Did you know that over half of Australia’s land mass is used for agricultural production? How about that about 70% of agricultural production in Australia is exported to other countries? Or what can feed 60-70 million people? Answer: Australian agriculture. Australian agricultural production is such an important contributor to global food security and the circular economy.
To learn about real practice of sustainable agriculture, and to find out opportunities for further study and careers, our MLMC Agriculture cohort had a wonderful opportunity for a day trip to Dookie College, an agricultural campus of the University of Melbourne, on Friday 4 August.
Our students had the wonderful opportunity to have a tour of the Dookie robotic dairy, where cows get milked three times a day and are able to choose when they want to be milked. Students were able to identify the many aspects of the dairy that support good animal welfare practices.
Students were also shown the many cropping trials researchers at the university are completing. One to note was the different coleoptile (emerging seed shoot) lengths of barley and how longer lengths can increase drought tolerance through better seed access to soil moisture at depth. We also had a look into soil testing and the importance of quality soils in growing food and fibre.
Ros Gall, head of the Dookie campus, took the group into the spectacular study hall of the campus, and treated us to a spectacular pathways and careers talk. It was a very informative and inspiring field trip to get all our students excited for a potentially fulfilling career in agriculture.
