issue 162 january february 2023
This page shows the articles in issue 162 january february 2023 of GroundCover. As articles are developed and published online, the list below will grow until all articles are available.
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Global oat development gains momentum
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 02 Feb 2023Oat research and development is gaining momentum with an imperative to meet growing health markets and mitigate lifestyle diseases. New technology and scientific break throughs underpinning these developments were discussed at the 11th International Oat Conference held in Perth late 2022.
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Oats – from stock feed to health food
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 01 Feb 2023Provenance is a win-win for customers and farmers says oat-grower Megan Gooding. However, there is a need for on-going investment in Australian oat R&D to not only access growing health markets but also improve the agronomic performance of the crop.
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Good neighbour approach applied to mouse management
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 23 Jan 2023Mice know no boundaries so with limited baiting services and a huge region to service, industry goodwill came to the fore in 2022 across WA. Now heading into 2023, off the back of two good seasons growers are encouraged to reduce food sources over summer and monitor mouse numbers.
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Living legacy of soil knowledge
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 18 Jan 2023A living legacy of soil quality information has been created under the stewardship of SoilsWest by a broad collective of soil scientists, complemented with grower experiences in a series of multimedia ebooks. They support better resource use, minimising inputs and cost and increasing the productivity and resilience of our soil resource and will be added to as new research comes on stream.
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Topsoil liming can slow subsoil acidification – if done in time
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 20 Dec 2022Preventive and regular top-dressed lime applications can have an additive effect on subsoil pH. Long-term research is finding that being on the front foot and top-dressing lime now helps slow soil acidification through the profile.
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Wet conditions make vigilance the key for slugs
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 19 Dec 2022Economics should be one of the factors that drives decisions about baiting and other control methods for slugs and snails. In late winter and early spring 2022, invertebrate ecologist Dr Michael Nash toured key grain growing regions on behalf of GRDC to discuss with growers the local conditions and factors that influence their decision on whether or not to bait in their crops.
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High-speed testing to boost faba bean variety development
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 16 Dec 2022New research will make it faster and easier for plant breeders to continue developing Australian faba bean varieties with desirable traits. During a six-month project supported by GRDC, a team of researchers from Agriculture Victoria developed a faster, simplified method of analysing batches of faba germplasm using high-throughput mass spectroscopy.
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Peer learning puts growers ahead of financial management curve
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 15 Dec 2022A group of Victorian Mallee growers are putting their heads together to boost their financial planning performance and learn from each other’s business approach. The growers, who were encouraged to form a peer learning group by former consultant agronomist and Annuello grower Peter Aikman, collaborate using business management software called P2PAgri, which automates budgeting processes.
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Peer learning helps growers plan for profit
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 14 Dec 2022Peter contacted five growers he had previously worked with when he was a consulting agronomist. They agreed to collaborate and have since been workshopping their business approach for four years.
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Deep ripping shows benefits for Mallee pulses
Issue 162, January-February 2023 - 13 Dec 2022Research trials have found the practice of deep ripping can lead to significant yield and profitability benefits in cereal crops grown on sandy soils, so researchers are now exploring whether that is also the case for pulses. Soil variability and undulating sand hills make it riskier to plant pulses other than lupins, and low biomass can increase the potential for wind erosion to occur during dry times.