— 9 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 201 — Autumn 2019 — 9 IREC Farmers’ Newsletter No. 201 — Autumn 2019 IREC report New projects and programs for IREC Pulse Check The Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) has funded a project to improve skills and knowledge in growing pulses in southern NSW. IREC will be forming a pulse check group and if you want to be involved please contact IREC (details below). Learn more about this project in Phil Bowden’s article on page 25 of this edition. Managing data better IREC has been very fortunate to obtain funding in round one of the National Landcare Program, Smart Farms Small Grants program with the project “Ag Tech Sprouts About — using technology to improve management of natural resources”. This project will fund several activities including a tour to northern NSW to see how technology is used to improve crop management. A focus group has been formed to develop case studies and easy-to-use checklists to make ag data more manageable. Read more about the focus group in the article on page 15. This activity received grant funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Machinery demo day in May After the success of the 2018 machinery demonstration day, IREC will again be hosting a demonstration day this year. This gives machinery dealers and farmers the opportunity to run machinery and show firsthand how the different implements work and perform. Last year growers relished the chance to actually operate the different sprayers, tractors and implements, getting hands on experience with them. This year the focus will be on sprayers and different nozzles, mulchers, root cutters and planters. Spray drift prevention Spray drift was rated a top issue with all groups at the last round of IREC Breakfast meetings, with a number of drift incidents occurring every year. As a result, through the Southern Valleys Cotton Growers Association and the CRDC Grassroots Grants program, IREC is leading the formation of a Spray Drift Stakeholders group. This group includes representation from all commodity groups, EPA, chemical applicators, chemical reps and councils. The aim of the group is to develop a series of initiatives (educational events and tools) aimed at reducing the incidence of spray drift. Keep us on track As you can see IREC is involved in a variety of things, we welcome your feedback to make sure we are on the right track and delivering the best for our members and irrigators in our region. Contact the author Iva Quarisa Mobile: 0402 069 643 Email: [email protected] BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE