Value of field days to grain growers

Host: | Date: 29 May 2019

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Hagley in northern Tasmania is the site of an extensive trial dedicated to helping the state’s grain growers to achieve higher yields of quality feed grain. It’s also the location of an annual field day that showcases its research into new cereal lines and agronomy strategies to lift feed grain productivity.

On this podcast Tasmanian grower and Southern Panel member Michael Chilvers discusses the major constraints to cereal production in high rainfall areas, and how he is using the latest germplasm research and fungicide management strategies to help achieve the potential yield for his region.

The trial and field day are part of the GRDC’s Hyper Yielding Cereals Project, that aims to increase average red feed wheat yields in Tasmania from 4.4 t/ha to 7t/ha by 2020 and have 10% of commercial Tasmanian feed wheat crops yielding 14t/ha by 2020.

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Michael Chilvers

Nile, Tasmania

Michael runs a family farming enterprise at Nile in the Northern Midlands of Tasmania, having successfully transitioned the business from a dryland grazing enterprise to intensive mixed farming. He currently serves as the Board Chair of TAPAgrico (a Tasmanian-based grain storage, stock feed and logistics company), Director of Tasmanian Irrigation, Director of Starson Farms and Director/Secretary of Winburn Tas. Michael is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has a broad range of experience in resource management, strategic planning and risk profiling, human resource management and operational logistics. Prior to joining the GRDC Southern Panel, he served on the GRDC high rainfall zone Regional Cropping Solutions Network (now Grower Network) for six years. Michael received a GRDC-supported Nuffield Scholarship in 2012 to study systemisation and expansion models. He then served on the Board of Nuffield Australia for two years, acted as state chair for three years, and regularly leads the China leg of the Nuffield Global Focus tour.

+61 409 974 556
2michaelchilvers@gmail.com