Western Australia
June 8, 2015

Consultants Craig Topham and Richard Quinlan, left, discuss paddock history and check soil variation at a GRDC RCSN variable rate technology (VRT) trial site. Ben White, Kondinin Group, will speak to an ‘open RCSN’ meeting in Dowerin about the trial. Photo by Ben White, Kondinin Group.

Western Australian grain growers have a new way of having their voices heard on the production issues affecting their profitability.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) invites growers and industry people to attend new meetings, starting this month, to be held twice-yearly in each port zone.

GRDC western regional panel chairman Peter Roberts said issues raised at the ‘open Regional Cropping Solutions Network (RCSN) meetings’ would be fed into subsequent meetings of RCSNs and the western regional panel.

WA’s five RCSNs identify issues critical to ensuring the prosperity of the grains industry in their area and initiate local projects, while the panel helps to develop and prioritise the GRDC’s research, development and extension (RD&E) investment portfolio at a local, regional and national level.

“Due to the success of its initial investment in the RCSN concept, the GRDC is further strengthening the RCSN consultation process to capture as many local grower issues as possible,” Mr Roberts said.

He said the open RCSN meetings would add to the ways that the GRDC consulted with WA growers, which also included annual spring tours and attendance at field days and events.

“We want to hear from as many producers as possible to ensure their levies are targeted at the issues of greatest importance to them,” Mr Roberts said.

“The open meetings will further increase consultation with growers, ground truth the GRDC’s issues identification process and help identify local activities and research required in each port zone.”

GRDC RCSN coordinator Julianne Hill said people attending the meetings could express their ideas, hear from researchers leading local GRDC RCSN projects and speak with GRDC western regional panel members and RCSN representatives.

“Those who can’t attend have the opportunity to submit their ideas by no later than one week before their local meeting by visiting www.rcsn.net.au,” she said.

The first ever meetings will be held in June and July this year, with growers and industry people encouraged to diarise the following dates.

Meetings will run from 6-8pm, preceded by a sausage sizzle at 5pm, except the Mingenew meeting which is 2-5pm and concluded by a sausage sizzle:

• June 24 – Lake King Golf Club (Esperance port zone) - Project update: Early seeding
• July 21 – Dowerin Community Club (Kwinana East port zone) – Project update: Understanding map layers for VRT
• July 22 – Bruce Rock Shire Hall (Kwinana East port zone) – Project update: Improving spray fallow techniques
• July 28 – Ferngrove Vineyard, Frankland River (Albany port zone) – Project update: Control methods for snails and slugs
• August 13 – Mingenew Recreation Centre (Geraldton port zone) – Project update: Early seeding; farm advisory board

For more details about the open RCSN meetings, contact Ms Hill on regionalcroppingsolutions@gmail.com or 0447 261 607

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: June 8, 2015