The grain industry: at a glance

Australia

Australia is one of the world’s largest grain producers and exporters. In 2009–10, approximately 60 per cent of the Australian grain crop was exported, mainly to countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Wheat is by far the largest crop, contributing approximately 57 per cent of Australian grain exports by value. Barley (10 per cent), oilseeds (eight per cent) and pulses (six per cent) make up the majority of remaining production.

With good seasonal conditions, Australia can produce a grain crop of up to 40 million tonnes. However, the productivity, profitability and global competitiveness of Australian grain farms are affected by yields, production costs, commodity prices and fluctuations in the exchange rate.

The grain harvest’s volume and value is also significantly influenced by seasonal conditions.

DPI produces seasonal overviews of different sectors:

Victoria

Historically, about 70 per cent of Victorian grain was produced in the Mallee and Wimmera, with the drier Mallee usually providing lower but more stable yields. As a result of the prolonged dry conditions of recent years, grain production has expanded into southern Victoria, with meat and wool producers seeking to grow grain to diversify their enterprises.

Wheat is Victoria’s largest crop (production area 1.6 million hectares), followed by barley, oats, canola, field peas, lentils, faba beans, chickpeas, lupins and triticale.

The grain harvest’s volume and value is also significantly influenced by seasonal conditions. For example, the recent floods cost Victorian grain production more than $130 million.

Approximately 80 per cent of the grain produced in Victoria in 2009–10 was used for domestic purposes. Major export markets include the Middle East, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea.

Winter cereals have increased in proportion during the past decade and now make up more than 2.5 million hectares of the 3.1 million hectares of Victorian crop area. Approximately 0.5 million hectares of oilseeds and pulses are also grown in the state. A sharp increase in the area of canola grown is expected in 2011 due to recent wet conditions.

Value of grain commodities exported, Austrlai, 2008-10

Major export markets of Victorian grain in 2010

Value of Victoria grain exported by product category, 2010 (A$ million)

(source GTIS, Australian Customs Data, 2010)

Cereal exports were valued at A$528 million and mainly consisted of wheat. Processed grains were valued at A$165 million and were mainly malt. Pulses were valued at A$96 million and oilseeds, mainly canola were valued at A$19 million.

Case Studies

Example of DPI Services to Grain Growers

Case Study: Minimising disease in cereal crops ‘essential’ for Victoria’s grain growers

DPI’s Cereal Disease Guide aims to help grain growers select their upcoming seed type to help minimise disease in their crops.

The guide is based on the results of the Australian grains industry national variety trials (NVT) system, which provides independent data to growers to assist with cultivar selection. DPI is the national co-ordinator for developing and communicating disease ratings for wheat.

DPI distributes NVT wheat lines nationally for disease testing by Australia’s leading wheat pathologists, including members of its own staff, who are responsible for screening 37,000 NVT wheat lines. These are tested in the field for their reaction to four important diseases – yellow leaf spot, leaf rust, stem rust and stripe rust – and in a glasshouse to yellow leaf spot.

Armed with results from all over the country, DPI assigns disease ratings to wheat cultivars, which are subsequently published on the NVT website. The ratings refer to the resistance of cereal varieties to the 10 most common forms of disease. Resistance ranges from very susceptible – where losses greater than 50 per cent are possible – through to resistant where the disease will not multiply, or cause any damage. When all the results are collated in February, DPI compiles the grain cultivar results most relevant to Victoria into its annual guide.

Horsham-based DPI senior plant pathologist Grant Hollaway says the guide is essential to the state’s grain farmers: “For growers to effectively manage a range of diseases they need good information on the reaction of their cultivars to the diseases of importance in Victoria.” Used early, Mr Hollaway says this information could also help growers select cultivars to help minimise disease in their crops and ultimately boost productivity and profitability.

More information on Cereal Disease

Case Study: A new approach to communicating with farmers on climate science

DPI’s Climate Dogs animations aim to explain what drives our weather patterns. This has provided a great way to engage with Victorian farmers on the topic of climate science.

The outcome is a new knowledge around climate science among farmers that builds on their in-depth knowledge of local seasons and historical weather patterns.

DPI’s climate change team has created four animated ‘climate dog’ characters – based on typical farm dogs – to show farmers how Victoria’s four main climate drivers work to ‘round up’ or scatter storm clouds over the state.

“Just like moving a mob of sheep, if the sheep dogs do the right thing, the farmer will have a good day. But if the dogs do the wrong thing, they’ll scatter the mob everywhere,” DPI’s Graeme Anderson said that the DPI team worked with an animator to

create a series of short videos that illustrate how the behaviour of each climate system − represented as the dogs Enso, Indy, Sam and Ridgy − affects Victoria’s weather.

Enso represents the El Nino Southern Oscillation, the well-known cycle that results in moisture-laden Pacific trade winds blowing from South America towards Australia (La Nina) in some years, with the reverse (El Nino) causing drought in Australia at other times. The three other dogs represent the Indian Ocean Dipole (Indy), the Southern Annular Mode (Sam), and the Sub-tropical Ridge (Ridgy).

Graeme says Climate Dogs enables farmers to see the link between their local weather and seasons and these larger-scale climate drivers. “Most are also fascinated by the story of Sam and Ridgy and how they influence us down south, and how these two are changing the way they behave in a warming world,” he says.

“In Victoria, we’ve got over 100 years of rainfall data for most locations, and farmers have rich knowledge and experience of local rainfall patterns. We use their existing knowledge and observations to link with the science.”

More information on Climate Dogs

Case Study: FarmPlan21

DPI’s FarmPlan21 provides information to help farmers make the right decisions for their properties as a whole and to plan for the future.

It offers practical workshops to improve knowledge and knowhow on complex sustainable practices. Topics include improving farm productivity, soil and vegetation management, farm water supply, farm drought-proofing options and adapting to change and succession planning.

Wimmera farming family consider opportunities

The Merrett family has been farming the land around west Wimmera for the past 150 years. Six generations of the family have grown up working the land and they’re planning on being around well into the future.

The family operates a mixed farming business on 2600 hectares, split across two blocks around Dinyarrak and Telopea Downs – 240 hectares of wheat and 240 hectares of barley, canola and vetch are grown alongside 2200 first cross ewes.

While the family has always operated a successful farming business, Russell Merrett says new opportunities and threats, including climate variability and increasing international competition, have meant the business of farming is changing rapidly.

Getting involved in FarmPlan21 has helped the family question the way they do things, and as Russell puts it “to consider why we did something and not just do it because it had always been done that way”.

“FarmPlan21 encouraged us to look outside our business for new ideas – you are always keeping your ear to the ground for the next thing that might work.”

“FarmPlan21 provided us with a chance to critically analyse the business. It also provided important opportunities to share information and network with other farmers, which isn’t always easy when you’re running a busy, expanding farming operation.” Russell said.

More information on FarmPlan21

Service 1: Driving improvements in productivity and net value

For more information contact: Rob Sonogan (03) 5036 4804.

For specific enquiries regarding DPI research, contact: Phil Haines (Farming systems) (02) 6030 4532 or Catherine Ainsworth (Biosciences) (03) 9032 7021

Note: All DPI officers can be emailed at <firstname.surname@dpi.vic.gov.au>

Service summary

This service helps the grain industry access the latest R&D outputs and, in partnership with other providers, supports growers to increase productivity.

It focuses on two main drivers of productivity growth:

• improved germplasm that is developed into varieties that are disease resistant and better suited to their production environments, particularly drier environments
• extension and improved management strategies to address climate variability, soil health issues, crop disease and pest management.

DPI research underway that contributes to the delivery of this service:

DPI leads national research programs in forages, cereals (specifically genetically-modified wheat), pulses (lentils, chickpeas, field peas) and oilseeds – with a particular focus on the application of new genetic technologies and functional genomics. CSIRO, state agencies, universities, international agricultural research centres and industry are also involved in pre-breeding and breeding of grains.

Our particular areas of research include:

Cereals

• Pre-breeding of cereal varieties, in particular the development, glasshouse and field evaluation of genetically-modified (GM) wheat and canola for adaptation to water-limited environments.
• Developing and improving strategies to manage diseases of importance in Victorian cereal crops.
• Improving nitrogen fertiliser management in cereal crops during the growing season using real-time crop sensing of crop water and nitrogen status.

Pulses

• Nationally focused germplasm enhancement/pre-breeding in pulses as part of Pulse Breeding Australia. This focuses on identifying and understanding Ascochyta blight resistance in chickpeas and boron and salinity tolerance in lentils, chickpeas, field peas and faba beans.
• Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of pulse breeding nationally with an initial emphasis on marker discovery and the identification of markers for disease resistance, and boron and salinity tolerance in pulses.
• Developing and delivering optimal management strategies for new pulse varieties by linking agronomic and pathology research, breeding (Pulse Breeding Australia) and industry development (Pulse Australia).

Oilseeds

• Germplasm enhancement/pre-breeding in oilseeds to identify new sources of blackleg resistance and improved agronomic traits (e.g. shattering tolerance).

Cross-species

• A high-throughput platform for gene-based marker development using next-generation DNA sequencing technology.
• Developing cropping systems that produce high-value grains with predictable quality and composition and exploring opportunities for grains in sectors like bio-energy.
• Extensive disease testing of new varieties to provide grain growers with independent disease ratings for new cultivars relevant to Victoria.
• Investigating plant pathogens and the pathogenic diversity present in Victoria to inform disease-resistance breeding strategies and disease management research.
• Providing research and tools to facilitate the efficient use of rainfall in dryland cropping.
• Identifying germplasm traits and agronomic practices that increase the productivity of high-rainfall cropping systems.
• Undertaking social and economic research into factors that can reduce the cost of adopting new grain farming practices.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following components of this service:

• Development of a range of grower group networks (large and neighbour) such as the Victorian Grower Group Alliance.
• Provision of support for training, decision-making and on-farm trial projects such as Grain and Graze, VICC trial block and Fast Tracking Adaption to Climate Change.
• Technical information in the areas of crop variety choice and crop disease management through the publication of the Victorian winter crop summary and Cereal disease guide to help identify ‘best bet’ varieties for particular locations.
• Winter crop disease identification and management workshops and information notes will also be presented to both private crop advisers and farmers, on topics such as:
  • helping growers optimise water use and maximise the return on their water
  • modifying irrigated cropping systems to enable flexibility in responding to rainfall/irrigation allocation variability
  • applying soil moisture monitoring equipment to achieve more efficient application of irrigation water, with reduced off-site impacts.
• DPI’s Information Notes are available at <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/grain-crops>.

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and enhance service delivery:

• Support for industry seminars, workshops and field days by providing relevant researchers and specialists to discuss the latest R,D&E outputs relating to disease management, agronomy and crop variety choice.
• The latest R,D&E outputs from Victoria, interstate and overseas. Major grain grower groups include:
  • Southern Farming Systems <www.sfs.org.au>
  • Birchip Cropping Group <wws.bcg.org.au>
  • Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. <www.msfp.org.au>
  • Victorian No-Till Farming Association <www.vicnotill.com.au>
  • Victorian Irrigated Cropping Council <www.icf.org.au/vicc.html>
  • Riverine Plains Inc. <www.riverineplains.com.au/riverinehomepage.htm>
  • Mallee Agriculture Research Foundation <www.malleefocus.com.au/pubs/MARF>
  • Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum <www.chaf.org.au>
  • Victorian Grower Group Alliance (VGGA).
• A water use calculator and water budgeting tool, which will be available on <www.dpi.vic.gov.au> by spring 2011.
• Decision support tools like the grain versus hay calculator. This calculator is a simple Excel-based tool to help with tactical decisions about whether a crop should be cut for hay or left to harvest <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/grain-crops>.
  

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• DPI staff, specific websites (e.g. <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/vro> or <www.soilquality.org.au>), information notes or other farmer group websites for growers seeking general soil advice or information on an active research project.
• The National Variety Trials, which are carried out by private sector providers under contract to GRDC <www.nvtonline.com.au> for information on assessment of new varieties and advanced lines.
• Grower groups and agribusiness conducting crop variety and agronomic trials throughout Victoria.
• The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) website <www.grdc.com.au/director/research/events/bookshop> for fact sheets including:
  • Planning guide for low risk farming (GRDC361)
  • Fluid fertilisers or granules flyer (GRDC165)
  • Growth stages of cereals (laminated chart) (GRDC211)
  • Guidelines for economic evaluation of R&D (GRDC238)
  • Spray drift fact sheet (GRDC206)
  • Exotic pests fact sheet (GRDC355)
  • PBR agreement fact sheet (GRDC357)
  • Herbicide resistance – modes of action groups (GRDC358)
  • NVT fact sheet (GRDC410)
  • Managing the risk of frost fact sheet (GRDC416)
  • Fungicide timing fact sheet (GRDC434)
  • Dual purpose crops fact sheet (GRDC435)
  • Canopy management fact sheet (GRDC449)
  • Green bridge fact sheet (GRDC448)
  • Deep ripping fact sheet (GRDC455)
  • Carbon farming fact sheet (GRDC456)
  • Precision agriculture fact sheet (GRDC462)
  • Farm health & safety (GRDC260)
  • Integrated pest management (GRDC368)
  • Spray application technology (GRDC375)
  • Water use efficiency (GRDC445)
  • Wheat breeding (GRDC468)

GRDC also produces a number of books available from its website including the Ute guide series.

Service 2: Supporting business management and decision-making by grain growers

For more information contact: Chris Sounness (03) 5362 0741

Service summary

This service helps grain growers better understand their business and financial position, enabling them to make more timely and informed decisions about their future.

DPI research underway that contributes to the delivery of this service:

• Understanding grower responses to specific issues, which helps in designing appropriate policy instruments, programs and services to meet the enterprise-wide needs of grain growers.
• Key international market requirements and trends affecting the grain industry. This research, focused on emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East, will lead to products for providing growers with up-to-date market information.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following parts of this service:

• AgFutures, which works directly with target communities to help them to make decisions about their future and adjust to change. This project provides information on social and demographic change, succession planning, farm economics, land use and climate variability.
• ‘Five Big Questions’, which we have developed for use in group discussions about options for the future. It can assist both incremental or transformational change and helps growers identify what might be the best option for their particular business.
• FarmPlan21, which is a whole-farm planning program helping growers make decisions across the entire farming system. It helps them plan and prepare for present and future challenges such as prolonged drought, climate variability, biosecurity threats, emergency management and variable market conditions. See <www.dpi.vic.gov.au and search for FP21>.
• The Sustainable Farm Families program, which is delivered to farmer groups across Victoria in partnership with Western District Health Services and local health agencies. This program aims to improve farmer health, wellbeing and safety through the provision of annual workshops over three years, which provide advice, information and free health checks. See <www.sustainablefarmfamilies.org.au>.
• DPI also supports the identification and resolution (if possible) of priority market access impediments, including those that may affect the grain industry. We work closely with the Australian Government and industry in this regard.

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and improve effective service delivery:

• Rural Financial Counselling Service which helps growers make decisions about their future role in farming and their business viability. DPI is a significant co-investor in this service.
• Business decision-making support tools that we have developed to help growers track their whole farm operations and link economic and production issues. Service providers can access training sessions on the use of AgriGater at <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agrigater>.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Private sector farm business consultants and financial advisers for tailored farm business planning advice.

Service 3: Supporting grain growers’ ability to respond to climate variability

For more information contact: Chris Sounness (03) 5362 0741

For specific enquiries regarding DPI research, contact: Glenn Fitzgerald, Horsham Office (03) 5362 2111

Service summary

This service helps growers adapt to changing conditions by providing them with information on future scenarios, options and new management practices.

DPI research underway that contributes to the delivery of this service:

• How increased levels of CO2 and climate variability may impact on crop production, disease, pests and soil biology under Victorian conditions, including the use of FACE (Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment) experiments.
• Identifying traits in wheat and field peas that breeders will be able to include in new crop varieties better adapted to future climates.
• Understanding the impact of climate variability on grains and mixed farms in Victoria, and research on redesigning farming systems for increased productivity.
• Recommendations for measurements to support potential emissions trading in the grains industries.
• Research and modelling to better understand carbon sequestration in cropping systems.
• Research to understand and describe the adaptive capacity of farms in the face of climate variability, including consideration of options available to different farm systems, including:
  • management strategies to increase productivity and reduce climate risk in drier grain production systems
  • identifying traits and management systems to allow adaptation to climate variability in high-rainfall zones.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following services:

• Simulation modelling that examines the physical and financial impacts of any change in management practice under a changing climate to help with complex decision making. The output generated will create scenarios to help growers understand the impacts of climate variability on their farm- business strategies.
• Carbon emissions information and decision support tools; for example, how to use the carbon accounting toolbox to gain a better understanding of on-farm carbon emissions and how best to reduce them.
• Participatory action research trials to fast-track farmer responses to a changing climate. DPI research and extension programs will be linked with farmers and agribusiness service providers to identify management practices that have the greatest productivity benefit.
• The climate pages on DPI’s website <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/climaterisk> provides information on climate change, climate variability and emissions. The website also hosts the seasonal risk publications The Break and Fast Break, videos on key climate topics and case studies related to climate adaptation pathways. The website also has a comprehensive list of web references.

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and improve effective service delivery:

• Development and communication of regionally-customised climate change and policy information to help growers better understand the relationship between climate drivers and climate variability.
• Grain and Graze II, a partnership between grain grower groups, GRDC, catchment management authorities and DPI. It focuses on supporting the integration of livestock into grain production systems to help increase productivity.
• Crop fodder agronomic information supporting the transition from pasture-based systems to flexible fodder systems. We will provide area estimates and production estimates of grain hay crops throughout Victoria, updated on the web every two months during the growing season.
• We are supporting development of the service provider sector in southern Victoria, particularly in Gippsland.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Bureau of Meteorology for the latest short- and long-term weather forecasts and information about the factors driving current weather patterns. See <www.bom.gov.au>.

Service 4: Increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable practices for improved soil health

For more information contact: Declan McDonald (Soils technical information) (03) 5226 4660

Service summary

Soil health and the interaction between soil and water have major impacts in determining the productivity of most cropping systems. It is important that soil health is optimised and that water (from either rainfall or irrigation) is used in the most efficient manner.

This service helps grain growers minimise on-farm and off-site environmental impacts caused by threats such as soil erosion, dryland salinity and nutrient runoff. It provides growers with management options for:

• wind and water erosion
• stubble retention and minimum tillage
• controlled traffic cropping
• subsoil management
• raised-bed cropping.

DPI research underway that contributes to the delivery of this service:

• Research on productive agricultural systems that protect water quality is looking at how to ensure applied nutrients stay in the paddock.
• Activities to better understand soil biology under grain cropping systems to optimise farm practices through:
  • coordinating key sampling sites and creating a standard dataset for soil biological activity to improve knowledge of nitrogen cycling processes in soil
  • establishing the role of below-ground nitrogen in soils, which is less likely to be lost through microbial processes
  • looking at the relationship between soil physical properties and crop disease suppression.
  • Management strategies to improve soil health and nutrient flows.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following parts of this service:

• The Healthy Soils project, delivers training modules to farmer groups and private providers. Key components are soil biology, organic matter, type, structure, nutrients, acidity, erosion, compaction and crusting. Training modules and fact sheets are available at <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soilhealth_home>.
• Support to prevent soil loss through wind and water erosion and other soil degradation processes by:
  • spatial modelling of landscapes to identify and prioritise areas most at risk from soil erosion
  • advising on farm management practices that prevent and help to reduce soil loss, including methods to reduce wind erosion (e.g. stubble retention and precision crop establishment to minimise pulse crop failure)
  • where available, providing growers with grants to protect and restore erosion sites.
• Technical advice and, where available, grants for targeted implementation of on-ground environmental works; for example, native vegetation or perennial pasture establishment to reduce the threat of soil loss, dryland salinity and nutrient contamination of high-value public assets such as waterways.
• Help for growers to access emerging EcoMarkets for the environmental benefits that their land and activities provide to the broader community (ecosystems services); for example, the establishment of trees to reduce dryland salinity or to store carbon.
• FarmPlan 21 and EMAP (farm planning programs) and other decision-support tools for helping farmers make informed decisions across the entire farming system by enabling them to plan and prepare for challenges such as prolonged drought, climate variability, biosecurity threats, emergency management and variable market conditions and to sustainably manage their natural resource base.
• Drought and extreme weather event programs focused on supporting production while minimising the potential for negative environmental impacts. Specifically:
  • working with growers to identify threats to soil health and develop management actions to help overcome these
  • providing advice to assist in the recovery of crops and soil health following drought
  • adoption of minimum tillage practices.
• Victorian Resources Online, which is a major repository for DPI information about soils including soil health, soil checklist and soil management plan resources <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soilhealth_home>.
• DPI Information Notes on land and water management (Appendix 1).

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), CMAs, Greening Australia and Trust for Nature for access to market-based instruments and grants, such as BushTender, CatchmentTender, Land Stewardship payments and vegetation covenants.

For more information on the availability of EcoTender programs and advice on biodiversity extent and quality assessments in preparation for EcoMarket programs, phone DSE on 136 186 or go to <www.dse.vic.gov.au>.

• DSE, CMAs, Greening Australia and Trust for Nature for access to market-based instruments and grants, such as BushTender, CatchmentTender, Land Stewardship payments and vegetation covenants.

For more information on the availability of EcoTender programs and advice on biodiversity extent and quality assessments in preparation for EcoMarket programs, phone DSE on 136 186 or go to <www.dse.vic.gov.au>.

Farmers outside of DPI target areas will be referred to TAFE providers in their local area.

• Landcare, industry groups and some private providers for various farm planning and land and water management services.

Service 5: Chemical use compliance

For more information contact: Alan Roberts (03) 5430 4416

Service summary

This service helps growers control the use of agricultural chemicals. We give advice on chemicals and their use in the grain industry and related supply chains, provision of permits and licences, legal requirements and residue management and testing.

DPI research underway that contributes to this service:

• Research activities that aim to inform agricultural chemical use practices to ensure the sector’s ongoing ability to meet domestic and export market access requirements.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following services:

• Advice to chemical users on appropriate chemical use to minimise the risk of chemical residues in products, including reducing the likelihood of potential phosphine resistance, and communication of the benefits of sealed on-farm grain storages.
• Spray drift monitoring, together with an enforcement program to prevent unintended effects on non-target areas.
• Monitoring industry quality assurance schemes for chemical use to ensure they actively and accurately support growers to minimise risks associated with chemical use.
• Targeted monitoring of agricultural chemical residues to ensure residue limits are not being exceeded.
• Guidance on chemical use in pest and disease management. Investigation is both:
  • broad based, providing an overview of grains chemical use issues that can be used to support domestic and export markets
  • specific, using targeted testing based on market intelligence, and providing an opportunity for issue identification and resolution.

    Pest and disease investigations are targeted t broader outcomes such as integrated pest management systems rather than specific crop and pest or chemical interactions.

  • Industry advice on off-label use of chemicals, including industry action plans that help relevant industries plan to achieve compliance with the provisions of the Act, as well as the residue requirements of domestic and export markets.
  • DPI chemical standards webpage <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/chemicalstandards> which provides information on the control of chemical use in Victoria, as well as application forms for permits and licences.
  • DPI Information Notes on chemical use (Appendix 1).

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and enhance service delivery:

• Tools to educate and inform chemical users about Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in chemical use
• Information and training for AusChem Victoria trainers (DPI is a technical adviser on the AusChem Victoria State Management Committee) <www.auschemvic.org.au/>.
• The Reseller Engagement Project to test alternative methods for increased engagement and information provision to their clients.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Integrated pest management advisers, consultants and chemical resellers, who can provided tailored advice to growers.
• The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), the Australian Government agency responsible for manufacture and supply of agricultural chemicals throughout Australia. It provides a Public Registration and Information System (PubCRIS) which is a comprehensive database of all agricultural and veterinary chemical products registered for use in Australia <services.apvma.gov.au/PubcrisWebClient>.
• Food Standards Code: this provides a comprehensive list of chemical/commodity combinations and the relevant maximum residue limits for domestic produce at:
  <www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Standard_1_4_2_MRLs_part_2_Sched_1_A-L_v105.pdf>
  <www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Standard_1_4_2_MRLs_part_3_Sched_1_M-Z_v105.pdf>.

Service 6: Minimising the threat of introduction and spread of invasive pest animal and plant species

For more information contact: John Balfour (03) 9217 4341

Service summary

This service focuses on protecting the economy, the environment and social amenity from invasive species by:

• providing information to growers about good practice and management options
• conducting compliance, where required, to ensure that growers adhere to their Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 obligations
• surveillance to identify and eradicate any prohibited invasive plant or animal threats.

DPI research underway that contributes to this service:

• Novel biological control methods for management of weeds.
• Risk assessment models to assess the importance and potential spread of specific weeds under current and future climate scenarios.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following components of this services:

• Advice to landholders on weed and pest animal management and their legislative responsibilities.
• DPI Information Notes for management strategies of invasive plants and animals (Appendix 1).
• Regionally-based programs focusing on monitoring and treating for eradication of Regionally Prohibited Weeds across all CMA regions.
• Governing of the regulatory framework and system for the manufacture and supply of 1080 pest animal bait products by commercial chemical suppliers.
• Compliance services to support community action to control priority weeds and pest animals based on CMA priorities.
• Prevention and early intervention for high-risk invasive animals to ensure the best chance of eradication occurs for new species
• Issuing of permits to keep declared pest animals.

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and enhance service delivery:

• Community partnership programs; for example, the Weed Spotters Program which involves community volunteers trained to identify high-risk emerging invasive plants.
• On-ground treatment activities to eradicate State Prohibited Weeds.
• Industry and government partnership programs achieving improved collaboration in pest management, such as:
  • building the capacity of local government to improve roadside weed management and therefore reduce the spread of pests into adjoining public and private land
  • working with the fodder industry, VicTrack, VicRoads, easement managers and the quarry industry to reduce pathways of weed spread.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Victoria’s 1080 Pest Animal Bait website <www.dpi.vic.gov. au> and search for 1080 which provides information on:
  • Victoria’s commercial 1080 pest animal bait system and training requirements
  • where authorised 1080 bait users can obtain registered products
  • ‘frequently asked questions’ developed for bait users, retailers, manufacturers and commercial operator licenceholders
  • directions for the use of 1080 pest animal bait products in Victoria, Victorian Code of Practice for the Preparation of Perishable 1080 Pest Animal Bait Products, as well as Risk Assessment, Bait User Declaration and Neighbour Notification forms
  • pest animal information notes.
• Department of Sustainability and Environment <www.dse.vic.gov.au> for information and advice on conducting control works which may affect native vegetation.
• CMAs for information on permits required for conducting control works on invasive plants along waterways and guidance on best management practices.
• Landcare or ‘friends’ groups for providing help and support in conducting control works on invasive species.
• The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) as the responsible authority for the assessment and registration of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia for information on chemical registration status <www.apvma.gov.au>.
• The Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium for identification of potential weeds <www.rbg.vic.gov.au>.

Service 7: Supporting sector capacity to prepare for and respond to plant pest and disease threats

For more information contact: John Taylor – (03) 5430 4493

Service summary

This service focuses on science-based risk analysis and decision making to underpin threat identification and prioritisation, prevention, preparedness, detection and hazard reduction or management.

DPI research and development underway that contributes to this service:

• Identifying and using genetic resources to provide new sources of disease resistance in cereals, pulses and oilseeds.
• Building capability in the identification of plant diseases caused by fungi, viruses, nematodes and bacteria.
• Developing management practices to deal with exotic incursions of new diseases.
• Pulse pathology and virology and understanding the impact of nematodes.
• Understanding the impact of climate change on pest and disease threats, including vector-borne virus transmission and genetic variation in cereal aphids.
• Developing better diagnostic tools, including genome analysis for unknown pathogens.
• Using novel biological methods (endophytes) for protection against soil-borne pathogens.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following services:

• Active surveillance undertaken by DPI staff through disease surveys to provide evidence of disease/pest-free status for particular exotic diseases or pests of concern.
• Diagnostic services to underpin passive and active surveillance for exotic pests and diseases. DPI’s Crop Health Services, based at Knoxfield provides a fee-for-service pest and disease diagnostic services for growers. Crop Health Services can be contacted by phone (03 9210 9356), fax (03 9887 3166) or mail (Private Bag 15, Ferntree Gully Business Centre VIC 3156). The office is at 621 Burwood Highway, Knoxfield.
• Compliance programs to reduce the negative impacts of individual actions on agricultural productivity, biosecurity, the environment and consumer confidence. This includes issuing permits to monitor and control movement, and inspection and verification to validate the health status of produce and machinery into and out of the state.
• Working with landholders to make them aware of their responsibilities toward managing pests and diseases on their land – using methods including inspection, review of management options and regulation.
• Biosecurity emergency preparedness to develop and maintain the ability to respond quickly to outbreaks of priority pests, diseases and invasive species.
• DPI will take the lead role in eradication and suppression programs and work directly with industry bodies when an outbreak of an emergency plant pest or disease occurs. In many cases we will seek input from other service providers, such as baiting contractors, pest control companies and security firms where they are best-placed to respond.
• DPI’s Information Notes on pest and disease management (Appendix 1).

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and enhance service delivery:

• Passive surveillance is conducted through CropSafe, a network of private sector agronomists. If a plant disease they do not recognise is found, it is sent to DPI for identification.
• Growers will increasingly be able to use approved service providers to inspect, supervise the treatment of and certify produce and machinery for movement in and out of control areas and to local and interstate markets. DPI will continue to oversee and audit the service providers and where multiple audits are required, seek to have them perform combined audits where practical.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• Plant Health Australia, the lead national coordinating body for plant health, for information about national plant health policies and programs. See <www.planthealthaustralia.com.au>.

Service 8: Supporting grain producers to prepare for and recover from natural disaster emergencies

For more information contact: Mary Raynes – (03) 5362 0731

Service summary

This service helps growers identify their disaster recovery needs and provides assistance to resume normal operations after an emergency.

DPI will retail (to growers) the following services:

• Assessments of loss and damage to agricultural assets and the needs of affected persons, communities and livestock.
• Advisory services, targeted to individuals, communities and government agencies on re-establishment of rural enterprises or alternative strategies for recovery. <www.dpi.vic.gov.au>
  and search for emergency management.
• Identification and delivery of specific funded recovery programs including administration of specific relief subsidies (where available). Depending on the incident, DPI may be required to retail services such as farm planning and provide recovery advice, soil conservation services and pest and weed control programs.

DPI will wholesale (to service providers) the following, to build capacity and enhance service delivery:

• Participation in a coordinated program with Country Fire Authority, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Human Services, Victoria Police, State Emergency Service , Department of Health, local government and other non-government organisations such as the Victorian Farmers Federation and RSPCA to ensure that emergency response is efficient and effective.

DPI will refer growers and service providers to the following resources (signpost):

• A new website providing core information to enable landholders to prepare for and reduce the impact of emergencies on their business. This will be available at <www.cfa.vic.gov.au> and <www.dpi.vic.gov.au/home>.
• Services that directly support the personal needs of affected landholders after an emergency incident <www.dhs.vic.gov.au/home> and <www.health.vic.gov.au/doh/>.
• Services (not delivered by DPI) available to assist affected growers in re-establishing their businesses. This includes access to information packages on recovery and financial assistance <www.health.vic.gov.au/bushfire/business/respond_recover.htm>.
• Appropriate organisations for assistance such as the Rural Financial Counselling service.

DPI Services to Grain Growers – evaluation of 2010 plan

The DPI Services to Grain Growers document was first released in June 2010. The document is reviewed and updated annually to ensure that the information and the services are still relevant, and targeted to grain growers needs and responsive to changes in the operating environment. Inputs into the review process for this year include consultation with industry stakeholders, DPI internal review and formal evaluations of components of two Services: Supporting the ability of grain growers to respond to climate variability and Increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable practices for soil health.

The key evaluation findings and the way they have been used to inform future service design and delivery are summarised here.

Evaluation findings – all services to grain growers

A survey of 1300 Victorian farmers conducted by DPI in June 2010 asked farmers to rate (out of a possible score of 10) the relevance, accessibility and importance of DPI services and information to assist them with their farming enterprise. The 300 grain growers in the survey sample reported:

Relevance – 7.9

Accessibility – 7.9

Importance – 8.0

Service 1: Supporting the ability of grain growers to respond to climate variability.

Project Evaluation Findings - Preparing Victorian farm businesses for climate change

Purpose

To understand farmers knowledge and attitudes to climate change, climate variability, and greenhouse gas emissions and to investigate the impacts of project delivery mechanisms such as “The Break” newsletter.

Key Findings

Large proportion of growers have made changes on their farm to manage the impact of climate change and variability

• 90.2% of respondents to a 2009 survey of grain growers and mixed farmers (grains and livestock) had adopted improved water use efficiency practices and 83% had made changes to their crop, pasture or grazing systems.
• Those who are more likely to relate changing climate to a change in weather patterns are more actively changing farming practices
• The Break newsletter is increasing awareness of climate information and climate change drivers and is associated with an increase in adaptation practices:
• Respondents who have heard of The Break (including both subscribers and non-subscribers) are more likely to use climate than are those who have not heard of the publication. Additionally, those who have heard of The Break have a higher awareness level of each of climate change drivers compared to those who have not heard of the publication.
• Those who have heard of The Break are more likely to have changed their soil management practices to increase soil carbon (91.3% vs. 67.6%) and to have improved the energy efficiency on their farm (86.1% vs. 68.1%).

Potential impacts of emissions trading schemes not yet widely considered

Most (67.5%) respondents have never considered trading or selling carbon

Use of Evaluation Findings

The Evaluation findings confirmed that information on seasonal climate drivers, disseminated by mechanisms such The Break newsletter are a key educational tool to increase awareness and action around climate change. Feedback has lead to improvements to the newsletter and the topics discussed and more emphasis has now been placed on the use of these tools in the Supporting the ability of grain growers to respond to climate variability Service.

Service 2: Increasing awareness and understanding of sustainable practices for soil health

Project Evaluation Findings – Healthy Soils Project

There were two separate evaluation activities relating to the Healthy Soils Project conducted in 2010. One was an internal evaluation of the Healthy Soils project and the second was an external audit by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) on Soil Health Management. While the first evaluation provided information to contribute to the VAGO audit, the latter was broader in scope and included issues of coordination between DPI and DSE

1. Internal evaluation of the Healthy Soils Project

Purpose

The evaluation aimed to determine the extent to which the project achieved its objectives over a four year period to June 2010, and contributed to Land and Water Australia’s outcomes. It also focussed on opportunities for improvement.

Key Findings

Achievement of project objectives

The evaluation found that the project achieved its objectives to improve access to available soil health to enhance soil health extension programs. It was less clear that the objectives to develop improved and new soil health assessment tools and promote a coordinated Victorian program for soil health were achieved effectively. This was largely due to lack of definition around ‘new tools’ and ‘coordination’. A range of tools were developed including: An online soil health forum, soil health resources on Victorian Resources Online; quick reference guides and practical notes and soil health management plans.

Contribution to improved soil health management practices

Soil health workshops were attended by more than 2000 participants and 77% of these reported that the workshops had improved their understanding of soil health and practices to improve it.

A small study of 14 workshop participants conducted one to two years after their participation found that 13 of the 14 (93%) respondents said they had or intended to change their practices as a result of the workshop/s. Changes include altered type and amount of chemical inputs; time of sowing; managing different soil types differently; maintaining ground cover; using crops as feed option; re-fencing to zone farm; stopped ripping; pH testing every six months

2. Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) on Soil Health Management in Victoria

Purpose

The audit examined how effectively and efficiently the soil health programs delivered by DPI, DSE and the CMAs have been implemented across private land, focussing particularly on integrated soil health initiatives

Key Findings

The Audit Report found that overall soil health projects were well managed and delivered by DPI to project objectives across the state except for the delivery of a coordinated soil health program. The audit identified a lack of integration between soil health programs across the state which it stated was due to the absence of a whole-of-government approach to soil health. The Audit Report also pointed to the lack of programs that support substantial short-term or long-term monitoring of soil health and that there are no policy initiatives or priorities within strategies or funding frameworks to develop or support soil health monitoring programs. The Audit stresses that the current Victorian Investment Fund is unsuited to long-term soil health monitoring programs because of its short timeframes for funding projects.

The Audit report acknowledges the very substantial work that has occurred over a comparatively short-time and it commends DPI in delivering the soil health projects. The Audit Report also includes a number of affirmations in relation to activities already underway, and recommends further attention to several specific matters, including: 1. Develop an integrated statewide soil health framework to improve coordination of effort and alignment of priorities; 2. establish a cross-agency committee to oversee the development of the framework and coordination and alignment of activities; 3. DPI and DSE identify and agree on key soil health information and data needs and develop “ fit for purpose” monitoring and research programs to guide investment decisions.

Use of Evaluation Findings

The internal Healthy Soils evaluation was a critical source of information for the VAGO audit. The findings confirmed that there was a demand by the target audience for these services in soil health and consideration will be given to soil health management plans being integrated into Farmplan21 delivery.

In response to the VAGO audit findings, a cross agency soil health committee has been established by DPI and DSE. The committee is overseeing the development of an integrated soil health framework and address issues relating to soil data management, R&D as well as investment issues.