If manganese is the spark plug of the soil, then the Gippsland Agricultural Group is the engine driving research and development in eastern Victoria.
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GAgG, made up of farmers from central, South and East Gippsland hosted a field day at Bairnsdale on Tuesday with 97 participants.
COVID-19 restrictions meant GAgG members led small parties of farmers on a paddock walk at staggered times around the Gippsland Research Farm, visiting six presenters on the site.
"Over the past few years, the ag community in this region has been dealt a full house with, drought, fires, floods, and COVID," GAgG general manager, Jen Smith, Tambo Crossing, said.
"Despite those challenges GAgG has stood up the research farm, delivered trials, demos and projects that are relevant and practical for farmers in the region.
"It's created a great deal of optimism and excitement about the future potential for ag in this region."
She said the day was full of trials and demonstrations which were authored, published and read by farmers.
"It's a relevant and practical model that delivers research and developments directly to the hands of those who will implement them to bring meaningful outcomes for food and fibre production," she said.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what's taken away and implemented on farms in the coming year."
Presenter Peter Norwood, Full Circle Nutrition, Maffra, spoke about the role trace elements play in soil, plant and animal health, in relation to the group's omissions trial.
The omissions trial looks at what happens when one element is left out of the fertiliser mix, with each plot receiving everything bar one element.
"Manganese is the spark plug, it's incredibly important for plants," he said.
"The three things we need in the soil are carbon, microbes and oxygen."
Presenter Peter Notman, Notman Pasture Seeds Australia, spoke on the influence N, P, K, S and lime can have on pastures and crops, and the cost versus the benefit, while Stephanie Buleen explained drench resistance and the importance of testing for worm egg counts.
Each of the six speakers were put forward by the relevant GAgG sub-committees.
GAgG president Trent Anderson Giffard, said it was great to engage so many different groups of ag who were at varying levels of farming.
"It's great to have demonstrations and presenters but it's the sharing of ideas and the conversations afterwards - there's as much learning in that space as well," Trent said.
Presenter Greg Hall, Precision Ag, said the research site was incredible.
"It gives access to information people would otherwise possibly not have," he said.
"We had some good discussion on soil carbon and carbon base linking, as well as drainage mapping.
"It was certainly worthwhile, particularly meeting farmers we wouldn't usually meet."
Ms Smith said the research farm offered something for every farmer to learn from.
"It was great to see producers excited about their farm's production potential and spending time with other producers," she said.
