Record crowd numbers have attended the 2024 Foundation Farm field days learning from agricultural industry leaders, taking part in field machinery demonstrations and hearing about new research and development findings.
Foundation Farm is a Pacific Seeds initiative located outside Allora in Southern Queensland. It was officially launched in 2021 and is a farming innovation hub that facilities the testing and proving of new technologies, methods and approaches prior to implementation on farms. It looks for every day agronomic solutions to grower challenges, then tests them hands-on in the paddock before sharing that information back with growers and agronomists, all with the aim to boost productivity and sustainability in farming practices.
This year’s three-day event delivered an expanded program of speakers and information sessions covering topics such as optimising planting performance, understanding downforce control on seed depth, understanding the nutritonal value of sorghum and Fall Armyworm updates. The 2024 event also included a new panel discussion and themed sessions on sorghum, corn and silage production.
The field days were marked by excellent levels of engagement, with hundreds of farmers and agronomists attending. Many made significant journeys, travelling over 1000 kilometres, to participate in the event, highlighting the value the Pacific Seeds team continue to deliver.
Pacific Seeds Summer Grains Agronomist Trevor Philp said collaboration was key to making the Foundation Farm and its annual field days a success.
“This year saw our largest number and variety of guest speakers from across the agricultural industry, all there to share their knowledge and help growers maximise their farming productivity,” Trevor said.
“Being able to talk face-to-face with the experts and walk through paddocks with researchers is an important part of why growers attend, it’s about collaboration and taking away roadblocks to information.”
To extend the reach of the Field Days’, videos and photos from the three-day event are available on Pacific Seeds’ Facebook page. These videos offer a glimpse into the knowledge shared, the innovations showcased, and the collaborative spirit that defines the Field Days.
Pacific Seeds would like to thank our 2024 event partners for their support of the field days including Syngenta, RDO Equipment, University of Southern Queensland, RBE Engineering, Goanna Ag, Dairy Next, The University of Queensland, Culara Farming, Lallemand, Precision Seeding Solutions, Boss Agriculture, Incitec Pivot, Fronter Voice and Data and DAFF Queensland.
As Foundation Farm moves forward, it remains an important resource for the agricultural community, offering access to expert insights, cutting-edge research, and opportunities for cross-industry collaboration. The recent Field Days have once again highlighted the importance of our collective efforts in driving the future of agriculture. To learn more or to register your interest to take part in the February 2025 event, please email Trevor Philp [email protected].
If you would like to find out more about Pacific Seed's Foundation Farm, go to www.pacificseeds.com.au/science-innovation/foundation-farm