Climate uncertainty puts spotlight on risk management

by Clarisa Collis

GRDC, October 17 2011

To help fortify their western Darling Downs property against climate variability, the Coggan family has put together a comprehensive strategy combining improved seeding and harvesting efficiencies and crop diversification.

For the Coggans – Phillip, Cindy, John and Lyn – spreading production risks across one of the largest wheat properties in Australia has involved a carefully staged approach over 10 years. In that time they have witnessed a distinct shift in weather patterns.

Phillip Coggan says that when they introduced controlled-traffic farming in 2001 they also took steps to increase sowing efficiencies.

Investment in a 36-metre Multi Farming Systems banana planter and another two airseeders, with a total capacity of 30,000 litres, now helps them sow 10,900 hectares in about three weeks.

Testament to the efficiency gains the Coggans have achieved is the Guinness World Record for sowing the largest field of wheat over 24 hours in 2008. The 905ha paddock they planted superseded the unofficial previous record of 571ha set by a Ukraine company.

Forages for a new climate

by Rob Fisher

Groundcover Supplement, October 17 2011

It is hard to know if starting a climate change project in 2010-11 in northern Victoria was a good or bad omen. The challenges of the long and extremely wet summer, together with locusts and mice, limited the results from the first year of a summer forages trial. However, they also highlighted what can be achieved if such summer conditions are to become the rule rather than the exception.

Run by the Victorian Irrigated Cropping Council (VICC) and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in association with BCG (formerly the Birchip Cropping Group) and Riverine Plains Inc. as part of Grain & Graze 2, the trial is looking at forages for a new climate.

Originally, it was planned to assess 30 forages at the three sites – Kooloonong (dryland Mallee), Kerang (dryland but with the capacity for irrigation) and Tungamah (dryland).