Trials research available
AN EASY to access website providing information on a host of Australian cropping trials is now available to growers as part of a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) project.
The Online Farm Trials project, found at www.farmtrials.com.au has thousands of farm trial results in an easy to find format, allowing users to view, analyse and export grains research information.
The OFT web portal has been developed by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia in Ballarat (Victoria).
Project leader Robert Milne says around 3400 trial projects have so far been published on the OFT site, with data contributed by grower groups and research organisations from across the nation
Another consignment for Svalbard
AUSTRALIAN scientists are busily preparing another parcel of seeds to be stored in the world’s major plant seedbank, Svalbard in Norway.
The Australian Pastures Genebank (APG) in South Australia has collected and processed more than 84,000 lots of pasture seed from around the country to be deposited in Svalbard, also known as the “Doomsday Vault”.
The seed lots will be delivered to the Svalbard Global “Doomsday” Seed Vault in February to coincide with vault’s the 10-year anniversary. It will be one of the largest single deposits ever made.
Mouse bait warning
AGRICULTURE Victoria officials have warned farmers not to make their own mouse bait.
Farmers may have been tempted to manufacture their own bait following recent shortages in the registered product, but AV has said doing so puts humans, livestock and the environment at risk.
Agriculture Victoria chemical standards officer Alex Perera said the active ingredient in registered mouse bait was very dangerous.
“Products that are registered for mouse control have been through a rigorous assessment by scientists at the Australian Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and are formulated to limit the impact on non-target animals,” Ms Perera said.