By Gabrielle Hall
Thirty four years ago a group of farmers had a vision to do some cropping trials and throw open the paddock gate for a field day to share the results with like-minded grain growers.
Fast forward to 2016 and that same agronomy field day at Hart – between Blyth and Brinkworth in South Australia’s Mid North, about 200 kilometres north of Adelaide – has grown at least twenty-fold and cemented itself as one of the most respected in Australia.
Come mid-September each year, utes throwing up dust off the dirt roads can be seen for miles around as they arrive in droves for the annual Hart Field Day.
Agronomist and consultant Dr Allan Mayfield has been involved almost from the beginning and says the Hart Field Day has become well-known and respected for its independent, wide ranging trials and giving farmers direct access to researchers, agronomists and other experienced growers.
Agronomist and consultant, Dr Allan Mayfield, is pictured left
Allan says the field day has grown with an impressive, permanent field site at Hart, with at least 20 rolling sessions throughout the day, and is highly regarded across the country.
“The beginning was just a medic trial with a few herbicide treatments on Kevin Jaeschke’s farm,” he says.
“The trial was about 50 square metres – so small it would fit into a lot of people’s backyards. Now the trials cover more than eight hectares of the 40ha site.
“The trials are now wide and varied, ranging from wheat varieties through to herbicides to seeding systems and crop management, and with the site now wholly owned by the Hart Field-Site Group – the only known group to have achieved full ownership of a trial site in Australia – it enables long term trials to be undertaken.”
Hart Field Day has grown with an impressive, permanent field site, with at least 20 rolling sessions throughout the day
While there have been many improvements and additions to the field day, Allan says some things – including its winning formula – have not changed over the past 34 years.
“Some things haven’t changed at all. The first trial is still there, embedded in a much larger legume herbicide trial, meaning they’ve been able to study the results across different seasonal conditions over the years,” he says.
“And the big crowds that attended in the 1980s are still attending so it’s testament that the Hart Field-Site Group are still providing the trials and information that farmers want.
“The group has maintained its focus and certainly the essence of it is still the same – providing high quality trials.”
Hart Field-Site Group chairman, Damien Sommerville, believes the independent agronomic advice is what keeps farmers coming back to the Hart Field Day, along with the group’s other annual events including a Getting the Crop In seminar, and winter and spring crop walks.
“I think growers just know it’s somewhere they can go to get non-commercial, independent information about cropping,” he says.
Hart Field-Site Group chairman, Damien Sommerville
“They come to Hart to get up to date with the latest results, all available in the one location.”
Damien says the group expects continued success for the Hart Field Day and the Hart trial site.
“Looking ahead, I believe the future for Hart is very bright,” he says.
“The major funding bodies value our ability to deliver relevant research outcomes and see us as a good way of extending information directly to growers.”
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