Soil Wealth & Integrated Crop Protection: Mt Barker | Agricultural cooperative

Soil Wealth & Integrated Crop Protection: Mt Barker

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25.01.2022 Horticulture Field Day at the Mt Barker demonstration site, SA Hort Connections in May 2017 was preceded by the annual Horticulture Field Day, which focussed on pest and disease detection and management. In addition to visits to TORO Australia and SARDI to investigate supply chain and R&D components, over 50 conference delegates had the opportunity to visit the Soil Wealth and ICP demonstration site in Mt Barker to see the practical on-farm application of R&D. ... Owner and manager of Eastbrook Vegetable Farms, Scott Samwell, provided an overview of the site and the recent cover crop trials. The cover crop used was a triticale / vetch mix: - Seedling date - early June 2016 - Seedling rate; 60kg/ha - triticale and 30kg/ha - vetch (total 90kg/ha) - Incorporated - early November 2016. Scott shared some of the lessons in using cover crops in their Brussels sprout rotation, including challenges around high biomass and incorporation of residue. Agronomist, Nigel Dolenec, also provided an overview of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and history of development at the farm, as well as the more recent advisor training that had been undertaken in conjunction with AUSVEG SA and IPM Technologies. Participants also had the chance to see the new and innovative variety, Kalettes, which are a red kale crossed with green sprout. These were introduced four seasons ago, and their popularity with consumers continues to grow. Read the May 2017 update developed as part of the Horticulture Field Day for the Hort Connections conference here: http://www.soilwealth.com.au/demo-sites/mt-barker-sa/

20.01.2022 Over the past 3-years, RMCG and AHR have delivered the Soil Wealth and ICP projects for Hort Innovation. Phase 1 of the projects have now been completed. So, what’s been achieved? http://www.soilwealth.com.au//soil-wealth-and-icp-achieve/

19.01.2022 We are currently preparing a Soil Improvement Plan for the site and planning the cover crop trial for May: Rye grass (22kg/ha) Faba beans (60-70kg/ha) Rye and faba bean combined. ... Stay tuned to follow our progress.

15.01.2022 Compost out, plant testing begins in Gingin, Western Australia It's been almost three months since the compost has been applied to the 10 ha trial block. There ...are a couple of different compost products being used - Humicarb and Premium, both at 30m3/ha and 50m3/ha respectively. This paddock has since been planted out with carrots and they're entering their early growth stage. Prime time for agronomist Justin to do plant counts and sample a selection to be tested for soil borne diseases. "I didn't see any obvious root damage." Justin said. The plant samples will be sent to our colleagues at Department of Primary Industries NSW, who are collaborating on a national soil borne disease project with RMCG and AHR. It will be interesting to see the difference in health and disease incidence in the carrots at the variable compost application rates. Stay tuned - more updates and results to come!

14.01.2022 ABC South East SA news headlines - Tuesday October 18 *Landholders at Pelican Point have met with members of the District Council of Grant to discuss the ongoin...g issue of coastal protection at the site. The Council is currently looking into the possibility of constructing a protective sea wall...at a cost of 50 to 70-thousand dollars for each landholder. *Carnival rides and food stalls have been rolled out across the Mount Gambier Show Grounds in readiness for the City's two-day event. The Mount Gambier show kicks off on Friday. *The Limestone Coast Local Government Association is pushing for an inquiry into South Australia's high energy prices. Grant Mayor Richard Sage says the council is worried high energy prices are keeping new businesses and industries from moving into the region. *A visiting soils expert says with the right recovery efforts, flooded vegetable growing areas can return to productivity within about a year. Dr Doris Blaesing is in the state running workshops about soil diseases.

12.01.2022 The Samwell family have been growing premium quality Brussels sprout in the Adelaide region, South Australia, for over 60 years. They started out as market gardeners in the Adelaide Hills, growing everything from potatoes and parsnips to gooseberries and apples. But it's the sprout they've hung onto for all these years. Father-son dynamic duo Scott and Kent lead the growing operation, which has become one of the largest producers of Brussels sprout in Australia. Leigh and Jam...ie Samwell in sales and marketing, as well as Luke who heads up engineering and maintenance, complete the family team. With many years of experience passed down through six generations, Scott focuses on continuous improvement through cover crops and innovation with new lines such as Kalettes, which are a red kale crossed with green sprout. These were introduced two seasons ago, and their popularity with consumers continues to grow. We want to be sustainable. And all of the sons that are working here, we've all got children. We'd like this to keep on farming, this land. We know the farm and the soil intimately and we want to preserve what we've got here because I think it's important for the future, not only of our kids, but also for farming in Australia. Scott Samwell, ABC Landline, 1 June 2014 Scott has been trialling new cover crops over the past couple of years, including grass with legume after having used oats for a long time, but would like to investigate further. These cover crops include rye grass, faba beans, vetch and triticale, with the potential of lucerne and rye corn. The aim of the cover crop demonstration site is to: - Increase/maintain organic matter and soil structure - Control weeds - Build soil nitrogen through the use of legumes in green manure crops.

12.01.2022 Cover crop results and soil health improvements in Mt Barker, South Australia It was difficult to plant a cash crop this summer due to the high density planting of the cover crop, high proportion of triticale and vetch, as well as a wet winter that promoted good growth. The key lessons from the early cover crop trials were: ... - Green crops are best mulched rather than slashed and best before they get 'woody'. - A high amount of residue can be beneficial as a mulch to suppress weed and help with water retention, however it requires the use of specialist machinery. In this case, crimping and strip tillage could have been an option. This raises the importance of cover crop residue management. What have others experienced and how do you manage cover crop residue? It would be great to hear from you.

11.01.2022 Spreading compost when the sun shines! Francis Tedesco from Sun City Farms and Justin Wolfgang from C-Wise were out and about last week and started a compost tr...ial. We're aiming to address the key issues of soil borne disease, soil structure issues and loss of organic matter. The following compost samples were applied to a 10 ha paddock under pivot / solid set irrigation: 1. Untreated control 2. 30 m3/ha Humicarb compost 3. 50 m3/ha Humicarb compost 4. 30 m3/ha Premium compost 5. 50 m3/ha Premium compost. Testing of all treatments at 5 true leaf stage (Growth Stage 1.5) and in before harvest when majority of roots have reached about 80% of the required diameter (Growth Stage 4.8). Stay tuned for more updates and photos as the trial progresses, and learn from Francis and the team as we go.

10.01.2022 Want to know more about #carbon storage in #vegetable #soils? Check out @SoilWealth resource http://www.soilwealth.com.au//carbon-storage-in-vegetable/

10.01.2022 Cover crop incorporation time in Mt Barker, South Australia The vetch and triticale cover crop at the Samwell's was recently slashed and incorporated. There are a couple of photos showing the cover crop growth as at 20 October 2016 beforehand. The slashing involved two passes with a mower and silage maker. This was then incorporated on 3 November 2016. ... A brassica crop will follow in the summer months. Scott is hopeful the cover crop will improve soil organic matter, nitrogen and structure, as well as assist in controlling weeds. Let's keep an eye on how the cash crop performs and the follow up soil test results.

06.01.2022 Cover crop coming along well at Mt Barker, South Australia A vetch cover crop has been planted at the demonstration site to increase organic matter and soil structure, and control weeds. Eastbrook Vegetable Farm's Scott Samwell added "we're also trying to build soil nitrogen through the use of legumes." The cover crop in the trial block is looking good with Brussels sprout harvest approaching its end. The vetch is very consistent throughout with good nodulation.... Some early soil test results are also backing up the positive visual signs. The nutrient status of the soil is great, with most mac and micro nutrients balanced. The slightly lower than desirable sulphur and boron levels are perhaps due to the consistent rotation of brassicas at the site. Scott will be working with agronomist, Nigel, over the coming months to chat through what the soil test results mean in detail. They'll also firm up a date to plant out the demonstration site block currently under vetch. We'll be back with more details and photos soon - so stay tuned!