Agriculture Today - Decemebr 2008 edition...AGRICULTURE TODAY Thursday, November 27, 20083 I NDONESIAN and NSW scien-tists have pooled two years of experience working together in Aceh

INTEGRATED pest management(IPM) strategies are paying offin greenhouses and some

vegetable field crops but moredata is required to overcomeconstraints to adoption inbroadacre.

IPM lends itself to a greenhouseenvironment.

Globally, 85 per cent of pestcontrol by biological agentsoccurs in greenhouses,attributable particularly to thearea they cover in Europe.

A wealth of information isavailable on greenhousetechniques in Australia.

In NSW, canola is onebroadacre crop which canbenefit from IPM, according toNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries district agronomist,Phil Bowden, pictured hereinspecting for insects atWallendbeen, betweenCootamundra and Young.

Whilst the cotton and citrusindustries have been innovative,our broadacre farmers morewidely want proof that IPMworks before they are likely toincorporate it in their productionmethods.■■ IPM feature p8-9

IntegratedbenefitsIntegratedbenefits

SOLAR PUMPS1300 661 417

www.solarpumps.com.auIrrigation Warehouse Group Pty Ltd ABN 84109042775

TL1664643

2 Thursday, November 27, 2008 ■ AGRICULTURE TODAY

WESTERN Australia andQueensland farmerswere among the winners

at this year’s 2008 nationalLandcare awards.

Interestingly, both farms arerun on holistic managementprinciples with strong emphasison perennial vegetation.

When Robert Rex and his wife,Caroline, took over the familyfarm in 1993 they decided toimprove farm production byboosting water, carbon andmineral cycles instead of usingchemicals.

They fenced the land intomanagement units and workedwith neighbours to managesurface water and promotebiodiversity using keylinedrainage principles developedby WA farmer, Ron Watkins.

They focused on perennialvegetation, establishing the firstjojoba plantation in the district,one of the only vineyards in thedistrict, various summer croptrials, tagasaste and kikuyu onhigh-recharge areas, saltlandpastures on discharge areas anda range of perennial species ingrazing paddocks.

They have now established 370hectares of perennial pastures,fenced into cells which they usefor rotational grazing to keepthe soil healthy and maintainproduction.

No-till cropping and stubbleretention are standard practice,while alternative fertiliserproducts and applications suchas calcium, phosphates andpotassium packages promote rootgrowth and microbial activity.

Rob and Caroline’s pasturespecies selection and rotationalgrazing strategies achieve year-round ground cover thatuses water where it falls andensures run off contains notopsoil or nutrients.

The Rexs have built anextensive network to shareinformation, and host visits fromfarmers, researchers, academicsand company representatives.

Robert and Caroline are nowhighly respected, visionarycommercial farmers who use

holistic principles and a triple-bottom-line decisionmaking process.

The individual land careraward went to Jeff Campbellwho farms 25,000 hectares atMitchell in south-westQueensland.

Twelve years ago Jeff and hisfamily began farming on holisticmanagement principles, focusingon time-controlled grazing ofperennial pasture.

The success of his effortsencouraged others to changetheir practices as well.

For the past eight years Jeffhas chaired the Mitchell andDistrict Landcare Group whichco-ordinates five major sub-catchment groups to restore250 kilometres of the MaranoaRiver catchment.

Landholders have now fenced78,000ha of grazing land,established better stockwatering points, improvedpastures and excluded stockfrom riverine areas.

Modelling shows theseactivities have already reducedsoil erosion in the catchment.

Landholders in the Landcaregroup have implemented theAustralian Land ManagementSystems environmentalmanagement guidelines tocontinually improve theirproperties and gain recognitionfor their environmentalachievements.

A lateral thinker, Jeff has alsoinitiated a project to investigatekangaroo farming and developthe native food industry in asustainable and productive way.■■ Read more about the Landcareaward finalists and winners atwww.landcareheroes.com/meet-our-finalists/farming-for-the-future

Farmers feature atLandcare awards

WEBINARS – seminars via theworld wide web – are generatinggreat interest among connectedfarmers, who can now participatein interactive workshops andmeetings without leaving theirhome or office.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) has established a“webinar meeting room” thatallows producers with broadbandaccess to view presentations,images and software applicationsduring a teleconference.

Webcams send a live image of thepresenter to as many as 25 partic-ipants, who can watch a presenta-tion in the virtual meeting, askquestions and get feedback online.

So far the technology has beentrialled within NSW DPI’s intensiveanimal industries program whichcovers the pig, dairy, poultry andbee industries.

DPI industry development live-stock officer, Greg Mills, said anumber of pig, poultry and dairyproducers were keen to getinvolved.

“Webinars help overcome thetyranny of distance and time con-straints – and in many ways can beas productive and rewarding as ifyou were there in person,” MrMills said.

From his Moree base, Mr Millshas been using webinars to “meet”industry representatives and col-leagues across Australia.

“Producers can access a webinarfrom a computer at home or at alocal community library or tech-nology centre, greatly reducingtheir travel time, costs, and theircarbon footprint,” he said.

“Small groups of producers canbe linked to keynote presenters orresearchers anywhere in theworld.

“It’s great technology but obvi-ously it’s not for everyone – andwe’ll still be holding conventionalfield days and workshops.”

Mr Mills said webinar meetingscould be quickly organised, allow-ing a rapid response to producers’issues when they arose.

“Participating is simple – the sys-

tem does not require participantsto have any special software ontheir computer,” he said.

“Webinars are easily accessed byclicking on a link provided to par-ticipants in an email from themeeting host, then following theinstructions on the screen.

“After entering your name andemail address you will be givenaccess to the meeting room andthe presenter.

“Participants then access theteleconference by dialling thenumber provided and entering themeeting number, also supplied inthe initial email.

“During a webinar, people cansend questions to the speakerwhile they think of them withoutinterrupting the presentation –and the issues can be addressedafterwards,” he said.■■ Email [email protected] Webinar – Pigs, Chicken,Eggs, Dairy or Bees in the subject line, if you wish to benotified when webinars will beheld.

‘Webinar’ – the newvirtual meeting room

Greg Mills and Bede Burke, Chair of NSW Farmers Egg Committee, recommend the time and costsavings of webinars.

RURAL Press and the productionteam of Agriculture Todaycongratulate the NSWDepartment of Primary

Industries’ staff for theirimpressive sweep in the 2008Premier’s Awards. Details in theMinister’s column, p4.

CongratulationsCongratulations

Annette Cowie on soils emission trading,p5; book review: Mustering moisture,p15.

N S W D P I

… our focus is your future

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

TL1649765

AGRICULTURE TODAY ■ Thursday, November 27, 2008 3

INDONESIAN and NSW scien-tists have pooled two years ofexperience working together

in Aceh after the devastatingearthquake and tsunami, to pro-duce a comprehensive guide toagricultural recovery after sea-water inundation.

It is four years since the IndianOcean disaster in December2004.

“We hope our guide will helpgovernments and aid agenciesprioritise activities after futureinundations,” NSW Departmentof Primary Industries’ Acehproject officer, Gavin Tinning,said.

“Commercial interests arecompeting as the countryrebuilds, and with the vital roleof agricultural land in providingfood, it is important to return itto production as quickly as pos-sible.

“This means money and effortwould not be wasted on landstill affected by salinity or sedi-ments.

“The guide is based on ourexperiences working in Acehover the past two years.

“But we think it will be widelyapplicable, due to the increas-ing likelihood of productivecoastal land being submerged instorm surges and rising sea lev-els.

“For example, the IrrawaddyDelta in Myanmar was inun-dated by seawater during Cyc-lone Nargis in May, and in the US, Texan coastal plainswere flooded following Hurri-cane Ike.

“As well, salinisation of pro-ductive coastal rice lands inJava is becoming a major issuefor the Indonesian govern-ment.”

The new guide outlines theissues that need to be managedafter land is inundated.

These include removal ofdebris and sediment, restora-tion of drainage and irrigationchannels, salinity testing, flush-ing of salt, selection of cropsites, and restoration of soil fer-tility.

Mr Tinning said field staff fromlndonesia’s Assessment Insti-

tute for Agricultural Tech-nology had successfully demon-strated methods of restoringfarming on fields affected bysalt and tsunami sediments ofsand, peat and mud.

“While most Acehnese farmershave been able to return to theirland and re-establish cropping,climate variability is testingtheir capacity to adapt tochanges in rainfall patterns,” hesaid.

“Many are still struggling withdrainage, partly due to a piece-meal approach to reconstruc-tion of important irrigation and

drainage infrastructure after thetsunami.

“Their high value dry seasoncrops are being flooded butthey struggle for adequate irri-gation water for their staple ricecrops.

“A post-tsunami boom in con-struction along the coastalfringe is further affecting agri-cultural drainage.”

The success of the Aceh proj-ect, funded by the AustralianCentre for International Agri-cultural Research (ACIAR) hasled to a second project toimprove productivity of theprovince’s coastal farming sys-tems.

According to a recent WorldBank report, 26.5 per cent ofrural households in Aceh in2006 had expenditure levelsbelow approximately AUD$15

per person per month, and wereclassed below the poverty line.

The second project will focuson increasing farm productivity,including greater use of legumesand improved fertiliser manage-ment in the dominant rice farm-ing system on the coastal flood-plains of Aceh.

Mr Tinning said part of theproject would be conducted inNSW to evaluate the effects ofsoil carbon amendments on thewater and nutrient use efficien-cy of soils, as well as theamount of resistant forms ofcarbon they store.

This research will bring bene-fits to both Indonesia andAustralia and is funded throughthe ACIAR.■■ Contact Gavin Tinning,Wollongbar, (02) 6626 [email protected] orvisit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/projects/06P302 forthe post-tsunami agricultureguide.

Guide to recovery in Aceh

LEFT: Aceh project managerGavin Tinning presents acamera to a women’s groupsto enable them to documenttheir rehabilitation of fieldsand home gardens, as theyprovide food and income totheir families. Women arenow largely in charge ofagriculture, as men havebeen diverted to otheremployment to restore thecountry.

ABOVE: Members of a women's group planting beds in WestAceh on land restored after the 2004 tsunami andearthquake.

RIGHT: Farmers are successfully cropping rice on peat soiltsunami sediment for the first time after the event.

HIGH levels of herbicide resistance in annu-al ryegrass, now common in southern NSW,reinforce the importance of developing newnon-chemical weed control techniques intoweed management strategies.

Professor Deirdre Lemerle, director of theEH Graham Centre for Agricultural Inno-vation at Wagga Wagga made the assessmentafter recently completed studies.

Graham Centre researchers, John Brosterand Eric Koetz (pictured sampling above),have found high levels of resistance in rye-grass to widely used herbicides.

They conducted studies from Dubbo in thenorth of the State, to the Victorian border inthe south, and east-west between the Humeand Newell highways.

Professor Lemerle said these findingsshowed a large increase since the last thor-ough survey was conducted in 1991.

“Around 80 per cent of paddocks surveyedin 2007 had significant levels of resistance toGroup A ‘fops’ herbicides, while resistanceto Group A ‘dims’ was in 20 per cent offields,” she said.

“Levels of resistance to Group B ‘SU’ and‘imi’ herbicides are in 65 to 70pc of paddocks.

“However, resistance to simazine (GroupC) and trifluralin (Group D) was in less than10pc of paddocks.”

Professor Lemerle said in 1991, only 10 to15 per cent of paddocks had ryegrass withresistance to Group A ‘fop’ and Group B ‘SU’herbicides.

The research is part of a larger surveyacross the wheat-belt, funded by the GrainsResearch and Development Corporation.■■ Contact Deirdre Lemerle, Wagga Wagga,0419 816 267.

– SARAH CHESTER

Herbicideresistancecommon

SERRATED tussock is well adaptedto low rainfall, low nutrient soilsand disturbance events – making itvery likely to spread more with cli-mate change.

A new resource, the Serrated Tuss-ock Best Practice ManagementManual and a supporting resourceCD, is now available.

Managing serrated tussock canoften seem overwhelming, whiledoing nothing can severely affectproductivity and promote unwant-

ed seed sources for neighbours,says Scott Chirnside, chair of theNational Serrated Tussock Manage-ment Group.

Left unmanaged, this Weed ofNational Significance has thecapacity to greatly reduce produc-tivity of grazing lands, affect bio-diversity values, and in inaccessi-ble and difficult to manage areascan be a continuous source of seedfor whole regions and communi-ties.

It is also genetically adaptive,with at least three separate casesof herbicide resistance to flu-propanate reported in south-eastAustralia.

Visit www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/serratedtussock to downloadcopies of the manual. ■■ Contact the National SerratedTussock Co-ordinator, BronwenWicks, NSW DPI Goulburn,(02) 4828 6632,[email protected]

New serrated tussock resources No more barbed wire strikes with the

www.barbwireantidote.com

Easy to use - one man operation - save labour costs,stops over spin of wireNo Lifting of wire spool necessaryHighly mobile - loads easily on and off ute trayVarying uses in rough timbered terrainWell balanced for towing by hand or 4 wheeler at 5km/hAttachment mounts on 3PTL of tractor or tray of uteUse a single spooler along with a three-spooler for theone price

✔

✔✔✔✔✔✔

Ute Mounted

Tow

TL1600692

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

Production Editor Matthew WatsonTel (02) 4570 4444 Fax (02) 4570 4650

Advertising Joanne MansellTel (02) 4570 4676 Fax (02) 4570 [email protected]

Circulation Distribution InquiriesTel (02) 4570 4444

National Sales Melbourne (03) 9287 9000Sydney (02) 9313 8444

Inclusion of any advertising - supporting materialin this publication does not necessarily implyendorsement of the product or company by theNSW Department of Primary Industries. TL1680097

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-today


Tumbarumba wine grape lossesEARLY bunch stem necrosis has cost theTumbarumba region more than $250,000a season over five years in wine grapeyield losses.

Low temperatures during flowering, soilmineral imbalances and the presence of apathogen are likely causes.

Making NewsMaking News

GROWERS’ best defence againsta newly discovered stripe rustpathotype is to grow resistantvarieties, say the NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries(DPI) and the Grains Researchand Development Corporation(GRDC).

A sample of stripe rust collect-ed from a wheat crop in north-east Victoria is the firstAustralian pathotype with viru-lence for the Yr27 resistancegene.

“Growers are advised to takenote of variety response tostripe rust, and other diseaseslikely to limit yield, in selectingvarieties for 2009,” DPI’s DrColin Wellings said.

“The potential for similarstripe rust problems in 2009 willdepend on pathogen survivalover summer and the timing offirst reports of the disease.

“Green bridge control will beimportant if summer conditions

are conducive to stubbleregrowth.”

Dr Wellings says managementdecisions at planting will also beimportant, especially the needto consider early season fungi-cide protection.

“Choice of strategy will rangefrom in-furrow applications, fer-tiliser coatings or seed applica-tions using fungicides of varyingexpense and growers shouldseek local advice,” he said.

“When using early seasonchemical protection, care shouldbe taken in managing grazingcereals, because withholdingperiods will be important.”

Dr Wellings works in associa-tion with the Australian CerealRust Control Program (ACRCP),which is supported by growersand the Australian Governmentthrough the GRDC. ■■ Contact Dr Colin Wellings,Cobbitty, (02) 9351 8826 orvisit www.grdc.com.au/rustlinks

Grow resistant varieties

DR COLIN Wellings (pictured),on secondment to theUniversity of Sydney’s PlantBreeding Institute (PBI) atCobbitty, said greenhouseexperiments revealed a newstripe rust pathotype hadfeatures identical to the Jackiepathotype, but that adifferential test wheat varietycarrying the Yr27 gene hadshown a susceptible reaction.

Current varieties carryingYr27 include GBA Combat,GBA Ruby, Merinda and Mira,

and these must be consideredat risk until furtherinformation becomes available.

Dr Wellings said the newly-named Jackie Yr27 pathotypewas avirulent for the Yr17resistance gene, so this geneshould provide protectionagainst the new strain.

However, a stripe rustpathotype virulent for Yr17was also widespread in easternAustralia, so Yr17 varietieswere at risk to this pathotype.

New stripe rust pathotype

CONGRATULATIONS to theDepartment of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) drought

support worker team whotook out the top gong at therecent NSW Premier’s Awardsfor their Farm FamilyGathering initiative.

This hard working group ofdedicated professionals weredeservedly named as winnersof the evening’s major award,the State Plan Award for theirDrought Related Workshopprogram.

So impressive was theprogram that it was alsodeemed the winner of the goldaward in the DeliveringLocally category.

There is little doubt that thisprogram certainly has“delivered locally” with theteam organising more than2290 gatherings and workshopevents for drought ravagedcommunities since thiscurrent drought began back in2002.

The importance of the farmfamily gathering eventscannot be under estimated interms of the role they play inproviding a little time out andrelief from the stress andheartache of drought.

Of equal importance is thestrength of the networks ofthe drought support workerteam.

Over the years they haveprovided immeasurablesupport to rural and regionalfamilies by ensuring a rangeof relevant agencies havebeen present at these FarmFamily Gathering eventsarmed with information tohelp them access assistanceand other support measures.

It was a highly successfulnight at the awards for thedepartment, with DPI staffbeing honoured with a total offive.

These included a gold award in the category ofGrowing Prosperity AcrossNSW for the Equine Influenza(EI) response team inrecognition of their role insuccessfully eradicating EIfrom NSW.

Another gold award waspresented in the Environmentfor Living category for theAquatic Habitat RehabilitationProgram, acknowledging theachievements in nativevegetation and biodiversity inNSW rivers and coastalwaterways.

The Tumut ContainerisedSeedling Nursery Facility wasawarded a silver medal in theGrowing Prosperity AcrossNSW category, recognisingForests NSW efforts indesigning and constructing a

new nursery that maximisesefficiency of production.

I congratulate each andevery person involveddirectly or indirectly in theseprojects and commend you onthe dedication andprofessionalism you display incarrying out your roles.

Drought updateOCTOBER rains have seen adrop in drought-declred areaof almost 6.5 per cent withlatest figures showing 62.8 percent of NSW is now in drought(down from 69.2 per cent),while 17.4 per cent is marginal(up from 16.8 per cent) and19.8 per cent is satisfactory(up from 14 per cent).

The improved areas arelocated primarily in thenorthern and central parts ofthe state.

Recent widespread rainsshould prove a welcome boostand may improve that outlookfurther.

DPI gets Premier’s top gold and more

It only takes one isolated susceptible wheat plant to allow thestripe rust pathogen to survive over summer.

MFS AGRI SILOS250T TO 5,000T

ALLIED GRAIN SYSTEMS PTY LTD0427 413 369 YOUNG NSWALLIED

GRAINSYSTEMS

• Erected on site including concrete base• Aeration and unloader options available• Project design to completion available• Hutchinson Grain Pump Systems available

TL1611673www.alliedgrainsystems.com.au

Freecall1800 689 433

TL1

6576

08

MANUFACTURERS of a quality range oftrailers for most applications in all shapes,sizes and uses.

DEAN Tandem Hydraulic Tipping Trailer (9x6)

DEAN Tandem Box Trailers

DEAN Tandem Hydraulic Tipping Utility Trailer (10x7)

DDEEAANN TTRRAAIILLEERRSSAAUUSSTTRRAALLIIAA PPTTYY.. LLTTDD..

KIRKHAM ROAD, BOWRALPO BOX 108 BOWRAL, NSW, 2576

TELEPHONE: (02) 4861 1400FAX: (02) 4861 4620

WEBSITE: www.deantrailers.com.auTELEPHONE FOR A FREE BROCHURE

DEAN 3 tonne Mark II Hydraulic tipper

“Celebrating60 Years”


Gaden Hatchery breakthroughMINISTER for Primary Industries, IanMacdonald, has agreed to delay theprocess of closing the Gaden Hatchery inJindabyne, following discussions withMember for Monaro Steve Whan and keystakeholders.

“A number of creative options toaddress the Gaden Hatchery’s financeswere discussed,” Mr Macdonald said.


AGROUP of NSW soil scientistsis overcoming barriers toinclusion of soil carbon in

emissions trading.Impacts of management practices

on carbon sequestration in soil areunclear, with some proponentsclaiming large potential and othersdismissing the possibility.

“Detractors additionally say soilcarbon is too costly to measure,and changes in soil carbon too diffi-cult to audit,” NSW Department ofPrimary Industries senior researchscientist, Dr Annette Cowie, said.

“In preparation for potential inclu-sion in the national CarbonPollution Reduction Scheme infuture, and for inclusion in the vol-untary carbon trading market, it isimportant to investigate theseobjections,” she said.

So soil scientists from NSWDepartment of Primary Industries(DPI) and the Department ofEnvironment and Climate Changeare collaborating to look into eachof the issues.

Dr Cowie says in the same waythat carbon trading based onforestry offsets uses models to pre-dict sequestration, soil carbonmodels can estimate sequestrationthrough agricultural practices.

“To increase confidence about thepotential for altered managementpractices to sequester soil carbon,researchers are undertaking paired-site studies, comparing the soil car-bon stock between adjacent areasunder different management,” DrCowie said.

Comparisons include high and lowinput grazing land management;conventional crop rotations versusresponse cropping or inclusion ofpasture phase; and revegetation ofgrazing land with native tree andshrub species.

A second component of the proj-ect is an examination of the poten-tial for a novel soil amendment,biochar, to increase soil carbon.

DPI scientists have started anincubation study to investigate theturnover rate of biochar carbon,and conducted life cycle assess-ment of greenhouse gas mitigationthrough the use of biochar.■■ Contact Dr Annette Cowie,(02) 9872 0138,[email protected]

● Annette Cowie is internationally recognisedfor her expertise in forestry and climatechange. Her current research focuses in parton soil carbon dynamics and she is a co-leader of a key International Energy Agencycollaborative research program examiningbiofuels as alternatives to fossil-based fuels.

It is well known that Australian croppingsoils have low levels of soil organic matter. Farmers are encouraged to implementpractices that increase organic matter, suchas stubble retention, to increase agriculturalproductivity and soil health.Increasing soil organic matter increases thequantity of carbon stored in the soil, so cancontribute to mitigation of climate change.Thus there is potential for such practices toearn carbon credits.Landholders in the US currently earn credits for management of soil carbon in

cropping and grazing land in the voluntarymarket through the Chicago ClimateExchange. The federal government plans to introducenational emissions trading through aCarbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in July.However, since agriculture will be excludedat least until 2015 and since the decision onwhether to include agriculture will not bemade until 2013, the federal CarbonPollution Reduction Scheme will notprovide an incentive for soil carbonmanagement, at least in the short term.

Potential for creditsPotential for credits

Solve trading barriers

ASOILS project assessingimplications for emissionstrading is developing the

capacity to use mid-infra red(MIR) spectroscopy for quick,cheap measurement of soilcarbon.

This method requires accuratecalibration, for which anextensive soil archive maintainedby the NSW Department ofEnvironment and Climate Changeis being used.

The MIR method is being usedto measure soil carbon in thepaired-site studies (see story left).

“Although MIR greatly reducesthe costs of measuring carbon insoil samples, it would not beeconomically feasible to do

routinely for emissions trading,”NSW DPI’s Dr Annette Cowie said.

Dr Cowie (pictured) says thecosts of sampling are too high,due to the great spatial andtemporal variability of soilcarbon that occurs naturally inthe paddock.

Rather, the results of thisproject will be used in soilcarbon models to estimate theimpacts on soil carbon ofchanges in managementpractices.

Such models will enabledevelopment of emissionstrading based on agricultural soilcarbon management on thevoluntary market, if not in themandatory national scheme.

Spectroscopy quick, accurate buttoo expensive for routine use

■■ Lessons in pits, carbon myths bustedin seminars, an honours student doesbiochar and new hopes for measuringphosphorus runoff. Soils, p10-13.

THE way is open to grow indus-trial hemp in NSW, with the startof a new licensing scheme.

People can now apply to pro-duce environmentally friendlyhemp crops, which can be usedfor an extraordinarily widerange of products.

“We have strong feedbackfrom the agricultural sector forthe development of this newindustry, with more than 200people expressing interest ingrowing under licence,”Minister for Primary IndustriesIan Macdonald said.

“Industrial hemp has thepotential to provide farmerswith a much needed additionalfast growing summer crop thatcan be used in rotation withwinter grain crops,” he said.

It is a potentially lucrativeindustry due to the environmen-tally friendly nature of the plant

and there is strong demand forhemp products.

Mr Macdonald said industrialhemp fibre could be used as abase for skin care products, inpaints, paper products and tex-tiles, load bearing masonry forbuilding, insulation, as an addi-tive to wool in soft textureddurable yarns and also as analternative to fibreglass.

Cosmetics, bio-fuel and dogfood are among the options.

The licensing scheme is beingdesigned to prevent industrialhemp being used to camouflagean illicit crop of high THCcannabis, or marijuana.

Industrial hemp is a cannabisplant species, however, it haslow tetrahydrocannabinol con-tent (THC) compared to otherforms of cannabis plants andcannot be used as a drug.

Properties growing industrial

hemp will be audited andinspected regularly.

The licensing scheme followsthe introduction of new legisla-tion in NSW Parliament, theHemp Industry Act 2008 andHemp Industry Regulation 2008,

and was developed after exten-sive consultation with NSWPolice and industry groups. ■■■■ Contact your local NSW DPIoffice or visitwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au to obtainan application form.

Cosmetics, dogfood? Get a hemp licenceLEFT: Anindustrialhemp trialpaddocknear Griffith.More than200 peoplehaveexpressedinterest ingrowingunderlicence.

We’re here to work with you in restoring andmaintaining the vitality of the environment in the Lachlancatchment.Whether you’re a small or large landholder, communitygroup, or local agency, we provide advice, professionaldevelopment, strategic planning, and practicalassistance for the work you want to do on your patch.Located in ten offices throughout the catchment area,our staff are easy to access and can help you identify,plan and implement natural resource management,environmental and sustainable farming projects.Contact your local Lachlan CMA office to find out more:Boorowa, Young, Cowra, Temora, Grenfell, Forbes,Parkes, West Wyalong, Condobolin and Hillston.

www.lachlan.cma.nsw.gov.au 1800 885 747TL1664458

Together We’re Making a Difference

TYRESTractor-Header • Truck

• Rice • Logger • Aircraft etcALL BRANDS,

NEW AND USEDEXCELLENT PRICES

Header rim and flotation conversions and tractor dual rim kits, clip on and economy.

Field Service throughout the Riverina.TYRES SENT THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA

LEETON (02) 6953 7711 or 1800 686 828GRIFFITH (02) 6964 9999

TL1

6093

40

MANUFACTURING

CATTLEEQUIPMENT

• Calf Pullers

• Barnes Dehorners

• HendersonCastration Tool

• Standard S/S &Freeze Brands

• Doc BrannenGrooming Aids

• Show Sticks &Halters

From

SARUS PTY LTDPO Box 499, Forbes 2871

[email protected] (02) 6851 1747

0412 905 720

TL1645117


SPONTANEOUScombustion inhaystacks topped 500

in NSW last season andhere we are again – balingtime.

Complex biological,chemical and physicalreactions influenceheating in hay.

Biological respiration ofthe plant material andbacterial and fungalactivity cause initialheating.

This can lead to a buildup of flammable chemicalswhich can ignite whenexposed to air.

Hay that has been baledtoo moist is the mostcommon cause of overheating.

Other reasons includehigh levels of sugar indrought-stressed cropsleading to increasedmicrobial activity andheating, poor calibrationof moisture meters leadingto inaccurate moisturereadings, and a lack ofeffective hay conditioning.

In addition to the risk offire, heating can reducehay’s nutrient value,causing losses in proteindigestibility and energycontent.

To minimise the risk ofheating it is important toreduce moisture content.

Due to their largevolume and surface area,

large round and squarebales need lower moisturecontent than small ones.

Small rectangular balesshould contain 18 to 20per cent moisture, roundbales 14 to 18pc and largerectangular bales less than14pc.

Most fires last seasonwere in large rectangularbales stacked more thanthree bales high.

For cereal hay the nodeis the last part of the plantto cure.

To check if the nodes arefully cured, take a plant

sample with an intactnode, place the centre ofthe node against the tip ofyour thumbnail with thestem sideways and bendthe stem over thethumbnail.

If the stem splits cleanlyin half on both sides, yoursample is fully cured– afully cured stem will snapcleanly in half through themiddle of the node.

If the stem only halfsplits, that is, splits on theoutside of the bend butnot the inside, and isgreen on the inside thesample is not cured.

If the sample just bendswithout splitting it is evenfurther from being cured.

When making lucerne,vetch and clover hay, usethe thumbnail test forlegumes.

Take a sample of the cutcrop.

Scrape your thumbnailalong the stem. If a strip ofthe stem or the colourpeels off, the plant is notcured.

If the thumbnail does notscratch the stem, thesample plant is cured andshould be ready forbaling.■■ For more informationabout baling hay and silage,the Australian FodderIndustry Association offersa good website,www.afia.org.au

THE striking benefits of a new dis-ease-resistant chickpea varietywere on display during a visit byboard members from PulseBreeding Australia to a NSW DPItrial site at Tamworth AgriculturalInstitute recently.

The new variety – at this stagereferred to as CICA 0512 – was in ahealthy mid-podding stage butother chickpea varieties plantedin plots alongside had been deva-stated by the fungal disease,ascochyta blight.

NSW DPI breeder, Ted Knights,said the scene at the trial siteshowed the level of resistance thenew variety has to the potentiallydevastating ascochyta blight.

“CICA 0512 has weathered theconditions this season which havebeen favourable to ascochytablight,” he said.

“Other varieties in the untreatedtrial plot have been virtuallywiped out.”

The trial plots received 197 mil-

limetres of rain since crops wereinoculated with the disease andthere have been 13 infectioncycles.

“Many commercial crops plantedearlier than this trial have been hit hard by ascochyta,” said DrKevin Moore, senior plant patholo-gist.

“One grower west of Boggabriabandoned his chickpeas due to the disease and a crop nearNarrabri has been ploughedunder.”

NSW DPI is taking a lead role inbreeding chickpeas nationally inPulse Breeding Australia (PBA) – anew joint venture between DPIs inother States, the Grains Researchand Development Corporation(GRDC) and the University ofAdelaide.

PBA aims to deliver superiorpulse varieties for the Australiangrains industry.

CICA 0512, first evaluated underfield conditions by NSW DPI and

Qld DPI and Fisheries in 2003, willbe released to farmers when adequate seed is available in 2010.

It is expected to bring significantsavings to regional chickpea grow-ers who currently spend up to $10million each season on fungicideapplications to prevent ascochytablight.

Growers using the ascochytamanagement package developedby NSW DPI with GRDC fundingare keeping the disease under con-trol at a cost – but they are hang-ing out for this new variety tobecome available.

Chickpeas grown in NSW gomostly to the Indian subcontinentfor human consumption.

They are also a most profitablebreak crop for cereal production,helping to reduce disease, weedsand nitrogen inputs.■■ Contact Ted Knights, Tamworth,(02) 6763 1179 or Kevin Moore,Tamworth, (02) 6763 1133.

ABOVE: DPI chickpea breeder TedKnights and senior plant pathologist,Kevin Moore, inspect one of theTamworth chickpea trial plots.

RIGHT: This plot of Gully, an oldvariety highly susceptible toAscochyta blight, has been wipedout without the protection of afungicide.

Food security forumFOOD security is an issueas important for the Sydneymetropolitan area as it isfor the rural areas of NSW,according to NSWDepartment of PrimaryIndustries urban agricultureleader, David Mason.

Mr Mason is on the bill todiscuss the ways urbanagriculture is addressedacross the world, at aMacquarie GraduateSchool of Managementforum in Sydney onDecember 3.

He will use as a totemicexample the HawkesburyHarvest, which is leadingthe way with agritourismand provision of fresh foodin the Sydney region.

The fringe ofmetropolitan Sydney isone of the State’s foodbowls and puts out $1billion of agriculturalproduce each year.

The fringe is made up ofmostly rural residentialdevelopment – 78 per centof all uses are ruralresidential – but much iscurrently on the drawing

board for urban expansion.“Many problems need to

be addressed to ensure wehave a sustainable futureand a secure food supply,”Mr Mason said.

At the forum, Ian Sinclair,of Consultant Edge LandPlanning, will outline therelevance of food securityto planning.

Jenny Donovan will talkabout the potential toincorporate foodproduction in a way thatalso meets otherobjectives of planning andurban design.


New chickpea resilient

Rule of thumb nailscause of hay fires

Ag Today’s June edition.

TL1

6644

66

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Manilla’s first carp muster

N S W D P I

for the latest training and

events log on to our website

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/eventsManilla Showground, 22–23 NovemberAnglers will be able to learn about the impact of carp and how planting trees, removing willows and re-snagging the water benefits native fish.

The muster is open to everyone and only legal fishing methods can be used. Thousands of dollars worth of prizes are on offer for

category winners, including the biggest carp caught, and mystery prizes in both senior and junior prize categories.

Register at the showground from 7 am to 5 pm on Saturday 22 November and 7 am to12 pm on Sunday 23 November.

For more information ring Milly Hobson (NSW DPI) on 6763 1206 or Anne Ferguson (Namoi CMA) on 6742 9202.

TL1683214


AFOOTROT symposium heldrecently at the birthplace ofthe Australian wool industry

heard the entire state of NSW isexpected to become a declaredfootrot Protected Area within sixmonths.

Sheep experts from aroundAustralia and abroad attended thegathering at the ElizabethMacarthur Agricultural Institutenear Camden to discuss lessonslearned from the suc-cess of the NSW FootrotStrategic Plan.

Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) repre-sentative on the NSWFootrot Steering Comm-ittee, John Seaman, saidfootrot was costing thesheep industry at least$40 million dollars ayear in when the control programbegan in 1988.

“Virulent footrot infected 15 percent of NSW flocks in 1991 and insome wetter areas the infectionrate was up to 70 pc.

“Now only there are only 26infected flocks out of more than23,300 in NSW and control costs

are expected to be less than$700,000 this year.

“The infection rate is still fallingand our goal is for the whole Stateto be declared a footrot protectedarea within six months.”

Mr Seaman said the NSW FootrotStrategic Plan was widely recog-nised as one of the most success-

ful disease control programsundertaken by the sheepindustry in Australia.

“The plan was initiallydeveloped by Helen Scott-Orr (pictured) followingextensive consultation withthe sheep industry,” he said.

“Over the past 20 yearsNSW DPI, Rural Lands Prot-ection Boards and sheep

producers have worked togetherto progressively eradicate thisdebilitating bacterial infection ofthe feet in sheep and goats.

“Producers in other States withfootrot have been unable tomake significant progress.

“In some western grazingareas in Victoria infectionrates of up to 20 per centare still common.”

A veterinarian from theUnited Kingdom attendedthe symposium to get a bet-ter understanding of thesuccessful control principles usedin NSW.

“The UK is planning a controlcampaign and our experiencecould help them enormously,” MrSeaman said.

“The key to the success of the

NSW program has been strongsupport from the State’s sheepindustry in co-operating with

Rural Lands ProtectionBoards and DPI to eradi-cate virulent footrot.

“Initially the emphasiswas on providing soundadvice on treating andculling infected sheep,then as infection ratesdeclined regulation be-came more important inpreventing spread.

“Producers with footrot infectedsheep must now undertake a con-trol program and their sheep canonly be sold for slaughter.”■■ Contact John Seaman, Orange,(02) 6391 3248,[email protected]

TOM BRAZOrange

ABOVE: Footrot infection in asheep’s hoof.

BELOW: Professor John Egertonhas dedicated much of his lifeto footrot research anderadication at the University ofSydney and is still a member ofthe Footrot Steering Committee.

THE NSW Footrot Steering Committeeoversees progress of the eradicationprogram and has input into its direction.Industry stakeholders represented onthe committee are the NSW DPI, RuralLands Protection Boards, NSW Farmers’Association, Australian VeterinaryAssociation, University of Sydney, andthe NSW Stud Merino BreedersAssociation.

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee

The methods of treatment included paring back the infection onthe hoof, then running stock through a footbath.

Footrot is beaten

Air attack on locust swarmsTHE NSW Government hasplaced nine fixed-wing air-craft on standby to treatswarming locusts as theybecome viable targets.

Locusts on the wing havebeen spotted in swarms inparts of southern and cen-tral NSW and more swarmsare expected.

Farmers are urged to con-tinue reporting every swarmto their Rural Lands Protec-tion Board so action can betaken to control them, ifpossible.

Any sightings of maturelocusts laying eggs on theground are particularlyimportant to report as theresulting egg beds need tobe monitored for possiblesigns of locusts hatching ina second generation.

Fortunately, swarms onthe scale of the 2004 out-

break are not expected thistime.

Most of the State’s cropsare in the final stages ofmaturity and close to har-vest.

This means they are not asattractive to locusts, whichprefer green plants, for exam-ple irrigated lucerne crops.

The NSW Government,RLPB and NSW FarmersAssociation control pro-gram has so far: ● Established a State LocustControl Centre in Orange, aswell as regional and localforward command posts atWagga Wagga, Narranderaand Forbes;● Provided specialist train-ing for around 300 staff;● Co-ordinated daily fixedwing and helicopter aerialsurveillance on a wide front;● Dispatched enough insecti-

cide direct to farmers to treatmore than 90,000 hectares oflocust bands on over 2,600properties and more insecti-cide is on standby;● Established stocks ofGreen Guard, a fungal insec-ticide agent that can beused in environmentallysensitive areas and onorganic properties, and● Conducted meetings withlandholders and a publicinformation blitz in newsmedia.

Swarming locusts areexpected to cause somedamage, even though manyimmature locusts havealready been wiped out.

Aerial surveillance con-firms the majority of imma-ture locust bands have beenfound but bands that remainundetected will still formsignficiant swarms.

A PILLIGA farmer was foundguilty of 48 counts of aggra-vated cruelty and 48 countsof failure to provide properand sufficient food in Narra-bri Local Court recently.

The magistrate placed RuthDowney on a good behaviourbond. She was also orderedto pay $295,488 in costs.

RSPCA inspectors first vis-ited Mrs Downey’s propertyin February 2007, followinga complaint from the publicregarding the extremelypoor condition of a numberof cattle.

Advice and additional visitsto the property to encourageMrs Downey to improve thedeteriorating condition ofher stock were made in a

bid to improve the situation.She refused to accept

advice and recommenda-tions to improve the ani-mals’ health, including writ-ten feeding instructionsfrom NSW DPI and theRSPCA.

Most of NSW was indrought at the time.

The RSPCA said “regret-tably this course of actioncould have been avoided ifMrs Downey had takenproactive advice on board,given by the various agen-cies earlier”.

The NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI)administers the State Gov-ernment’s Drought Trans-port Subsidies that are des-

igned to protect the welfareof livestock by reducing thecosts to primary producers,by providing rebates on live-stock transport during thedrought.

NSW DPI will rebate 50 percent of the transport costsfor movements of:● water for domestic use; ● water and fodder forstock; ● stock to and from agist-ment, and● stock to sale/slaughter. Rebates apply to primaryproducers in a drought-affected area of NSW.■■ Contact the droughthotline (1800) 814 647 formore information.

– BRETT FIFIELD

Costs $295,488 for cruelty N S W D P I

NSW DPI’s bookshop 1800 028 374Mustering Moisture –the practice of no-till farming in Australiafrom large-scale grainproduction specialists to smaller scale mixed farming enterprises…

from fertile self-mulchingblack clays to run-down hard setting red soils…

from woody weed regrowth on the Nyngan plains to rocks at Coonabarabran…

Muste12 farovercono-tillfarminfarmin

With jeasy-tManciMusteinspirano-till

TL1683205


CANOLA is one broadacrecrop where available knowl-edge can help growers con-

sider the merits of suppressinginsect pests using integrated pestmanagement (IPM) techniques.

“Canola hosts a range of econom-ically important insect and mitepests that can affect yield poten-tial if left unchecked, but with cropsnow maturing there are other fac-tors to consider before rushing tospray,” NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries district agronomist atCootamundra, Phil Bowden, said.

“These pests all have a widerange of naturally occurring bio-logical controls that can oftenhelp keep their populations incheck.

“Natural biological control agentsinclude several predatory ladybee-tles, hoverflies, lacewings, smallparasitic wasps and fungal infec-tions.”

According to Mr Bowden, moni-toring techniques could becomepart of an IPM program whichcould have many benefits, includ-ing maintaining biodiversity, reduc-

ing chemical use and minimisinginsecticide resistance levels.

Canola pests could occur simulta-neously and control in the past hadmainly involved spraying broadspectrum systemic chemicals.

“However, in many cases this isoften unnecessary, so we need tomonitor crops regularly, abouttwice a week at this time of year,to see if pest populations areabove the damage thresholds andto see what beneficial insects areactive,” Mr Bowden said.

“Environmental conditions alsoplay a major role in insect devel-opment cycles and need to be con-sidered when controls are beingplanned.

“Many chemicals have specificrequirements of temperature andhumidity to work efficiently andheavy rain can wash pests offshoots as well, so it pays to keep aclose watch on pest numbers.

“The key to maintaining controlis regular monitoring, knowingwhat you are looking at, whetherpredator and parasite biocontrolsare active and if pest numbers arelikely to increase due to fresh newgrowth or plant stresses.”

If a chemical was necessary, then aselective one for a specific pest waspreferable, to preserve beneficialinsects, which may also be helpingto control other pest species.

Early in spring it was most

important to preserve the benefi-cials, since their role was to keeppest numbers in check later on.

Mr Bowden said there was nopoint in spraying a broad spec-trum insecticide early in the sea-son as an insurance spray, or ifpests had not reached economicdamage thresholds.

“This can lead to greater pestproblems later in the seasonbecause you will have destroyedall the natural enemies that wouldkeep other pests at low levels,” hesaid.■■ Contact your local NSW DPIoffice, or visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.auor read the publication Insect andMite Control in Field Crops.

MORE data is needed to quanti-fy the potential contributionbeneficial invertebrates canmake to suppressing insectpests in Australian grain crops.

Dr Joanne Holloway of theNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) said whileinterest in integrated pest man-agement (IPM) had increased, amajor constraint to adoption bygrowers was the lack of infor-mation about the benefits.

It has been shown both inAustralia and overseas that bio-logical control agents do makesignificant contributions butmore data would help over-come the constraints.

“We don’t know the exactextent to which beneficial inver-tebrates – predators and para-sitoids – contribute to integrat-ed pest management,” Dr Hollo-way said.

“We don’t know how many

beneficials are needed for effec-tive control, and advisers don’thave enough information toconfidently advise growers onIPM in some crops.

“Another constraint is thatgrowers want to see IPM worksbefore they adopt it.

“The cost of chemicals, grow-ers’ concerns about the naturalenvironment and the industry’sincreasing need for traceabilityhas generated greater interestin IPM, but growers need to seethat it works.”

Dr Holloway has reviewed IPMin overseas grain productionand other Australian agricultur-al industries such as citrus andcotton.

“These industries are beinginnovative in their approach toIPM,” she said.

“Cotton growers are plantingstrips of lucerne near theircrops to provide a habitat for

beneficial invertebrates, fromwhich they can move into thecrops and prey on pests whenthey emerge.

“This is also happening in theUnited Kingdom, where farmersuse beetle banks – areas of nat-ural vegetation on the farm – topromote more beneficial inver-tebrates.”

Dr Holloway said this tech-nique could also be used byAustralian grain growers, butmore data was needed aboutwhat sort of vegetation wasbest to harbour populations ofbeneficial invertebrates, andhow best to ensure they dis-perse and enter crops to dotheir job.

“Other measures growers cantake include using selectiveinsecticides instead of broadspectrum chemicals, as the for-mer is softer on beneficial inver-tebrates,” she said.

“IPM is not all about beneficialinvertebrates – I don’t thinkthere will ever be a time whenchemicals won’t be needed insome way, particularly wheninfestations are severe.

“Minimum tillage systems, inaddition to conferring otheradvantages, are another waygrowers can promote greateractivity by beneficial inver-tebrates, but such systems can sometimes promote pestspecies too.

Dr Holloway’s project is partof the National InvertebratePest Initiative (NIPI), suppor-ted by NSW DPI, growers and the Australian Govern-ment through the Grains Re-search and Development Corp-oration. ■■ Contact Dr Joanne Holloway,Wagga Wagga,(02) 6938 1605,[email protected]

Monitoring for canola insects is critical

RIGHT: A canolastem with a highproportion ofparasitised aphids.

BELOW: Districtagronomist atCootamundra, PhilBowden.

Need for more grain crop IPM dataBagClosing

Machines

Bag Closer ServicesPhone (03) 9399 9171; (03) 9399 9183

Fax: (03) 9399 9013mobiles 0427 991 172; 0428 556 395

Email: [email protected]: www.users.bigpond.com/assortedbagcloser/

Reconditioned machines presentlyin Stock.

• Yao-han • Fischbein • Sacup• Newlong • Union Special •Siruba

New & reconditionedsales, parts & service

TL1

6646

40

TL1

6497

62


ABIOLOGICAL controlagent, effectiveagainst one of the

worst horticultural green-house pests, western flowerthrips, is now under com-mercial development inresponse to big demandfrom growers.

“The effective agent, a tinypredatory mite affection-ately known as ‘Monty’, isbeing used to bring this pestunder control, particularlyin cucumber crops grown ingreenhouses,” research sci-entist, Dr Leigh Pilkington,said.

Based at the Gosford Prim-ary Industries Institute, DrPilkington saidbiological con-trol agents likeMonties were aboon to growers,because theywere cost effec-tive and led toless pesticides inthe food chain.

“If we can use abiological con-trol that does agood job and is cost-effec-tive, we can reduce ourreliance on chemicaloptions, make our cropshealthier and help improveproduction levels forcucumbers and a selectionof other vegetables as well,”Dr Pilkington said.

NSW Department of Pri-mary Industries (DPI), incollaboration with two pri-vate entities, one in Queen-sland and the other in NSW,is now endeavouring to pro-duce commercial quantitiesof the mite.

“The initial method ofbreeding them at Gosfordfor a small number of grow-ers was highly labour inten-sive,” Dr Pilkington said.

“Everybody who usesMonties wants to use moreand demand has rapidlyincreased as news of theirsuccess precedes them.”

Former researchers ofNSW DPI at Gosford, MarilynSteiner and Stephen Good-win, now retired, discovered“Monty” – Transeius mont-dorensis.

Their chief supporter atthe institute, Dr Pilkingtonhad seen seeing the successof an army of millions of thetiny stormtroopers his teamsent into battle againstwestern flower thrips –

but the success was condi-tional.

“As long as farmers can ridtheir greenhouses of pesti-cide residues that can harmthis mite and other benefi-cial insects, Monties arehighly successful,” Dr Pilk-ington said.

“In future, farmers usingMonties will have to usecompatible pesticides, andlimit or stop their use ofbroad spectrum pesticides.”

Dr Pilkington said manyfarmers using Monties werealso using other biologicalcontrols such as otherpredatory mites that targetfungus gnats effectivelyunder the surface of the soil.

“Complementary biologi-cal controls can be used justlike compatible pesticides,”Dr Pilkington said.

“While Monties targetwestern flower thrips on theleaves, for example, there isa predatory bug beingdeveloped that may helptarget the same pest withinthe flowerbuds and help theMonties out as a close ally.

“Monties are now pro-duced with much more effi-ciency after developing a

rearing method with the twoprivate organisations.”

Dr Pilkington said usingMonties also saved green-house workers from havingto wear personal protectiveequipment in an already hotwork environment thatcould reach higher than 35degrees Celsius in summer.

“Growers can also be morespecific in the application ofthe control,” he said.

“They can see Monties atwork in their crops just byturning over the leaves andmonitoring their popula-tions of biologicals as partof their routine inspectionfor pest numbers.

“By reducing their relianceon chemical management,the efficacy of these pesti-cides can be reserved forwhen they are really neces-sary.”

Growers could also prac-tice exclusions of pests ingreenhouses by screeningany vents, and taking care intheir movements on thefarm to ensure they weremoving from a clean area toa clean area or clean to dirty.

Horticulture Australia Lim-ited has funded the rearingprogram with a contributionof $180,000, nested within awider project worth approx-imately $750,000 over threeyears.

NSW DPI encouraged farm-ers to get involved withcommercial consultants,and DPI staff will make con-tinuous visits to farmers tosupport the program.

Trials are also underway at the Institute, which is the NSW Centre of Exc-ellence for Horticulture andGreenhouse Research, tolook at other species whichcould combat greenhousewhite fly and two spottedmite.■■ Contact Leigh Pilkington,Gosford, (02) 4348 1953,[email protected]

SIGNIFICANT economic,social and environmentalbenefits have flowed frominvestments into researchthat led to the developmentof integrated pest manage-ment (IPM) strategies in let-tuce.

This is the assessment in areport released by the NSWDepartment of PrimaryIndustries’ (DPI) economicsresearch unit.

Sections of industry andNSW DPI collaborated tofund research projects, ledby the department’s fieldvegetables industry leader,Dr Sandra McDougall, focus-ing on lettuce IPM between1990 and 2006.

According to DPI econom-ics project officer, LeanneOrr, the returns from lettuceIPM research outweigh thecosts of the research two toone; her boss thinks thismay be an understatement.

Mrs Orr estimated theincreased profits from usingIPM practices and newchemical controls.

She applied these farmlevel benefits to the popula-tion of producers who wereclassed as IPM adopters, toestimate the economic ben-efits to NSW.

“The on-farm benefits ofthe research program aremeasured as the differencein the economic returnsfrom using new technolo-gies stemming from res-earch, compared to returnsfrom technologies thatwould have otherwise beenavailable, had the researchnot been undertaken,” MrsOrr said.

“Benefits for NSW lettuceproducers in 2006 were inthe range of $352 to $424per hectare from adoptionof IPM practices, such ascrop monitoring.

“Benefits from better con-trol of resistant heliothisdue to the use of new

chemistries and biologicalcontrols were in the rangeof $1522 to $1902/ha in 2006in the season of peak helio-this pressure.”

Mrs Orr said when thebenefits and costs ofresearch were analysed to2020 the net present valueof the investment was $5.4million.

DPI’s economics researchleader, Dr John Mullen,believes these results mayconsiderably understateactual returns.

“We made no attempt tovalue reduced risks tohuman and environmentalhealth and we focused onbenefits to NSW, knowingthat the lettuce industry inother States has benefitedstrongly from research inNSW.

“Furthermore we haveadopted a conservativeapproach in only recognis-ing benefits to IPM tech-nologies developed by NSWDPI as distinct from the ben-efits of new chemicals thatcan more properly be attrib-uted to chemical firms,” DrMullen said.

The report suggests socialbenefits have arisen fromthe networking and educa-tion activities used toextend IPM strategies to let-tuce growers, as well asfrom the improved prosper-ity of the lettuce industry.

Dr Sandra McDougall said

the adoption of recommen-dations has led to increaseduse of generally more pestspecific, efficacious and less toxic insecticides withlower rates of active ingredi-ent.

“This has resulted in thepotential for increased farmbiodiversity and reducedoff-farm environmental con-tamination,” Dr McDougallsaid.

She said the research strate-gies involved monitoring ofpest populations and the useof softer, nar-row spectrum chemicals as pest populations warranted,rather than on the applica-tion of broad spectrum chem-icals on a calendar basis.

These strategies, includingthe identification of newchemicals, reduce the devel-opment of resistance bypests, have better humanand environmental healthoutcomes and are profitablefor growers.

Copies of the EconomicResearch Report No 40, AnEvaluation of the Economic,Environmental and SocialImpacts of NSW DPI Invest-ments in IPM Research inLettuce can be obtainedfrom www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/areas/health-sci-ence/economics-research/reports ■■ Contact Leanne Orr,Orange, (02) 6391 3338,[email protected]

Monty millionsthumping thrips

Gosford technical officer, Kylie Crampton, checks theimpact Monties (inset) are having on the population ofwestern flower thrips in a cucumber crop.

Benefits are twice costsLEFT: As part ofintegrated pestmanagementresearch inlettuce,technical officerTanya Shawchecks apheromone trapfor flights ofHeliothismoths.

In praise of IPMENDORSING the value andprinciples of IPM, PrimaryIndustries Minister, IanMacdonald said forbiological control agentsto be effective, farmerswere encouragedto actively monitortheir presence andthat of pests, keepadequate recordsof pest andcontrols, usechemicals in aneffective, targeted way,and be mindful of theoverall hygiene of thecropping environmentand surrounds.

“Using bio control as

part of a broaderintegrated pestmanagement system is avery knowledge-intensiveexercise and growersmust know everything

about pests andbeneficials, plusevery other toolat their disposal,”Mr Macdonaldsaid.

“By knowingand seeing how

pests’ and beneficials’ lifecycles interact, farmerswill be able to seeimmediate results throughtheir routine inspectionsof the plants.”

Next time in Ag TodayNext time in Ag TodayThe next edition of Agriculture Today will publish onJanuary 29, 2009.It will feature weeds, beef, catchment health, andcareers and training.Produced in co-operation with Rural Press since1992, the paper reports trends in animal and foodand fibre plant research and extension servicesprovided by the NSW Government.The production staff thank all our readers in 2008,and are especially grateful to the contributing writersand talented experts within the department for theirconstant commitment to excellence.Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.– Ron Aggs, Editor

COWRA • M

✓ High throughput transition for maximum grain flow✓ Self levelling low profile hopper✓ Wide stance hydraulic scissor lift - for stability and reach✓ Heavy duty gearbox✓ Premium powder coat paint finish for longer life, better resale value✓ State of the art laser cut parts and quality manufacturing.

TL1

6330

45

Take Control ofYour Grain

SPEED UP HARVESTWith BRANDT PREMIUM QUALITY SWING-AWAY AUGERS

With major silos closing, you willneed more onfarm storage.RING NOW TO SAVETHOUSANDS OF $$$

• Standard sizes to1500 tonne

• Unload systemand sweepsincluded

• Remote lid &level fill indicator

• Pit aerationavailable fordrying andaeration

• Unique concreteformingweatherproof sealfor water tightfinish.

GERONIMO FARM EQUIPMENT PTY LTDPhone 1800 242 432www.geronimo.com.au

“BRANDT -Regarded

as the bestaugers on

the market”

To Present Your Produce Attractivelycontact:

Label PressManufacturers of FRUIT & VEGETABLE LABELS,

SELF-ADHESIVE, GUMMED BACK, NON-TEARABLE, LABELS on ROLLS or SHEETS.

PRINTED TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS.MANUAL & AUTOMATIC APPLICATOR

GUNS AVAILABLE

1800 773 20798 Cobalt Street, Carole Park, Qld 4300T

L168

2097


TWO simple gypsum demonstra-tions where it had never been usedon sodic soils at Walgett haveshown some astounding resultsafter a short time.

The full result of gypsum usually isnot realised until at least the secondyear after application when the gyp-sum has had enough rainfall to dis-solve it into the soil, says Walgettdistrict agronomist, Myles Parker.

Mr Parker reported in AgricultureToday last month how under mois-ture conservation systems after anexcellent spring, the district’s soilshad produced tremendous crops.

“However, many of these soils con-tain varying sized patches of sodi-city, some less than a hectare, somegreater than 100ha,” Mr Parker said.

“These are inherent in some areasbut in others are caused by artesianwater spilling out from bore drainsover many years.

Mr Parker said the demonstrationsposed the question “how muchunproductive sodic soil gets sown,sprayed and tilled every year, yetproduces nothing or close to noth-ing”?

“Many sodic areas are found

within cropping paddocks and areeasily spotted as poor performingareas, even in a good season,” hesaid.

“Aerial photos or yield maps areideal to scope the weak soil areas

of paddocks, then do some simplesoil tests to determine the extentof the problem.

“In some cases if the area is largeenough to be cut out of a croppingpaddock, it may be more suited topasture than cropping.

Mr Parker said the great seasonmade it the perfect year to mapthese areas and start doing somegypsum test strips.

“Gypsum may not solve all thissoil’s problems, but it is expectedto bring a certain level of produc-tivity that could never be achievedwithout it.”■■ Contact Myles Parker, Walgett,(02) 6828 0126,[email protected]

SOILS chemist, Paul Milham, willtomorrow receive an industryaward for the best published

original research in the field of soilchemistry.

Mr Milham’s winning research forthe biennial CS Piper Award was onthe behaviour of cadmium, a natu-rally occurring toxic heavy metal insoils.

“Plants take up cadmium and highconcentrations in some plant prod-ucts can contribute to osteoporosisand cancer in humans,” Mr Milhamsaid.

“It is also proven capable of caus-ing irreversible kidney damage.

“Management of cadmium in dietsis difficult, as uptake by plants ispoorly predicted by current meas-urement in soils.

“The distribution of cadmium insoils is poorly understood.

“Its distribution may be unevenand the particles are so small thereis no current means of mappingthem.”

Mr Milham, based at Richmondwith the NSW Department ofPrimary Industries, and his collabo-rators, including Ross Wenzel fromNorth Sydney and Central CoastHealth, and Tim Payne from theAustralian Nuclear Science andTechnology Organisation (ANSTO),have been developing methods tomeasure the fraction of cadmium insoils that animals, humans or plantswould be exposed to, and map itsdistribution.

Their aim is to find out how toameliorate the soils and to minimiseboth accumulation in plants andpeople’s exposure.

Cadmium levels in intensivelymanaged agricultural soil are dra-matically influenced by fertilisers,sometimes increasing up to 20 fold.

Although the health risks at lowlevels are largely unquantifiable, sci-

entists and health experts are alsowatching closely the substantialimpact of the proximity of soil tomajor roads and other industrialactivities.

The CS Piper Award is awardedevery two years, based on candi-dates exhibiting sufficient merit, bythe Board of The Royal AustralianChemical Institute Inc (RACI).

Mr Milham will be announced asthe winner tomorrow at the RACInational awards dinner in Mel-bourne.

He will receive a medal and an$8000 cash prize.■■ Contact Paul Milham, Richmond,(02) 4588 2134,[email protected]

– RON AGGS

Soils chemist wins Piperaward for cadmium work

Sodic earth moves for gypsum

LEFT: CS PiperAward winner,Paul Milham,photographedin a tomato plotat Richmond,has used“beam time” atthe AdvancedPhoton Source(APS)laboratoriesnear Chicago todevelop amethod formapping theconcentrationof cadmium insoils. Testingrequiredmeasurementsusing apowerful beamof x-rays from asynchrotron, inwhich electronscirculate in aone kilometrerounddoughnut-shaped buildingat 99.9 percent the speedof light.

GYPSUM (calcium sulphate) can treat sodicsoils by spreading on the soil surface.Typical sodic soils:● have poor seed/root and soil contact ● disperse and seal over quickly● very difficult to get a wet profile● crops do not thrive even in good moisture● have poor aeration at depthSodicity is an excess of sodium cationsattached to the surface of clay particles.

The sodium cations hold the clay particlestogether more loosely than other cations likecalcium and magnesium.When soil gets wet, the clay particles fallapart more easily, loosing structure.Gypsum is a relatively soluble compoundand when applied to soil, the calcium ofgypsum replaces the sodium on the clay, making the clay more stable when wet.

Treating SodicityTreating Sodicity

Two standard rates of 2.5 tonnes per hectare and 5t/ha gypsumwere applied last April on small plots of 10 by 12 metres at Walgett. Without gypsum there was virtually no ground cover.Now that ground cover is established, it is expected the treatedareas will further improve, increasing organic matter and enablingmore rain to infiltrate the soil profile.

SPECIALCONSERVATION

SCHEME

Provides loans to farmersin NSW to help improvethe natural resource oftheir farm by completingcertain conservationworks on their property.

Who can apply?Eligible Primary Producers who ownand work farming land and who:* earn the majority of gross income

from the farm* have net assets less than $5 million* show they can provide suitable

security* have the ability to repay an

additional loan

What assistance is availableFixed interest rate loan up to$150,000Repayable up to 15 yearsRepayments each six months

Some of the works I can apply forinclude:Soil conservation workNoxious weed controlImproving stock and domestic watersupplyUpgrading/improving existing irrigationsystemsHail nettingDe-silting/refurbishing damsHay sheds and silosPlanting perennial species.

Should you have any further queries about obtaining assistancethrough the Special Conservation Scheme please do not hesitate tocontact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 02 6391 3000 or tollfree on 1800 678 593.

TL1

6440

42

161 Kite StreetORANGE NSW 2800Locked Bag 23ORANGE NSW 2800Telephone: 02 6391 3000Toll Free: 1800 678 593Fax: 02 6391 3098Email: [email protected]: www.raa.nsw.gov.auABN 17 283 358 394


North west pits lessonsAHEALTHY Soils for Broad-

acre Cropping coursestaged at various loca-

tions in the north west of theState during the past 12 monthsgave the one hundred and tenparticipants plenty of practicallessons.

“They will be able to managetheir farms differently as aresult,” said soils scientistGraeme Schwenke, one of theteam from Tamworth Agricul-tural Institute (TAI) who put thecourse together.

“As well as learning aboutfunctions of a healthy soil, allparticipants in the course got toassess the health of their ownsoil samples with some basichands-on testing plus lab testingfor soil biology, diseases andplant nutrients.”

“Each group also learned toassess several whole soil pro-files in pits dug on a member’sproperty, stressing the often for-gotten importance of subsoils,which can be difficult toaccess,” Dr Schwenke said.

His NSW Department of Pri-mary Industries colleagues,Sally Muir, David Herridge, andLachlan Rowling, were on handto help.

Dr Schwenke said most partic-ipants in the course came frommixed farming enterprises,although there were some fromareas of all cropping.

Participants also learned toassess their groundcover – crucial on land recovering fromdrought – and their previouscrop’s stubble disease risk.

On the positive side, laborato-ry tests at TAI showed 31 percent of stubbles brought in hada high level of infection by trico-derma, a beneficial fungusspecies that decomposes cropstubbles.

However, Dr Steven Simpfen-dorfer, head of the DPI diseasemanagement laboratory, alsofound that 14pc of samples sub-mitted carried a high risk ofcrown rot. Only two per centhad a high risk of common rootrot infection.

While much of the northwestNSW cropping region is domi-nated by what scientists term“vertosols” (grey-black crackingclay soils), farmer groups fromaround Coonabarabran andCoonamble brought in a widerrange of lighter soil types tocompare and test.

Dr Schwenke said each groupdevised what they consideredto be the most important soilhealth issue for their local area.

“Some of the focal issuesincluded dealing with subsoilconstraints, better matchingcrop and variety to soil type,persistence of nitrogen-fixingrhizobia for legumes, dealingwith acid soils, making no-tillwork on hardsetting red soils,better understanding soil phos-phorus, and better understand-ing soil tests,” he said.

“Most soil tests on samplesthe farmers brought in showedno likely problems, but therewas some indication of poor soilhealth.

“For example, most soils

brought in had good soil pH, but14 per cent were sufficientlyacidic to warrant addition oflime for best cropping results.

Plant nutrients were more anissue with 20pc of samples defi-cient in sulphur and 50pc defi-cient in phosphorus, based onknown critical levels for wheatcrops.

Groundcover in participant’spaddocks was rated as poor in

26pc of responses, leaving theland in those cases at high riskof soil erosion and poor rainfallinfiltration.

Most paddocks had beenfarmed for many decades withan average 48 years of cultiva-tion history.■■ Contact Graeme Schwenke,Tamworth, (02) 6763 1137,[email protected]

Fertiliser field day at SomersbyLEVELS of soil carbon andmicrobial activity rose dramati-cally in response to commercialgarden compost, in a short termoats and vetch trial on a grow-er’s property at Somersby.

At a field day late last month,Central Coast plateau farmers,organic fertiliser suppliers andNSW DPI soil and agronomyexperts looked at the effects offour fertiliser regimes on theplots, in a trial that started inApril.

The site was previously anorchard with sandy soil and wasrelatively infertile except forabundant phosphorus.

NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) Richmondagronomist, Ashley Senn, saidthe 50 square metre trial plotswere hand harvested, notgrazed, and rainfall was good.

“The control regime, neces-sary in any proper experiment,was no fertiliser,” Mr Senn said.

“This compared to urea, com-

mercial garden compost, poul-try manure and biological.

“The biological regime wasalmost organic and includedurea, zeolite, molasses andtrace elements.

“The control did not yield welland the compost and poultry lit-ter plots produced similarly.

“The surprising lack ofresponse to poultry litter maybe explained by it being quiteold.

“Its level of total nitrogen wasgood at 4.3 per cent but readilyavailable nitrogen may havebeen low.”

Although the crop did notrespond to the 100 tonnes perhectare of compost, levels ofsoil carbon and microbial activi-ty rose dramatically.

After the initial effect of nitro-gen suppression has passed, itcan be expected that crops willyield better in the noticeablyimproved soil of the compostplots.

The conventional inorganic(only urea) and mixed biological(near organic) treatments bothyielded more than twice theother treatments and had simi-lar levels of production.

One difference between thetwo was a much greater propor-tion of vetch in the biologicaltreatment.

Vetch was also relatively moreabundant in the compost treat-ment.

Further crops will be sown atthe site to get a clearer picturefrom longer-term experiments.

In the meantime, the field daypresenters encouraged farmersto do their own trials.

The National LandcareProgram, NSW DPI and theHawkesbury-Nepean CatchmentManagement Authority, sup-ported the experiment.■■ Contact Ashley Senn,Richmond, (02) 4588 2111,Carolyn Kenkinson, Gosford,(02) 4348 1979.

THERE are many different approachesto determining soil fertility but not allinterpretations of what makes plantsgrow can be correct.“By doing their own trials, in a validmanner, farmers can learn more aboutwhat suits their production system,NSW DPI Richmond agronomist,Ashley Senn, said.“When you do your own trial, vary onlyone thing at a time and do so with a

reasonable prospect of a response, forexample, do a fertiliser experiment inan infertile paddock.“This way, you can have greaterconfidence in what you observe.”Mr Senn said one way to compare“conventional” and “unconventional”fertiliser products was to spend thesame amount per area on the twoproducts, regardless of how muchnutrient was supplied in each.

Do Your Own Fertility TrialsDo Your Own Fertility Trials

Carbon factsin seminarsA SERIES of seminars to help farmers man-age their response to the soil carbon debateis being conducted around the State.

NSW DPI soil scientist, David Waters, ispresenting the series, developed by fellowsoil scientists to cover issues relating to soilcarbon in agriculture.

“A lot of information has been generatedabout soil carbon and unfortunately some ofit is either confusing or incorrect,” MrWaters said.

“We want to provide farmers with somebalance and context about soil carbon andwhat it may mean for their enterprises.”

Topics covered in the seminars includecarbon cycles, soil carbon fractions, effectsof climate and soil type on soil carbon, influ-ence of management practices on soil car-bon, whole-farm carbon dynamics, organiccarbon amendments and the EmissionsTrading Scheme.

Mr Waters said seminars already presentedat Pleasant Hills and Coleambally generatedsome excellent feedback from local farmersand other industry members.

“Those who attended wanted to know thebest ways to manage and increase carbon intheir farming systems,” he said.

“They were keen to understand how gener-al soil health relates to soil carbon levels,and how to reduce their fertiliser costs byincreasing soil carbon.

“They also wanted to know what capacitysoils have to store carbon in relation to soiltype, and what were the timeframes toachieve increases in soil carbon.”

Many agricultural practices can make soilsless healthy than they in their natural state.

By managing structure, nutrients and biol-ogy in the soil, farmers can work soils with-in their capability so the soils are able torecover from agricultural disturbance with-out being degraded.■■ Contact Lester McCormick,(02) 6785 1790, David Waters,(02) 6938 1999, [email protected]

Farmers learned to assess soil profiles in pits, stressing theoften forgotten importance of subsoils, as part of a healthysoils course conducted this year throughout the north west.

EZY LIME PTY LTDProbably the Best Lime in the World

PH: (02) 6373 3939/(02) 6364 2206BOGAN GATE NSW

If you are thinking about:

LIMING OR LIME BLENDSConsider the following benefits:1. High analysis Limestone 97% Calcium

Carbonate2. Finely ground 98% passing, 250 Micron

69% passing, 75 Micron3. Road Train Access4. High Neutralising Value 97.1

Contact:Plant (02) 6864 3200Office (02) 6373 3939 or (02) 6364 2206Mobile 0418 650 237

TL1649331

TL1

6830

91

All the Staff and contributors of

wish you all the

Joys of the Season and a

Prosperous New Year

TL1683221


ARECENTLY developed rain-fall simulator will assistresearchers improve the reli-

ability of risk management of phos-phorus (P) in grazing systems.

A new project using the simula-tor will improve the ability to pre-dict runoff P losses on a widerange of soils, according toresearch scientist, Dr WarwickDougherty.

“The research will be highlypractical and likely to be readilyadopted by industry,” DrDougherty, based at Richmondwith the NSW Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI), said.

It was well established P con-tained in runoff from pasturescould contribute to eutrophicationof waterways but the current abili-ty to accurately predict runoff Pconcentrations was poor and wasbased on a small number of trials.

“We know relationships betweensoil P and the amount of P inrunoff vary greatly between soils,greatly limiting our capacity toaccurately prioritise soils forremedial actions,” Dr Doughertysaid.

“This is a problem for farmersand catchment managers seekingto invest in remedial works.

“Combining new techniques withexisting routine soil test informa-tion and knowledge of fundamen-tal soil chemistry, we propose thatwe can greatly improve our riskassessments.”

The key tool grazing industriesused to assess nutrient loss riskwas the recently developed FarmNutrient Loss Index (FNLI).

Dr Dougherty said the newresearch would make a major con-tribution to improving the accura-cy of risk assessments providedby the FNLI.

The collaborative research withDr Lucy Burkitt of the TasmanianInstitute of Agricultural Research’sDairy Centre, and Paul Milham ofNSW DPI would use the recentlydeveloped rainfall simulation tech-niques.

Dr Dougherty and Dr Burkittdeveloped the new technique overthe past five years, building on USresearch.

“From our developmentresearch, we know how the datagenerated relates to real situa-tions, giving us great confidence inapplying it,” he said.

“The technique will allow us for the first time to carry outresearch on a wide range of

soils under controlled conditions.“Normally we would need multi-

ple field sites which are costly torun.

“Furthermore, climatic and sitevariability normally makes theresearch difficult to undertake.”

Dairy Australia, will fund theresearch over the next 12 months,as a precursor to a broader rang-ing study it is considering.■■ Contact Warwick Dougherty,(02) 4588 2112, [email protected]

RIGHT: Richmond DPI technicalofficer, Deirdre Harvey, preparesrunoff trays for rainfall simulationin phosphorus research.

Potential of chicken manure biocharWILL conversion to biochar ofchicken manure, which hasalready made the soils of aTamworth mixed farming enter-prise far more fertile, offer fur-ther advantages?

University of New England(UNE) student, Gillian Burke,will investigate the question onher parents’ holdings, as thesubject of her Primary Indus-

tries Innovation Centre(PIIC) honours schol-

arship for 2008.Ms Burke’s par-

ents, Bede andNarelle, own and

lease 1214 hectaresof land, including

their home property“Glendon”, 20 kilome-

tres west of Tamworth.Their holding is made

up of displaced blockswithin a 12 kilometre radius oftheir home.

The Burkes produce eggs, rearpullets, do some cropping andfeed milling, and graze sheepand cattle.

They have about 520 hectaresof red soils suitable only for win-ter cropping and 590 hectares ofdarker soils which they use for

both summer and winter crop-ping.

Ms Burke’s project combinessome local tillage research his-tory with the latest develop-ments in soil improvement.

During the 1980s, NSWAgriculture conducted a longterm tillage experiment on oneof Mr Burke’s red soils.

It took a long time for this soilto show any response to no-tillage because of its hard-set-ting nature, low organic matterand high bulk density.

Mr Burke spreads chickenmanure from their layer and pul-let sheds and can cover 150hectares a year.

It takes five or six years tomanure all the cropping coun-try.

Ms Burke will conduct aglasshouse experiment toassess chicken manure biochar,using red-brown earth (chro-mosol) soil collected from thefamily property.

Biochar is a highly biologicallyresistant form of carbon result-ing from carbonisation or pyrol-ysis of plant or animal materialin the absence of air at a tem-perature above 300 degrees.

This process also producesbiofuels that can substitute forfossil fuels.

Biochar can provide long term storage of a significant proportion, between 25 and 40 per cent of biomass carbon,that would otherwise cycle backto the atmosphere overdecades.

It has also been recognisedthat introducing biochar intoagricultural systems could pro-vide a range of other environ-mental benefits.

Biochars applied to the soilcan provide soil carbon poolswhich are stable, quantifiableand accountable with respect tocarbon trading.

The properties of biocharsvary with the type of organicmaterial from which they aremade (for example wood, greenwaste, manures, factory wastes)and production conditions(temperature, degree of activa-tion).

The PIIC is a collaborationbetween NSW Department ofPrimary Industries and UNE.■■ Contact Bob Martin,Tamworth, (02) 6773 2869.

– BOB MARTIN

University of New Englandhonours student, GillianBurke.

Defining risk of P in runoffDefining risk of P in runoff

• Breaks up Clay Soil

• Increases Calcium Levels

• Increases Sulphur Levels

Gypsum100% Natural!

Phone Andrew Lewis(02) 6874 7621

Results for hard soils that you cantrust with the finest from

WARREGO GYPSUM MINEDelivery available

TL1

6645

48

TL1677635


A LARGE long-term soil incubationstudy of more than 50 recycledorganic materials will attempt tobetter understand their carbonsequestration values and theirpotential to supply plant availablenitrogen.

“The study is estimating howmuch organic carbon in thesematerials is more resistant todecomposition, hence more likelyto be sequestered in the soil forsome time,” soil scientist, SimonEldridge, said.

“It will also evaluate some newapproaches for more rapid assess-ment of the likely mineral nitrogensupply from recycled organicmaterials.”

There is currently much emphasison the importance of inert carbonfor carbon sequestration in the soil.

“However, we need to not losesight of the value of more decom-posable forms of organic matter,”

Mr Eldridge, based at NSW Depart-ment of Primary Industries’ (DPI)Richmond laboratories, said.

“The more decomposable formsbreak down more rapidly to pro-vide food for soil micro-organismsand consequently contribute tothe cycling of nutrients and soilfertility, structure and biology.”

The challenge with organic fer-tilisers is that most of the nitrogenis in organic form, which soil micro-organisms have to first convert tomineral ammonium and nitrate tomake it available to most plants.

Mr Eldridge said this was difficultto predict because it was depend-ent not only on the nature of theorganic matter, but also on all thevariables affecting soil microbes,for example temperature, moistureand pH.

He and his colleagues recentlyshowed that the organic nitrogen inthe more easily decomposed recy-

cled organic materials such asbiosolids or animal manures couldbe mineralised quite rapidly underoptimum moisture conditions in thefield (Eldridge et al. 2008. AustralianJournal of Soil Research, 46, 423-36).

The more labile recycled organicresources and manures, just likeinorganic or synthetic nitrogen fer-tilisers, also required careful appli-cation rates.

“Applying too much can createexcess mineral nitrogen in the soil– a potential risk to groundwaterquality via leaching of nitratethrough the soil, or to the atmos-phere via increased nitrous oxideemissions,” Mr Eldridge said.

The ultimate goal is to develop bet-ter ways to help farmers optimisebenefits from recycled organics forboth crops and the environment.■■ Contact Simon Eldridge,Richmond, (02) 4588 2115,[email protected]

BIOLOGICAL nitrogen fixationwhere rhizobia in legume rootnodules convert atmospheric

nitrogen into ammonia for plantgrowth is one of the great successstories of applied soil biology.

“In an era of rising costs, the roleof rhizobia to manufacture environ-mentally friendly nitrogenous fer-tiliser is more important than ever,”NSW Department of Primary Indus-tries researcher, Greg Gemell, said.

According to Dr Gemell, based atGosford Horticultural Institute, thereplacement of N fertiliser withbiologically-fixed nitrogen wasestimated to save Australian agri-culture approximately $3 billionper year.

Legumes provided an economi-cally and environmentally sustain-able source of N and usually soil Nincreases where they were grown.

Biological nitrogen fixation isoptimised when the correct rhizo-bia were applied to seed or in fur-row at sowing (inoculation).

As the legume grew, root nodulesformed and the rhizobia within thenodules converted atmospheric

nitrogen to ammonia necessaryfor plant growth.

In pastures, subterranean cloverfor example could fix 25 to 100kilograms of nitrogen per hectareper year and lucerne more than100 kg N/ha/yr.

In grains, yields could increase50 to 150 per cent (between 0.7and 2.0 tonnes of grain/ha) whenfarmers used high quality legumeinoculants in N-deficient soils thatcontained few or no rhizobia.

Inoculants come in various forms;peat-based, granules, freeze-driedand liquid.

For more than 50 years, theAustralian Legume InoculantsResearch Unit and its predeces-sors located at Gosford, have con-trolled and maintained the qualityof legume inoculants.

Today, farmers can buy legumeinoculants that contain highlyeffective nitrogen-fixing rhizobia.

These rhizobia are carefullyselected after many years of assess-ment through ongoing research anddevelopment programs.

Each year, the research unit sup-

plies more than 35 quality testedrhizobial strains covering 90 legumespecies to inoculant manufacturers.

These are used for production ofcommercial inoculants.

Manufacturers are committed toproducing quality legume inocu-lants and frequently submit sam-ples from some, but not all batch-es of inoculants, to the Gosfordresearch unit for quality assess-ment against set standards.

The standards assure that thelegume inoculant contains the rec-ommended rhizobial strain foroptimal nitrogen fixation by thelegume, the correct number of rhi-zobia needed for prompt and ade-quate nodulation, and no contami-nating micro-organisms greaterthan the acceptable level.

“The consequences of using lowquality inoculants are dire,” DrGemell said.

“The use of the DPI qualityassessed and approved inoculantsis strongly recommended.”

The financial loss due to nodula-tion failure of legumes because ofpoor inoculant quality could

exceed tens of thousands of dollars. To verify whether an inoculant is

part of a batch that has beenassessed by DPI, look for the fol-lowing statement: “It is guaranteedthat a sample from the batch ofcultures of which this culture ispart has been tested and approved

by the Australian Legume Inocu-lants Research Unit”.

The research unit’s laboratory isa NCSI QMS ISO9001:2000 CertifiedLaboratory■■ Contact Elizabeth Hartley orGreg Gemell, (02) 4348 1948, orDavid Herridge, (02) 6763 1143.

Nitrogen and carbon assessed

Soil scientist, Simon Eldridge, says with current emphasis oncarbon sequestration in soil, it is also important not to lose sightof the value of more decomposable forms of organic matter.

Rhizobia make friendly fertiliser

The rhizobia within these faba bean root nodules fix atmosphericnitrogen for plant growth.

Are you getting thebest out of your soil?MDL supplies one of the finest Aglimes

available, 98% being below 250micron and 90% below 150 micron,which gives more surface area andimmediate response in the first year.MDL specialises in blending Aglime

and Dolomite to give a blend to yourCalcium/Magnesium requirements.

For all of your• Agricultural Lime• Dolomite

• Magrilime• QA Lime

Finer is BetterMake sure you're getting the best response from

your soilsFor solutions to improving soil performance,

contact:

Mudgee Dolomite& Lime Pty Ltd

Buckaroo LaneMudgee NSW 2850

Phone: (02) 6373 3939Fax: (02) 6373 3766

Email: [email protected]

TL1

6189

98

TL1

6757

34

WWHHYY UUsseeCCaallcciipprriillll

GGrraannuullaatteedd LLiimmee??• Fast pH adjustment allowing

maximum utilisation of expensivefertiliser, saving you time & money.

• Apply it when it suits you, using astandard fertiliser spreader withoutdust problems.

PremiumAgriculturalLime

Please contact yourlocal Omya Agentwww.omya.com.au

R

GM250 provides you with the potential to increase your farm’sefficiency by providing a cost effective way to Manage youryield. GM250 generates such positive results through

TL1599196

Harvest results year on yearby feeding your land

Increase yield potentialthrough use of GM250

www.bluecirclesoutherncement.com.au

For more information, a free technicaldata sheet or the details of your nearestreseller contact Blue Circle on(02) 9033 4027 or 0401 897 921.

Blue Circle Southern - MineralsEubindl Road, Galong

• Very high CaCo3 content• Exceptional Nuetralising Value• Superior fineness• Outstanding purity

GM250 leads to increased yield by

• Promoting plant growth• Increasing fertiliser efficiency• Aerating heavy soils• Returning Ph to conditions that best suit

crop performance.

300%250%200%150%100%50%0% Triticale Peas Canda Wheat


IRECENTLY read again anarticle in the CRC’s Sciencefor Quality Beef by my DPI

colleague, Peter Parnell,about “cheaper-to-run” cows.

It is a timely topic as westrive for greater productionefficiency and adaptability inour variable environment.

Understanding how cows laydown and then utilise muscletissue and fat is a usefulstarting point in seeking outcheaper-to-run cows.

It makes a lot of differencewhether a cow stores extraweight as muscle tissue or asfat because the tissues have adifferent concentration ofstored energy, and havedifferent maintenance costs.

A kilogram of stored bodyfat contains about 39megajoules (Mj) of energy,

more than five times that of akilogram of muscle, whichcontains about sevenmegajoules.

A cow can therefore storemore energy in the sameweight of fat compared tomuscle.

Despite this difference, itonly takes 25 per cent moreenergy from feed to store akilogram of fat compared to akilogram of muscle.

And once fat is deposited inthe body reserves, it takesless than half as much energy

to maintain it there comparedto the same weight of muscle.

This is because muscle is amuch more active tissue thanfat and is constantly beingturned over.

In a typical cow herd, 70pcof the energy used to maintaincows is used for maintainingmuscle tissue, not fat.

So bigger, leaner cows needmore energy to maintainthemselves and the additionalfeed required to supply it maybe difficult to provide atcritical times in the yearlyfeed supply cycle.

As a consequenceproduction, fertility forexample, may suffer.

At any given liveweight,mature cows that tend to storesurplus energy as fat tissueshould therefore be cheaper

to run than thoseaccumulating it as muscle.

Managing the fat score offemales at calving isimportant to maximise herdfertility.

Any change towards leanercows, whether by selecting forhigher carcase yield orimproved feed efficiency, orbecause of poorly designedcrossbreeding programs couldhave serious consequences.

The Beef CRC’s maternalefficiency project will spellout these consequences andpresent breeders with abalanced story.

The Beef CRC is currentlyconducting a maternalefficiency research projectwhich will no doubt deliver some interestingoutcomes.

New appointmentFORMER Director-General of the NSWFood Authority, GeorgeDavey, has been appointedDeputy Director-Generaland Executive Director,Fisheries, Compliance andRegional Relations in theNSW Department ofPrimary Industries.

Part of Mr Davey’s briefwill be to lead the PRIMEXteam in the promotion of trade inprimary industries between New SouthWales and Asian countries, includingKorea, Japan and the Sub-continent.


Brassicas bridge winter feed gap at EborNORTHERN Tablelands beef pro-ducer, Robert Perkins, trialledbrassicas this year to overcomethe traditional winter feed gap onhis Ebor property – and he wasvery pleased with the results.

“The eastern fall area of theNorthern Tablelands is probablybest known for its ability to growhigh quality pastures and turn offprime cattle,” NSW DPI beef breed-ing technical specialist, Bill Hoff-man, said.

“Fertile basalt soils, a coastalinfluenced rainfall pattern and900-metre plus altitude meanstemperate pasture species thrivein spring and summer,” he said.

“But in winter there is littlegrowth, meaning balancing feedsupply and feed demand acrossthe yearly cycle is challenging.”

Mr Hoffman said Mr Perkins,Ebor, had been testing out anoption to fill part of that winter

feed gap as part of a project under-taken by the Ebor Beef ProfitPartnership group.

“In 2007 Robert visited NewZealand on a pasture tour and wasimpressed by the way livestockproducers there used brassicas aspart of their year round feed plan,”he said.

“He made a commitment to tryout forage kale on his Ebor prop-erty.”

Mr Perkin’s six-hectare brassicaplot at “The Racecourse” producednine tonnes to the hectare dry mat-ter and was stocked with 140 headof weaners over two months fromJuly 3 to September 2.

The weaners gained 0.2 kilo-grams per day liveweight and,using direct crop growing costs,each kilo of liveweight gain cost 59cents – an excellent return oninvestment.

Mr Hoffman said many NorthernTablelands producers like MrPerkins bought significant num-bers of weaners in autumn becausethat is when they are available.

“Carrying them through winter isalways challenging but the rewardis that they are on-hand and set-tled in, ready to perform well inspring,” he said.

“Robert will be doing it againnext year but believes with betteragronomic inputs he can boost theyield and make it more profitable.”

Forage brassicas are members of the brassica family, whichincludes radish, turnip, Swedes,broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauli-flower and cabbage.

Canola is an oilseed brassicawhich is not really suitable forgrazing by livestock.

“The forage brassicas are mostlygrown in cool temperate parts ofNSW such as the Tablelands,” saidMr Hoffman.

“They can be sown late summerto provide high quality feed in win-ter, when pasture quantity is limit-ed and can provide quick andabundant feed, with highdigestibility, energy, and protein.

“Robert used a small unimprovedpaddock predominately growingCocksfoot which yielded very littleproductive pasture during the win-ter months,” he said.

Preparation started in mid Dec-ember when the existing pasturewas sprayed out ready for sowing.

Costs were $439 per hectare(seed $67, herbicide $55, fertiliser$200, ground preparation and sow-ing $117).

A strip grazing system was usedto control the grazing and max-imise use by limiting losses totrampling.

No back fencing was usedbecause there was no regrowth.

An important point to note isbrassica crops, including the kale

used at “The Racecourse”, havebeen associated with animalhealth problems.

But these can be largely avoidedby good agronomic and grazingmanagement.

Careful monitoring of stock per-formance and behaviour will allowmost problems to be identifiedquickly and rectified if necessary.

Mr Hoffman said Ebor producersreckoned any liveweight gain inweaners in winter was a bonus.

“There are other benefits in

being able to carry large numbersof weaners in a confined areathrough winter,” he said.

“It means the improved pastureareas on the rest of the propertycan be lightly stocked to allow arecovery phase.”

More information can be foundin the NSW DPI Agfact P2.1.13Forage brassicas by Linda Ayresand Bruce Clements at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au■■ Contact Bill Hoffman, Casino,(02) 6662 2288.

Robert Perkins turned a small unimproved paddock with lowyielding Cocksfoot winter pasture into a winner with brassicas.

Weaners gained 0.2 kilos a day.

The next edition ofAgriculture Today willpublish on January 29,2009.Features will beweeds, beef,catchment health andcareers and training.In general news,scientists are intriguedby a sap sucking insectwhich appears to havejumped from its usualhost species and begunattacking eggplants.A group of innovativebeef producers hasindividually calculatedcosts of production andpooled their outcomesin a benchmarkingexercise.You can readAgriculture Today onthe web and downloadthe full edition eachmonth.Selected stories arealso archived back tothe first online editionin September 2005.■■ Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-today forrecent editions.

Ag Today 2009Ag Today 2009

Cream from fat on cheap-to-run cows

TL1

6151

42

Avaialble at all leading ruralmerchandise stores

Phone: (02) 6779 2232www.multiblock.com

AttentionGraziers!

DON’T WASTEYOUR VALUABLE

DRY FEED!

MULTI BLOCK keeps youranimals in top condition bystimulating their digestive

systems to convert dry feedinto dollars.

MULTI BLOCK is a high-quality supplementary feed

block that provides high levelsof by-pass protein from lupinsand cotton-seed meal and a

full range of vitamins and traceelements.

Stud and Commercial Boers,Kalahari and Red Boer Goats

[email protected] www.goatsonline.com.au

Ph Fax: (02) 6374 1099

“JOLLEEN”Central

TablelandsNSW

TL1

6810

69

LIVESTOCKFEEDING andSUPPLEMENTING

STRATEGIES and SOLUTIONSLick Blocks, Dry Licks,

Loose Mixes, Pre Mixesand Complete Feeds for

All Livestock

Competitive PricingPh: 1800 043 299www.pdbower.com.au

TL1631747

GOATS WANTEDWe are currently seeking large numbers of Boer crossdoes from 1st cross up to 5th cross. Good prices withpayment on pickup.

Phone/Fax: (07) 4665 8130 Mob: 0427 343 925Email: [email protected]

TL1681432


SWITCHING theirfarming practices tozero-tillage in 1992

has left plenty of free timefor Haydon, Michael, Nigeland Stuart Wass on theirwestern plains property.

These days the Wassbrothers only need workfor six months of the yearto earn what they considera good living for theirfamilies.

Haydon Wass, 50, said itwas the desire for a betterlifestyle that prompted thefamily to adopt zero-tillpractices on their 10,360hectare property “ThePlains”, 30 kilometressouth of Nyngan.

“We wanted to havemore time to see our kidsgrow up and to play a realpart in their lives,”Haydon said.

“When we wereconventional farming we’dspend hours on thetractor, day and night, andit seemed to swallow upour time.

“Zero-till is an efficient,time-saving method ofcropping and since westarted we’ve been verypleased with the resultsfrom an agronomic,economic and lifestylepoint of view.”

The Wass brothers’experience is one of 12case studies of farmerswho overcame obstaclesand transformed theiroperations and theirlifestyles, detailed in anew book, MusteringMoisture.

With 50 years of farmingunder his belt LiverpoolPlains producer, NeilBarwick, has seensignificant change inagriculture.

Now 66, Neil hassuccessfully tackled soildegradation on hisproperty by extendingcrop rotations andadopting zero-till farmingtechniques.

Under his no-till programsoils have regained theirfertility and friability,organic carbon levels haveincreased from less thanone to nearly two per cent,earthworms have returnedin abundance, compactionhas disappeared, erosionis negligible, crop yieldshave increased andcropping consistency hasimproved.

“That all adds up toincreased profitability,”Neil said.

“An added benefit is theimprovement in ourlifestyle – we have moreleisure time to spend withthe family and to travel.

“No-till farming meanswe no longer spendthousands of hours on thetractor smashing our soilto pieces.

Instead we’re able tofallow spray 50 hectaresan hour with herbicidesand pass over our countryjust once a year with a no-till planter.”

Many farmers givereasons why they cannotadopt no-tillage andconservation farmingpractices but MusteringMoisture presents thesuccesses of large-scalegrain productionspecialists and smallerscale mixed farmingenterprises.

The soils range fromfertile self-mulching blackclays to run-down hardsetting red soils.

Journalist, Robyn Yeo,recorded the trials andtribulations in the wordsof the farmers, and AlfManciagli shot the photos.

Mustering Moisture iscalculated to inspire more

farmers to have a go at no-till.

The publication wassupported by the GrainsResearch and DevelopmentCorporation, the NamoiCatchment ManagementAuthority, the AustralianCentre for InternationalResearch, the University ofNew England and the NSWDepartment of PrimaryIndustries.■■ Contact the NSW DPIbookshop, 1800 028 374 orvisit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

New lifestyles, better profits Public concern up about weedsDESPITE efforts by government andresearch groups over many years todemonstrate the ecological and economicimpact of weeds, the issue still tends torank down the list of environmentalproblems as perceived by city dwellers.

According to the CEO of the outgoingWeeds CRC, Jan Fair, “we seem to haveincreased people’s awareness aboutspecific aspects of weed problems, suchas the impact on native plants andanimals, and on farming costs, but wedon’t seem to have shifted the issue upthe public’s priority list compared to theother big environmental issues they seearound them”.


Neil and Geoff Barwick have moved from the “burn and bash” era tobe among the most successful zero-till farmers in NSW.

Illusion of invincibilityRISKY behaviour can havefatal results – that was themessage to 360 studentsfrom Tamworth and districtschools during this year’sannual Farmers of the FutureFarm Safety Field Days.

Student groups rotatedthrough eight 25 minuteworkshops focusing onchainsaw, electrical, chemi-cal, tractor, motorbike, fire-arm and cattle handlingsafety, and noise injury pre-vention.

Normally catering for Year9 students studying agricul-ture, the program wasexpanded to two days, toaccommodate students whomissed out last year whenthe venue became the localequine influenza diseasecontrol centre.

Tamworth Agricultural Insti-tute manager and local Farm-safe Committee chair, BruceTerrill, said the field daysinstilled in students safetymessages to last a lifetime.

“Year 9 students are specifi-cally targeted because thisage group has been identifiedas one where teenagers oftentake serious risks in the mis-taken belief that they are

invincible,” MrTerrill said.

“They arealso becomingmore activelyinvolved infarm activitiesand may havefriends visit-ing the farmfor a weekendof fun.”

Now in its11th year, the TamworthFarmsafe initiative aims toreduce farm related acci-dents by raising awarenessof the dangers people faceon farms.

WorkCover statistics indi-cate that on farms the com-mon agents of death for theover 15s are tractors and all-terrain vehicles, closely fol-lowed by other farm vehic-les.

Mr Terrill said in additionto deaths, national statisticsshowed there were about6500 admissions to hospitaleach year as a result of afarm injury – and some ledto a permanent disability.

“Other risky behaviourson farms include operatingnoisy machinery or using a

firearm without hearing pro-tection,” he said.

“More than two-thirds offarmers sustain an irrever-sible and totally preventablehearing loss as a result of thework undertaken on the farm.

“While safety initiatives,such as roll-over protection,have delivered a reductionin the number of deaths andinjuries during the past 10years, there is still a longway to go.”■■ Contact Bruce Terrill,Tamworth, (02) 6763 [email protected]

ABOVE: DPI Livestockofficer, Alistair Rayner,goes through some basicsof safe livestock handlingwith students.

N S W D P I

NSW DPI’s bookshop 1800 028 374Mustering Moisture –the practice of no-till farming in Australiafrom large-scale grainproduction specialists to smaller scale mixed farming enterprises…

from fertile self-mulchingblack clays to run-down hard setting red soils…

from woody weed regrowth on the Nyngan plains to rocks at Coonabarabran…

Muste12 farovercono-tillfarminfarmin

With jeasy-tManciMusteinspirano-till

TL1683205

When The Weather MattersWhen The Weather MattersTalk to the ExpertsTalk to the Experts

* Remote Siting &

Data Access

* Ideal for field trials

* Evaporation Rates

* Compact &

Portable

www.environdata.com.auPh: 07 4661 4699 Fax: 07 4661 2485

TL1

5956

82

NSW DPI’s insect sampling kit

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Identification of insect & mite pestsAre insect and mite pests threatening your enterprise? NSW DPI provides an identification service to help you with identifying and controlling insect and mite pests in:

cropspasturesorchardsnursery enterpriseshouseholds

Our laspeciaby Auof agrinsect

ContaUnit fyour f

Diagnostic & Analytical Services… answers you can use from technology you can trust

N S W D P I

TL1683213


DISCOUNT TOOL CENTRE

. SPARES . REPAIRS . EXPERT ADVICE. SPARES . REPAIRS . EXPERT ADVICESELLING TOOLS NOT TOYSSELLING TOOLS NOT TOYS

STORE LOCATIONS - FOR YOUR CLOSEST STORE CALL 1300 667 337

• PRICES VALID UNTIL 31/12/08 •

• ILLUSTRATIONS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY • ERRORS AND OMISSIONS EXCEPTED • FREIGHT COSTS CAN APPLY IN COUNTRY STORES

LEICHHARDTPORT MAC.PENRITHRUTHERFORDTAMWORTHTAREN PT.TUGGERAHMT GAMBIERWARNERS BAYWOLLONGONG

ALBURYBLACKTOWNCAMBELLTOWNCOFFS HARBOURDUBBODANDENONGCANBERRAGOSFORDINVERELLLAMBTON

425 KIEWA ST170 SUNNYHOLT RD9/7 HOLLYLEA RD31 ISLES DR132 TALBRAGAR STUNIT 1 9/11 CNR SOUTH LINK & STH GIPPLAND UNIT 1 137GLADSTONE ST332 MANN ST67 OLIVER ST53 GRIFFITHS RD7/111 MOORE ST25 JINDALEELOT 4 BATT ST52 SHIPLEY DRIVE36-42 BRIDGE ST6/139 TAREN PT. RD19 ACE CRESCENT173 COMMERCIAL ST EASTUNIT 1 276 MACQUARIE RD82-88 FLINDERS ST

PH: 02 6021 5699PH: 02 9671 3888PH: 02 4625 0972PH: 02 6651 8200PH: 02 6884 7600PH: 03 9799 3188PH: 02 6280 0785PH: 02 4324 3333PH: 02 6722 3151PH: 02 4906 7777PH: 02 9569 5544PH: 02 6581 3130PH: 02 4721 5838PH: 02 4932 4489PH: 02 6762 0550PH: 02 9524 0708PH: 02 4352 2136PH: 08 8723 0322PH: 02 4954 3555PH: 02 4227 1611

Drill Sharpener 524562

. Sharpens 3.5 -10mm bits

. Powered by it’s own motor!

$57

Multi Purpose Machine 580508

$1695

· 400mm between centre · Swing over bed 420mm· Thread cutting possible · 7 Spindle speeds . 160-1360RPM· Drilling/Milling head rotates 360˚· Max. drilling diameter15mm· Max. milling face diameter 63mm

Procraft Combination Set 8 Drawer 591700

. Unit weight: 26.79kg

. 615 x 330 x 1170mm

$200

YAMAHA Inverter Generator591074 - EF2400IS

$1979

$499

Welds up to 2.4mmelectrodes! Stick & Tig

. Plastic carry case

. Includes welding accessories

Inverter Welder - TIG 130592689

. Duty Cycle Tig 50% @110 ampStick 40% @110 amp

Mig Welders

Accessories:2 rolls mig wire, disposable gas bottle, mini regulator & earth clamp & lead.Dual Purpose, suits Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminium and Flux cord

580018 105 amp

580058 120 amp

580024 140 amp580025 160 amp

$369$729$795$895

25 Piece Combination Spanner Set592367 $210

. 13 Metric Spanners - 6 - 22mm

. 12 A/F Spanners - 1/4” - 1”

$1395

Plate Compactor530373

With 5.5hp Honda Engine Transverse speed: 20-25m/minPlate size: 600 x 460mm

TOOLEX PTY. LTD.

. Chrome vanadium steel blade

. Heavy duty plastic carry case

. Easy identification on handle

. Magnetic tips

. Posi-Grip lever handles

. Hardened and chrome plated

Screwdriver Set - 13 Piece592381

$57

. Complete unit powered by 560W Metabo drill body

. Cutting capacity - 1.5mm

Sheet Metal Multi-CutterMark II593333

$299

Makita Driver Unit Also Available593322 $359

539224 (Shown)Charge Star 10 - 6/12 Volt539225Charge Star 15 - 6/12 Volt539226Charge Star 25 - 12/24 Volt539228Charge Star 30 - 6/12/24 V

Battery Chargers

$169

$239

$279

$495

Diamond Core Bit Sets

3 Piece Set593190 38, 52 and 65mm

5 Piece Set (Shown)

593191 38, 52, 65, 107 & 117mm

$230

$420

. Wet and dry

. In aluminium case

593198- 22 bore125mm 2 Row 9 Segment



NOTE: Suited to 115mm grinder but can be used on 100mm grinder with 22-16mm reducing bush (533724)

Diamond Cup Grinders

$45

$80

$120

40 Piece A/F & Metric Socket Set591725

35 Piece Set Sockets + Ring / Open-End Spanners591723

23 Piece A/F & Metric Socket Set591735

1/4”Square Drive

$200

1/2”Square Drive

$180

1/2”Square Drive

$57

112 Piece3 Drawer532700

$535

166 Piece6 Drawer 532702(Shown)

$1045

Tool Kits

Hydraulic Bottle Jacks

533801

533802

533816

533803

$29$45$68$87

1.8T

4.0T

8.0T

12.0T

Also available:533804 20T, 535058 30T535505 50T, 535872 100T

533803 12T Shown.

Petrol Air CompressorsTOOLEX PTY. LTD.

15 POH - 5350125.5 hp HONDA powered engine 70Ltr receiver

$1685

$151020P - 5350235.5 hp HONDA powered engine70Ltr receiver

550011 - 2 Step1295 x 627 x 874mm

Fold-Up Trestles

$75

$170550013 - 5 Step2660 x 860 x 1160mm

550010 - 1 Step390 x 548 x 645mm $59

550012 - 3 Step1772 x 700 x 915mm $99

$140550014 - 4 Step2223 x 775 x 960mm

58301510 amp

$139

4 Way Earth Leakage Box240 Volt 1.8m Lead Clipsal

Garage Floor Jack - 2 Tonne533876

Industrial StandardConforms to AUS/NZ Standard 2615:1995

$179

5766422.5 Tonne Pallet Truck

$469

530568 100W x 110mm

532118 125W x 150mm

532125 150W x 180mm

Steel Bench Vices Off Set Jaws Heavy Duty 530564 - 125mm (5”)

530565 - 150mm (6”)$159

Fabricated Steel Bench Vices Swivel Base

$190

$350

. 10-7/8” Throat

. Fabricated All Steel Construction

Brick Splitter524673

Tool Trolley 7 Drawer591741

Tool Chest 6 Drawer591744 $230

Industrial 26” Series

BALL BEARINGSlides

BALL BEARINGSlides

$589

$160Tool Chest 3 Drawer591742

BALL BEARINGSlides

Or All 3 For

$950!!

592587 - One Tonner 1400 x 525 x 440mm

592588 -Jumbo1160 x 410 x 360mm

592589 - Tradesman790 x 365 x 260mm

592590 - Handyman575 x 255 x 217mm

$210

$140$75

$42

Steel Trade Boxes - 4 Sizes

Pedestal Fans Industrial Quality

583049. 26” (660mm). 3 speed motor. Max. 1350rpm. 230 Watt

$189

W200. Honda O.H.V Engine . 13hp 7kva 240 volt power . Suitable for on site location welding. 200 amp welding capacity

Welder / Generator 200 Amp Welder591021

TOOLEX PTY. LTD.

LEAD KITS AVAILABLELEAD KITS AVAILABLE

Electric Start Available! W200E - 591022

$2599

BEAT THE HEAT!

BEST VALUE RANGE!

Jobsite RadioBMR100-MAK

125mm Angle Grinder9555NBK-MAK. 710W.125mm. Slide Switch

BONUS CASEBONUS CASE + 5 DISCS+ 5 DISCS

Die GrinderGD0600-MAK400W

. 400 Watt

. Paddle switch

. 6mm collet cap

Mobile Pen 7.2V LITHIUMLITHIUM Impact DriverTD020DSE-MAK

. 2x1ah lithium batteries

. Battery Charger

. Soft Case

850w PlanerKP0810-MAK

ELECTRICIAN’S POUCH P-39796-MAK

$54$54

MOBILE PHONE HOLDER P-39827-MAK

QUICK RELEASE BELTP-39768-MAK

. 82mm

$179

$280

$129 $99 $119

$25$25$22$22

TL1683271

Documents

Agriculture Today - Decemebr 2008 edition...AGRICULTURE TODAY Thursday, November 27, 20083 I NDONESIAN and NSW scien-tists have pooled two years of experience working together in Aceh