Riverine Plains Blog

Key messages

• The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a global certification system that verifies sustainability principles for biobased food, feed and renewables.
• ISCC certification is voluntary, however, growers can gain export advantages and access premium prices.
• Participating farmers can be audited, so it’s important to be able to produce documentation that supports your declaration if required.

Key messages

• optical spray technology can offer dramatic savings in chemical, diesel and labour use
• green-on-brown (fallow) and green-on-green (in-crop) technologies are proving themselves with Australian farmers and can have a fit for all cropping operations
• low-cost options are available, with drones also having the capability to map and spray weeds across large areas

Key messages

• monitor now for fungal diseases including stripe rust, septoria and sclerotinia
• despite predictions for a drier-than-average spring, disease outbreaks could still occur 
• rotate fungicide groups to reduce the risk of resistance developing and investigate the potential of new fungicide products

Key messages:

• always have a clear purpose for collecting on-farm data and understand how it can be used to make decisions, for example informing fertiliser strategies, livestock breeding programs and soil amelioration
• good quality data is critical to making informed decisions
• ensure that you will be able to access your data, even when changing consultants or machinery suppliers

Key messages:

• check the efficacy of your pre-emergent herbicide applications – poor results may mean you need to reconsider your post-emergent spray program or other control options
• overall herbicide efficacy can be affected by a range of factors including plant stress, moisture and inadequate coverage
• delays or failures in weed control can be costly, so monitor now to manage the risk

Many Riverine Plains growers are still busy finishing their sowing programs, while also managing time-sensitive issues like slugs. Despite time constraints, it’s important to prioritise weed monitoring, including the effectiveness of pre-emergent herbicide applications, especially in earlier sown crops.