June 2016 Lucerne Leader
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THE LUCERNE LEADER Issue 41 JUNE 2016 NEW EO Announced In this issue: By Guy Cunningham, Chairman New EO Announced 1 Over the past few months, our Executive Officer (EO) Nicola Raymond, along with her partner Ian Matheson, has relocated to the Riverland. With the EO needing to be near the major lucerne seed growing region of Australia, she offered to step down from the role, Rabobank Farm Managers Program 2 but potentially continue in other capacities as required. Nicola has been a dedicated Executive Officer for our organisation over the past five years Golden Dodder Update 3 and has continued to build a great platform in which we continue to grow. We really appreciate her commitment to the EO position, and are very grateful of everything that she has achieved. Seed Market Reports 4 We recently advertised for a replacement EO and from a good field of candidates and a Russian Wheat Aphid 8 rigorous interview process, we are delighted to announce that Jenny Aitken has officially commenced in the EO role from Tuesday 17th March. Post-shearing Growth in Sheep 9 About Jenny Aitken Jenny is based on a property just outside Keith and her career has been centred on people Dairy SA News 10 – radio broadcasting, organisation, apprenticeship monitoring, community development, parliamentary liaison - dealing with people with a large range of issues and priorities. She is reliable, highly organised, able to work as a team member or independently as needs New Seed Wasp Research Project 12 dictate and above all, discreet in business matters. Jenny was raised on a grain and contract harvesting enterprise and has a good Horticulture Industry Award 13 understanding of rural issues. One of her roles in radio was as a rural reporter, so she has a breadth of understanding of the agri-political scene. She has also been a media adviser to The Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Executive Committee Members 14 Resources. The world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking Good people to know THE LUCERNETHE LUCERNE LEADER LEADER ISSUE 38 ISSUE SEPTEMBER 41 JUNE 20152016 PAGE 1 NEW EO Announced cont. By Guy Cunningham, Executive Chairman She also has a good understanding of how the lucerne seed Exciting New Projects industry operates and its importance to both this region and the wider areas of Australia. Now in our 11th year of operation, our organisation is currently planning a strategic review, which coincides with a number of Jenny is passionate about agriculture and looking forward to her exciting new projects in the pipeline, which will be announced role and meeting members and stakeholders. Nicola and Jenny will soon, for the longer term benefit of our members. work closely in the next few months to ensure that our organisation achieves a smooth, orderly transition. I hope you will join with me in thanking Nicola for her work and welcoming Jenny into her new role. USA Tour Although Jenny has commenced her role as the Executive Officer of Lucerne Australia, Nicola will continue to prepare, manage, execute and attend the forthcoming Lucerne Australia Study Tour to the USA in July-August. She will work closely with the 20 participants of this tour to ensure a highly successful, educational and enjoyable experience. Nicola will formally step away from the organisation at the conclusion of this tour but has offered to support us with new projects in the future, as required. Rabobank Farm Managers Program Lucerne Australia is pleased to announce that Joe Cook from Keith is the successful applicant for the Rabobank Farm Managers Program which was held Sunday 5 to Friday 10 June 2016 at Novotel Barossa Valley Resort, Golf Links Road, Barossa Valley. The Farm Managers Program is specifically for farm managers who will be running and/or taking ownership of a progressive agribusiness in the future. The program is presented by business professionals, agricultural specialists and academics who introduce themes of business management through presentations, discussions, work groups, farm tours and case studies. It is a week- long management course to acquire skills to contribute to the strategic direction of the farm business. Rabobank Farm Managers Program recipient, Joe Cook. Joe farms in partnership with his parents on a property south of Keith in South Australia. The farm’s main enterprise is lucerne seed but the highly mixed farm also produces lucerne and cereal hay, sheep for meat and wool, beef cattle, canola, barley and lentils. investigator for the successful application to RIRDC Pasture Seeds for the In Field Evaluation for Fertilisers for Lucerne Seed Production. Joe has completed a Diploma in Rural Business Management and in 2003 participated in the South Australian Rural Leadership Joe is currently a member of the RIRDC Pasture Seeds Advisory Program. He was an integral part of the Lucerne Australia Steering Panel. Committee which led to the formation of Lucerne Australia in 2005. During his six year term on the LA Executive Committee, Joe is looking forward to the opportunity to enhance his knowledge Joe served as Chairman for two years. Two of Joe’s achievements of business management and communication skills and says whilst on the LA Executive were helping to improve the system for he is looking forward to the opportunity as it has been highly gaining phytosanitary certificates for export seed, which involved recommended to him by past participants. liaison with AQIS and Biosecurity Australia, and being the principle PAGE 2 THE LUCERNE LEADER ISSUE 41 JUNE 2016 Golden Dodder Update By Guy Cunningham, Chairman As you will be aware, in the 2013 harvest season the lucerne seed affected paddocks are able to stay in production while there is full industry adopted a PCR testing regime aimed at minimising the cooperation with the management plan. spread of golden dodder and aiding in early detection. Risk with Imported Seed The introduction of the test has been a success and congratulations must go to the industry for the level of adoption achieved, with Lucerne stock seed is often imported into Australia from other seed cleaners in the south east adopting the system. This season countries, including those that are affected by golden dodder has also seen an improvement with notifications. Growers now and other noxious weeds. Whilst there are international seed receive a formal notification of their test results. testing regulations to ensure seed is clean of weed seeds, Lucerne Australia recommends growers are vigilant to minimise risk of any Latest Results contamination. This is particularly true as there have been instances of contaminated imported seed affecting Australian growers in the Since we started PCR testing, a summary of the results can be past. Lucerne Australia recommends that where possible, growers shown below: only use stock seed produced in Australia to minimise risk. In the lucerne seed industry in Australia there are a number of Samples Total Number of % Positive major marketers who may have slightly varying protocols for Tested Positives ensuring that lucerne seed is clean of weed seeds. Consequently, we recommend that all growers communicate openly with their Batch 1: 2012 harvest 181 11 6% marketer about any imported seed to minimise risk. seed/dust examples Future Activities Batch 2: 2012 havest 685 6 0.9% samples • Additional funding will continue to be sought to implement a full industry code of practice around the PCR test for the Batch 3: 2013 harvest 816 10 1.3% prevention of golden dodder. samples • SARDI continues to refine their testing procedure to improve Batch 4: 2014 harvest 843 11 1.3% the reliability of both the test results and the processes for samples testing. Batch 5: 2015 harvest 705 9 1.27% • The management plan developed for properties affected samples by golden dodder will continue to be updated by Natural Resources South East. Staff are available to support affected Batch 6: 2016 harvest 737 19 2.6% growers. samples We thank you in anticipation for the continued support of the This season there has been an increase in the number of positive program and will keep you informed of progress as we tackle the results, which is a cause for concern. issues at hand. Support from Natural Resources South East from a positive test We welcome any comments you have on the current system and if you have any suggestions for improvements, please let us The industry has developed a “Positive Test Result Protocol”. The know? timeliness and openness of communicating the detection of dodder has improved significantly in the last few years but can still Thank you for your ongoing support to minimise the risk of be improved and these guidelines support this. spreading golden dodder. It is a legal requirement to notify the Natural Resources South East of the detection of dodder within 24 hours. Their team will Background fully support growers in managing pest plant infestations and the sooner they can do this the better. Golden dodder is a category 1 declared plant and is notifiable under the NRM Act, SA. It is the role of the South East NRM Board, within Natural Resources South East is an excellent resource for growers its resources, to provide advice and assistance to affected growers. who have received a positive PCR test. They provide advice Destruction of this high-priority declared plant is achieved through and on-ground assistance and destruction of this high-priority an agreed property management plan. ‘Quarantine’ provisions are declared plant. This is achieved through an agreed property not enacted and affected paddocks are able to stay in production management plan developed between the grower and the local while there is full cooperation with the management plan.