SW WA DROUGHT RESILIENCE ADOPTION AND INNOVATION HUB
REGIONAL NODE - MANJIMUP ZONE
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) is harnessing the power of collaboration to enhance drought and climate resilient practices and accelerate innovation and adoption.
The SW WA Hub is set to transform the way farmers and communities prepare for and respond to drought. It has strong support from all segments of the WA supply chain and SW WA Hub partners are providing significant co-contributions.
The SW WA Hub has appointed Regional Node Leads, which will provide guidance on priority issues impacting the drought and climate resilience of farming systems, their industries and communities.
Through nominated managers, the Regional Node Leads will help link the Hub to end users by gathering and sharing knowledge, coordinating local activities and support Hub activities. Node Lead positions are aligned with Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development office locations.
Regional Node Leads include:
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Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (MADFIG) – Merredin
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South East Premium Wheat Growers Association – Esperance
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Facey Group – Narrogin
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Stirlings to Coast Farmers – Albany
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Southern Forests Food Council – Manjimup
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South West Catchments Council – Bunbury
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Northern Agricultural Catchments Council – Geraldton
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Rangelands NRM Co-ordinating Group – Carnarvon
The Manjimup Regional Node Lead is engaged through the Southern Forests Food Council and supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Contact Manjimup Regional Node Lead - Laura Bolitho on laura@southernforestsfood.com or 08 9772 4180.
PRIORITY PROJECTS
The SW WA Hub has developed a Situation Analysis for the South West region to provide baseline knowledge of drought-related agricultural initiatives that have occurred in recent years and to identify ‘gaps’ where new opportunities could enhance outcomes in a hotter, drier climate.
A workshop was held with the South West Regional Advisory Committee in August 2022 to agree on priority projects to be developed for the Future Drought Fund bid. The intended outcomes of the workshop was that:
• Priority projects meet FDF guidelines
• Regional and industry need is clearly described
• Targeted consultation and scientific rigour underpins each project
We now ask for industry feedback on the South West priorities which can be found at the links below.
To provide feedback on the above, please contact Regional Node Lead Laura Bolitho on laura@southernforestsfood.com or 9772 4180.
ONGOING DROUGHT HUB PROGRAMS
DROUGHT RESILIENCE SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL (DR.SAT)
The Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) is a free tool that enables farmers to assess their resilience against climate change including drought and other climate risks. Resilience assessments include financial, personal & social, and environmental indicators. Based on farmers’ individual assessments, the tool provides tailored options and resources to support farmers to build resilience.
MY CLIMATE VIEW
Jointly developed by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology to deliver tailored weather data and projections to producers.
The MyClimate View platform helps you understand the historical, seasonal and future climate at your location to help inform decisions for your business. It provides you with historical data (1961-most recent year gone by), seasonal forecasts (1-3 months) as well as future climate projections based on the 15 years before and after 2030, 2050 and 2070, for a given location.
ON-FARM WATER DEMAND PROJECT
Putting real-time water usage data into the hands of farmers in Manjimup, WA, to enable accurate assessment of the economic value of water for irrigation to agribusinesses and to the community. The project will provide reliable, independent data on water demand in the Warren-Donnelly catchment in south-west Western Australia. With 30 participating farms covering the avocado, apple, wine grape, stone fruit and truffle farm businesses.
WATERSMART DAMS - PROJECT SNAPSHOP
In collaboration with four grower groups across ten properties, this DPIRD-led project is exploring the most effective ways to make sure dams can retain enough water during dry years. The Water Smart Dams site –holds a wealth of information linked to dams and regular updates. For more updates, you can sign up using the project follower form towards the end of the page.
Click below for a concise project overview.
DROUGHT RESOURCES
DroughtInfo.com.au is a Future Drought Fund project aimed to build drought resilience and preparedness through a range of resources and topics from water infrastructure to financial support, to livestock management, to mental health, and more.
Click below to explore the reports and info.
Hort Innovation has launched the Dealing with Dry Times portal to support growers and industry by providing a comprehensive suite of resources and information to inform grower decision making prior to, during and following challenging climate and environmental circumstances.
SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING PROJECT
A field walk was held for the Future Drought Funded Soil Moisture Monitoring project undertaken by DPIRD on 19 September. Manjimup Regional Node Lead Jennifer Riseley attended and found some interesting takeaways:
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Volumetric water monitoring measures different data to tensiometers and needs a bit of upskilling to be sure you have an accurate idea of field capacity
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Many producers found they had in fact been underwatering in winter and overestimating the impact of rainfall. What they thought was phytophthora impact was actually an irrigation deficit in the cooler months. This was matched by overwatering in summer and unintentionally leeching more nutrient than expected, so the addition of sensors was a vital saving for fertiliser inputs
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Producers need to develop a relationship with the sensor readings and crop health, as sensors don't always give a simple yes/no answer it is important to discuss results with your agronomist to get the best understanding
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Pairing a soil sensor with a pressure transducer in the irrigation line is a valuable tool to record water use through the year and build an annual water budget. It is also handy to detect errors like a pump left on too long, or failing to turn on at all!
CARBON OPPORTUNITY DECISION SUPPORT TOOL
Navigating the world of carbon projects is not easy as a landholder. Find the best option for your enterprise by weighing up your business situation, future plans and risk appetite first.
AgriFutures has developed the decision support tool as a questionnaire for producers to consider all their options and preferences to better understand where opportunities may lie for carbon projects.
RELATED PROJECTS
FUTURE DROUGHT FUND
Australia’s Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs are part of the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund. They will provide networks for researchers, primary producers, community groups and others to work together to enhance drought resilient practices within their region. This focus on collaboration will make agricultural research useful and accessible, increasing innovation and commercialisation opportunities.
Southern Forests Produce
Southern Forests Produce
Southern Forests Produce
Southern Forests Produce
Southern Forests Produce