BASF’s Community Paddock initiative continues into its third year with the announcement of its newest location – Maitland in South Australia.
BASF is partnering with local grower Paul Ackland, who has generously allocated 22ha to grow a community barley crop.
As part of the collaboration, BASF will provide crop protection products and continuous agronomic support throughout the season to support healthy crop growth, with profits from the barley grown to be donated to the Maitland Apex Club.
“We are thrilled to expand our Community Paddock project to the Maitland community,” BASF agricultural solutions Australia and New Zealand head Parvana Wali said.
“This initiative not only supports the local community, but also allows us to showcase the effectiveness of BASF’s innovative solutions such as Systiva, Voraxor, and even the newly registered Revystar fungicide,” she said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing high-quality yields with harvest profits that will help the Maitland community grow.”
Mr Ackland, a local agronomist and outgoing president of the Maitland Apex Club, was inspired to instigate a Community Paddock in his town after attending a crop walk of the 2023 Paskeville Paddock.
“Partnering with BASF has been a tremendous boost for the Maitland Apex Club. Their support allows us to keep costs low, ensuring every dollar raised from the barley harvest goes directly back into local projects,” he said.
To celebrate the partnership, last night BASF and the Maitland Apex Club hosted a dinner attended by more than 50 growers. BASF representatives and local growers discussed the importance of continued resistance management practices, and the importance of managing physical and mental health.
The event was followed by a visit to the trial site the next day, where growers learnt more about BASF’s crop protection products.
The Maitland site was sown with barley in June and has been carefully treated with BASF products including seed treatment fungicide Systiva, powerful herbicides Voraxor and Frequency, broad-spectrum fungicide Opera, and innovative fungicide Revystar.
BASF broadacre and technical specialists make regular visits to the sites to ensure the crops are thriving and the right products are being used effectively.
Throughout the growing season, local farmers and agronomists will have the opportunity to visit the Community Paddock to see firsthand the crops’ progress and the positive community impact of the initiative.
“We’ve worked hard to develop Apex Park over the years, and with the profits from this harvest, we hope to add a new playground for young children along with a barbecue area for families to enjoy. It’s all about giving back to the community that has given us so much,” Mr Ackland said.
