CLIMATE CHAMPS

Tr ue champion on climate

By Georgie Somerset, Agforce General President

Science is a powerful weapon.

Governments, corporations, even environmental groups have all twisted it to their advantage, taking from it only the parts that satisfy their position, while sometimes misrepresenting the facts completely.

In the 1950s, American nutritionist Ancel Keys undertook a study to investigate the cause of the sharp rise in heart disease after World War II.

The answer, we know now, was smoking rates, but Ancel Keys surmised diet was the cause and focused his attention on saturated fat and cholesterol – the rest, as they say, is history.

Eating fat makes you fat made sense to many (and still does) and gave rise to the abundance of highly processed food many of us now include in unhealthy quantities in our diets.

Ancel Keys’s incorrect position on fat – established via the use of cherry-picked science in his ‘Seven Countries Study’, and unable to be confirmed despite repeated follow-up studies – stuck.

Just like the ‘scientific’ arguments brought to bear on agriculture often seem to – especially when it comes to climate and the environment.

Despite doing ALL the heavy lifting to reduce our nation’s carbon emissions, there are still plenty of critics willing to point the finger and suggest industry – particularly the livestock sector – is the root cause of all our climate problems, ignoring the massive strides made to reduce methane production.

This outdated thinking – based on outdated science – also ignores the huge investment made by farming operations, many of them small family run businesses, to not only sequester carbon, but to improve the land in its entirety.

Methane from cattle emissions is part of the natural cycle and breaks down quickly, while carbon dioxide is taken up in crops, pastures, and native vegetation on farms throughout the nation.

A recent report from the Gratton Institute even acknowledges that agriculture uses more carbon dioxide than it emits, while current environmental science demonstrates that Agriculture – at less than 15 per cent of total emissions in Australia (down from 16.5 per cent prior to Kyoto) – is far less impactful than some critics would suggest.

Much less than the dominant energy sector, with more than 53 per cent total emissions, or transport, at more than 17 per cent – both industries increasing their emissions since Kyoto was ratified in 1997.

It’s why as an industry we believe it’s well past time we were given our due recognition – to change the rhetoric, to ensure we avoid a repeat of what took place when Ancel Keys and his cherry-picked science was allowed to set the path for the obesity epidemic that has followed.

If agriculture alone is forced to continue to carry the burden of reducing Australia’s share of emissions, it will also drive some producers from the industry – at a time when Covid has put the issue of food security in the brightest of spotlights.

Instead, as the figures above show, it is time for other industries to pick up the baton of carbon emissions reduction so that they can take their place alongside agriculture as true champions of action on climate.

Join AgForce in spreading the word about the fantastic work being done by agriculture on climate as we count down to COP26 in Glasgow. Use #standwithregqld.

Pictured right: AgForce general president Georgie Somerset, who says the agricultural industr y is doing great work on climate.

Cyclones, flooding risk highlighted in weather outlook

Australians can expect an average, or slightly above average, cyclone season with an increased risk of widespread flooding over the east and north, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Severe Weather Outlook, released Monday 11 October.

The outlook, which also outlines the risk of severe thunderstorms, heatwaves and bushfires, is released in early October every year and looks ahead to the end of April, when the high risk weather season in Australia officially ends.

Bureau Senior Climatologist Greg Browning said while severe weather could occur at any time of the year, we are now entering Australia’s peak high risk weather season.

“Many climate drivers are indicating that it could be an active season across parts of Australia,” Mr Browning said.

“Warm waters to the north of the continent, and the sea surface temperature patterns across the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans, are driving our outlook towards more rainfall for eastern and northern Australia.

“It is also likely that the first rains of the northern wet season will arrive earlier than normal for much of northern Australia.

“On average, Australia gets around 11 tropical cyclones in a season, of which four generally cross our coastline. With warmer than average seas around northern Australia this year, the number of tropical cyclones is likely to be close, or slightly above average.

“And with an already wet landscape and above average rainfall likely, there is an increased risk of widespread flooding for eastern and northern Australia.

“This summer, with above average rain, more cloud and higher humidity, the number of individual extreme heat days are likely to be lower than we’ve seen in recent years.

“But the potential for bushfires and severe storms remains near average.”

Mr Browning said Australians could not afford to be complacent this severe weather season.

“Severe weather can disrupt and endanger lives in many ways, that is why the Bureau is asking the community to ‘know your weather, know your risk’,” he said.

“That means understanding the kinds of severe weather that can impact the area you live in and what you should do when it occurs.

“Today’s release of the Severe Weather Outlook is also a timely reminder for all of us to follow the advice of local emergency services before, during and after severe weather.

“Another way Australians can keep themselves safe is by staying up-to-date with the latest forecast and warnings on the Bureau’s website or by downloading the BOM Weather app.”

For the full Severe Weather Outlook 202122 visit Australian tropical cyclone season outlook at bom.gov.au

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Another spring storm rolls in south of Dalby as grain growers cross their fingers for a calm conclusion to the cropping season. Picture: ANDREW JOHNSTON

Mixed cropping bag

By Fiona Gowers

A mixed bag is the most succinct way senior agronomist Andrew Johnston, Dalby Rural Supplies, can describe the 2021 winter cropping season.

After five tough, dry years on the Darling Downs, grain growers planted wheat and barley into juicy sub-soil moisture “earlier than ever” in mid-April following unseasonal March rain.

Hopes remained high with six weeks of steady falls received through May, June and July but, according to Mr Johnston, dry weather since had tempered predictions on later sown crops.

He said early-planted, long-season varieties that exploited the Autumn rain and dodged flukey storms may yield 5 tonne/ hectare but those sown later that copped weather may return 2t/ha.

“Early crops are yielding well - up to 5t/ha for wheat and barley - and, overall, I think it should end up ok,” Mr Johnston said. “Average to above average returns.”

Over the past month, GrainCorp regional operations manager, Brad Foster, has watched loads of grain arrive at the Capella receival site.

He said with most of the central highlands harvest done, the quality had been “good” and the company was optimistic about the season ahead in southern Queensland.

“It was a little bit drier up here (in central Queensland) from a yield perspective,” Mr Foster said. “But quality, particularly through the large amount of chickpeas received, has been good.

“In southern Queensland, the Darling Downs has been slower due to storms but the Western Downs, Miles to Roma, Goondiwindi, St George to Dirranbandi, it’s looking fantastic.

“The rain has kept on coming and they’ve had their best season in many years. Crop conditions are looking good.”

Mr Foster said the sorghum crop harvested in central Queensland from May to July was currently being shipped from the Ports of Gladstone and Mackay into Asian markets.

And, he said the Port of Brisbane was preparing to ship wheat, which may go beyond Asia into the Middle East.

“The market has really opened up for Australian growers this year,” Mr Foster said. “It’s starting to get really dry in the northern hemisphere, and that means good prices for Australian growers.

“So good prices, good yields, good quality … if it stays that way, everyone will be happy.“

The total area sown to winter crops this year was a record 23.3 million hectares, which included a record canola planting of about 5m hectares.

The national commodities forecaster, ABARES, is predicting another bumper crop of around 54.8 million tonnes.

Supercharged suppor t for vege grower s

Vegetable growers across Australia are set to benefit from the next generation of a national extension program aimed to boost productivity and deliver the latest research and development on-farm.

The new $14.1 million VegNET 3.0 program is being delivered through Hort Innovation using vegetable industry levies and funds from the Australian Government, and led by Australia’s peak vegetable industry body AUSVEG.

Hort Innovation chief executive Matt Brand said the initiative represents the single largest research and development investment in the vegetable growing sector’s history, and it’s anchored on best-practice and what the industry has identified as priorities.

“This supercharged 5-year extension initiative takes a collaborative, local focus, with Development Officers based in 10 growing regions across the country. Each region will receive tailored support that meets local challenges,” he said.

“This network of experienced professionals will provide evidence-based tools and information in vital areas such as biosecurity, pest and disease management, soil and water management, the supply chain and protected cropping.”

Mr Brand said the VegNET initiative complements Hort Innovation’s dedicated extension arm which was created in 2019. He said it also builds on the foundation and momentum generated through previous VegNET programs.

AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote said that having a nationally-coordinated VegNET program will help ensure that growers all around Australia will have access to a consistent, industry-focused extension program that will put their needs first in their efforts to be productive, profitable and more competitive in an ever-increasingly global marketplace.

“VegNET is an important program for our industry,” he said. “Australian vegetable growers are world-leaders in the production of high-quality, healthy vegetables and are constantly looking for new ways to innovate and grow more sustainably and develop their businesses”.

“AUSVEG is well-placed to work with well-trained regional development officers, who are strongly supported, to deliver a high-performing, consistent and efficient VegNET program that will meet vegetable growers’ needs.”

Mr Coote said a strong extension network that connects growers with local, regional and international experts will be an important element to the industry’s future success.

“While growers are facing significant issues with labour shortages, rising input costs and an increasingly volatile climate, the industry is well-placed to overcome these challenges and take advantage of the research and services on offer in Australia to improve its productivity and increase its value to help the agriculture sector meet its goal of $100 billion by 2030,” he said. The VegNET regional development officers will be based in the following locations: · Queensland (Bundaberg) through Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers · Queensland (SEQ including Lockyer Valley,

Granite Belt and Darling Downs) through

Lockyer Valley Growers · Queensland (Bowen-Gumlu and Far North

Queensland) through Bowen-Gumlu

Growers Association · New South Wales through the Local Land

Services NSW · Northern Territory through NT Farmers · South Australia through AUSVEG SA · Tasmania through RM Consulting Group · Victoria (Gippsland) through Food and Fibre Gippsland · Victoria (Northern, Southern and Western) through AUSVEG · Western Australia through vegetablesWA

For details visit Hort Innovation horticulture.com.au or AUSVEG ausveg.com.au

Ne w soil health package

Australia’s leading soil analysis laboratory, Nutrient Advantage, has launched a new soil health package that will enable farmers to benchmark and improve the health and productivity of their most valuable asset, their soil.

The package provides a snapshot of the key biological, chemical and physical characteristics that determine soil health.

Stephan Titze, president of Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF), which owns the Nutrient Advantage Laboratory, said the company is excited to launch the new test package, which will give farmers a precise objective analysis and the industry leading agronomic advice they need to build healthier soils.

“The package will allow agronomists, farmers and consultants to benchmark their soil and implement practices to create more productive and profitable paddocks that are resilient and perform better, no matter the season,” Mr Titze said.

“Changes to soil health happen gradually and cumulatively, which is why a better understanding of soil health through scientifically verified soil testing is critical to our ability to keep farming well into the future.”

This announcement comes just months after the 2021-22 Federal Budget committed $196.9 million in new funding over four years to implement the National Soil Strategy with the aim of boosting the health and management of Australian soil.

“A key component of the National Soil Strategy is the National Soil Monitoring and Incentives Pilot, designed to ensure farmers have the information they need to manage their soil and improve their productivity and profitability, and this testing package supports that objective,” Mr Titze said.

“Using data to improve soil health and environmental outcomes is a logical and necessary trend that will support a robust agriculture sector well into the future.

“IPF is committed to providing its customers with market leading products and services that improve soil health and lead to better and more sustainable plant nutrition for Australian farmers.”

The soil health package contains four test components: total carbon and nitrogen and C:N ratio; aggregate slaking and dispersion; active (labile) carbon; and microbial respiration (activity estimation).

It is recommended the tests be repeated every two to three years at the same time of year.

For over 50 years, Nutrient Advantage has been widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading nutrient testing laboratories, with the broadest range of National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited nutrient tests in Australia.

To order a soil health package or find out more, visit soilhealthtesting.com.au or call 1800 803 453.

The tests can be ordered as a standalone package using the Health1 code or added to any existing Nutrient Advantage test order.