Fact sheet provides guide for growers

GRAIN growers who cut moisture-stressed and frost-affected crops for hay and silage this year are advised to record their crop management strategies, including feed quality and livestock outcomes for benchmarking purposes.

Record keeping (notes, photographs and videos) will form an important resource for growers in coming years, should they be required to cut crops again in response to seasonal conditions. The advice comes from farm consultants, industry organisations and the Grains Research and Development Corporation who are supporting growers with their decision making on management of this year’s winter crops. To this end, the GRDC has just published an updated Hay and Silage Fact Sheet on making the most of a failed winter crop. GRDC grower relations manager north Richard Holzknecht said the fact sheet highlighted the importance of recording all crop measurements, yields, costs, feed quality and livestock outcomes as a future resource.

“The decision to cut crops for hay or silage is often one made during a stressful time,” Mr Holzknecht said.

“Growers who are able to record what action they took, the practices applied and the results achieved will have a vital guide if they are forced to cut crops again at some point in the future.

“These records could become an important resource or rule of thumb to help growers make similar decisions under pressure.”

The GRDC Hay and Silage Fact Sheet encourages growers to review these records at a later stage to determine what additional information could have improved or helped their decision making. Growers are reminded that market variability and volatility should be factored into future decision making.

The fact sheet is available at www.grdc.com.au.