ONE of the richest grain prizes in the state’s history has been won by Mid North farmer Tom Robinson.
The inaugural Nufarm National Grain Innovation Award provided $5000 towards an overseas study tour, with it run by the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA’s grain and fodder committee.
Mr Robinson said his goal on-farm was to enhance soil health while still remaining profitable.
With this in mind, he will use his winnings to visit North America and explore intercropping – growing two crops at once – and relay cropping, where farmers grow a wide row wheat and then return later to sow a crop, such as soybeans, when the soil temperature is warmer.
“There’s a few farmers overseas who are doing relay cropping really well,” he said.
“How often do we have rains in SA at harvest time that we can’t make use of? By trialling relay cropping we could grow a successful summer crop like soy or mung beans.”
Croplands southern region manager Bill Burgess said Nufarm wanted to support the next generation of Australian farmers through the award.
“The grains and fodder committee at the Royal Adelaide Show have a very similar mindset to us, so it made sense to support them,” he said.
Kadina farmer Brenton McRae won the inaugural National Fodder Award, supported by Pasture Genetics, which contributed proprietary seed product worth $3000 and a one-on-one on-farm agronomic consultation. By setting up a catchment dam, Mr McRae maximised his property’s production while also dealing with Kadina’s excess stormwater problem.
