National Variety Trial (NVT) advisory committees established in Western Australia will ensure the trials are consistent with local farming practices and conditions.
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) western panel chairman Neil Young has been appointed chairman of four regionally-based NVT advisory committees (NACs) in WA.
NACs have been established by the GRDC for WA’s northern, central, eastern, and sandplain and mallee regions, with local growers and agronomists represented on each one.
The WA committees are among 14 NACs, representing a range of agricultural zones, established by the GRDC.
GRDC breeding project manager Alok Kumar said the NACs had been established in response to feedback from growers, and stakeholders including agronomists, that they want more input in to the running of the trials.
“One of the key findings from a formal NVT review in 2008 was the need for a more formalised advisory and consultative mechanism for stakeholder involvement,” Dr Kumar said.
“The NACs will help determine the management of particular trials so they are consistent with local practices and conditions, and also communicate trial information to local growers.”
Previously, parameters around the GRDC-funded NVT program, which generates independent information for growers about new and existing crop varieties, were more nationally consistent and determined by centralised management.
Operational issues discussed at a recent meeting of the WA NACs included:
Distribution of trial sites;
Development of sowing windows;
Canola maturity groups;
Development of benchmark varieties;
Relevant commercial varieties;
Herbicide technology canola trials.
Local representatives on the WA NACs include:
Grower Rohan Ford and agronomist Craig Topham in the northern region;
Grower Andrew Boultbee and agronomist Wade Longmuir in the central region;
Grower Michael Foss and agronomist Dan Taylor in the eastern region;
Grower Lyndon Mickel and agronomist Andrew Heinrich in the sandplain and mallee region.
Also represented on the committees are wheat expert Ben Curtis, of the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA), barley expert Blakely Paynter, of DAFWA, NVT service provider Michael Lamond, of Agrisearch, NVT service provider Peter Burgess, of Kalyx, and Alan Bedggood, of ACAS Ltd, which manages the NVT trials.
For more information about the new NVT advisory committees, contact Dr Kumar or Juan Juttner, of the GRDC, on (02) 6166 4500.
Information about the NVT program is available at www.nvtonline.com.au
