New organic herbicide great for tree crops

Nov. 26, 2020 | 2 min read
Grochem Australia has launched a new non-selective, organic herbicide in what it describes as a major breakthrough for the horticulture sector.

BOM's outlook suggests a wet summer. But never rule out fire

Nov. 25, 2020 | 4 min read
Summer is set to be wet, according to the official outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Despite it being relatively dry over the past few weeks the La Niña declared back in September is still strong, according to BOM senior climatologist Andrew Watkins. At the moment, short-term climate drivers are conspiring to keep things dry, giving farmers a handy window to try and get the crop out.

All farmers encouraged to map crops to prevent spray drift damage this season

Nov. 25, 2020 | 2 min read
All cropping farmers are being encouraged to play their part in preventing off-target spray drift damage by mapping their fields this season.

Serpentine leafminer detected in SE Queensland

Nov. 25, 2020 | 2 min read
Serpentine leafminer has been found in a commercial vegetable crop in the Fassifern Valley

Agchem Safety Week – Industry Insights 24 Nov

Nov. 12, 2020 | 1 min read
Agsafe to host virtual presentation of two passionate advocates.

Great leap forward in innovation and choice for South Australian Farmers

Nov. 2, 2020 | 3 min read
South Australian growers will have access to GM crops from next season after Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham declared that all of mainland South Australia’s farmers would be allowed to commercially cultivate the crops.

We’re back! Australia on track for above-average winter crop

Oct. 22, 2020 | 6 min read
Australia is on track for a major recovery in grain production, with the winter harvest set to come in at above-average levels, according to just-released forecasts by agribusiness specialist Rabobank. In its Australian Winter Crop Production Outlook 2020/2021, the agribusiness bank says after three successive years of below-average production due to drought in many parts of the country, Australia’s “long-awaited grain production recovery is here”, with the nation expected to harvest 47.4 million tonnes of winter grains, oilseeds and pulses this year.

Corteva’s new organic insecticide

Oct. 20, 2020 | 2 min read
In a commitment to the sustainability of Australian farmers, Corteva Agriscience has launched a new organic insecticide. Entrust Organic is a naturally derived insecticide, based on metabolites produced by the fermentation of naturally occurring soil organisms. Its favourable environmental and end-user safety profile offers many benefits to growers wanting effective control of damaging pests.

DPI 'Farms of the Future' Breakfast Webinar Series

Oct. 15, 2020 | 1 min read
As part of the NSW Government's Regional Digital Connectivity program, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has set up three commercial demonstration 'Farms of the Future' sites across NSW to showcase currently available farm connectivity and sensor technology.

First fall armyworm detected in NSW between Moree and Boggabilla

Oct. 13, 2020 | 1 min read
A pest which has the potential to destroy crops has been discovered in New South Wales for the first time. Growers in northern NSW have been urged to be on the lookout for fall armyworm in crops following the positive identification of a single male moth trapped between Moree and Boggabilla on Tuesday.

Researchers investigating virus outbreak in faba beans

Oct. 12, 2020 | 3 min read
A combination of a wet start to the year and the perfect breeding ground for aphids may have been responsible for unusually severe outbreaks of viruses in faba bean crops in northern New South Wales this season.

Stacking the odds against awnless barnyard grass this summer

Oct. 9, 2020 | 4 min read
Sometimes herbicide resistance comes with a fitness penalty that growers can use as an Achilles’ Heel to drive down weed seed production. Unfortunately, glyphosate resistance seems to confer no such disadvantage on awnless barnyard grass. In a recent random survey of summer-growing weeds in the northern grains region, 36 per cent of awnless barnyard grass (Echinochloa colona) populations proved resistant to glyphosate.

Gene search aims to combat heat stress in canola

Oct. 2, 2020 | 2 min read
Identifying the genes that make canola heat tolerant is the aim of a five-year Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) research project now underway, with field trials planted in New South Wales and Western Australia in 2020. The long-term objective of the research (full story available in GroundCover™ online) is to provide heat-tolerant germplasm to plant breeders.

Potential to expand horticultural industries in Northern Australia

Oct. 1, 2020 | 1 min read
Northern Australia has long been regarded as an important gateway to the Asian market. However, due to Australia’s focus on supplying the domestic market, horticultural industries in the region have yet to take full advantage of international market opportunities.

Updated risk management advice for Septoria

Sept. 29, 2020 | 2 min read
Growers in the high rainfall zones of southern Australia have a new resource to help guide their management when it comes to the serious wheat disease Septoria tritici blotch (STB).