The Irrigation Research and Extension Committee's upcoming field day is set to showcase the last year of agricultural research, with some exciting talks and features planned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The field day, set for the morning of January 19, will demonstrate the research done over the last year at the Whitton field station. It will kick off with a provided breakfast at 7:30am, along with a coffee van for those needing the morning pick-me-up.
The event will wrap up just before midday after showcasing the dedicated research done over the year.
Iva Quarisa from IREC explained some of the developments set to be shown off at the field day. She was especially excited about showcasing the research behind optimal rice sowing rates, presented by Matt Groat from SunRice.
"The theory behind it is that people might be planting at too high a feeding rate. With aerial sowing, the amount of seed that ends up germinating is about 40 per cent so to get it established, you need a higher planting rate," she explained.
"With drill sown rice, you have a higher percentage that establishes. That's about 60 per cent. We've been testing some different sowing rates to find that ideal."
READ MORE
Another highlight of the day will be showcasing the recent developments on genetically modified cotton. The genomic research is hoped to provide safety for cotton fields, particularly from notorious Heliothis moths.
"They've got a full cotton variety trial. It's called Bollgard 3. What it means is when the Heliothis moths try to eat it, they'll die. It's roundup ready as well, so you can spray roundup on the cotton without killing it. That means it's going to be easier weed control when the cotton is establishing," Ms Quarisa said.
For those unable to make the day itself, whether through prior commitments, isolation periods or any other reasons, the speeches and demonstrations will be collated into an "IREC Field Day booklet."
"We are hoping to do some audio and video recording of different speakers so that will be available in a week or two," Ms Quarisa added.
The IREC Field Day will be held at the IREC Field Station on Stott Road, in Whitton.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.areanews.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram