The annual round of Grains Research Updates across northern New South Wales and Queensland moves into full swing this week, with events in Quirindi and Dubbo and two more in Goondiwindi and Mungindi next week.

The round actually began with a Research Update attended by some 80 growers in Gulargambone last Wednesday.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation organises Updates for growers and advisers with the support of the NSW and Queensland DPIs, CSIRO, universities and agribusiness.

The aim is to ensure the grains industry remains aware of the latest research results of relevance to the region.

The northern region Update coordinator, John Cameron, meets local committees of growers, research scientists and agribusiness to ensure Update topics are relevant to current grains industry concerns.

Mr Cameron says while the two-day Updates for advisers in Dubbo (February 23 and 24) and Goondiwindi (February 28/March 1) have become “must-do” events for private and public sector agronomists, the Updates at Quirindi (February22) and Mungindi March 2) continue the GRDC’s tradition of taking information “to where the growers are.

“Growers who attended the Gulargambone Update last Wednesday had an agenda that focused on cropping priorities of the NSW central-west, specifically looking at the issue of improving the efficiency of nitrogen in the cropping system,” Mr Cameron said.

“The agenda ranged from sessions on rotations to incorporate different pulse crops to the latest research on using technology to deliver variable rate nitrogen.  Stripe rust in wheat was also an issue of significant interest.

“The program for Quirindi on Wednesday February 22 reflects the high standard of agronomy carried out by growers on the Liverpool Plains and their ongoing commitment to improving management of herbicides, irrigation and crop canopies in high yield situations.”

Mr Cameron said Mungindi was a different case again, with growers facing particular challenges in obtaining profitable yields in the face of crown-rot, soils that can be subsoil constrained and a low rainfall growing climate.

While crown-rot was a common industry concern right across the northern region, the rotations which were a key management tool for managing the disease were more difficult in drier western areas, particularly where soils had subsoil constraints.

The Mungindi organising committee had asked to hear about ways of improving the reliability and performance of chickpeas in their growing environment, condiment mustard as a rotational option and growing dryland cotton west of the Newell Highway.

“A total of at least 400 public and private sector advisers are expected to attend the two-day Research Updates at Dubbo and Goondiwindi, which have reached the status of can’t-miss annual events for anyone in the grain industry keen to stay abreast of research developments,” Mr Cameron said.