Farm Tender

BCG Main Field Day 13th of September

The 2017 BCG Main Field Day is just four weeks away, and farmers, agronomists and industry are invited to the Curyo main research site on Wednesday 13 September to inspect more than 25 trials.

Spread across two paddocks, trials span Craig Rickard’s lentil stubble paddock and Jim Rickard’s fallow paddock on the Sunraysia highway, approximately 25km north-west of Birchip.

BCG CEO Chris Sounness explained that the program will be highly informative.

“The BCG team have planned a full day featuring highly regarded industry experts who will share their knowledge with farmers on a range of production challenges and opportunities that will aim to improve the profitability of their crops,”

The range of trials to be presented on the day will cover many production challenges including weed management, disease pressure, time of sowing, variety choice, break crop management and much more.

Mr Sounness said that “This event is designed to help growers and consultants learn about new agronomic strategies to maximise crop yield and farm profitability,”

ADAMA marketing development manager Alistair Crawford will present information to farmers in front of trials demonstrating two new ADAMA products; Ultro® which is a pre-emergent herbicide, and Veritas® which is a foliar fungicide.

Mr Sounness also said that “We are lucky enough to have some great experts travelling to be at the event, with Dr Kelly Turkington from Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, and agricultural economist James Hagan from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF).”

Dr Turkington will visit the BCG Main Field Day in collaboration with Agriculture Victoria and share his knowledge on cereal plant pathology and agronomy, as well as his experience and management techniques from Canadian grain farming systems.

Mr Hagan will discuss the economics, system changes and management of controlled traffic in the low rainfall zone as part of the GRDC funded ‘Application of controlled traffic farming (CTF) in the low rainfall zone’ project.

According to Mr Sounness the day will also be a great opportunity to share innovative ideas and tips with neighbours and other farmers from across the region.

“It is also a chance for growers to get off the farm, meet with friends and neighbours and gain some perspective on the season.”

The 2017 BCG Main Field Day will be held at Curyo on September 13 from 9am. Entry is free for BCG members and $50 for non-members. Breakfast and lunch are available to purchase on-site. For more details contact BCG on (03) 5492 2787 or visit www.bcg.org.au/events.