Coordination of Participatory R&D in WA

Summary

​In 2014 Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) introduced a participatory research program to enable producer involvement in the Feedbase Investment Plan (FIP). This program was the "Producer Research Sites" (PRS) program, which had the aim of involving producers in design, implementation and interpretation of the FIP research.

25 producer groups from across Southern Australia worked with research leaders funded via the Feedbase Investment Plan.

The objectives of the PRS program was to:Add value to the existing research under the FIPTest if and how new research fits or could fit within farm systems if modifiedSpeed up the development and adoption of new researchInvolve innovative, information seeking producers in research funded by MLAFor producers to influence future research agendas
 Planfarm Pty Ltd were contracted to coordinate the delivery of the PRS program for Western Australia during the period 2014-2017.

Nine Western Australian grower groups were identified, engaged, contracted and supported to deliver Producer Research Sites within this period. These groups represented a large geographical area of the sheep and grain belts of the southern regions of the State, and a wide array of production-related topics, including;

• improving the feed-value, establishment and persistence of perennial pastures (two groups)
• soil-borne root disease of sub-clovers
• real-time biomass estimation of pastures using a low-cost hand-held imaging device and a smart-phone App
• best use of hard-seeded annual legumes in a tight crop / pasture rotation;phosphorus-use-efficiency in pasture legumes
• comparing legume types, establishment, persistence, feed value and contribution of N to subsequent crops (two groups)
• and the costs vs benefits of grazing commercial cereal crops. 

The Project B.FDP.0019 has been successfully completed with all objectives being met, and nine valuable Producer Research Sites being delivered by grower groups in Western Australia.

Three key recommendations have been identified through this project that may assist in guiding the delivery of future R&D programs:The value of a three-year time-frameThe value of higher-level communication and collaboration within research topic groupsEnsure provisions (funding & contractual commitments) for Researchers to be involved and invested in the success of Producer Research Sites.