November 21, 2002

Australia¹s graingrowers received a pleasant surprise when they pulled their latest Ground Cover newspaper out of the mailbox.

Published with the support of growers and the Federal Government through the Grains Research & Development Corporation, Ground Cover has won itself a high reputation with farmers as a source of research information they can put into practice on farm.

A survey of farmers in 2001-02 showed that information delivered through Ground Cover was responsible for 29 per cent of all graingrowers changing farm practices, or considering doing so.

Some 17 per cent of the growers surveyed claimed articles in Ground Cover led to improved farm turnover.

The extras that "piggy-back" the current issue of Ground Cover should guarantee the paper an even better reception from farmers.

This time growers right around the country also receive a copy of Salt, the magazine of Australia¹s National Dryland Salinity Program ­ also supported, incidentally, by graingrowers through the GRDC ­ and AWB Limited¹s schedule of preferred wheat varieties for the 2003-2004 season.

Growers in the GRDC¹s northern region ­ Queensland and NSW north of the Macquarie River ­ receive the latest Crop Link "Biology, toxicity and management of ergot in sorghum".

The Crop Link was published by Queensland¹s Department of Primary Industry scientists Mal Ryley and Barry Blaney with the support ofŠ.yesŠ. the GRDC again.

Then, in the Sunshine State itself, the Ground Cover package also contains QDPI¹s Crop Management Notes (Summer 2002 edition) on CD. The winter crop notes for 2002 were distributed the same way earlier this year.

Mike Lucy, the QDPI agronomist responsible for preparation of the department¹s crop management notes, says printing costs and distribution efficiencies were major factors influencing the decision to produce the management notes on CD and distributing them through Ground Cover.

"The cost of traditionally printed and bound copies of the annual crop notes ­ produced for each of Queensland¹s four major cropping regions ­ was becoming prohibitive and a very time consuming process," Mr Lucy said.

"On top of that we had no really effective distribution process, while the GRDC ­ through Ground Cover ­ has probably the best system available to reach graingrowers.

"It made sense for QDPI to link with that system, and the distribution of our Crop Notes has improved dramatically."

So many organisations realise Ground Cover¹s effectiveness in reaching Australian graingrowers ­ and want to "piggyback" the publication ­ that the GRDC, recognising that growers and advisers can be swamped with information ­ is reviewing its policy on circulation of associated material.