Australia
August 19, 2015

Canola production information in New South Wales and Queensland reached a new milestone today with the release of the first northern-specific agronomic information to help growers bolster crop yields and returns.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Canola GrowNote www.grdc.com.au/GrowNotes was officially launched today at the Commonwealth Bank AgQuip Field Days by GRDC northern panel chair James Clark (pictured) who said it offered several innovative new features to improve navigation and cater for a variety of learning styles.

A new feature is the inclusion of frequently asked questions that focus on key production issues and link through to answers in the main body of the GrowNote as well as the use of graphics to illustrate management strategies and link through to new information.

The launch of the Canola GrowNote reflects the rapidly escalating popularity of canola within northern cropping rotations as growers strive to maximise farm gross margins and implement effective disease, weed, pest and soil management strategies.

“Until now northern growers have largely relied on southern-based canola research for management recommendations,” Mr Clark said.

 “The Canola GrowNote is the latest in the series which is a fantastic catch-all for existing and new knowledge about productive and profitable cropping in northern Australia.”

Recent canola trial work conducted by the GRDC-funded Grower Solutions Groups Grain Orana Alliance (GOA) and Northern Grower Alliance (NGA) is included in the new Canola GrowNote such as projects on sulfur recommendations for northern canola crops and the comparison between windrowing and direct heading.

The aim of the GrowNote is to be a dynamic one stop shop’ document for northern canola trial results and up-to-date industry best practice recommendations on pre-plant planning and paddock preparation, sowing practices, crop nutrition, fertiliser, weed control, disease and pest management, harvest and storage practices, environmental issues and marketing.

GrowNotes modules complement the specialist advisory services already offered by local agronomists and consultants by reinforcing industry best-practice advice across the production spectrum and providing hundreds of hypertext links for further reading on specific issues.

The release of the Canola GrowNote follows the successful release of the barley, sorghum, sunflower, faba beans, wheat, barley, durum, chickpea, maize and peanuts modules which are being extensively used by growers and agronomists across the northern cropping region.

 

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

Published: August 19, 2015