VG04014 better brassica – roadshow model

The 2005 Better Brassica Project has
become somewhat of an industry
model, of a growers’ roadshow and
information blitz with the power to
transform research into practice.

The Brassica industry has made significant investment into researching pest and disease issues faced by the industry.

A few years have elapsed since some of these projects finished. Results of this research are highly sought after but have not always been easy to access particularly if the project has been completed.

The better brassicas project was designed to collate and deliver the most up to date information from current and recently completed disease management projects.

There were many advantages to a coordinated approach to delivery of R&D outcomes including: economies of scale, grower willingness to participate and the elimination of state bias in information delivery.

While the workshops did not reach all growers, those that attended were overwhelmingly positive in their feedback about the workshops.

High quality supplemental publications would be needed to compliment these events because workshops are only ever going to be attended by a proportion of the industry.

Over five weeks, 11 Better
Brassica Project workshops were
held in the main production areas
in every state and attracted 193
growers.

Evaluation interviews 6 months later, showed two thirds
of the growers who had attended
said it had encouraged them to make
changes to combat white blister and
clubroot.

One third of the growers
who hadn’t attended had changed
their practices because of the special
information mailout sent to all 1170
brassica growers.

Vegetable seedling
nursery managers were targeted with
a specially produced publication and
poster.

Changes included planting new
varieties, improving farm hygiene,
changing chemicals and irrigation
practices, and changing the soil pH.

Some growers decided to check their
nursery’s hygiene protocols for the
first time.
The growers said they liked receiving
research findings as a complete
management package.

This project was facilitated by HAL in partnership with AUSVEG and was funded by the National Vegetable levy. The Australian Government provides matched funding for all HAL’s R&D activities.