Launch of TOPCROP West crop monitoring system

28/8/96

Primary Industry Minister Monty House today launched the innovative crop monitoring and evaluation system - TOPCROP West - at the Dowerin Field Days.

Mr House said the TOPCROP West monitoring system would enable growers to evaluate crop performance through key checks, establishing benchmarks and undertaking comparative analysis of paddocks.

"TOPCROP West encourages growers to challenge perceptions on current and new cropping systems, yield and quality potential, new crops and rotations," Mr House said.

"By monitoring crops and evaluating crop performance growers are able to evaluate existing production packages, identify key factors which improve or limit production and make meaningful paddock comparisons.

"Growers are able to utilise these tools with consultants, agronomists and development officers to formulate improved management for their specific paddocks.

"TOPCROP West is innovative in that it provides groups of producers with programs to do the comparative analysis at group level and to test regional benchmarks. This is in contrast to the centralized system that operated in other states and countries."

Mr House said the program's successful development was due to the effort of all sectors of the industry.

TOPCROP West was tested and developed over two years by growers groups and industry.

The system was developed with funding support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Agriculture Western Australia, the Association of Australian Agricultural Consultants, Bank West and other rural suppliers and marketing bodies.

"Almost 60 grower groups have been involved in testing the monitoring systems and providing practical and innovative suggestions," Mr House said.

"Their participation has ensured that crop evaluation can be integrated with current farm management activities adding only about 10 minutes each month to existing workloads."

Mr House said TOPCROP West members for the 1997 growing season would receive:

+ Crop Round Up - a comprehensive manual and one card crop check system as an introduction to crop performance monitoring; and -

+ access to TOPCROP Lite - a custom-built software package suited for monitoring all crops with practical and time efficient checks and reports.

Other TOPCROP West information packages available included:

+ TOPCROP Plus - crop specific modules for cereals, lupins, canola, pulses and pastures;

+ crop nutrition kit - including the nitrogen calculator;

+ crop protection kit - weed management kit, ID field cards, weed calculator; and -

+ soil kit - with pH kit, texture card, soil probe and CSBP soil and plant test.

"TOPCROP West demonstrates the commitment of the grain industry to professional crop management," Mr House said.

"The system includes management aids and information which will help improve production efficiency, sustainability and product quality.

"When linked with emerging quality assurance systems such as SQF 2000, TOPCROP will help place Western Australia's grain growers at world's best practice.

"I commend everyone involved with the TOPCROP West initiative and recommend it to grain growers."

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell (09) 481 2044