Print Icon
 
   
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_9.18.48_am.png

Welcome to the September edition of the Bulletin where you can find the latest on upcoming events, demonstration site news and resources on soil management and plant health in the Australian vegetable industry.  

UPCOMING EVENTS 

https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_9.36.51_am.png

Webinar: Managing salinity in vegetable crops

Join this interactive lunchtime session and hear from industry experts on good salinity management practices on farm, salinity thresholds for vegetables, how salinity can be identified and measured, as well as appropriate EC ranges for soils and water.

SAVE THE DATE: East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days

A fabulous Farm to Fork week around the Tenth International Spinach Conference and the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days. More details coming soon!
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_picture1_(5).png

DEMONSTRATION SITE NEWS

Exploration of cover crops expands in the Territory, NT


The Soil Wealth ICP team has expanded their demo site network in the NT, heading south from Darwin to Katherine. 

Matt Hall and his team from Department of Primary Industry and Resources (DPIR) established a new demonstration site at the Katherine Research Station (KRS) in 2019. They want to prepare information on key areas like cover crops and integrated pest management (IPM) for cucurbit growers.

Soils in the Top End of NT typically have poor structure. If left exposed to tropical rainfall events, without sufficient ground cover, erosion and further loss of structure can occur. Therefore, cover crops are an essential part of best management practice and are typically grown during the wet season.

The Soil Wealth ICP project will be collaborating for the next trial on cover crops and pumpkin cropping. The intention is to plant pumpkin in the next dry season, following cover crop planting in the coming wet season on an area of about 2.5 ha. 

https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_10.10.13_am.png
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_10.10.25_am.png

The selection of cover crops will be dependent on the desired outcomes. There are three broad types of cover crops appropriate for the NT, those that:
  • Produce large amounts of organic matter, such as pearl millet and forage sorghum (potential dry biomass < 15 t/ha)
  • Improve soil fertility by adding nitrogen, like legumes such as lab-lab, dolichos pea and cowpea
  • Provide a range of desirable characteristics through a mixture of species where a number of seeds are sown, such as combined plantings of millet and lab-lab. 

Cover crops that can tolerate (short) periods of waterlogging during the NT monsoonal periods are also favourable, such as forage sorghum and legumes.

Cover crop seeds will be sown into moist soil during December/January when the early monsoon rains are imminent. Pumpkin cropping will start after termination/incorporation of the cover crops in 2020.

NEW RESOURCES

Soil borne diseases in vegetable crops - A practical guide to identification and control

Use this practical field guide to identify the most common soil borne diseases affecting vegetable crops in Australia, identify the conditions which favour disease and learn of various methods of control.
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_10.14.15_am.png
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_10.21.10_am.png
Growing Matters cover cropping podcast mini-series 

Get inspired by this podcast mini-series with Dr Kelvin Montagu who gives an overview on cover cropping, the key benefits for using it on your farm – for your wallet and for your soil health – as well as some handy tips and methods for doing it successfully.

Irrigation tips for the coming summer

As crop growth and water use increases with the warmer weather it is a good time to be thinking about getting on top of your irrigation. Below are some quick tips and tools to help get you ready for a potentially challenging summer growing season: 
https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v48_screen_shot_2019_09_11_at_10.39.22_am.png

What we're watching: Nematodes in vegetable soils - managing the bad and good ones with Dr Sarah Collins (webinar recording) 

To find out more about the Soil Wealth or ICP projects visit the website, or join the Soil Wealth and ICP Community of Practice online. You can also follow us on Twitter @ProtectingCrops or @SoilWealth for the latest news and updates.

https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/185241000006701004_zc_v43_screen_shot_2019_04_10_at_11.45.40_am.png
 
This email was sent by carll@rmcg.com.au to carll@rmcg.com.au
No longer interested? Unsubscribe | Update your profile | Interested? Subscribe
AHR and RMCG | AHR | Suite 352 Biomedical Building, 1 Central Avenue, Australia Technology Park, Eveleigh, NSW 2015 | RMCG | Level 1 East, 1100-1102 Toorak Road, Camberwell, VIC 3124
 https://www.facebook.com/protectingcrops  https://twitter.com/ProtectingCrops