Wayne’s winning ways: SSDI Featured at lucerne course
13 Mar 2009
By Mary-Anne Lattimore
 AFIA member and Riverina lucerne grower Wayne Williams will be under the spotlight during a NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Irrigated lucerne for profit course coming up soon.
The two-and-a-half day PROfarm course will run from Tuesday, March 31 until Thursday, April 2 at the Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre (MRSC) at Yanco in in south-west NSW.
NSW DPI agronomist and course coordinator, Mary-Anne Lattimore, said participants would be keen to see the results Wayne Williams achieved in his SDI trial seed block. Wayne has doubled production and halved water use by installing sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI).
“This year we’re focussing on improving water efficiency in lucerne crops as growers continue to deal with reduced water allocations and dry conditions,” Ms Lattimore said.
“It’s really about getting the most from your lucerne with the least amount of water.”
Participants will receive a bonus as part of the course fee - the new Producing quality lucerne hay manual, a comprehensive guide for producers, hay and silage contractors, retailers and advisers.
The course covers lucerne agronomy, irrigation, haymaking and seed production, and includes a field trip to successful lucerne hay and seed producers and processors.
It will feature presentations by Ms Lattimore, NSW DPI irrigation officer, Robert Hoogers, and Agronomist Jan Edwards, and talks from commercial seed production and SDI specialists.
To register for the course contact MRSC, freecall 1800 628 422, (02) 6951 2775 or mrsc@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Producing quality lucerne hay, written by Ms Lattimore and published by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, costs $30 from the NSW DPI bookstore, freecall 1800 028 374.
Contact: Mary-Anne Lattimore, Yanco Agricultural Institute, (02) 6951 2695
Captions: AFIA member , Wayne Williams and NSW DPI agronomist, Mary-Anne Lattimore discuss the benefits of water-saving irrigation technology
Top
|
