Wheat or barley - the best options for early sowing at Dandaragan

2015
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Blakely Paynter (DAFWA)
Brenda Shackley (DAFWA)
Christine Zaicou-Kunesch (DAFWA)
Year(s) 2015
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Dandaragan, WA
Wheat or barley - the best options for early sowing at Dandaragan locations
Aims

Evaluate yield and quality response of long season wheat and barley to sowing time.

Key messages

Traditionally sowing wheat in Western Australia was not recommended until after Anzac Day.  A date based on the yield performance and maturities of commercially available wheat varieties in the 1990s. Since then growers have seen the release of Mace, a high yielding and very adaptable variety which at 67% dominates the area sown to wheat in WA in 2015 (Data courtesy of CBH group). Growers are now set up and keen to take advantage of any summer rainfall, but there is limited information on which wheat varieties to grow with a very early sowing opportunity.

Research carried out by James Hunt et al. (2014) suggested that the faster maturing winter wheat Whistler appeared well adapted to WA. When sown in mid-April Whistler was able to yield equivalent or better than Mace planted in late May (Crop Updates 2015). Results from Dandaragan and Katanning trials do support this suggestion but this research also suggests there are commercial varieties currently available in WA which can yield similar or higher and have a superior grain quality classification compared to Whistler. However these varieties can still be at the risk of frost and grain quality problems associated with very early sowings.

At all three sites in this trial series, barley out yielded wheat with both the mid-April and the early May planting (note we have included the predicted yield for barley with mid-April planting at Dandaragan of 7t/ha in this assessment). Barley was over 1.5t/ha better than wheat with both mid-April and early May planting. Whilst this research continues to highlight the need for a wheat variety which is more suitable for early sowing opportunities in Western Australia, growers looking for a cereal to sow in April could consider barley as being their new wheat variety until such wheats are released. Whilst this is only one year of observations there are many reasons to consider barley particularly with mid-April planting ahead of planting a wheat variety, including reduced (but still possible) frost risk.

The feed barley varieties Lockyer, Oxford, Rosalind and Urambie did not provide any yield advantage over those with a ‘malt’ classification at Dandaragan in 2015. The ‘malt’ varieties would therefore have been more profitable than the feed varieties as they were received with a premium over the feed barley varieties (either Malt 1 or Malt 2) at a similar grain yield.

With any early planting opportunity growers need to factor in increased fungicide costs. At Dandaragan powdery mildew and barley leaf rust in the barley plots and yellow spot in the wheat plots had to be controlled, particularly in the mid-April planting.

 

Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source GRDC DAW00249
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia with co-funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (wheat – DAW00249 and barley - DAW00224). Sincere thanks to West Midlands Group and Andrew and Charles Roberts for the provision of land, to the Geraldton RSU for the management of trials and for the technical support of Melanie Kupsch, Bruce Haig and Sue Cartledge.

 


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Barley Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Sowing: Timing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Dandaragan 2015 Barley

Sow rate or Target density 150 plants/m2
Sowing machinery

small plot research equipment.

Sow date 16 April 2015
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 3.74m x 10m
Plot replication 3
Fertiliser

·                At seeding K-Till Extra drilled (100 kg/ha) and NPK Blue top-dressed (250 kg/ha)

·                9 June TOS1 and TOS2 and 23 Jun TOS3 - UAN (60L/ha)

Herbicide

·                At seeding - Lorsban (200mL/ha) + Boxer Gold (2.5L/ha) + Sprayseed (2.5L/ha) + Dominex (200mL/ha)

·                28 May TOS 1 and 9 Jun TOS 2 - Velocity (800mL/ha) + 1% Hasten

·                23 Jun TOS 1 and TOS3 - Velocity (700mL/ha) + 1% Hasten +  MCPA LVE (400mL/ha)

·                15 Jul TOS 1 andTOS3 - Jaguar (1L/ha) + 1% Hasten + MCPA LVE (400mL/ha)

Dandaragan 2015 Wheat

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sowing machinery Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
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Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Dandaragan, WA Black loam
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Dandaragan, WA Tenosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Dandaragan WA
2015 123.8mm
2014 107.9mm
2013 142.7mm
2012 160.8mm
2011 114.5mm
2010 98.2mm
2009 152.5mm
2008 162.2mm
2007 112.0mm
2006 141.7mm
2005 158.3mm
2004 123.5mm
2003 143.0mm
2002 102.0mm
2001 114.4mm
2000 168.4mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Dandaragan WA

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.

Trial report and links

2015 trial report



Trial last modified: 06-08-2019 07:54am AEST