NSW Grasslands conference to help farmers drive their businesses to success

Most landholders aspire to leaving the farm in a better state than when they started, and this year's Grassland Society of NSW conference being held at Wagga Wagga on 24-26 July is aimed at ensuring they do just that.

“The conference will take participants on a journey that will look at how to implement management practices that will help them achieve that goal,” according to Conference Convenor, NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) agronomist at Tumut Nathan Ferguson.

“The conference will take participants on a journey that will look at how to implement management practices that will help them achieve that goal,” according to Conference Convenor, NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) agronomist at Tumut Nathan Ferguson.

“The conference will provide participants with the skills to recognise different parts of their landscape for their productive or conservation potential and manage them accordingly,” Mr Ferguson said.

“These skills include understanding climatic conditions, topography, soil types, vegetation, soil fertility status, different enterprises, paddock size, water sources and carrying capacities.” 

On day one of the conference, NSW DPI agronomist Dr Belinda Hackney will present 'Recognising and working within landscape limitations for increased productivity', followed by Rodney Purcell, a producer from Brungle, who will talk on how his family‟s grazing management changed to utilise differences in the landscape.

NSW DPI Research Officer Soil Carbon, Susan Orgill, will describe how soil carbon sequestration is influenced by soil type, climate, vegetation and management. 

Fiona Leech from NSW DPI at Yass will present the very topical 'Alternative fertilisers, what do pasture trial results tell us?', followed by Kim Billingham from NSW DPI at Taree, who will speak on 'Humic products – potential or presumption for agriculture? Can humic products improve my soil?'

Participants will then have the opportunity to choose one of three bus tours. Bus Tour A is a high rainfall tour to look at beef and sheep production, while Bus Tour B looks at how a local community undertook a cross property planning process to better manage agriculture in the landscape. 

Bus Tour C is a tour for the mixed farmer, looking at crop sequencing trials at the EH Graham Centre, as well as local farms producing lucerne hay, sheep and irrigated and dryland cropping and pastures.

Day two of the conference starts with Dr Richard Simpson, Senior Research Scientist CSIRO Plant Industry, discussing 'Phosphorus in the landscape: a sustainable phosphorus future for Australian pastures'. 

He will be followed by Oliver Cay, a producer from the Monaro, who used a decision support tool to help model potential enterprise changes on his farm. 

NSW DPI Livestock Officer (sheep and wool) Doug Alcock will present 'Why fertilise native pasture?', followed by Mike Keys an agronomist with Chris Houghton Agricultural, who will discuss results from demonstration work conducted at Newbridge on the 'Effect of fertiliser on the productivity and persistence of perennial native grasses'. 

NSW DPI Research Agronomist, Dr Warwick Badgery, will discuss how intensive rotational grazing can improve profitability and environmental outcomes as part of the Future Farm Industries CRC funded EverGraze project.

NSW DPI's Richard Hayes will present 'Perennial pasture species for the mixed farming zone - we don't have many options' as part of Future Farm Industries CRC funded EverCrop project. He will be followed by the EverCrop team's talk on 'How a new decision support tool helps mixed farmers make pasture sowing decisions, to cover crop or sow alone?'

The conference will also take a look at how NSW DPI Researcher Dr Edward Clayton's work carried out at the EH Graham Centre has led to 'Increasing the proportion of female lambs by supplementary feeding oats high in omega-6 fatty acids at joining'.

The conference will close with a group of young farmers and advisers discussing how they would pay for a farm they have purchased using borrowed money.

The conference is being held at Joyes Hall, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga campus. Early Bird Registrations close on Saturday 30 June with final registrations closing on Monday 16 July. 

To find out more visit http://grasslandnsw.com.au/news/conference/  or contact Nathan Ferguson on (02) 6947 4188 or nathan.ferguson@dpi.nsw.gov.au.  

Photo available from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

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