Weddin Landcare has held the first field day as part of their ‘Over the Fence’ project, an initiative designed to bring farmers together to share knowledge, experiences and innovative climate-smart solutions that address challenges in agriculture.
More than 40 farmers from Grenfell and surrounding areas attended the field day on Friday 4 April, which focused on Strip and Disc Cropping Systems.
This system involves disc seeding (zero-tillage) into full crop residues harvested using a stripper front to maximise groundcover and organic matter and minimise soil disturbance.
"Weddin Landcare have a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture but the abundance of new information can make it difficult for farmers to decide which systems to adopt," Local Landcare Coordinator Melanie Cooper said.
"The field days being held as part of our Over the Fence project provide a platform for farmers to learn from each other and from experts in the field about forward-thinking yet practical methods."
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The field day was held on the Cooper’s property near Caragabal with guest presenters and a highly engaged, interactive audience.
Greg and Kirrily Condon from Grassroots Agronomy, outlined the essentials of the strip and disc cropping system, emphasising the agronomy, soil amelioration, machinery and execution necessary for its success.
"The Strip and Disc system can greatly benefit soil structure, moisture retention, and water-use efficiency, provided we get the key elements right," Greg said.
"Our progressive clients have helped pave the way, showing us what can and can't be compromised in the system. Through these lessons, we have been able to fine-tune the system and are now confident that it can work across a broad range of soil types and conditions," Kirrily said.
Participants also heard from the Coopers about their transition into the strip and disc system, including machinery upgrades, crop rotations, agronomic adjustments, and close monitoring of the soil pH, sodicity and profitability.
"The beauty of the system lies in the ability to sow when we need to, even in a dry Autumn, because of the improved water-holding capacity of our soil," Stephen Cooper said.
"We are seeing great results because of the double-break of pulses followed by canola in terms of weed control, nitrogen levels and healthier crops, which is reducing our reliance on artificial inputs and boosting our gross margins."
Charlie French, a farmer from Corinella whose family has been disc seeding for over 20 years, shared both the challenges and benefits of the system.
"It was great to see such a strong turn out for this informative day," Charlie said.
"Collaborative learning is often the best form of learning. Strip and Disc isn’t for everyone. It has it’s challenges but there were certainly a lot of little tips at the field day to help people overcome these so they can reap the many benefits that the system affords."
"We are currently sowing faba beans into stripped wheat with good moisture, which wouldn't have been possible without the strip and disc system," Charlie said.
Later in the day, participants observed the system in action with a seeding demonstration using an Excel bar into full stripper stubble and discussed the machinery's finer details.
"It’s fantastic that farmers were able to see the theory put in action at the end of the day," Greg Condon said.
Weddin Landcare has several other field days planned this year, along with a bus trip as part of the 'Over the Fence' project, thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
