Identified Issues - Medium Rainfall Zone RCSN

Please note - not all issues have yet been defined - last updated February 2017.

February 2017

Rank No.	Title
1	Profit focused cost management can increase profit.
2	Widely adapted high value pulse crop varieties (lentils and chickpeas) will improve farm profitability on a broader scale.
3	No-till cropping farms do not have the infrastructure, tools/technologies, knowledge/skills to integrate livestock into the business.
4	Level of knowledge and skill of advisers is critical to the profitability, risk management and/or compliance of farm businesses.
5	Efficacy of glyphosate is declining due to over-use and increased incidence of glyphosate resistant weeds.
6	Canola production risk and profitability are compromised by few high yielding, open pollinated canola varieties with robust polygenic resistance to blackleg and sclerotinia and variable seed supplies.
7	Total reliance on herbicide strategies shortens the life of herbicide chemistry to control weeds and increases rates of resistance and causes hard to control weeds to proliferate.
8	Current pesticide regulatory framework restricts timely access to pesticides.
9	Increased inter-seasonal climate variability creates extremely contrasting growing seasons and increases management complexity.
10	Growers are not able to predict the risk of pest and disease incursions to plan and proactively manage.
11	Spatial monitoring of farms with sensor technology and digital platforms may improve crop scouting efficiencies and enable site specific management of issues (crop nutrition, weed control, pest control).
12	The continual breakdown of genetic resistance to blackleg in canola impacts on yield and profit of canola.
13	Focusing on achieving maximum productivity can increases risk and reduce profitability.
14	Nitrogen requirements to maximise profitability of wheat and canola in a long term no till system are not well understood.
15	The current processes for pesticide legislation and governance within APVMA have a negative impacting on crop production and profit.
16	Which is the more economically sustainable option in high land price areas-a crop rotation dominated by high value crops or a more balanced rotation with a mix of cereals, pulses and other land use options.
17	Off-target damage caused by growers spraying when inversions occur and/or use inappropriate spray quality.
18	A lack of profitable legumes adapted to acid and poorly structured soils.
19	Limited influence on barley variety development which may lead to a lack of varietal choice.
20	Soil residual herbicide used to control weeds in fence lines and "voids” can damage vegetation if they "move" through the soil from the target area.
21	Remote temperature measurement and telemetry are opportunities to improve frost identification and management.
22	Pre-emergent herbicides do not work effectively in heavy stubbles.
23	What are the practical strategies that can make best use of precision agriculture data and technology to maximise profit by reducing or reallocating costs and or increasing yields.
24	Registration of short residual imi-herbicides to control of problem weeds in lentils reduces the risk of herbicide residue damage in cereals and the off-label use of other short residual group B herbicides in lentils.
25	Growers don’t have the skills, confidence and technologies to identify frost and make timely decisions to salvage income and/or limit losses.
26	Profit from cereals sown on early autumn rainfall events could be enhanced by clearly defined management packages including variety selection, canopy management and crop protection strategies.
27	Vetch variety improvement and grain market development will enhance profitability of farms with soil types not suitable for lentils.
28	A lack of registered products and timely permit renewals impacts on product supply, weed and disease management and resistance management.
29	Growers and advisers cannot make informed decisions about adopting a new variety as non-biased NVT data is not easily accessible until after the variety is released.
30	The commercial structure of plant breeding in Australia is leading to monopolies and reducing customer choice in varieties.
31	Poor understanding of soil water use in pulses leads to poor yield predictions.
32	Lupin yields and profitability are declining.
33	The accumulation of herbicides residues in soils (e.g. low organic carbon sands) over several seasons may be impact crop health and yield and restricting crop choice.
34	There is a paucity of grazing withholding periods for common chemicals used on cereals.
35	Foliar diseases of oats reduce hay yield and quality.
36	Lack of grass control options in faba beans.
37	Conical snails reduce harvest efficiency, contaminate grain and reduce marketability.
38	Controlling soil borne sclerotes with biocontrol to reduce the impact of sclerotinia and canola is not possible because products are not registered.
39	Limited canola seed supply choice increases production risk, restricts crop and variety choice and impacts on herbicide residue management and long term weed controls strategies.
40	There are no registered products or validated fungicide strategies sclerotinia control in lentils and faba beans.
41	Wheat as the basis of mice bait is not effective under all other crop stubbles.
42	Crop yields are declining on non-wetting sands after several years in a no-till cropping system.
43	The efficacy of zinc phosphide bait at registered rates is not providing adequate control.
44	Manipulating plant physiology and phenology through chemical application or breeding to match flowering date to emergence date and seasonal conditions will mitigate the risks associated with of dry sowing (e.g. heat stress or frost).
45	Uncertainty in the rotational break time required for eyespot inoculum breakdown in stubble, reduces confidence and leads to prophylactic fungicide applications.
46	Growers require practical strategies that mitigate frost risk by spreading flowering times without reducing water limited yield potential and/or seeding efficiencies and other operational efficiencies.
47	The risk of lupinosis in stock grazing lupin stubbles can be mitigated by improved Phomopsis resistance in lupin varieties and developing a phomopsis management package.
48	Waterlogging reduces trafficability and timeliness of operations, yield potential and profitability.
49	High pH subsoils and compaction limits canola yield potential.
50	Can strategic drainage prevent waterlogging and yield loss in poorly drained landscapes.
51	The risk of growing lentils in a close rotation (high intensity) could be reduced with targeted management guidelines to address the main risks.
52	It is difficult to estimate plant available water (and yield potential) in soils with limestone or rubble subsoil.
53	Practical engineering solutions are required to cost effectively utilise animal waste, lime and gypsum for subsoil amelioration via injection.
54	Black pod syndrome in lupins is causing yield loss.
55	Growers have difficulty controlling Blanket weed (Toadflax) after wet years with standard summer weed control herbicide mixes.
56	Misidentification of sclerotes and ergot is resulting in load rejections at receival points.