Regional testing of pasture varieties - auditing & accreditation

Summary

Virtually all information available to farmers needed for the evaluation and selection of pasture cultivars comes from private seed company trials. Seed companies present conflicting messages and farmers, at best, view the information with scepticism. This project sought to develop an industry wide auditing and accreditation system for pasture seed company trials through an extensive collaborative approach with the seed industry. As a result of this process, a comprehensive set of protocols and processes for the both the conduct and then auditing and accreditation of trials has been developed. The adoption and implementation of the auditing and accreditation program would lead to the delivery of trial data to farmers that has been independently checked, has a high level of integrity and quality and can be trusted. This will underpin the education and development of discerning farmers, confident in the information they have at their disposal and capable of selecting and using advanced plant genetics.