Expert speaker line-up at recent Breakfast Events

Southern NSW’s most profitable crop sequences and GHG emissions was the focus of this year’s FarmLink Breakfast Updates in Temora 19th March and Yerong Creek 20th March.

Expert speakers at the events included: Dr John Kirkegaard (CSIRO), Mathew Dunn (NSW DPI), Warwick Badgery (NSW DPI), Rohan Brill (Brill Ag) and Cassandra Schefe (AgriSci).

Dr Kirkegaard and Mr Dunn (2023 GRDC Emerging Leader) discussed long-term GRDC-funded research into southern NSW’s best performing crop sequences through the ‘Improving Farming Systems in Southern NSW’ project.

This project, which commenced in 2018, is investigating strategies to convert annual rainfall into more profit across a crop sequence, while managing costs, risk, soil fertility, weeds and diseases. Led by Dr Kirkegaard, the project is concentrating on three main variables: early sowing; nitrogen strategy; and diversity (legumes in rotation). The project aims to improve whole farm profitability by identifying the agronomic factors that drive profit and the management practices that optimise returns.

The breakfast meeting also explored a related paddock-scale demonstration project that looks at management strategies from the small plot trials and aims to validate those strategies on-farm with growers and advisors. This larger paddock-scale project, Improved drought resilience through optimal management of soil and water, is led by the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub in partnership with Riverine Plains.

NSW DPI’s Warwick Badgery then discussed reducing GHG emissions in cropping systems and responding to drivers for change.

Rohan Brill from Brill Ag spoke about the value of nutrition and pulses in the rotation in relation to achieving high canola yields.

Cassandra Schefe from AgriSci discussed the next phase of the Cool Soil Initiative, which will include a farmer-focused approach to Scope 3 emissions reporting through the supply chain.

FarmLink staff discussed their current portfolio of projects and research outcomes relevant to local farm enterprises.

FarmLink would like to extend our thanks to our expert presenters and all participants for a morning of insightful questions and engaging discussions.

If you didn’t get a chance to come along this year, videos of the presentations are available here.