Member Day 2003

The ‘Nutrition’ field day on the property of Joan and Jim Endean, Minnipa where demonstration field trials had been sown, was run over two days.

Paul Kaden, MRF Chairperson opened the day and introduced keynote speaker Prof Tim Reeves who presented fork to farm, challenges and opportunities in the global grains market.

Dr Bill Bowden, Department of Agriculture WA spoke on soil fertility, features of credible fertilizer recommendation systems.

Ian Fillery, CSIRO addressed nitrogen fertilizer for crops, what form, when and how and the processes of loss of fertilizer nitrogen. Nigel Wilhelm followed on with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer management options. Jon Hancock and Neil Cordon, SARDI continued the theme, presenting information on the volatilization of nitrogen fertilisers.

Rohan Rainbow, SANTFA presented understanding the seedbed utilization and fertilizer toxicity.

Pichu Rengasamy and Jim Kelly, University of Adelaide presented information on subsoil constraints, what farmers expect to find on Eyre Peninsula and how they affect crop growth, collecting and testing soil samples.

Neil Cordon, SARDI showed calculations on nutrient applications and costings, foliar trace elements and nutrient removal data.

Bob Holloway presented mixing fluid fertilizers with a mixing demonstration by the MAC fluid group. Brendan Frischke followed with fluid concentrations and fluid phosphorous distribution.

Improving livestock nutrition messages were delivered by Brian Ashton, Rural Solutions.

The day concluded with Mark Habner, Rural Solutions looking at the FertiPlanTM tool.

Trial demonstrations sown were subsoil nutrition, fluid fertilisers, trace elements and nitrogen.