“It’s going to be interesting seeing how the biodiesel industry works. It has got to be an important part of the future for canola with the way diesel costs have gone up.”

Mr Sprigg was one of four winners announced in May.  He will be joined by Russell Moloney, New South Wales, Stuart Giles, Victoria, and Peter Kitschke, South Australia.

In New South Wales Russell Moloney has already yielded a great return from purchasing Pacific Seeds’ Tornado TT canola seed.

The Oaklands grower is New South Wales’ lucky winner of that State's component of the competition.

Russell farms with his wife, Felicity, parents Sandra and George, brother Tyson and sister-in-law, Sarah. They sowed 170 hectares Tornado TT canola this year as part of their 1,800 hectare cropping program. The Moloney’s also grow rice in the summer, when they have enough water, and run a self-replacing merino flock.

All of their winter crops are sown, but in need of rain to get started.

“Tornado canola did well for us last year,” said Mr Moloney.

“We didn’t buy it to win the competition – that’s just a great bonus.

“It’s a triazine-tolerant variety that’s suited to this area and it comes with a recommendation from our agronomist.”

Their local agronomist, Craig Sharam, from Elders Albury, helps with checking the crops and advises the Moloney’s on everything from seed and fertilisers to crop protection.

“This will be my first trip overseas, so it will all be pretty interesting,” said Mr Moloney.

(Right) Russell Moloney has won a trip to Germany this July, thanks to buying Tornado TT canola from Elders Albury.

West Charlton grower, Stuart Giles, may have preferred a little more luck with the weather at the start of the season, but couldn’t have been luckier when it came to buying canola seed.

Mr Giles is the Victorian winner of the Pacific Seeds/Elders canola competition.

Growers buying four or more bags of Pacific Seeds' canola from their local Elders branch this season were eligible to enter the competition.

Merchandise Manager and Senior Agronomist with Elders Wycheproof, Brendan Reinheimer said Mr Giles was a leading grower in the district, thoroughly researching his cropping choices and adopting new technology to improve productivity and continue leading sustainable dryland farming.

This year, he has sown canola, lupins, faba beans, chickpeas, oats and barley at ‘Nerrina Farms’, west of Charlton on some early rain. A little more rain is needed before he can finish sowing wheat and field peas.

Mr Giles purchased Rocket CL canola seed for the first time this season to plant 130 hectares of canola on fallow country. While it came up well, it is now being tested by frost.

The Clearfield® variety was chosen to overcome any wild radish and ryegrass problems.

Mr Giles is now hoping his luck rubs off on the season, so that he has all his crops in and coming along well by the time he flies out next month.

(Right) Mark Thompson from Pacific Seeds congratulates Stuart Giles on winning a study tour to Germany thanks to buying Rocket CL canola from Brendan Reinheimer, Elders Wycheproof.

Pete Kitschke has already yielded a great return from purchasing Pacific Seeds’ Tornado TT canola seed from his local Elders branch this season.

The Jamestown grower is South Australia’s lucky winner of the competition.

Mr Kitschke grew Tornado TT for the first time last year and felt it performed well, despite a dry start to the season.

“It came home with a wet sail last year and yields were above average,” he said.

He tends to buy new seed every year so that he can quickly switch to new varieties that will improve performance.

“We go for triazine-tolerant varieties because we have run into problems with wild turnip in the past, and also look for a good Blackleg rating and good early vigour,” said Mr Kitschke.

With sowing now finished, Mr Kitschke will be busy getting all his spraying up to date before he travels to Germany.

“I’m really looking forward to the trip. It will be good to see how cropping in Europe compares with here in South Australia,” he said.

Ross Warren, Sales Manager – Southern for Pacific Seeds, and Nick Kemp, National Manager – Seed and Technology, Elders, congratulated all four growers on their wins.

(Right) Andrew Etherton from Pacific Seeds congratulates Pete Kitschke on winning a place on the study tour to Germany, thanks to buying Tornado TT canola from Darren Pech, Elders Jamestown.