Focus on Phosphorus Forum

Focus on Phosphorus Forum

Lucindale

 

Thursday 28 August 2025

8.45am - 12.30pm

Lucindale Football Clubrooms

3 Centenary Avenue Lucindale SA

MFMG Members $25, additional MFMG primary producer members $15, Non-MFMG members $100.

Morning tea and light lunch provided.

*To receive the reduced ticket price you must login to your account on this website

 

Gain first-hand insights from leading researchers and agronomists as they unpack how phosphorus behaves, the potential challenges to its availability, and what it means for your cropping decisions.

Take a deep dive into phosphorus sources and application - its constraints, sources and strategy. How can these learnings drive practical strategies on farm? 

Hear about the recently commenced South Australian Grains Trust (SAGIT) phosphorus project.

This Forum is designed for farmers and agronomists keen to dive deeper into phosphorus and its role in crop nutrition — covering its behaviour, challenges and application. A dedicated Q&A session will provide a valuable opportunity to have your specific questions addressed. 

 

Presenters and Topics:

• Adam Hancock, Agronomist - SAGIT phosphorus project introduction and variable rate application
• Therese McBeath, CSIRO - Understanding constraints to phosphorus on calcareous soils
• Nigel Whilhelm, SARDI - Phosphorus sources and strategy
• Sean Mason - Soil testing options and critical values
• Dr Mel Fraser, Soil Function Consulting - Practical Decisions

 

 

Cost

MFMG Members $25, additional MFMG primary producer members $15

Non MFMG members $100.

Morning tea and light lunch provided.

*To receive the reduced ticket price you must login to your account on this website

Registrations essential- www.mackillopgroup.com.au/events

Download flyer . 

 

Presenters

Adam Hancock, Agronomist, Elders

Adam Hancock is an agronomist based in South East South Australia with over 15 years of experience supporting growers. He is passionate about applied research and development, with a focus on crop nutrition, soil constraints and farming systems. At Elders, Adam provides agronomic advice, including precision agriculture services. He has managed numerous industry-funded projects and is a long-time collaborator with grower groups and research bodies. Adam holds roles with the Mackillop Farm Management Group, the South Australian Durum Growers Association and the Grassland Society, and previously served on the GRDC Regional Cropping Solutions Panel. He is committed to ensuring research delivers practical benefits to growers.

 

Therese McBeath, Principal Research Scientist, Team Leader, CSIRO Agriculture and Food Systems Program, Waite

Therese has expertise in soil and crop management and works on a range of largely industry funded projects that test strategies to improve productivity and profit-risk outcomes for growers across Australia’s cropping regions.

 

Dr Nigel Wilhelm, Senior Research Scientist Crop Sciences Division Research Program - Agronomy, PIRSA

Dr Wilhelm has over four decades of experience leading and undertaking applied R&D directed at the improvement of profitability and sustainability in the southern Australian grains sector. Dr Wilhelm specialised in crop nutrition during his postgraduate studies, focussing on identification, impact and management of trace element deficiencies in broadacre crops and pastures. His activities in field-based applied research have expanded in the last two decades to include crop sequencing, soil amelioration and management of major nutrients in cropping systems.

 

Dr Sean Mason, Research Agronomist - Director, Agronomy Solutions

Dr. Sean Mason, B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D., has an extensive career in soil and plant nutrition, spanning both academic and industry sectors. He holds a Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from the University of Adelaide, where his groundbreaking research focused on the development of the Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT) technique to predict nutrient availability to plants. Sean has been instrumental in leading numerous research projects aimed at optimising soil and plant nutrition. His work has garnered significant recognition for projects such as optimising phosphorus nutrition in pulses and using soil and plant testing data to improve nutrient management.

 

Dr Mel Fraser, Soil Function Consulting

Dr Melissa Fraser from Soil Function Consulting is the Limestone Coast’s resident soil scientist, working across research and development, extension and education and on-farm diagnosis of constraints. She fell in love with the region when she started her PhD in 2005 and has spent more than 20 years working across SA, Qld and the NT exploring solutions to the challenges that our farmers face. Dr Fraser is passionate about soil health and the role it plays in growing healthy plants, crops, animals and humans. 

 

• Pen and notebook - so you don't miss any critical information

This project is funded by:

This project is supported by South Australian Grain Industry Trust and SA Drought Hub through the Australian Governments' Future Drought Fund.