Grassland Society of Southern Australia Inc.

Grass, Science & Farming

Pasture Update Series - Casterton Program

Calendar 01 September 2011
When:
Thursday 1st September, 2011
Where:
Casterton Golf Club, Casterton - Penola Road, Casterton
Time:
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
RSVP:
For catering & transport by Tuesday 30th August with Andrew Speirs (03 5581 2826 or aspeirs@msanda.com.au).
Details:
Bus is available to transport to trial sites please book your seat.
Cost:
$20 members of CMC & GSSA
$40 non-members
New Members can join up either organisation at the update and receive $20 discount on membership fees.
Program:
see below:

9:00 am
Registrations Open
Tea and coffee on arrival
9:40 am
Welcome and introduction
Tim Prance, President, Grasslands Society of Southern Australia
9:45 am
Glenelg Hopkins, CMA
About the Catchment Management Authority
9:50 am
Cam Nicholson, Woady Yaloak Catchment Group
Effective nutrient sources and biological products and how farmers can set up their own trials and validate the results. For the past three years, the Woady Yaloak Catchment Group has been exploring the impact of different fertilisers as part of a project funded by Caring for Our Country. Cam will talk about how farmers can set up simple trials on their own pastures to look at the composition, quality and quantity of growth and make useful comparisons.
10:50 am
Dr Sean Mason, University of Adelaide
New Technology and how to measure soil phosphorous.
11:20 am
Tim Prance, Tim Prance Rural Consulting
Evidence-based agriculture - Does pseudo science in areas such as soil nutrition pose a threat to farming, farm productivity and profitability?
11:50 am
Lunch
12:35 pm
Andrew Speirs, MS&A Casterton
Are all perennial pasture varieties the same and how do we make a choice?
1:05 pm
Panel discussion and Question Time
Including discussion about pasture research and extension needs in the region and MLA tools available to producers.
1:40 pm
Site visits
Seedmark Trial exploring phalaris/cocksfoot varieties under grazing over four years at the Tindall family farm, Featherstone Haugh Rd, Muntham.
SARDI Lucerne Trial at David Robertson’s property, “Austral Park,” Coleraine.
(bus transport available)
5:00 pm
Finish