Improving crop nutrition through extension of new research in the Western Region

Reference number: PROC-9177083

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Release date:: Friday 12 July 2024
Closing time:: Friday 30 August 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time
Enquiry deadline:: Friday 23 August 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time

Summary

Rolling out the latest science-based information to growers can be challenging as growers are time poor, generally have enough knowledge to get the job done, or have advisers to fill knowledge gaps. However, to empower growers to make on-farm decisions, it is critical for growers to have a fundamental understanding of how fertiliser, plants and soils interact.

Document contact and enquiries

Attention: Jo Wheeler
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Email: tenders@grdc.com.au

Make all requests for further information or clarification in relation to this procurement in writing (email) prior to 23 August 2024

GRDC will publish all requests and responses to requests on the GRDC website under Questions and Answers at the bottom of this webpage.

Consortia response

GRDC will not accept Tenders from Consortia.

Lodgement

Submit your Tender response electronically through the Grains Investment Portal

AusTender

https://www.tenders.gov.au/admin/Advert/Show/cf071332-588f-4d72-848a-10dfb5430bab

Description

There is an opportunity for GRDC to combine fundamental knowledge with learnings from the soil amelioration and soil nutrition investments (Western and National) that have been completed or are nearing completion; to enable these significant investments to increase their impact and to ensure that benefits are realised by growers.

This investment will seek to improve existing extension activities by way of tailored information on soil constraints, soil amelioration and soil nutrition. Combining fundamental and new learnings across multiple information channels to maximise engagement. This approach would then lift adoption of the latest research resulting in practice change leading to benefits such as a reduction in fertiliser expense and a better understanding of how plants access nutrients from the soil. On top of the monetary savings realised by growers, we expect learnings from these tailored extension activities to be of benefit to other GRDC projects across the country.

Maximising water (WUE) and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in the GRDC Western region has been the major focus of six significant investments over the past five plus years. The results of this research have developed new and novel methods that increased WUE and NUE that requires follow-up investment to increase grower’s adoption.

For some growers, understanding soil constraints, soil amelioration and soil nutrition is difficult, especially when information from research changes established “rules of thumb”. How soil interacts with plant roots and how plants access nutrition from soil, is also poorly understood by some growers. This gap in knowledge became evident at the Western NGN forums over winter 2023, when growers were discussing quite basic information regarding soil test results.

Outcome

Outputs

Output 1

By December 2024, a detailed plan identifying technical content and an evaluation of the information requirements for a range of target audiences will be produced.

A technical content group will be convened to determine the technical content required for each of the target groups. The group will also discuss how to structure the required information for the best delivery in the face-to-face workshops and online courses listed in the outputs below. The group will look at all past research (Western and National) to inform their decisions. This group will include at least one GRDC staff member and one Western panel member. A report based on the group’s recommendations will be written and delivered by the project lead, detailing the technical content and delivery structure of the content required for this. This will also include all formal agreements for the access of all information from previous completed and current projects. Discussion of the training modules should also be conducted in consultation with Soil Science Australia, to discuss the possibility of linking to the Registered Soil Practitioner training, or to offer some form of certification for workshop attendees and online participants. Other organisations that may be approached for consultation include FarmLab and the Soil CRC.

Output 2

By June 2025, development of an online course will be completed and will be available for the target audience to access via an online platform.

Online course content will be created and available nationally via an online delivery platform for both growers and advisers. The platform will allow participants to go at their own pace and access information when they need it. (ie. Mass Online Open Course (MOOC)).

The development of the online content will consider the ongoing maintenance, and the end-of-life of the product. There will need to be a shareable link created and participants completing the course should be offered a certificate of completion or similar. On completion there should also be acknowledgement of GRDC and all project partners and a QR code directing participants to the GRDC subscription page.

Analytics will need be provided to GRDC on a regular basis.

The content for the course modules will be compiled from all previous national research initiatives as well as these recently completed western projects:

UMU1801-006RTX - Increasing profit from N, P and K fertiliser inputs into the evolving cropping sequences in the Western Region
DAW1801-001RTX - Nutrient re-distribution and availability in ameliorated and cultivated soils in the Western Region
CSP1801-004RTX - Improved sampling methods to better predict nutrient availability and supply for soils in the Western region
PLT1909-001SAX – Maintain the longevity of soils constraints investments and increase grower adoption through extension – Western Region
Modules to be created will cover the following topics:
Soils Masterclass - basic soil morphology, characteristics, descriptions, chemistry and soil testing requirements– set up the participants to ensure everyone can correctly plan and conduct soil testing
Nutrition Masterclass–plant and soil interactions for plant nutritional requirements - set up participants to understands soil, plant and nutrient interaction based on soil test results
Advanced soil, plant and nutrition interactions –participants to understand the best management practices and economics for N, P and K app.

Output 3

By May 2027, implementation of face-to-face workshops tailored to growers, advisers and consultants focussing on interactions between soil, nutrition and plant for the purpose of up-skilling.

These workshops will be designed to be delivered regionally, specifically designed for each target audience.

Grower Workshops:

short (2 hour), workshops
offered to at least five groups of growers per year (15 groups over the life of the project)
delivered in three parts in three separate events, to the same group of growers:
before harvest to plan soil testing,
prior to seeding to discuss nutrition and soil test results,
early winter to discuss top-up nutrition requirements.

Adviser and Consultant Workshops:

target early career advisers, as well as experienced growers and advisers looking to refresh their knowledge.
a maximum of three events
longer delivery time expected, 2 days to cover content.

Modules to be created to cover the following topics:

Soils Masterclass - basic soil morphology, characteristics, descriptions, chemistry and soil testing requirements– set up the participants to ensure everyone can correctly plan and conduct soil testing
Nutrition Masterclass–plant and soil interactions for plant nutritional requirements - set up participants to understands soil, plant and nutrient interaction based on soil test results
Advanced soil, plant and nutrition interactions –participants to understand the best management practices and economics for N, P and K applications utilising new information from the NPK project (UMU1801-006RTX).

The successful applicant will be required to work with all organisations to access the latest research information to create the course content. A formal agreement for transfer of information from these organisations and GRDC to the successful applicant will be required. The GRDC will provide some guidance to facilitate this formal agreement.

Participants to receive recognition or certificate of completion, in line with technical content group advice.

Output 4

By May 2027, the full impact of this investment will be understood by GRDC.

Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) will be conducted to determine progress of the project outcomes, outputs, and practice change. The M&E will establish a baseline to allow benchmarking and measurement of changes to local industry practices and grower behaviours resulting from project activities. M&E methodology will focus on the adoption of new soils and nutrition information by conducting - in-depth interviews, questionnaire surveys, and supporting information provided by growers and other industry participants.

M&E Details:

By September a baseline report of growers’ existing levels of adoption and perceptions of soils amelioration and crop nutrition, using qualitative and quantitative approaches. This would be used to inform the Technical Content Group’s analysis to understand the gap in knowledge and direction needed for the course content development. The final year of the project will deliver a revised final benchmarking report.
Qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered from additional sources including GRDC and other industry stakeholders. Quantitative data collected to be based on percentage of fertiliser programs linked to soil tests, percentage of growers implementing CTF, area of farm that has undergone amelioration and type of amelioration, fertiliser costs as a percent of income. Qualitative data collected needs to consider the “how and why” of adoption and any real or perceived barriers to adoption.
Analysis will develop concepts around barriers and constraints to adoption and propose interventions to overcome barriers over the course of the project.
M&E findings will contribute to any national soils and nutrition industry impact analysis as directed by the GRDC

Proposed Budget

Proposed Contract & Term

GRDC will contract under the terms of the Services Contract.

The schedule(s) attached to the contract will detail the project details: the outcomes, outputs, milestones, budget, participating personnel and required intellectual property.

The template contract containing the proposed terms and conditions is available from the Opportunities page on the GRDC website.

It is anticipated that any resultant contract in relation to this procurement will commence with a proposed term of 3 years.

Conditions for Participation

The following are mandatory conditions with which a Tenderer must comply to participate in this procurement process:

The Tenderer must be a single legal entity or recognised firm of partners
The Tenderer and any proposed subcontractor must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and any other applicable labour laws and standards in the jurisdiction in which they operate.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not have a judicial decision against it (not including decisions under appeal) relating to employee entitlements and who have not paid the claim.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not be named on the Consolidated List, being the list of persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions or travel bans under Australian sanction laws, as maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Minimum Form and Content Requirements

The following are the mandatory content and format requirements that the Tenderer must complete and provide to participate in this procurement process:

Submit Tenders using the Grains Investment Portal
Applications must be written in English and express any measurements in Australian legal units of measurement.
Budget details must be submitted on the ‘GRDC Budget Template’ provided in the Grains Investment Portal.

Evaluation Criteria

In the table below are the Evaluation Criteria that the Tender Evaluation Team will use to assess the value for money of all Tenders.

No	Type	Weighting
1	Technical – Qualitative evaluation criteria related to non-price factors such as methodology, project plan, track record, experience.
1a	A clear and thorough plan to deliver the project outcome, specifying: a) expected steps to deliver the outcome (pathway to market) b) identification of target users of the project outputs (who will the project directly deliver to e.g. grower, adviser, plant breeder, pathologist, the GRDC) c) specific information, products and/or services to be delivered to target users d) potential for the development of commercial IP	35%
1b	A clear and thorough plan to achieve the project outputs, specifying: a) methods for delivery. If different methods are suggested, they will need to be budgeted separately b) budget (defining the funds sought in each year of the project and the potential investment from all parties) c) project structure and management arrangements	35%
1c	Demonstrated track record of the project team, including: a) relevant achievements of the project leader in providing leadership, co-ordination, management, monitoring and evaluation and the timely delivery of high quality outputs b) relevant technical knowledge and experience of all key personnel (including proposed subcontractors) c) ability of the project team to collaborate with the relevant research organisations and industry personnel to build on the research (national and international) already undertaken in this area	30%
2	Price - The tendered budget.	N/A
3	Risk - Risks inherent in the application including the degree of compliance with the draft contract and any actual or perceived conflict of interest.	N/A

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