2021 GIAV Crop Tour – Sponsored by Perkins & Co Resources

Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 October 2021

Background

A program suited to 30 to 60 participating crop scouts has been modelled from similar tours undertaken in the US and is suited to Grain Industry Association Victoria members, traders, millers, growers, brokers, students, grain analysts and those in agri business. Your attendance will boost your agronomic skills, generate first hand knowledge of yield and production potential of wheat and barley crops and provide valuable industry networking.

Logistics:

• • Bendigo is our start and end point and travel options include car, train or pick up/drop off from/to Melbourne Airport can be arranged before and after the tour
  • We will meet in Bendigo on the Tuesday evening prior to the tour where a dinner briefing will introduce participants to their tour groups as well as the crop estimating techniques and the app being used
  • Surplus cars can be parked in Bendigo during the tour
  • Participants will be assigned to a route and a travel group of 3 to 4 people
  • Groups will be assigned to provide a mix of skills and experience within each car
  • Each car group will be able to inspect around 12 to 14 paddocks a day
  • Cars will leave from Bendigo on Wednesday and travel on different routes to three different towns
  • On Thursday reassigned groups will travel on different routes that will return to Bendigo
  • On Thursday evening there will be a post tour briefing and meal provided in Bendigo
  • Participants can return home by car or train from Bendigo

Biosecurity

• Boot hygiene protocol will be adopted (Plant Health Aust) with wash kits provided
• Without vehicles on paddocks the risk of pests/weed seeds spreading will be reduced

Assessment methods

• Using tools provided, crop assessors will count grain heads/m of row and grains/head
• Estimates, GPS locations, comments and photos will be recorded in the field via an app
• Results from the phone app will be collated by the GIAV and results provided

Materials, fees and registration

• Training, accessing tools, maps of routes, wash kits and Tour teams will be provided for each assessor
• GIAV provides meals on two nights and reserves blocks of rooms at motels for participants to confirm
• Registration TBC