Feature | Thinking caps firmly on throughout EP Discussion Groups

In preparing for this week’s Riskwi$e newsletter article, my dry, sarcastic sense of humour thought “you rippa, I’ve got some pretty good material here to work with being about decisions, risk and business”.

Naturally I turned to a generic AI word potion platform to see what gems they could concoct for me, and these were the top three results:

1. Why did the business consultant bring a parachute to the meeting?
   Because he was all about taking calculated risks
2. Why don’t businesses ever play poker?
   Because they don’t like risking their profits on a bad hand
3. Why did the entrepreneur start a bakery?
   Because he thought it was a low-risk business... until he realized dough was rising faster than his profits

That’s it?! No witty, slightly 'risky' pun? Was my search criteria too narrow? These jokes appear to have been written by Dr Sheldon Cooper? (for those of you unfamiliar with the Big Bang Theory, this is his idea of funny).

Oh well, let's just get down to business then!

Throughout March, members of the RiskWi$e team held a series of farmer discussion group sessions across the EP. Facilitated by EPAG Research Agronomist Jacob Giles, over 80 farmers attended at Rudall, Cootra, Minnipa, Port Kenny, Lock and Wangary to share cropping strategies, learnings from the 2024 season, and an overview of the many decisions being made in preparation for the sowing season ahead.

Key topics of discussion included:

• Strategies for dry sowing – risks associated with false start, preserving soil moisture, managing soil types and crop priorities (if sowing dry)
• Herbicide residue management and risks, particularly in lentils
• Phosphorous – residual in soils following dry summer, placement in proximity to seed, application rates, response trial results
• Nitrogen – starting levels, legume fixation and availability
• Soil amelioration results and strategies for 2025
• Cost of production – increasing input costs, machinery investment

RiskWi$e Theme Working Group members Ed Hunt, Josh Hollitt, and George Pedler attended sessions, along with local advisors Kevin Dart, Leigh Davis, Giles Kearsley and members from Cleve Rural Traders team, to help guide conversations surrounding strategies and decisions farmers can make to identify and manage risks in the current farming climate.

Throughout each session, dry sowing and herbicide risks were discussed at length. This is clearly weighing on everyone’s mind coming off the back of unprecedented low summer rainfall. Should the season remain dry to Anzac Day, there were mixed strategies depending on location, soil types, appetite for risk and financial position.

Some farmers plan to balance soil types and sow a percentage of the program dry, but most farmers confirmed they would stick to their existing program and start on a set date. One farmer stated, “It’s difficult to shut the gate early (because of the risk), to then miss out if the season does end up to be good.”

I think this statement perfectly sums up how many are feeling at this point in time. You want to make solid, educated decisions based on previous experience, but you have two birdies sitting on each shoulder whispering “but what if?”.

Examples of strategies being used to mitigate identified risks included:

• Sow into stubbles to target any moisture available
• Destock or reducing stock numbers to preserve / maintain ground cover
• Sow more Clearfield wheat varieties based on herbicide residues (from previous season)
• Use soil moisture probe data to understand upside potential
• Change run lines and sow at different angles from the exposed soil areas (to reduce risk of erosion)
• Grow more lentils, reduce barley, and wheat on wheat
• Surround myself with good people and good advice
• Keep doing the basics well, focus on what we are good at

In addition to the above, Yield Prophet Reports and Soil Moisture Probe data were identified as useful tools to assist farmers in understanding upside potential. This information is currently available via the RiskWi$e project page, along with additional resources including:

Other resources that are worth checking out:

• Hart Field Site Group's first podcast in a series of 5 "On farm risk and reward - Navigating the basics with Barry Mudge"
• Building a Decision Matrix with Cam Nicholson

If you would like to hear a recap of the recent RiskWi$e Discussion Group sessions, we encourage you to listen to the podcast recording with Jake Giles. Coming into the 2025 season with Jake Giles

For anyone unfamiliar with RiskWi$e: the National Risk Management Initiative (NRMI), it is a $30 million GRDC initiative (2023-28), aiming to understand and improve risk-reward outcomes for Australian grain growers.

RiskWi$e specifically seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian grain growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making. The project aims for "80% of grain growers articulate their production management decisions in terms of probability of upside returns (reward), offset against the associated downside risks to improve the quality of on-farm decision making."

AIR EP is one of six ‘Action Research Group Leads’ for the national program, leading the program for the Eyre Peninsula. In last week’s newsletter article titled Decision Making & Managing Risk | Join the RiskWi$e Grower Panel, an EOI is open for farmers interested in joining the RiskWi$e Grower Panel. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure local, relevant content is being communicated to the national program.