Farm Tender

Get all the answers at the Birchip Cropping Group trials review day

Growers have the perfect opportunity to discuss all things mice populations and climate outlook with two industry experts joining the BCG Trials Review Day lineup to be held on the 16 February at the Birchip Leisure Centre.

Mice could be a potential problem in 2018, CSIRO research officer Steve Henry will present on current mice numbers and the forecast for the coming growing season.

In a BCG in Focus podcast recorded in October 2017, Mr Henry explained the 2017 mouse plague wasn’t like plagues that many Wimmera and Mallee growers may have seen before.

“Mice numbers were high but patchy. We believe this was a result of the high quantities of food available, especially in the barley stubbles.”

“A typical mice plague would be wide spread with very high numbers.”

Mr Henry’s research takes him on three monitoring trips a year at three key times of autumn, winter and spring, but he informed growers they can also assist.

“I physically cannot monitor enough paddocks to get an accurate story about what is happening, especially when patchy.”

So, if you’ve got a burning question or an observation you would like to share, Mr Henry will be available to discuss these on the day.

Another major question growers may have is, ‘how long is the current La Niña going to last?’

The Bureau of Meteorology’s most recent El Niño – Southern Oscillation outlook shows eight climate models are forecasting the current La Niña will not to last long into 2018.

Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey will also provide attendees with the latest on La Niña and what this means for growers in the Wimmera and Mallee.

BoM ENSO outlook January 2018

Figure 1. El Niño – Southern Oscillation outlook produced in January 2018. Source: Bureau of Meteorology.

The BCG Trials Review Day is a members only event. Lunch, refreshments and a copy of the 2017 BCG Season Research compendium are provided. Non-BCG members can purchase memberships prior to, or on the day.  

For more information about the BCG Trials Review Day visit the website at www.bcg.org.au or phone the office on (03) 5492 2787.