Val and Sam Micallef, of Alandale Produce, predominantly grow cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and sweetcorn crops across two properties totalling 150 acres.

The brothers say they have experienced plenty of post-flooding challenges on 50 acres of Macquarie River flats since November 2022.

"The 2022-2023 season was challenging," Val Micallef said.

"The floods moved soil around the property, we lost valuable nutrients and compaction became an issue when we came to plant.

"Then because it was so wet, that crop was devastated by the soilborne Clubroot disease."

The Micallef brothers say the 50 acres has undergone an intensive rework to improve drainage, a nutrient program to increase soil fertility, and lime applications to reach a desired pH range of 7.0-7.5 to combat Clubroot.

"We have given the area a spell from brassicas to break the Clubroot," Val Micallef said.

"This year we had a good crop of sweet corn from the block, but yield was still uneven, highlighting we still have some work to do.

"Recovery is long."

The field day at the Micallefs' property will be one of two being run by industry body AUSVEG in this region in April as part of the Australian and NSW governments' Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program.

Project co-ordinator Marguerite White said the events will bring several expert speakers into the region, as well as local advisers, to conduct practical sessions alongside growers.

"The field day programs include sessions on topics that growers have found most challenging since floods several years ago, and then higher than expected rainfall more recently," she said.

"Soil structure issues have been a concern because of water inundation and compaction from machinery working on wet ground.

"These conditions have led to anaerobic scenarios that have increased the risk of certain soilborne diseases, such as Clubroot in brassica crops.

"In turn, struggling crops have then been more susceptible to pests thriving in warmer, humid conditions attracted by weeds coming into the region. It can be a vicious chain of challenges."

The field day events, according to organisers, will concentrate on proactive monitoring and management strategies that can be built into annual, seasonal and daily operations.

The field day at the Micallefs' property at White Rock will be held on Wednesday, April 10 and Simplot Australia will then host an event at Cowra on Thursday, April 11, led by agricultural manager Evan Brown.

All attendees will take home a diagnostics kit to submit pest and disease samples to the NSW Department of Primary Industries laboratory free of charge and an in-field demonstration on what to do will form part of the day.

Both field days will run from 9.30am to 12.30pm, followed by a social lunch.

For more information and to register for the Bathurst event on Wednesday, April 10, go to ausveg.com.au/event/post-flooding-to-current-season-pest-disease-management-in-practice/ or go direct to registrations: www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1182593.