vegetables

12
R&D
Farm Productivity,
Resource Use
& Management
Presenters at the launch of the National Vegetable Extension
Network event at Schreurs & Sons farm in Clyde, Victoria.
The National Vegetable Extension
Network is up and running
HORTICULTURE INNOVATION AUSTRALIA HAS TEAMED UP WITH MEMBERS OF THE
VEGETABLE INDUSTRY TO DEVELOP THE NATIONAL VEGETABLE EXTENSION NETWORK.
THE AIM OF THE NETWORK IS TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE INFORMATION
TO GROWERS THROUGH 10 REGIONALLY-BASED EXTENSION PROJECTS, WITH
COORDINATION AND SUPPORT PROVIDED BY APPLIED HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH.
For too long, research funded
by vegetable growers and
Australian taxpayers has done
only half the job.
Researchers have made
great progress in developing
and testing new methods for
pest and disease control, postharvest
handling, soil health,
biosecurity, crop agronomy,
irrigation, health and nutrition,
and more. While some of these
projects have extended their
findings back to the growers in
a useful and practical way,
sadly, most struggle.
A wealth of potentially useful
information languishes in
carefully written final reports
or scientific papers that few
growers or industry practitioners
will ever read.
The good news is that this is
all about to change.
The National Vegetable
Extension Network has been set
up by Horticulture Innovation
Australia (Hort Innovation)
and the vegetable industry
to effectively extend vitally
important research-based
information to growers.
It may surprise you to know
just how much information has
been produced by current and
already completed vegetable
R&D projects:
The Australian vegetable
industry and Hort
Innovation has funded
235 separate research or
development projects over
the past 10 years;
There are more than 600
R&D outputs currently
available on the AUSVEG
InfoVeg website (ausveg.com.
au/infoveg), as well as
relevant outputs from other
horticultural industries,
R&D from the private
sector and international
scientific literature;
A recent review of vegetable
industry extension materials
identified and reviewed
nearly 300 extension
resources including fact
sheets, ute guides, books,
CDs and DVDs, websites
and posters.
Regional projects: The lifeblood
of the National Vegetable
Extension Network flows from
10 regionally-based extension
projects. The regional extension
projects and the leaders’
contact details are listed on
the next page.
Coordination and support:
Overall extension program
technical support and
coordination is being provided
by Applied Horticultural
Research (AHR). In this
important supporting role,
AHR staff Adam Goldwater
and Dr Gordon Rogers will
assist the program.
Review of recent vegetable
research: All recent and
current vegetable R&D
projects will be reviewed
and any available extension
materials such as fact sheets,
books and ute guides will be
identified for regional projects
to use. The review will also
identify current projects
that incorporate extension.
This review is critically
important for the regional
projects so participants are
aware of the research
available for extension.
Coordination: Assist regional
projects to prioritise projects
to suit local needs and
coordinate with other regions.
AHR will also help coordinate
with national extension
projects such as Soil Wealth,
Integrated Crop Protection
and Soil Borne Disease
Management. Regular
meetings will be organised to
bolster collaboration between
the regional project staff and
deliver a united, cohesive
program that works to benefit
vegetable growers.
Branding: The name and
logo that you see in this article
was developed as the first
official activity of the
coordination project.
Videos: In the first year, five
videos will be produced that
regional projects will be able
to use to help communicate
the results of key research.
Communication: This is what
it’s all about, and AUSVEG will