23 November 2021.
The eagerly-anticipated AgForce crowdsourcing webmap is up and running – enabling thousands of landowners to help with the management of pasture dieback.
We are encouraging all members to get involved in this citizen science, which was developed by AgForce through joint funding from Meat & Livestock Australia and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
The more we know, the easier it will be to understand the spread of pasture dieback across eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
It’s easy to get started. Simply open the webmap, read the instructions, draw in the affected area of pasture dieback then answer a few key questions on your observations followed by an option to upload pasture dieback photos. Repeat this process for each area of pasture dieback.
Why should you get involved?
- Areas of impact combined with ongoing research into causes and management of pasture dieback will help find solutions
- Determining total areas affected will confirm the economic cost of reduced carrying capacity to the grazing industry and environmental impacts due to reduced ground cover. Current estimate is a $2billion loss to the Queensland grazing industry
- The crowdsource map will help predict vulnerable areas to future pasture dieback outbreaks and collate photos of symptoms across a wide range of improved pasture species
Users of the crowdsource map can view other mapped pasture dieback areas, site observations and any uploaded photos.
However, any contact details supplied through the webmap will be securely stored by AgForce.
You also have a choice to share, or not to share contact details with Meat and Livestock Australia MLA and the pasture dieback research team.
Before using the webmap for the first time, AgForce recommends you open and read the brief instructions on the front page, listed within “Click here before starting”.
We also encourage you to share this webmap link with other land managers affected by pasture dieback.
Together we can get on top of the problem and find a solution.
For any technical mapping queries please contact Noel Brinsmead (0400 665 436 or brinsmeadn@agforceqld.org.au), and for any pasture dieback identification and impact queries, get in touch with Marie Vitelli (0429 062 852 or vitellim@agforceqld.org.au).
More information on pasture dieback symptoms and research updates can be found on MLA’s pasture dieback hub, or the DAF Future Beef and DPI NSW websites.