| Researcher(s) |
Deeptangshu Das Nick Poole Darcy Warren |
|---|---|
| Year(s) | 2024 |
| Contributor | Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia |
| Trial location(s) |
Frankland River, WA
|
This one-year project was set to evaluate the role of winter wheat in WA M-HRZ farming systems of the south coast (Esperance and Albany Port Zones). Specifically, the project looked to evaluate the performance and profitability of winter wheat sown in the late March/early April sowing window. Individual objectives of the project were as follows:
The Frankland River research site is typically characterised with higher growing season rainfall {2024 372mm v 278mm (Gibson) GSR April - Oct) and lower average temperatures during grain fill than the EPZ {3.3°C lower average maximum temperature in October 2024).
However, the summer and autumn were equally dry in southwest WA with the first sowing date 2 April established with 15mm of irrigation and the autumn break {25-30mm) not occurring until 9May.
On average there was no difference in yield between the first (2 April) and second {29 April) sowing dates (p=0.211}, a possible indication of the poor conditions for emergence following the first sowing and lower overall plant counts relative to the later sowing.
The winter wheat Mowhawk yielded over St/ha sown 2 April and was higher yielding than the spring wheats tested, although the yield differences were not significant.
The late April sowing showed no yield advantage to Mowhawk over longer season spring wheats such as Denison, but both types were superior to Scepter in these two sowing windows.
On average the spring barley Neo CL was over 1.2t/ha higher yielding than the highest yielding wheat, although the advantage over Mowhawk was lt/ha early April sown and 0.Bt/ha better than Denison late April sown.
Because of the yield differences and bin grades achieved Neo CL was more profitable than winter or spring wheat germplasm sown in either early or late April.
Unlike the Gibson and Scaddan sites the longer season spring types, such as Denison, did not develop as quickly at Frankland River with flowering dates nearer the optimum but still earlier than Mowhawk which was nearer the regarded optimum of late September/early October.
Scepter as found in previous studies was not suited to April sowing as it develops too quickly.
Higher rainfall at this site resulted in foliar disease being a bigger issue, particularly in Planet barley where fungicide resistant net form net blotch was not properly controlled by a two-spray fungicide programme.
Final harvest dry matters {OM} from the highest yielding wheats and barleys were approximately 10t/ha but harvest indices and head numbers were higher in the barley.
Frost does not appear to have been afeature in the results of this trial.
Trial design: Factorial
Time of Sowing (2) x Variety (8)
Trial design: Factorial
Time of Sowing (2) x Variety (8)
| Lead research organisation |
Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia |
|---|---|
| Host research organisation | N/A |
| Trial funding source | GRDC FAR2403-001SAX |
| Related program | N/A |
| Acknowledgments |
FAR Australia and its staff gratefully acknowledges the funding support of the Grains Research Development Corporation in funding this research and extension project. In addition, FAR Australia would like to thank the four host farmers for their unwavering support to a project carried out in an extremely difficult season when irrigation was needed for the first sowing date at all four research sites. We would like to thank the following host farmers. Frankland River- Kellie Shields, Terry Scott and the Gunwarrie team |
| Other trial partners | Not specified |
| Crop types | Cereal (Grain): Barley Cereal (Grain): Wheat |
|---|---|
| Treatment type(s) |
|
| Trial type | Experimental |
| Trial design | Randomised,Replicated |
| Sow rate or Target density | 200 seeds/m2 |
|---|---|
| Sow date | 2/04/2024 and 29/04/2024 |
| Harvest date | 29 November 2024 |
| Trial design method | O Other |
| Trial design arrangement | 16 rows x 4 cols |
| Total plots | 64 |
| Plot size | 12m x 1.536m |
| Plot replication | 4 |
| Psuedoreplication | N |
| Plot randomisation | N |
| Sow rate or Target density | 200 seeds/m2 |
|---|---|
| Sow date | 2/04/2024 and 29/04/2024 |
| Harvest date | Not specified |
| Trial design method | O Other |
| Trial design arrangement | 16 rows x 4 cols |
| Total plots | 64 |
| Plot size | 12m x 1.536m |
| Plot replication | 4 |
| Psuedoreplication | N |
| Plot randomisation | Y |
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.
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