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THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 2015 PAGE 1

THE LUCERNE LEADER

Issue 38 SEPTEMBER 2015

The world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking

Don’t miss the Field Tour to Seed Distributors!

In this issue:

Field Tour to Seed Distributors 1

Seed Market Reports 3

Agronomy Report 6

RIDRC Board Visit 7

LA Field Tour the USA 8

Honeybee Industry Update 9

Fodder Industry Update 10

Golden Dodder Update 12

Join the LA Executive 12

Pasture Improvement Initiative Report 13

Executive Committee Members 14


Good people to know

By Nicola Raymond, Executive Officer

Lucerne Australia and Seed Distributors have partnered to offer members a field tour to the Seed Distributors research facility at Virginia, SA on Thursday 24th September 2015 and we invite all members to attend.

This tour will include an inspection of the four-year NSW DPI & IP Australia lucerne grazing trial and discussion about the results. There will also be an update on SD lucerne varieties and the extensive breeding program. Highlights will include what’s in the future pipeline, including lucerne acid tolerant program. There will be an inspection of pasture legumes and forage cereals.

Following lunch, we will receive a Goldstrike seed treatment update and demonstration, and review the current lucerne weight gain trial that’s in progress.

We thank our supporters of this field tour, ANZ and Landmark.

Register your attendance now. We will depart from the Keith Institute at 6.15am on Wednesday, 24th September by bus.

Contact me on 0439 538 332 or email [email protected]

Highlights will include what’s in the future pipline, including lucerne acid tolerant program.

the power of natural thinking

THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 2015 PAGE 2 THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 2015 PAGE 2

An American Grower’s Perspective from the USABy Growers, Mark and Sharla Wagoner, Washington State, USA

Hello again from Touchet, Washington, USA.

The last time we wrote to you back in May, we had just put our leafcutter bees in the field and the alkali bees were emerging out of the ground.

Fortunately, the weather in June was fantastic. Usually we get a week or two of wet, cool, windy weather in June when it is too cool for the bees to work. However this year, June was perfect bee weather with high 80s, to low 90s.

On June 27th the temperature reached over 100 degrees and stayed that way until August.

In mid-June the aphids began showing up in our fields. Beleaf is a relatively new product that is perfectly safe on the bees and controls all the aphids and also the young lygus bugs. It was a big help for us this June.

In July, after five straight weeks of working hard, the bees started to drop off. That is typically when the lygus bugs show up in mass. These are our worst pest, and can severely damage the seed pods.

Lygus have been getting harder and harder to control, but not now! We have a new insecticide registered called Transform, and it worked just great. It is a whole new class of insecticide from Dow Agro-Science and it is safe for bees as long as you spray at night.

We started cutting our 400 acres of dark northern spring wheat on July 6th, which was two weeks earlier than usual. The market for wheat is well down so we decided to sell at harvest.

After wheat harvest, we burned off 300 acres of wheat stubble and planted new seeding alfalfa where we had wells to water those fields.

Lucerne Seed Harvest

We started desiccating the alfalfa seed on July 28th. We have never started in July before, so it was amazing.

We use Paraquat to dry down the alfalfa and wait exactly one week before the combines hit the field. We have four John Deere conventional combines, two T670’s with hillside levelling, a 9560 side hill and a level land 9660.

We had great weather for harvest - hot and dry. We had to quit on one day because of hard, high wind.

After a fairly smooth harvest, we finished up on August 19th – the earliest ever! We usually finish in the first week in September.

The 2015 alfalfa seed crop was one our best because of the great pollinating weather and the new insecticides. We averaged over 1400 pounds per acre which is one of our best averages ever.

So now we clean up the combines and put away the leafcutter bees. Then we hope it rains and we get our fall water on.

The drought in the western United States continues and affects all of us, especially irrigators. The next time we write to you, we hope to have our fall watering done, and will be able to report we have gotten lots of rain!

Lygus have been getting harder and harder to control, but not now!

we had great weather for harvest - hot and dry.

after a fairly smooth harvest, we finished up on august 19th - the earliest ever!

We averages over 1400 pounds per acre which is one of our best averages ever.

The Crew

Filling the seed boxes

Spraying for lygus bugsFilling the Seed Boxes

End of Harvest - hot, dry, dirty


Seedmark and Heritage Seeds Market ReportBy Craig Myall, International Business Manager, Ph: 0407 620 580

Heritage Seeds were very happy with the amount – and especially the quality – of seed delivered from the 2015 harvest which is now final following cleaning and testing completion.

Sales to key regions of both proprietary and public lucerne seed were at very good levels as demand soared, particularly in the Middle Eastern markets. A number that is quite astonishing is that our country has exported a massive 13,177mt of seed during the period 1st July 2014 to 30th June 2015!

Already in the 2015 calendar year until end of June, 6,185mt of seed has departed our shores, and a massive 2,315mt of this occurred during the month of June alone, by far and away a record month in recent memory as I can only recall circa 1,500mt previously.

As expected, Saudi Arabia completely dominated these exports consuming 2,648mt since January (43 per cent). What we don’t know at present is how much will be planted during the upcoming sowing and how much will be warehoused for future given the rumors around reducing the quota for imports.

This outcome will dominate 2016 demand for the market. The USA has also imported 1,069mt (17 per cent) of seed during the first six months of 2015, a distant second but this does remain a very important market for Australian seed.

Looking forward, given the amount of seed to be shipped from our business in the months of August and September to various clientele around the globe, my expectation is that the full year export figure will continue to grow rapidly until around October when seed becomes extremely short and demand is reduced accordingly. The US seed harvest (which is reportedly a little lower than average), will come on line during this period also.

It’s been a very good year for seed producers and marketers alike, and I hope the current growing season and subsequent 2016 harvest is a successful one.

Who knows, if we continue to get decent rainfall amounts throughout spring we may even snag a decent dryland harvest, something that hasn’t occurred now for a number of years!

Craig Myall International Business Manager 0407 620 580

Nathan Smith SE Pasture Production Manager 0408 655 220

Tim Pepper Temperate Commons Manager 0417 500 911

Naracoorte Seeds Market ReportBy Jamie Tidy, Managing Director, Ph: 08 8762 1944

Bring on the rain!

Lucerne seed has again been grown, harvested, cleaned, packed, shipped, paid for and it is now time to ante up and do it all over again.

We have been actively working with overseas clients and trying to liaise with growers to ensure we continue to cement our position as a preferred trader for growers in the south east.

The Aussie dollar is hovering between $0.70 and $0.75 which is helping to keep prices strong and making Australian grown lucerne seed remain very competitive in world markets. It is worth noting there is very little or no lucerne seed left from last harvest which can only keep positive price pressures on the much anticipated 2015/2016 crop.

Our continued commitment to the lucerne seed industry has led to us taking on the maintainer responsibilities for both Aurora and Sequel lucerne varieties.

We can report that small areas of pre-basic seed have been sown and establishment has been sufficient so we are hopeful of having seed for reproduction either this year or next which will hopefully guarantee the survival of these important varieties. For updates or forward orders of sowing seed please contact Naracoorte Seeds.

We have employed another full time staff member to start to learn the seed industry trade and take a bit of pressure off Josh, Mark and myself.

Dylan Brodie is 25 years old and has been working as a farm-hand locally and is ready for an opportunity within the Ag sector. Please welcome Dylan as he joins the Naracoorte Seeds team and looks towards a long future in our business.


Seed Genetics International Market ReportBy Walter van Leeuwen, Sales and Marketing Manager, Ph: 0419 983 984

When I examined and compared the most recent official lucerne exports statistics it emphasises the healthy and strong demand for Australian grown lucerne seed in the first six months of 2015. This is exceedingly evident when one compares the statistics for the same six months (Jan-June) on a year by year basis since 2010 as illustrated in chart 1. (Each month is signified by a numerical number (e.g. 1= Jan, 6 = June & 12 = Dec) in both charts.)

Similarly SGI has experienced strong demand for its non-dormant proprietary lucerne varieties, particularly to the Middle Eastern and Northern African (MENA) region. Our other main markets, the Americas have similarly expressed good ongoing interest for good quality lucerne seed. As a result I’m pleased to convey the bulk of the SGI 2015 lucerne harvest has been marketed and sold for shipment throughout July to December 2015.

In chart two is the volume of lucerne exports for the calendar year 2010 until 2014 and in Chart three is the seed yield trial results of the RIRDC-funded Drop-tube Irrigated Lucerne Seed, Herbage Yield and Plant Persistence Trial published June 2015. This illustrates that the underlying demand is perhaps very closely coupled with the availability of product, based on the assumption that our main export regions uptake for Australian produce seed remains glitch-free.

Our American friend’s 2015 lucerne harvest and cleaning are currently in full swing. From various reports it would seem that total non-dormant 2015 lucerne crop in California will be slightly down or very similar to their 2014 harvest. My S&W colleagues also expressed to me that the demand for lucerne seed shipped from California into the MENA, Mexico and other regions remains healthy. This spells a certain level of confidence for the future and more importantly for our next Australian harvest, as demand for non-dormant lucerne products on the face of it is escalating.

One can only describe the changing global lucerne industry as roller-coast ride; particularly with highs and lows we all have experienced with both the supply and demand over the last five (5) crop phases. With SGI as part of S&W Seed, we have a highly experienced team that is well connected to build on existing partnerships and explore new opportunities for the lucerne industry internationally.

Chart 2: Quantity (KG) of lucerne seed exported from 2010-2014 (Jan-Dec). Official data obtained for ABARES*

*Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences

Chart 1: Quantity (KG) of lucerne seed exported by year for the same six months (Jan-Jun) from official ABARES data*.

Chart 3: RIRDC-funded Drop-tube Irrigatied Lucerne Seed Yield trial results 2011-2015


Lucerne Export Statistics from Australia - January 2010 to July 2015Courtesy of Teague Australia

We thank Teague Australia, an associate member of Lucerne Australia, for supplying these figures.

Month 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Year to date Difference

2014 & 2015January 501,139 310,144 245,741 687,172 698,895 +11,723February 317,070 445,793 118,025 518,553 1,099,252 +592,422March 479,471 130,625 269,091 334,033 582,929 +841,318April 183,775 385,262 424,057 171,816 549,340 +1,218,842May 51,539 594,069 647,509 495,472 940,000 +1,663,370June 271,574 721,122 1,509,605 1,029,000 2,314,805 +2,949,175July 503,509 951,685 1,510,278 1,260,782August 568,791 430,924 1,482,357 1,217,121September 482,668 726,310 811,667 1,516,965October 433,397 509,447 719,882 1,356,922November 300,364 169,450 363,877 810,704December 330,326 483,832 379,122 829,293Total 4,423,623 5,858,663 8,481,211 10,227,833 6,185,221

This summary was produced using data supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Lucerne Exports Statistics from AustraliaJanuary 2011 to June 2015Quantities below are in kg

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

Lucerne Exports Statistics from Australia 2011‐2015

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015


Agronomy ReportBy Lisa Charlton-Fatchen, Executive Committee Member

According to a climate App, we’ve had our lowest rainfall ever over the last 12 months – 170mm below average.

Established irrigated lucerne stands look reasonable for now. However, talk of the starting of irrigation is not too far off, if not already started.

With some areas not achieving reasonable rains over the winter period, irrigating early is a concern. It can be a major disadvantage by adding to the amount of water that stands will require. In addition, with a high salt content in some areas the need for natural rainfall is fundamental for flushing of salts and a high desire to start from a cleaner slate.

Area of lucerne seed locked up on irrigation has stayed relatively steady. However, dryland area has certainly reduced and will continue to if seasonal climate conditions remain as is.

Dryland stands have certainly lacked vigour with cold and dry conditions. Individual areas like Field and Colebatch may have slightly more moisture reserves and cooler summer conditions nearer to the coast which may still produce viable seed crops.

New lucerne

Germination has been reasonable – but delayed in some situations – for new lucerne this year on heavier, clayed or loamy soils. However, sandy soils have been a challenge with poor and delayed germinations and consequent wind damage.

Winter Cleaning

Winter cleaning has generally been somewhat delayed or has been changed from traditional total knockdown mixes to more selective soft options in an attempt to maximise feed.

At this stage dryland lucerne seed is being strongly competed with in returns by cattle, wool and lamb in a year where feed is a premium. Unless things change significantly, dryland paddocks are not looking like achieving solid potential and being grazed or cut for hay.

Paraquat resistant barley grass is again becoming a considerable problem and increasing ryegrass escapes remain an issue. Milkthistle, nettles and marshmallow are also becoming an increasing problem in lucerne stands. With the greater number surviving winter cleaning applications, the increase incidence of chemical resistance is become apparent, and a major concern.

Insects

The usual RLEM and lucerne flea are present. Cleaning up in

Brown pasture loppers are often prevalent around patches of weeds, particularly

capeweed, and around the edges of crops.

Barley Grass is again becoming a considerable problem.

Brown Pasture Lopper Caterpillar

Filling the Seed Boxes

Brown Pasture Lopper Moth

Lucerne Australia at Keith and Tintinara ShowBy Nicola Raymond, Executive Officer

Planning for the 2015 Keith and Tintinara District Show on October 10th is well underway and Lucerne Australia, as a sponsor of this event, will be once again in attendance.

The show provides a wonderful day for all members of the local community as well as providing ongoing economic and social benefits to the wider community.

Executive committee members hope that you will visit our tradestand as this is a great opportunity to discuss the latest challenges and opportunities face-to-face with us.

More information about the show: http://keithshow.org.au/

winter-cleaning applications where numbers reach threshold has been achieved.

But cold, slow growing conditions have compounded with large earth mite numbers and significant numbers of grubs including cutworm, pasture day moth larvae and larvae from Proteuxoa species. Aphids have also persisted through some area right through winter.

Brown Pasture Loopers

An increase in brown pasture loopers has been seen this season. These can attack canola, lupin crops, pastures and broadleaf weeds.

They have just one generation per year. Adult moths lay eggs from autumn, after which the caterpillars hatch and are active for about two-three months.

They can be present throughout winter and early-spring and can cause early season defoliation of plants when numbers are high. They are most damaging when large sized caterpillars transfer from summer and autumn weeds onto newly emerged seedlings.

Brown pasture loopers are often prevalent around patches of weeds, particularly capeweed, and around the edges of crops.

Chlorpyrifos and bifenthrin are registered for the control of brown pasture loopers in lucerne.


The RIRDC Board visits KeithBy Nicola Raymond, Executive Officer

Lucerne Australia was pleased to host the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Board of Directors and management in July, as part of their annual regional tour to an area linked to RIRDC industries.

RIRDC Pasture Seeds Program

RIRDC manages the pasture seed industry levy. The RIRDC Pasture Seeds Program aims to maximise opportunities and minimise risks for a profitable and sustainable pasture seeds industry based on reputation for reliable supply, domestically and internationally, for a range of quality pasture species.

The program is funded by statutory levies paid by pasture seed industry participants. This levy revenue is matched on a dollar for dollar basis by the Australian Government up to 0.5 per cent of GVP of farm production.

RIRDC Board

The nine-member RIRDC Board consists of eight non-executive Directors and the Corporation’s Managing Director Craig Burns. Chairperson Daniela Stehlik visited the Keith region with Directors Kevin Goss, Bill Ryan, Heather Stacy, Keith Steele, Len Stephens, Tony Hamilton, Christine Quick.

Representing RIRDC on the tour included Senior Program Managers Dave Alden and Margaret Heath and Executive Office Manager Kim Percy.

Additional guests who attended part –or all – of the tour included:

• Lucerne Australia Executives

• Daniel Casement, Executive Director, Rural Solutions SA

• Graham Excell, Local Mayor for the Tatiara Council

• Ben Hooper, Industry member RIRDC Honey Bee and Pollination Committee

• Ian Zadow, President AHBIC

• Shane Oster, Alpha Group Consulting

• Dave Lewis, Grains Account Manager, PIRSA

• Alan Humphries, Waite Institute

The field tour included visits to apiarists in Tintinara, our RIRDC-funded fertiliser trial site at Brecon Proprietors, courtesy of member Scott and Sophie Campbell, farm tour at Scottswell Proprietors, courtesy of RIRDC Pasture Seeds Advisory Committee member Joe Cook, Tatiara Seeds, courtesy of proprietor Graham Ramsdale and Blue Lake Milling, courtesy of Quentin Ashfield, HSEQ Manager.

The three day visit included some robust discussions about pasture seed industry strengths and opportunities as well as weaknesses and threats. The RIRDC board also held a board meeting at the Keith Institute during their visit and hosted a dinner at Henry and Rose Restaurant.

We thank everyone who was involved in this important regional visit.

The three day visit included some robust discussions about pasture seed industry strengths and opportunities as well as

weaknesses and threats.

Joe Cook highlights his production practices at Scottwell

Belinda Rawnsley, Peracto SA, outlines the latest fertiliser trial results at Brecon.

Graham Ramsdale hows the board through Tatiara Seeds

Board members view equipment at Tatiara Seeds


Lucerne Australia Field Tour of the USABy Charlie Hilton, Executive Committee Member (Proxy)

One of the values of Lucerne Australia within the Strategic Plan is to provide an environment whereby member and stakeholder organisations regard Lucerne Australia as a support network and an open forum for sharing information.

In addition, one of the goals in the strategic plan is to strive to develop relationships in key market and production areas throughout Australia and internationally.

Consequently, Lucerne Australia is currently developing a field tour to major lucerne seed growing areas in the USA. A tour of this kind will enable Australian lucerne seed growers and other stakeholders with a unique opportunity to:

• Expand knowledge of the international, and specifically USA, lucerne seed industry and markets.

• Share each other’s experiences in a unique environment.

• Debate the future of the industry, including strengths, opportunities and threats.

Successful, innovative businesses, both within the lucerne seed industry and other industry sectors, would be visited to inspire, encourage and assist in adding value to your business in the longer-term.

Proposal

• Dates: Late-July 2016.

• Duration of tour: Ten days inclusive.

• Commencing from: Tuesday 26 July 2016, Los Angeles, California.

• Concluding on: Thursday 4 August, at Boise, Idaho.

• Optional extra: Three days in Las Vegas from Friday 5 August 2016.

We will travel through California (CA) to view all aspects of lucerne production, management, cleaning, testing, storage and marketing. Then continue on by coach to Idaho (ID) with similar objectives. Visits will include both those in the lucerne seed

industry and other industries.

Lucerne Australia will seek to provide a bursary to members who wish to attend – one per member business and the value to be determined – to support you to participate in the tour.

The tour will include accommodation, transportation and meals over the 10 days. Flights will be the responsibility of the participants directly.

Next Steps – your help

We are currently working through the proposed itinerary.

We welcome your feedback in two ways:

1) Suggest businesses or individuals in California and Idaho who are classed as significant or crucial to visit.

2) Provide your expression of interest to Lucerne Australia to attend – this will provide us with early estimated numbers.

Please contact me on 0412 668 558 or email Nicola: [email protected]

Lucerne Australia is currently developing a field tour to major lucerne seed growing areas

in the USA.

Lucerne Australia will seek to provide bursary to members who wish to attend.

Forthcoming Events for your Diary4-13 September: Royal Adelaide Show, Adelaide 7-9 September: Agricultural Bioscience International Conference, Melbourne 15 September: HART Field Day, Clare, SA 29 September: Mid North High Rainfall Group Field Day, SA 10 October: Keith and Tintinara District Show, Keith 17 October: Naracoorte Show, Naracoorte 15 November: Bordertown Agricultural Show, Bordertown 23-27 May (2016): Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne


Forthcoming Events for your Diary

Bee industry peak body warns on damaging aphid control methodsBy Trevor Weatherhead, Executive Director, AHBIC

With aphids impacting canola crops in parts of the country, a warning has been issued about the damage some control methods can cause to bees.

Beekeepers have become aware that some growers are looking to spray flowering canola with dimethoate to control the pests.

While peak industry body, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC), recognises the need to control aphids in canola crops, dimethoate kills honey bees.

As AHBIC chairman Ian Zadow explains, dimethoate label instructions are clear about the impact the chemical has on bees.

“The label reads ‘Dangerous to bees. DO NOT spray any plants in flower while bees are foraging.

“We are concerned use of dimethoate, contrary to label instructions, could result in the loss of beehives,” he says.

Mr Zadow says growers should take the time to confirm that dimethoate is registered for the intended use.

“It makes sense - pollination by honeybees can increase yields in canola so it is to the growers benefit to make sure that honeybees are not killed,” he explains.

BeeConnected, a new phone app, is an excellent way to connect beekeepers with growers and spray applicators to communicate and make sure honeybees are not inadvertently killed.

“This app allows growers and beekeepers to register and receive updates about activities near them which may impact their operations. For example, a grower can be alerted that beehives are being set up in their area, and a beekeeper can find out through the app that a grower is spraying near their hives – we encourage all to utilise this service,” Mr Zadow concludes.

Asian Bees in Darwin

In late June 2015, a nest of Asian bees was found in a campervan at Darwin.

This van had been transported on the back of a truck from Cairns for a show in Darwin. The van had been stored at East Arm Point in Darwin for three days prior to being taken to the camping show.

The nest was destroyed.

Subsequent testing showed that the Asian bees were the same genetic cluster as the Cairns bees.

This would be expected. No mites were found with the bees in Darwin which would also be expected.

Surveillance was carried out around the camping show site and the East Arm Point area. To date no Asian bees have been found.

The insect has been removed from the notifiable pests list in SA.

Participation at the SA Apiarists ConferenceBy Guy Cunningham, Chairman

I attended the South Australian Apiarists Conference in June and provided a presentation about the lucerne seed industry. I advised of yield losses in later lucerne seed crops during the 2014-15 harvest and the likely impact for next season e.g. a tighter of close-up window in the coming year. This is likely to put pressure on demand for pollinator numbers over a shorter time than previously.

Attending this event also enabled me to gain a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the honeybee industry.

Firstly, Ian Roberts stood down as president of SAAA following a five year term, and local apiarist Ben Hooper, from Tintinara, has been appointed as his replacement.

Code of Practice and Biosecurity

The honeybee industry is working toward a national code of practice and a national bee biosecurity program. This will largely be funded by an increase in the statutory honey levy to 4.6 per cent per kilo. This will also introduce traceability for honey production.

Crop life Australia has introduced an app for farmers and beekeepers to reduce the potential death of bees through pesticide use. Caution is also urged in the control of peach green aphid in canola in flowering crops.

Finally, pollinator reserves were also covered at the event with further research required. And LA will be cooperating with an upcoming project, being managed by Katje Hoogendorn from the University of Adelaide.

Small Hive Beetle no longer notifiable in SA

The South Australian Department have taken small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) off the notifiable list.

The Small Hive Beetle is a tiny black bug that invades bee hives, eats young bees, and excretes into honey, turning it into fermented slime.

This insect has been removed from the notifiable pests list in SA, meaning no more hive moment restrictions aiming to curb the spread of the pest will be enforced.

Currently, there are no eradication techniques for small hive beetle, but Biosecurity South Australia said it could be managed.


Australian Fodder Industry Association UpdateBy Will Ryan, Industry Development Officer

Spring Fodder Outlook – January 2015

This winter we saw a trend of increasing prices across all hay types. This price lift was expected given that national hay stocks are low and there is firm commodity pricing from most livestock sectors supporting steady demand of hay.

As we move into spring the focus is shifting to the coming harvest and how crops will yield. For Lucerne Australia members, the following gives an overview of what we are seeing in the national fodder markets right now.

• In the past few months the market has been relatively stable with tight stocks that could have seen more of a push on prices being balanced by less demand for hay than was expected.

• Demand for hay has been a mixed bag across the Australia over the past few months. One of the key drivers for hay buyers is the prices they are receiving for their products; mainly meat and milk. While there has been some pricing uncertainty surrounding global dairy prices, limiting interest from the dairy sector the slack has been picked up by sheep and beef farmers benefiting from strong prices.

• Low stocks of cereal and protein hay across the country coupled with steady demand over the winter period have resulted in a trend of increasing prices. However the somewhat kind winter being experienced in most regions has seen less demand from livestock farmers. This has allowed buyers to focus on home grown feed rather than buying in hay.

• There have been some notable price increases in regions where stocks are running low. The most prominent of these is Tasmania where cold conditions and slow pasture growth resulted in a spike in demand for what were already tight fodder stocks.

• Growers are clearing out hay sheds to make way for the new seasons harvest providing some opportunities for buyers. Of note, it appears that there are good opportunities for people looking to source high quality straw at competitive prices.

• Moving onto the expected performance of the 2015 fodder harvest, we are seeing a large amount of regional variation. The commentary out of NSW, SA and WA is generally positive, and although there are exceptions, growers are generally expecting at least average yields.

• The late August rains have also added further positivity to NSW with hope that irrigation allocations may increase for the coming season.

• Victoria is more of a mixed bag with the Wimmera and Mallee experiencing a tough season likely to have below average yields. For other regions in Vic it is too soon to tell with crops currently looking good but still needing finishing rains.

• Tasmanian growers are currently focusing on their current fodder needs rather than looking at the harvest ahead.

• Areas in NSW and Vic have begun the silage harvest earlier this year. The predictions of El Nino conditions for the second half of the year has encouraged growers to cut early in the hope to get another silage cut before warmer conditions set in. There is also commentary from the market that has indicated that with harsh predictions for summer, more dairy businesses are planning larger summer cropping programs but the probability of this impacting the hay market in unlikely.

• QLD is well and truly into the harvest and first impressions from contractors and highlighted an average season. With the bulk of harvest still some weeks away it is expected that a more accurate assessment of overall yields will be made as the season progresses. It should be noted that there are still some areas in QLD experiencing drought.

• It is not expected that there will be much quality hay carried over into the 2015 harvest, again pointing to tight stocks for the coming season. This has resulted in reports of higher than usual enquiries about forward hay buying options, and there is an expectation that there will be a large volume of new season hay bought off the back of the baler.

National Hay Safe Day – 25 October – Take 5

National Hay Safe Day, a day focusing on safety in the hay and silage industry is on Sunday October 25. In the lead up to National Hay Safe Day the AFIA is asking everyone involved in the fodder industry to take five minutes and talk about safety with family, friends and employees.

“With the 2015 fodder harvest already underway in some areas of Australia we are seeing the beginning of what will be another big year for hay and silage producers” said AFIA Executive Officer Darren Keating.

>> continued over page


New project to investigate potential exotic virus threat to lucerne seed productionSupplied by RIRDC

A new Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) funded project “Potential exotic virus threats to lucerne seed production in Australia” aims to confirm that the Alfalfa dwarf virus (ADV) that recently emerged in South America is not present in Australia and will determine how we can best prevent it from reaching our shores.

Dr Ralf Dietzgen, Associate Professor in the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation Institute at the University of Queensland leads the project.

Collaborators include researchers Dr Nicolas Bejerman and Dr Fabián Giolitti, from the Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias-Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (CIAP-INTA), Cordoba, Argentina, and the Director of CIAP-INTA, Professor Sergio Lenardon.

Plant viruses cause significant economic losses in agriculture and some may pose biosecurity risks to lucerne production and seed exports.

An emerging rhabdovirus, ADV, was detected in 2010 infecting commercial lucerne fields in Argentina and Uruguay with 90-95 per cent disease incidence, causing >50 per cent yield loss and significantly reducing seed production.

In collaboration with Argentine researchers we have recently completed the genome sequence of ADV. This information will now allow us to develop a sensitive molecular diagnostic test, which we will apply to conduct targeted surveys of Australian lucerne crops and preserved samples from previous virus surveys, to determine if ADV is present.

Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), which was found to occur in mixed infections with ADV in Argentina, will also be targeted for detection.

In parallel, we will investigate the genetic diversity and epidemiology of ADV with our collaborators in Argentina to learn more about the biology of alfalfa dwarf disease. This will include identification of natural insect vectors, potential for seed transmission and alternative crop and weed hosts.

Based on the combined knowledge gathered in Australia and Argentina, we will conduct a detailed risk analysis and develop a biosecurity plan and integrated control measures for alfalfa dwarf disease. This will place the Australian lucerne industry in an excellent position to protect lucerne from this exotic virus disease and increase certified seed exports to South America.

Based on the combined knowledge gathered in Australia and Argentina, we will conduct a

detailed risk analysis and develop a biosecurity plan for alfalfa dwarf disease.

Australian Fodder Industry Association Update cont.By Will Ryan, Industry Development Officer

“A busy fodder season often means people working long hours to keep up and when this happens it’s easy for things like safety to be forgotten”

“It can only take a split second for something to go wrong and put the safety of a business owner, employees or family members at risk and that’s why AFIA is asking everyone involved in making and transporting hay and silage to take five on October 25 and consider safety in their workplace”

“It could be that you take five to go through the “R U Hay Safe” checklist or to give your team a quick refresher on basic safety around the farm” said Mr Keating.

“During the 2014 National Hay Safe Day campaign a number of AFIA members took the opportunity to purchase Hay Safe hi-vis vests and download safety signage, available on the AFIA website and have these signs installed in their workplace” said Mr Keating.

“That’s the kind of initiative we are encouraging everyone to get involved in leading up to National Hay Safe Day in 2015.”

“Work health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we want everyone to take on the Hay Safe Day messages, make safety a focus and help prevent accidents from happening in your hay or silage business” concluded Mr Keating.

Hay Safe Day is the initiative Suzanne Woods an AFIA member, fodder grower and hay exporter from Calingiri in Western Australia. Tragically on October 25, 2009, Suzanne lost her father in an accident on their farm. As part of National Hay Safe Day AFIA is encouraging people to share their safety initiatives on AFIA’s Facebook page (AFIA Ltd – ausfodder) and don’t forget to use the hashtag #HaySafeDay all social media.

To understand and to complete the fodder safety survey (available on the AusFodder facebook page or click here to access it) for a chance to win some great prizes. For more information on safety in the fodder industry please contact the AFIA office on 03 9530 2199 or visit afia.org.au.

>> continued from page 10


Golden Dodder - Industry UpdateBy Nicola Raymond, Executive Officer

A meeting was recently held with Natural Resources South East, PIRSA and Lucerne Australia to discuss a potential industry code of conduct for golden dodder. This process could tighten protocols and ensure that the system is transparent.

There is the opportunity of new potential funding streams as part of the Ag Competitiveness White Paper.

The White Paper, released on 4th July 2015, sets out the Australian Government’s roadmap of actions to grow the agriculture sector and is a $4 billion investment in Australian farmers and the competiveness and profitability of the agriculture sector.

The White Paper responds to the ideas, feedback and comments from thousands of interested parties—including farmers, industry, business and the community—about how industry can ensure the agriculture sector remains a significant contributor to the economy and local communities and takes advantage of available opportunities.

The meeting aimed to establish whether there is sufficient justification from an industry perspective to develop such a code of practice for golden dodder.

There was a discussion about our ‘dodder free’ status and determining that is worth protecting in the long-term. It was agreed that collecting data on the benefits of maintaining it is important.

Some other discussion points included:

• What are the impacts on exports if contaminated with dodder?

• What does a dodder infestation cost farmers?

• What is the potential scenario if we leave it uncontrolled?

• Is there more value to be realised from the industry by doing this?

These points were discussed at the meeting with a number of outcomes – in particular the need to pursue thorough PCR test result notifications for this coming season.

Further research will be done on the large project proposal, including a three phase longer-term approach:

• Confirm industry benefit for doing a code of practice, refine testing and sampling procedure, resolve any legal matters.

• Code of practice development phase - review options and determine the most appropriate mechanism(s) for achieving improved biosecurity and communication

• Code of practice implementation phase - roll out of code of practice and establishment of industry self-regulation

The structure and content of the project will need to be mapped out, with expert input.

The meeting was productive and Lucerne Australia will continue to update members on progress.

If you have any questions, please contact EO Nicola Raymond on 0439 538 332 or Chairman Guy Cunningham on 0429 875 422.

Election of Committee Nomination FormTo Seed Growers and Associate Members

The Lucerne Australia Annual General Meeting will be held later this calendar year and we are seeking nominations from members for positions on the executive committee.

The Lucerne Australia Executive committee is made up of five grower members and three associate members. This year three grower member positions are up for election and one associate. The executive is seeking written nominations to fill these positions.

To summarise, there are four positions available for three grower members and one associate.

To be elected on the Lucerne Australia executive you will need to be nominated by a current Lucerne Australia member or you can volunteer.

We seek early expressions of interest. Please contact one of the executive committee members – contact details can be found on page 14, or contact EO Nicola Raymond on 0439 538 332.

We are seeking nominations from members for positions on the executive committee.

There are four positions available for three grower members and one associate.


Effective inoculation leads to substantial nitrogen benefitsSupplied by Pasture Improvement Initiative

Visit: www.pastureimprovementinitiative.com.au

Legumes (crops and pasture combined) are estimated to fix almost three million tonnes of nitrogen each year in Australia, which is worth around $4 billion.

This amount of fixed nitrogen makes a substantial (around 50 per cent) contribution to the estimated 6 Mt of nitrogen required annually for grain and animal production. Most of this comes from pastures, which grow across 10 times the area sown to pulse crops.

Inoculating pasture legumes with rhizobia (root nodule bacteria) is standard practice for many growers, but a national survey carried out during 2013 highlighted several opportunities for growers to maximise the potential benefits by following practical guidelines to optimise the delivery of rhizobia.

Key messages

• Inoculating legumes with rhizobia (root nodule bacteria) can deliver substantial fixed nitrogen (N) inputs to pastures and subsequent crops.

• Strategic use of rhizobial inoculants is an effective way to maximise nitrogen inputs from legumes.

• In situations where suitable rhizobia are absent, such as where there is no legume history or hostile soil conditions prevail, inoculation is essential.

• Mixing rhizobial inoculants with fertilisers, trace elements and pesticides is not recommended.

Measuring Success

To determine whether inoculation has been successful, it is important to look below the soil surface and inspect plant roots for healthy nodules.

A visual check of root systems is worthwhile to establish if a reasonable number of nodules are present and well-distributed across the root system or whether there has been a nodulation delay or failure.

Carefully breaking open nodules to determine if there is a pink or reddish colour in the nodules will show the nodules are active.

Neither of these visual assessments will indicate the actual amount of nitrogen fixation being achieved: sophisticated scientific techniques are required to measure this. However, understanding the extent of nodulation in the existing pasture can help guide decisions around the need for inoculation in future years.

Check out our easy-to-read fact sheet for some key rules of thumb when inoculating legume pastures

More Information? See the link below:

http://pastureimprovementinitiative.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/PII-pasture-snapshot_legume-inoculation_FINAL.pdf

Applications open for 2016 Science and Innovation Awards

Lucerne Australia members are encouraged to apply for a share of $240,000 in grants as part of the 2016 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The awards encourage young rural innovators to think big and contribute to the future success of Australian agriculture through funding for their innovative research projects.

The Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is a competitive grants program targeted at young Australians aged 18‐35 to undertake innovative research projects that will benefit Australia’s agricultural industries.

The 2015 projects included:

• An early warning system to help farmers protect their livestock from wild dog attacks;

• Sequencing the avocado genome – a world‐first draft genome for a plant and the first step towards the next‐generation of crop improvement;

• Identifying herbicide resistance in significant agricultural weeds;

There are 11 industry award categories available in the 2016 round.

Since the Science and Innovation Awards commenced in 2001, more than 200 young researchers, innovators and scientists have shared in over $3 million in grant funding for their projects.

The Science and Innovation Awards are open for people aged 18–35 and provide a grant of up to $22,000 (inc GST) for each successful recipient’s research project.

Applications close on 9 October 2015.

The recipients of the awards will be publicly presented as part of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Outlook 2016 conference in Canberra.

More information: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/conferences-events/scienceawards

THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 2015 PAGE 14 THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 2015 PAGE 14

Bruce Connor, Deputy Chairman Bruce was born on the family dairy farm at Mt Compass. He relocated to a property at

Tintinara in the late-1970s to grow out replacement heifers. He and his family now farms beef cattle, cropping, dryland and pivot irrigated lucerne for hay and seed.

Contact: 0428 835 310.

Owen Croser, Grower Member

Owen has farmed near Keith since 1983 growing wheat, barley, beans, canola and triticale. There are also beef cattle, sheep and a small feedlot. They have flood irrigation and grow

lucerne for seed and hay production. Contact: 0407 718 761.

Nathan Smith, Associate Member

Nathan lives at Naracoorte and is Pasture Production Manager at Heritage Seeds. His main focus is to act as the principle point of contact for lucerne production growers. Prior to

this, Nathan spent seven years as a field agronomist. Contact: 0408 655 220

Charlie Hilton, Grower Member [PROXY]

Charlie farms near Bordertown and is a grower member of Lucerne Australia. Charlie is currently on the executive committee as a proxy for Warrick Thorpe until the next AGM.

Warrick stepped down earlier this year to focus on other pursuits. Contact: 0412 668 558.

DO YOU KNOW THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS?

Guy Cunningham, Chairman

Guy farms with his wife Sarah and family near Willalooka. The business comprises a 300-cow stud beef cattle herd, dryland winter cropping and lucerne production, mainly aimed at seed with some hay sold off farm. Contact: 0429 875 422.

Lisa Charlton, Associate Member Lisa has lived and worked as an agronomist in Tintinara for 11 years, specialising in dryland lucerne seed, broad-acre cropping and pasture renovation. Lisa is also involved in transport company Frank Fatchen Pty Ltd at Tintinara. Contact: 0408 856 445.

Adam Desmazures, Grower MemberAdam runs the family-owned business with wife Michelle, a young family and parents. The mixed farm has a self-replacing Merino flock, beef cattle and dryland lucerne for hay and seed, which is south of Tintinara. Contact: 0427 560 091.

Josh Rasheed, Associate MemberJosh was appointed as the Contract Cropping Manager and Pasture Advisor at Naracoorte Seeds in 2011. In his role, lucerne is one of the major crops he is involved with. He was previously a Real Estate Agent at the family business in Meningie. Contact: 0427 790 655.

Nicola Raymond, Executive Officer

Nicola is a communications professional with 16 years’ experience in the agricultural industry in both the UK and Australia. She is a farmers’ daughter from a 3,000 acre farm in Wales. Nicola travelled to Australia in 2007 as part of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship and became an Australian citizen in 2011. She resides with her partner on a property south of Keith. Contact: 0439 538 332.

Got a question for Lucerne Australia? Contact the Executive Officer or any of our Executive Committee Members who will be happy to help.

AJ Cotton & MA McDonald

Alpha Group Consulting

Archards IrrigationAsure Quality

Clovercrest Consulting

Cox Rural Keith

Crop Monitoring Services

D & M Rural

Dow Agro Sciences Australia

Elders Keith

Farmers Centre

Forage Genetics International

Frank Fatchen Pty Ltd

Gibbs Agricultural Consulting

Associate Members/ Bronze Sponsors:Heritage Seeds/Seedmark

Imperial Valley Milling Company

JJ O’Connor E. Sons Pty Ltd

Jolpac Rural Supplies

Kongal Seeds

Landmark Keith

Lawrie & Co

Mellor Olsson

Momentum Energy

NAB Murray BridgeNAS AgribusinessNaracoorte Seeds

Peracto SAPGG Wrightson Seeds

Rabobank Australia

SA Apiarists Association

Seed Distributors

Seed Services Australia

Seed Genetics International

Tatiara Seeds

Teague Australia

Vermeeren Bros Manufacturing

WFI

Wickham Flower

Wise Farm Equipment

Zadow Apiaries

PO Box 505,

KEITH SA 5267

Phone: 0439 538 332

email: [email protected] www.lucerneaustralia.org.au

Twitter: Twitter.com/LucerneAust

ABN: 38 226 068 425

Sponsors:

Momentum EnergyGold sponsor of Lucerne Australia

The world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking

RabobankGold sponsor of Lucerne Australia

Seed ServicesSilver sponsor of Lucerne Australia

Murray NankivellProviding financial advice

Welcome to New Members:

WFIGold sponsor of Lucerne Australia Good people

to know

Wise Farm Equipment Silver sponsor of Lucerne Australia

Mellor OlssonSilver sponsor of Lucerne Australia

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