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"Jorani and the green vegetable bugs"
This book is for primary school children for use in the ‘Life Skills’ part of the Cambodian School curriculum. It will teach children about integrated pest management (IPM) in crops and the positive impact on the environment. IPM is aimed at reducing pesticide use, which will benefit the environment and human health. Children are very good at understanding environmental issues like this and take the messages home to their parents. This story, set in the village of Samlaut in north-western Cambodia, is about using IPM for soybean and other crops to reduce the need for pesticides to control insects.
Jorani and the green vegetable bugs is available from: ACIAR
“Mustering Moisture: the Practice of No-till Farming in Australia”
Launch of the book “Mustering Moisture”
The book “Mustering Moisture: the Practice of No-till Farming in Australia” was launched at the opening of the Innovation Adoption Symposium on 24 November. The book contains twelve case studies of farm families who have overcome a variety of obstacles and who have successfully adopted no-tillage and conservation farming innovations. These moisture-saving practices are not only critical for profitable crop production in a variable climate but are highly effective strategies for adaptation to climate change.
Soil conservation was one of the important drivers for the development of no-till farming systems in north-eastern Australia during the 1970s and 80s. However, it was quickly realised by early adopters that the extra moisture stored in the soil not only produced higher crop yields but also provided sowing opportunities in times of drought.
Mustering Moisture is therefore an apt title for this book. Farmers have had to adapt to the low and variable rainfall in the Australian cropping belt. Now they need to consider their options in the face of climate change.
This book is a product of a conference facilitating adoption of no-tillage and conservation farming practices held at NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Tamworth Agricultural Institute which was held in March 2006.
Statistics published by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics (ABARE) in 2000 revealed that less than half the farmers in Australia’s north-eastern grains belt were using no-tillage or conservation farming practices.
In the lead up to the conference, a series of farmer focus groups were held in north-western NSW to identify the barriers to adoption. These meetings suggested that economic and social as well as technical and managerial constraints were preventing farmers adopting conservation farming and no-tillage practices.
Twelve case studies were presented at the conference focusing on the successful adoption of these practices. The case studies ranged from large-scale grain production specialists to smaller scale mixed farming enterprises. The soils ranged from fertile self-mulching black clays to run-down hard setting red soils.
The challenges overcome by these enterprising farmers were many and varied ranging from woody weed regrowth on the Nyngan plains to rocks at Coonabarabran. These inspiring stories were the catalyst for this book. In 2007 journalist, Robyn Yeo was engaged to flesh out the trials and tribulations of these farmers as they converted to zero_till. With Alf Manciagli’s brilliant photography and Robyn’s easy_to_read style, it is hoped that this book will inspire other farmers to have a go at no-till.
The increased adoption of low-till/no-till cultivation practices represents a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector, despite apparent industry perceptions to the contrary. The key to realising this opportunity appears to be (a) the dissemination of case study information recently compiled by the Primary Industries Innovation Centre and (b) the engagement of advisers to the industry such as agronomists and material suppliers.
The book is available at the NSW Department of Primary Industries on-line bookshop (http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/resources/bookshop/mustering-moisture) at $35 per copy.