Make your farm drought resistant

WITH the onset of an El-Nino and the potential for an early drought, it is timely for Gippsland farmers to start making their farms more tolerant of drought conditions.
The Southern Gippsland Agricultural Climate Resilience Project will host a workshop on the Drought Resistance Index, highlighting the 18 drought resistant indicators and the management options required to raise the drought resistance of a farm.
Agricultural climate resilience officer Jill Vella said the 18 key indicators provided the basis of a quick and easy to use scorecard for both pasture and cropping.
“The workshop will include a practical on-field visit where participants will learn how to use the scorecard,” she said.
“Any one of the indicators affects the resistance of a field to drought but collectively, the 18 factors have a significant influence on the drought tolerance of a farm.”
Each of the indicators is scored according to rating scales provided. As the farmer scores each indicator, it becomes immediately apparent what factors are limiting a farm’s resistance to drought and what specific aspects need to be addressed. This leads to the management options required to increase the drought resistance of a field.
“The total score gives an overall assessment of whether a field has a high, moderate or low resistance to dry conditions. The individual scores of each indicator provide an action plan as to what needs to be addressed to increase drought resistance,” Mrs Vella said.
The Drought Resistance Index workshop will be held on Friday, November 27 from 10am to 3pm.
The workshop will begin at the Outtrim Hall, Outtrim, followed by an on-field discussion at the Vagg Farm, Leongatha South.
Bookings are essential and must be made prior to Monday, November 23 online at www.tinyurl.com/ACAPdrought, or phone Mrs Vella on 0408 208 350.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Nov 10 2015. Filed under Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry