COMING off a tough 2024 for most farmers across northwest Victoria, Mallee Sustainable Farming is ramping up a new series of programs, research initiatives, and events in 2025 to support dryland farmers.
And not just in Victoria but also into southwest NSW and west into the South Australian Mallee.
MSF communication and extension manager Tanja Morgan said with the double whammy of very low rainfall and debilitating frost in many areas “we need to acknowledge the resilience of farmers to push through the difficult times”.
“Particularly some who endured the challenging year and then got belted with unseasonal rain events just before, or during, harvest,” Ms Morgan said.
“But 2024 also underlined the success of the development of farming systems in the Mallee which has seen grain being harvested and minimal soil erosion in what was one of the most challenging seasons in recent times.
“We really need to measure this against what it would have been like in the 1970s, ’80s or ’90s given the same seasonal conditions.
“And this is where MSF plays a significant role supporting farmers across the region to make informed decisions based on local knowledge – and this will continue into 2025.”
Ms Morgan said 2025’s activities start in Mildura on March 4, with a workshop repeated in Balranald, Pinnaroo and Karoonda in the next three days.
These events will focus on sustainable farming practices, the latest research and practical solutions to on-farm challenges.
Mary O’Brien, founder of not-for-profit organisation “Are you Bogged Mate” will be part of the morning of activities and will providing humour, heart, and practical advice to supporting men in rural communities.
Her presentation will provide insights from her own farming experiences and provide tools to help build resilience (https://msfp.org.au/events/).
Ms Morgana said with increased digital engagement, MSF planned to extend those platforms this year, creating a larger presence for low rainfall dryland farmers than its current 4000 engaged followers.
This will be through social media including posts, podcasts, blogs, and information sheets, as well as introducing new innovative communication channels.
“MSF will also continue to help farmers make informed decisions managing on-farm risks, including managing nitrogen and associated risks as well as seeding, crop agronomy and financial management through the RiskWi$e project,” Ms Morgan said.
“We have more than 20 projects underway, where funding and partnerships are in place with government and industry organisations for research, extension and community activities, including the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, state drought hubs, state governments, GRDC, South Australian Grains Industry Trust, Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal.
“MSF understands the importance adding diversification to the crops produced and through the engagement of Dr Penny Roberts will be conducting increased research trials on pulses to improve the production, varieties and time of sowing.”
This year research projects will include:
* Exploring the interactions between long coleoptile wheat seeding depth, pre-emergent herbicide safety and soil type in Mallee systems. Long coleoptile wheat being wheat that can be sown at lower depths to capture moisture.
* Measuring the legacy effects of soil amelioration including inclusion ripping.
* Identifying early pulse sowing opportunities for low rainfall environments.
* Exploring residual impact of in-crop spraying with a commercial and non-commercial product compared to farmer conventional practice.
Along with activities supporting growers including:
* Delivering responsive information for growers when frost occurs. This project will see information collated from frost events used to inform growers on decision making across the Mallee areas and into the wider dryland farming community.
* MSF is part of a nationwide carbon outreach program, led by Grower Group Alliance WA. The organisation will be providing training on a local level to deliver trusted, reliable advice to farming enterprises on the importance of understanding the impact of carbon in their businesses.
* As part of a larger community project that the organisation is facilitating, short video reels will be “rolled out” over the next six months with a focus on successful community activities that are in operation in the Victorian Mallee region.
These will be used to build awareness of and changed attitudes to drought preparedness at the community level.
* Variable rate technology support that will demonstrate to growers how technology can be used to vary the rate of crop inputs such as fertiliser, soil amendments, irrigation and agricultural chemicals across zones in paddocks.
* SAGIT 101 Questions about soils book will be launched soon that will provide answers to questions about cropping soils and outcomes from research that will be of value to farmers.
* The launch of ‘Soils Connect’ a one stop shop for soils information that will improve farmer access to and knowledge of the full range of soils initiatives.
With a strong focus on listening to farmers needs and responding over the past 26 years, there has been many key areas of significant adoption (by up to 85 per cent of farmers) including improved seeding systems, soil moisture monitoring and conservation, enhanced crop nutrition through variable rate technology, and management of sub-soil constraints.
Looking ahead to 2025, MSF is committed to building on these achievements by exploring new innovations and practices that will further enhance the resilience and profitability of Mallee farming systems. The future holds promise as MSF continues to lead the way in sustainable agriculture, always with its roots firmly planted in the needs and experiences of the local farming community.
