• All treatments applied in this trial were safe to the crop with any early crop effects recovering quickly.
• At 44DAA all Velocity treatments applied alone or in tank mixtures recorded excellent control (≥94 rating) of wild radish in this trial. All Velocity treatments including tank mixtures provided superior control to Precept 300 at 750 mL/ha (88), Jagu-ar 1 L/ha (86) and Paragon 500 mL/ha applied with (88) or without (81) Bromicide 200 500 mL/ha.
• All Velocity and Precept 300 treatments achieved commercially acceptable control (≥97 rating) of volunteer lupins in this trial.

The Carlshausen’s had previously grown Calingiri noodle wheat but abandoned the variety in 2015 due to bad lodging in the 2014 season and consistent 0.1 t/ha lower yields than Mace. In 2015 they wanted to see if the new noodle variety Zen was able to match Mace (the only wheat currently grown on their property) in terms of yield and quality. Mace is a short to mid maturity Australian hard wheat with Wyalkatchem major parent and Stylet minor parent. Zen is a mid to long maturity Australian noodle wheat bred from Calingiri and Wyalkatchem.

Mace and Zen were compared in two locations of the same paddock. The soil type was similar at the two locations, but varied in their elevation.

This demonstration was conducted using farmer equipment. Farm scale demonstrations are a valuable way to explore new varieties, products, or practices, complimenting results which are produced through more scientifically rigorous, small plot trials. Please refer to NVT for a replicated view of the varieties in your area.

• Snapshot of some aspects of a large project on diagnosis of the deficiency, yield responses to zinc, residual value of zinc, protein increases and improvement of quality, and genotypic effects in relation to zinc.
• Zinc (as zinc sulphate hepta hydrate) was applied at rates up to 40 kg/ha. Nitrogen was applied at 30 kg/ha. Wheat cv. Hartog was sown at 30 kg/ha. In some experiments Cu was applied at 5kg/ha.
• Yield and protein in the grain increased with application of zinc.
• Zinc deficiency symptoms seen in crops without Zn applied throughout tillering and leaf samples confirmed the deficiency.
• The reduction in yield was largely due to plant mortality and fewer productive tillers per plant.
• Bread making quality as measured by a mixograph showed that the dough strength of zinc deficient grain was very poor.
• However, the dough itself mixed very quickly.
• Residual value of the initial application of zinc is at least 2 years: yield responses have occurred in successive seasons.
• In yield response experiments, responses to zinc have been recorded up 10 kg/ha; at 40 kg/ha, toxicity has been recorded at early tillering but the crop has recovered totally by maturity.

• Zinc in shoots at tillering was much higher in plants supplied with fluid phosphorus than with granular phosphorus.
• Given that in both sets of treatments zinc was supplied as zinc chelate at quite a low rate (0.75 kg zinc/ha) in a fluid below the seed row (except in fluid treatments it was mixed with TGMAP) these results suggest that mixes of trace elements with NP fluid fertilisers may be a more effective technique for supplying trace elements to broad acre crops.
• Conditions in both trials were not zinc deficient for wheat production so the absence of zinc in fertilisers at seeding had no impact on the productivity of either wheat at either site, or on their response to phosphorus fertilisers.

• Wheat grain Zn concentration decreased with P fertiliser addition.
• Wheat grain Zn concentration was lower after canola than after either linola or clover pasture.
• Wheat receiving P fertiliser had lower mycorrhizal colonisation than that with no P added.
• Wheat after canola had lower mycorrhizal colonisation than that wheat after linola or clover pasture.
• It was hypothesised that Zn uptake was reduced where mycorrhizal infection was lower.

• Zinc deficiency was confirmed on the soils of the region.
• Navy beans are demonstrated to be a good indicator species for zinc deficiency.
• Interactions between phosphorus availability and zinc may confound critical soil values.

• Glasshouse experiments examine the residual effects of zinc applied in field trials.
• Growth response to zinc was detected on only one soil even under well watered glasshouse conditions.
• Plant zinc showed no decline in availability of applied zinc 4 years after its application.
• Availability of zinc appeared to be improved by incorporation in the topsoil.
• In other glasshouse studies on economically high applications of phosphorus and zinc were needed to offset the impact of low VAM infection for maize and linseed.
• Extractable zinc in Queensland inverter solves appears to be related to organic carbon percent.

• Correction of zinc deficiency in a barley crop increased grian yield and reduced Rhizoctonia bare patch.
• In glasshouse experiments, increasing wheat shoot zinc to 20 mg/kg dry matter strongly suppressed damage to roots by the Rhizoctonia fungus.
• Experiments also showed that the zinc was ot toxic to the fungus but instead improved root growth.

• Compared some of the physiological differences in two bread wheat genotypes (Stylet (Zn-efficient) and VM506 (Zn-inefficient).
• Results indicate that higher zinc efficiency may be achieved through greater distribution to younger parts and lower internal requirement.
• Selection for such attributes can be considered in breeding programs aiming to develop zinc efficient genotypes for cropping zinc deficient soils.

• Twenty five genotypes of oilseed rape (canola and mustard) were tested under varied supply of zinc in pot experiments in soil culture to determine the genotypic variation in tolerance to the zinc-deficient condition.
• On the basis of the pot experiments, ten genotypes were tested in 1995 under varied supply of zinc on a zinc-deficient field in South Australia.
• Zinc efficiency in pot Experiment 1 varied from 35% for 92-13 to 74% for Siren. Narendra, Dunkeld, Barossa, Oscar and Xinza 2 performed well under low zinc conditions zinc efficiency in Experiment 2 varied from 32% for Wuyou 1 to 62% for Pusa Bold.
• Root dry matter accumulation was significantly higher in zinc-efficient genotypes.
• With few exceptions, the ranking of genotypes in pot and field experiments indicates similarity in their response to zinc deficiency.
• Zinc-efficient genotypes had lower zinc concentration in roots and higher zinc concentration in youngest fully opened leaf blades, indicating a better transport of zinc.
• This, together with a higher zinc uptake, appears to be the basis of expression of zinc efficiency.

• The application of zinc had no effect on yield or grain protein.
• Zinc coated products are effective in supplying zinc.

• There was no significant difference between treatments, water use efficiency is very high indicating we do need to consider Jan to April rainwall as well.
• There as a trend for yields to increase with increasing rate of P applied.
• For further conclusions please see the attached trial report.

• Five year trial examining strategies for application of zinc to field pea.
• Zinc applied to soil, to seed or as foliar spray.
• Zinc application did not increase grain yield of field pea.
• Seed zinc concentration was 20% higher when foliar zinc applied to field pea.

• Spectacular increases in yield in response to early application of foliar zinc in navy bean.
•  Zinc sulphate heptahydrate application during early crop growth should be standard practise until better varieties become available.
• Soil applied zinc has given inconsistent results.

• Yields may be limited by zinc even where deficiency symptoms are not apparent.
• Responses to zinc are common on clays in the Wimmera and sands in the Mallee.
• Phosphorus is required to make zinc fertiliser effective.
• Grain protein is not increased by zinc application.
• Applications of zinc are recommended every second or third crop as zinc has some residual value in the soil.
• Zinc is typically applied in a mixture with phosphorus fertiliser.
• 2 - 2.5 kg /ha zinc should be sufficient for 4-6 years.

There were no differences in yield obtained between the control (no zinc applied) crop and the four differenct zinc treatments.

In previous years, trials and demonstrations have highlighted zinc deficiencies in both cereals and pulses, which could provide farmers substantial profits over the cost of zinc. Six trial sites were chosen, all with adequate zinc histories, to demonstrate advantages of supplying extra zinc to wheat crops. As there were no significant yield responses to the various applications of zinc, it was concluded if adequate zinc enriched granular fertiliser had been regularly applied in previous years there was no benefit from the application of additional zinc.

Zinc seed dressings and/or zinc foliar sprays did not benefit treated crops in the 2009 season.

• Soil solutions were obtained by a centrifugation method from 14 unfertilised and fertilised Vertisols.
• The soil solutions were analysed for all major cations and anions and organic carbon zinc in the soil solution exists mainly as free zinc2+ ions in these soils.
• Complexation of total soluble zinc by organic and inorganic ligands constituted 40% and 5096, respectively, of total soluble zinc in fertilised and unfertilised soil solutions.
• The organo-zinc complexes constituted.

• Zinc treatments (1-5 kg/ha) did not increase grain yield or protein .
• Neither timing nor application type (on seed, in soil or foliar) nor rate had any effect on grain yield or protein at this site.

• Over a five year period incorporating either foliar or seed coated zinc increased wheat grain zinc concentration above soil applied zinc fertiliser.
• Neither timing or application type (on seed, in soil or foliar) or rate had any effect on grain yield, protein or screenings at this site.
• Copper was applied every two years in some treatments but it had no apparent effect on grain yields or grain or tissue copper concentrations.

• Comprehensive fertiliser trial at >20 sites across the Wimmera and elsewhere in Victoria in 1938 .
• Results showed that Wimmera soils were responsive to zinc but not other areas of the State.
• Under low rainfall conditions 5-10 lbs/acre were as effective as higher application rates of zinc sulphate.
• Increased yields are to be expected when superphosphate and zinc are applied together on most black soils in the Wimmera.
• Effects on oats, clover and peas were greater than for wheat.
• Red and loamy soils responded variably the zinc application

• Two pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of wheat to 3 rates of zinc sulphate on 3 contrasting black earths.
• On all 3 soils zinc concentration plant tops increased with application of zinc but declined as the application of phosphorus increased due to dilution from increased plant growth.
• The results of these experiments suggest that response to zinc fertiliser only occurred on the alkaline soils where the available zinc was less than 1 ppm.
• No evidence was obtained that phosphorus supply had any effect on the availability of zinc for plant uptake but other experiments indicated that zinc absorption was reduced by increasing phosphate concentrations in solution.

• There are identifiable production zones in Paddock N1. 
• Production zones are useful for designing sowing input strategies for ‘typical’ yields.
• In wet years, zones still indicate the risk and size of a return to in-season inputs but there will be increased input demand (e.g. N) and the response probably won’t follow the exact pattern of response for an average year.

There are no significant differences in yields between the control (no Zorro seed treatment) applications and the plots grown with Zorro seed treatment.