, and the editorial team have approved you, we can set you up with a regular column to contribute. We would love to hear from you. Contact Zoe McMaugh at farmtalk@denipt.com.au or 03 5881 2322.
• Have a fascinating farm in mind for us to showcase? Tell us! We would love to hear from you. Contact Zoe McMaugh at farmtalk@denipt.com.au or 03 5881 2322.
