Viterra employees took part in a planting day last week to support a biocontrol measure on the Yorke Peninsula.
Employees helped plant two native vegetation plots at farmers properties on the southern Yorke Peninsula near Yorketown. The vegetation creates a habitat for parasitoid flies that act as a biocontrol agent for pest conical snails, which can create challenges for local grain growers.
Led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and the University of Adelaide, the three-year research program is funded and supported by South Australian Grain Industry Trust (SAGIT), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Viterra in partnership with Trees for Life and Grain Producers SA (GPSA).
As well as providing funding, Viterra has supplied area on their Port Giles and Ardrossan sites for two of the native vegetation strips, which the business helped to successfully plant in August last year and continues to maintain on an ongoing basis.
Viterra employees were encouraged to volunteer to help with the planting last year and last week, with the business providing transportation for staff to travel from Adelaide to the Yorke Peninsula to take part.
Viterra Senior Commercial Manager Lyndon Asser, says the planting was a success and the initiative is a great example of the industry coming together to benefit local communities.
“We are hoping the project will continue to create and improve the environment for the flies which supports their establishment and continued survival in these areas. The native vegetation also increases biodiversity at our sites, which has a range of other environmental benefits.
“It was great to see our staff taking part and supporting the initiative, and together with team members from SARDI and GPSA, the landowners and other local growers, we planted 500 seedlings.
“We have additional planting to carry out at Port Giles and Ardrossan in the next few weeks.”
SARDI will continue to monitor the habitat, and the effect on snail populations over the remainder of the project.