Gippsland Agricultural Group (GAgG) is hosting its spring field day this Thursday.
An incredibly wet string of seasons has presented challenges for farmers, reflected in the trials and demonstrations at the Gippsland Research Farm on Bengworden Road.
Among the paddock demonstrations and pasture, crop, livestock and soil information displays at the upcoming spring field day, a ‘blind’ ryegrass demonstration is one to watch.
GAgG agronomist, Casey Willis, said there were two ryegrass demonstrations at the Gippsland Research Farm, with the blind demonstration including 24 annual and 16 Italian ryegrass varieties.
The varieties are a mixture of commercial and breeding lines entered by numerous Australian commercial seed companies, replicated four times, organised by the Pasture Trial Network (PTN).
Each ryegrass is coded so that no one involved with the demonstration knows which one is which.
Casey said if people wanted to know more, the research and development was being managed by Brendan Torpy, of AGF seeds, who would also be at the field days on Thursday. The plots are measured using a ‘cut and carry’ measurement protocol, where dry matter (DM) samples are taken from each plot to calculate the DM percentage.
Each plot is cut and weighed, and the DM yield (kg/ha) is calculated; then the data is recorded by the operator and loaded onto the PTN portal for analysis.
Once data is run through statistical analysis and approved by the technical working group, the data is available to view on the PTN online tool, allowing producers and advisers to assess the performance of commercial and developmental pasture varieties in their region.
The second ryegrass showcase is a time-of-sowing demonstration, sown on two different dates, March 30 and April 28. It also encompasses annual and Italian varieties.
Casey said the earlier sowing was proving better. “We’re getting an extra cut from the earlier sowing”, Casey said, “which quantifies that time of sowing is important; we need to get ryegrass in early.” Within that demonstration, there are also different maturities.
“We have early heading, mid-season and late-season varieties for farmers to see and help them with making decisions on what would fit best in their farming system,” Casey said.
Different decisions could include sowing an early-season variety before planting a summer crop.
“We are starting to see some of the maturity effects now, with some of the early heading varieties looking less vegetative and more reproductive with stem elongation,” she said.
Other sessions to see at the GAgG Spring Field Day include speaker Richard Eckard on carbon farming, as well as presentations on managing legumes in perennial pasture systems and understanding the worm life cycle in your animals.
The event begins at 8.30am, finishes at 3pm and includes a barbecue luncheon.
A working dog demonstration will take place in the afternoon.
Phone Nat Jenkins at Southern Farming Systems, on 0436 462 559 to register your attendance.
