Mar
8

Online Farm Trials

 

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Online Farm Trials is a collaborative project putting research knowledge online and linking it to national data, opening up new possibilities for smarter farming and better research.

This short documentary film explores the impact of the Online Farm Trials project from the perspectives of key users and researchers.

Farm trials have been a part of Australian farming for many years. Often run by local grower groups on behalf of agricultural communities, testing is also done around the country by government, research organisations and private industry. On-farm trials and test plot trials respond to the questions and concerns of farmers about specific crops in specific regions. They help farmers improve farming productivity and sustainability.

Up to this point the learning from on-farm and trial research has been limited to regions. It’s not that the results haven’t been available. Hard copy trial results in the form of annual research reports have been distributed to communities and stored on farm bookshelves and in libraries and have been available as a resource to researchers. But in practice it has been difficult to compare learning across regions or across time.

The Online Farm Trials project changes everything by putting farm trial research online in a way that is decision useful to agronomists and growers.

Credits

Featuring:
Cam Nicholson, Lisa Miller, Hugh Burbery, Julia Severi, Robert Milne, Xenon Ellis
With thanks to:
Troy and Paula Missen, Jon Midwood, Tom McCue, Helen Thompson, Peter Dahlhaus, Paul Feely, Judi Walters, Kirsten McKenna, Zoe Creelman, Gina Kreek and Southern Farming Systems Inc. The Online Farm Trials Project is proudly supported by The Grains Research & Development Corporation.
Film produced by:
Wind & Sky Productions
Executive Producer (CeRDI):
Helen Thompson
Copyright with:
© CeRDI 2016.

 

 

Oct
8

Natural Resource Management Planning Portal

 

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The Landcare Groups in the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority region are trialling a planning model which could revolutionise how communities work together to care for our environment.

This short documentary film explores the impact of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Planning Portal project from the perspectives of key users and researchers.

For nearly thirty years community volunteers in Landcare Groups have been looking after their local environment – cleaning up creeks and wetlands, managing weeds, erosion, salinity, looking after flora and fauna, generally caring about the health of their home.

Landcare Groups form their own local plans and priorities regarding weeds, water, soil health, pests and other categories, and apply for government, corporate or community funding to keep their work going. Together with the larger umbrella organisations the Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs), Landcare Groups form a vital part of the network of volunteer and institutional organisations taking care of the land, water and biodiversity of the regions.

The NRM Planning Portal, being piloted in the Corangamite CMA district, enables Landcare networks and their Catchment Management Authority partners to share information about past works and projects and to come up with joint priorities which have the best potential for funding. The Portal centres around the needs of Landcare Networks to develop a Local Catchment Plan and helps them do so by making lots of relevant planning information available to assist in identifying priorities (self determined, eg ‘weeds’, ‘pests’, ‘salinity’, ‘erosion’, for instance ) and presenting these visually on a map. These priorities can be compared with regional, state and national priorities to explore areas of intersection and best matches for funding.

Credits

Featuring:
Chris Pitfield, Jen Clarke and Robert Milne
Photographs courtesy of:
The Woady Yaloak Catchment Group
With thanks to:
Evan and Suzanne Lewis, Cam Nicholson, Gavan Mathieson, Peter Dahlhaus, Birgitta Hansen, Helen Thompson, Andrew MacLeod and The Woady Yaloak Catchment Group. The NRM Planning Portal is proudly supported by The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.
Film produced by:
Wind & Sky Productions
Executive Producer (CeRDI):
Helen Thompson
Copyright with:
© CeRDI 2016.