About Us
Our History
Alpha Group Consulting commenced business in October 2008. It is based in the town of Keith with its offices in Dugan Street.
We commenced servicing Kununurra in Western Australia in 2010 and Katherine in 2012.
What We Do
Alpha Group Consulting is Australia’s premier lucerne seed consulting business. The Alpha Group offers three decades of expertise in lucerne management with a strong focus on all aspects of seed production.
Based in Keith, South Australia, the Alpha Group is located in the heart of Australia’s lucerne seed production area. Keith is 220 km south east of Adelaide and produces in excess of 85% of Australia’s lucerne seed.
The Alpha Group has a role in most of the lucerne seed produced in Australia either directly at the production level with producers or indirectly through its involvement in research, soil moisture monitoring, certification and variety evaluation.
We are a SENTEK distributor and provide equipment with full installation and support packages.
We also provide soil moisture monitoring advice in the South East of South Australia as well as Kununurra in WA and Katherine in NT.
From its modern offices in Dugan St, Keith, Alpha Group consults widely in Australia and overseas. It has a focus on customer service aimed at achieving the best results possible and provides a wide range of services using its expertise in many facets of irrigated and dryland lucerne management – especially seed production.
We provide independent advice for lucerne seed crop management, broadacre crop management and irrigation scheduling. In addition, the Alpha Group undertakes industry services including certification and phytosanitary inspections for Seed Services Australia.
Alpha Group Consulting is one of Australia’s leading private research companies focusing on a range of research topics pertaining to crops such as lucerne, white clover and olives. We undertake contract research as well as having an ongoing private research platform aimed at solving industry production problems.
Optimum lucerne seed production in Australia requires a specialist approach and Alpha Group Consulting is a unique business with skills and servcies to assist growers from paddock to market.
Our Team
James De Barro
James De Barro has consulted to the agricultural industry since 1989 and is widely regarded as one of Australia's premier 'thinkers' in agricultural production and regional needs.
Through his professional career he has refined his knowledge of lucerne seed production and irrigated crop management and irrigation design. He has particular interests in integrated pest management, pollination, soil moisture monitoring and irrigation scheduling.
Shane Oster
Shane Oster owned and operated a successful consulting business prior to the formation of The Alpha group in 2007. Shane grew up on lucerne farms firstly in the Langhorne Creek area, then later at Keith. Lucerne hay in small square bales at Langhorne Creek, and then seed production at Keith. After graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1996 Shane worked at home on his parents farm for a short stint before commencing work with a local consulting firm, Wally Cole & Co.