Member Groups; The Lismore Land Protection Group, Weering-Eurack Landcare Group, Leslie Manor Landcare Group, Cundare Duverney Landcare Group, Weerite Landcare Group & Mount Elephant Community Management
Local efforts recognised in 30th Anniversary Landcare Awards
Invasive Plant Classifications
What to do with stubbles
Improving our knowledge and understanding of local soils
Coming up
Lismore Land Protection Group XMAS BBQ
6:00pm Thursday 8th December, Lismore Golf Club
Lismore Land Protection Group Meeting
7:30pmThursday 9th Feb 2017 19 High St, Lismore
Mount Elephant Community Management
XMAS BBQ & meeting
6:30pm Monday 12th Dec, Mt Elephant Visitor Centre
Mount Elephant open day
Open every Sunday from 1pm to 4pm
LLPG Christmas Break Up BBQ Lismore Golf Club 6.00pm Thursday 8th December
Meat supplied. Drinks available – bar prices. Please bring a salad or desert to share. Kids activities.
Followed by a presentation on the local soil characterisation and predictive soil mapping project.
Please RSVP to LLPG by Tuesday 6th Dec.
‘Innovation in the Otways’ bus trip, 22–23 March, 2017
This two day tour will showcase innovative and sustainable practices right in our backyard. The tour will take in a truffle and walnut farm, cheese making, a goat dairy and businesses where berries and cut flowers complement the working farm. Overnight accommodation will be at the historic ‘Tarndwarncoort’ Homestead at Warncoort. The Sue Hickey grant has been secured leaving an estimated out-of-pocket cost between $100-$150 per person, which includes all meals, accommodation and bus hire. Numbers are limited so register your interest soon.
30th Anniversary Landcare Awards Recognises Locals
Robert Missen and Brian Wilson were recognised for their dedication and service to Landcare with their names placed on the 30th Anniversary Landcare Honour Roll.
Brian served as LLPG president from 2002 to 2015, recently took on the role of LLPG treasurer, and serves on two steering committees for the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA).
Robert chaired the Weering Eurack Landcare Group for 4 years and served as secretary from 2000 to 2016, and was a board member of the CCMA from 1998 to 2003. Both have lead by example by undertaking extensive Landcare activities to improve their properties.
Congratulations also to (almost local) Alice Knight on receiving the 2016 Joan Kirner Landcare Award in recognition of her efforts and achievements in caring for the land on their Pittong farm (along with husband Kevin), as member of Woady Yaloak Landcare Group, and as chair and long serving board member of CCMA.
Invasive Plant Classifications - Declared noxious weeds
Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) certain plants are declared as noxious weeds in Victoria. These plants cause environmental or economic harm or have the potential to cause such harm. They can also present risks to human health. The CaLP Act defines four categories of noxious weeds, and invasive plants are categorised into one of the four categories for each catchment region in Victoria. The categories are 1 State prohibited weeds
These invasive plants either do not occur in Victoria but pose a significant threat if they invade, or are present and pose a serious threat but can reasonably be expected to be eradicated. If present, infestations of a State prohibited weed are relatively small. They are to be eradicated from Victoria if possible or excluded from the State. The Victorian Government is responsible for their eradication, but under Section 70(1) of the CaLP Act, it may direct land owners to prevent their growth and spread. If you think you have purchased or seen a State prohibited weed, please contact the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) by telephoning 136 186
2 Regionally prohibited weeds
Regionally prohibited weeds are not widely distributed in a region but are capable of spreading further. It is reasonable to expect that they can be eradicated from a region and they must be managed with that goal. Land owners, including public authorities responsible for crown land management, must take all reasonable steps to eradicate regionally prohibited weeds on their land. Examples in Corangamite CMA region are Amsinckia, African Daisy, Two leaf Cape Tulip, African feather grass
3 Regionally controlled weeds
These invasive plants are usually widespread in a region. To prevent their spread, ongoing control measures are required. Land owners have the responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent the growth and spread of regionally controlled weeds on their land. Examples in the CCMA region are Gorse, Horehound, Boxthorn, Patersons Curse, Serrated Tussock, Bathurst Burr
4 Restricted weeds
This category includes plants that pose an unacceptable risk of spreading in this State and are a serious threat to another State or Territory of Australia. Trade in these weeds and their propagules, either as plants, seeds or contaminants in other materials is prohibited. Examples in the CCMA region are Chilean Needle Grass, Spiny Rush, Greater Mullein, Wild Mignonette, Slender/Shore thistle, Variegated thistle.
While there is legal obligation to control weeds, it is sensible farming practice, as weeds have a significant loss on productivity. For more information on declared weeds
What to do with stubbles? Improve your soil health.
Given the good spring, we are currently looking at plenty of bulk in crops and a lot of stubble, to be either left on paddocks to be burnt, or rolled up and removed. Alternatively the stubble, or at least some of it, could be retained to increase the soil organic matter (SOM) levels and improve soil health.
There three main fractions of SOM, these being particulate, humus and recalcitrant. Particulate organic carbon (POC) is predominantly decomposing plant material. It decomposes fairly quickly (ie. over weeks to years) and is the main food for soil microbes. The humus (HOC) fraction of SOM is the more resistant fraction left over after decomposition of the particulate fraction by microorganisms. HOC can last for decades to centuries. It is very small, often attached to soil particles and gives soil its black/dark-brown colour. Recalcitrant carbon is inert material resistant to decomposition, and lasts for thousands of years. It is mostly dominated by charcoal. What are the benefits of increase SOM levels
Increasing POC levels will improve soil structure and friability (tilth) with a consequent reduction in soil strength. This makes for easier sowing and tillage operations, and reduced fuel costs. It will also increase water infiltration into soil and soil microbial activity.
Research conducted by CSIRO and various State Agricultural Departments has found that the humus organic carbon (HOC) is the most important for increasing yields across all soil types, by increasing nutrient supply through cycling of nutrients and contributing most to the release of nitrate and ammonium in the soil. The HOC fraction is also important for buffering against soil acidification and improving waterholding capacity, although this last effect is more marked on lighter textured (sandier) soils than on clays. How to avoid the poor experiences of the past
Essential to increasing SOM is to incorporate the stubbles into the soil, to assist decomposition and protect the SOM from losses to the atmosphere. Locally, a number of landholders have tried in the past to incorporate stubbles into the soils to retain them, only to experience a number of problems such as poor decomposition of the stubbles leading to blocking of seeders at sowing, and increased slugs and disease.
A bad experience could deter many from trying the practice again, but it is not to say the practice can’t be made to work in the future. So what went wrong and what needs to be done to make it work?
Clive Kirkby (formerly of CSIRO) spent years researching the practice. Clive found it can be done successfully even with stubble loads of up to 13 t/ha, providing the required amount of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sulphur etc) are available to promote the soil microbial activity to breakdown the stubbles. Hoyle (2006) found warmer soil temperature and adequate soil moisture are also key factors influencing the rate of decomposition, as they stimulate the activity of soil microbes.
To successfully incorporate stubbles requires them to be sufficiently decomposed before the onset of cold and potentially waterlogged conditions in winter that inhibit or stop microbial activity. To achieve this
the stubbles need to be incorporated early in the summer to allow sufficient time for their breakdown while conditions are warm enough for microbial activity,
sufficient nutrients are available to stimulate microbial activity, and
there is some soil moisture (summer rainfall).
Importantly what happens at harvest will also influence the rate of decomposition, such as how much stubble you decide to leave on the paddock, how much is left standing, and how you spread the trash. Local sites to trial stubble incorporation practices
With funding from Landcare Australia the Cundare Duverney Landcare Group will be establishing five sites across the Corangamite Lakes Landcare area at David Manifolds, Craig Beazleys, Rohan Turners, Chris Gibsons and Justin Alexanders. The trials will compare three different treatments to assist the decomposition of wheat stubbles which have been incorporated into the soil. At each site, each treatment will be of about 4 to 5 hectares, giving a total of about 20 to 25 ha of each treatment spread across a range of soil types.
Participating landholder Craig Beazley said “There are many good reasons to retain stubbles to improve soil health. This may not totally eliminate burning due to problems with rye grass, but perhaps over time I can reduce burning by 50% or more. Changing the rotation to include beans to enable use of a broader range of herbicides may also help with rye grass. ”
A number of field walks will be conducted over the next year to view the trials and monitor the results.
This newsletter has been funded under the
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
“Communities for Nature Program”.
Lismore Land Protection Group
19 High Street (PO Box 28) Lismore, Victoria 3324 Ph: 03 5596 2384 Landcare Facilitators:
Rod Eldridge: 0458 390146 email: llpgrod@westnet.com.au Shari McConachy 0409 070089 email: llpgsharim@westnet.com.au Find us on the Landcare Gateway here
