Foreword

This volume contains the invited and contributed papers presented at the 3rd Australian Agronomy Conference organised by the Australian Society of Agronomy at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, in January/February 1985. In adopting the theme of "Crop and Pasture Production - Science and Practice", the Management Committee wished to emphasise the importance of understanding both the scientific basis and the practical requirements for sustaining or increasing agricultural production, and to stress the need for scientists and farmers to work together.

Following this and two previous successful Conferences (at Gatton, Queensland in 1980 and Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. in 1982), the Australian Society of Agronomy is now well established with a growing body of over 250 financial members. Membership of the Society is open to any person interested in the production, improvement and use of economic plants.

The constitution of the Society was amended at the 3rd Conference and the amended constitution is published in these Proceedings. The membership subscription was set at $20, which provides membership until the next (4th) Conference in 1987 and includes a copy of the Proceedings of the 4th Conference and a discount on any other publications of the Society until that date. Work is well advanced on the first of these "other publications", a monograph on Tillage in Australia, which is expected to be published by Inkata Press in the next few months. This venture marks a further step in the development of the Society.

In keeping with the primary object of the Society, the holding of biennial national conferences, the 4th Australian Agronomy Conference will be held in Victoria in 1987. Members of the Society will receive full details of this conference in due course, and anyone interested in joining the Society can do so by writing to the permanent mailing address of the Society:

c/,- Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, 191 Royal Parade
Parkville, Victoria, 3052.

M.G. Temple-Smith
Chairman, 3rd Australian Agronomy Conference.

Conference Overview

Putting science into practice - an overview presented at the final conference session
J.V. Lovett

Acknowledgements

The Australian Society of Agronomy gratefully acknowledges the support and financial contributions received from the following donors:-

  • Ansett Airlines of Australia, Hobart, Tasmania
  • Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., Hobart, Tasmania
  • Australian Fertilisers Ltd., North Sydney, N.S.W.
  • Bayer Australia Ltd., Botany, N.S.W.
  • Commonwealth Development Dank of Australia, Hobart, Tasmania
  • Cyanamid Australia Pty. Ltd., Baulkham Hills, N.S.W.
  • Delta T Devices, The Gap
  • Queensland Department of Agriculture
  • Tasmania Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australia Ltd., Hobart, Tasmania
  • Glaxo Australia Pty. Ltd., Latrobe, Tasmania
  • ICI Australia Operations Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria
  • Monsanto Australia Limited
  • Tasmanian Government Tourist Bureau, Hobart, Tasmania
  • The Phosphate Co-Operative Company of Australia Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria

The Editorwishes to acknowledge the very substantial amount of help received from Mr. B.A. Rowe in the preparation of these Proceedings.

The co-operation of authors and referees and the willing assistance of typists and others is also greatly appreciated.