• Capital value improvement of $61,000 by using the stripper front.
• The cost per rotor hour of the machine increased as the capital cost went up and the number of hours decreased.
• There was a 24% reduction in fuel usage and a 16% reduction in labour costs.
• Harvest was completed on average two to three days faster with a stripper front.

Populations of fumitory are now exhibiting resistance to commonly used broadleaf herbicides, including Clearfield®.

Avoid cultivation which promotes the germination of fumitory.

In this trial, Precept®, Velocity® + MCPA LVE and Affinity Force® + MCPA Amine, were most effective in controlling fumitory. On-duty® and other Group B herbicides were amongst the worst performers.

The application of nitrogen increased grain yield by 0.5t/ ha, but there was no benefit from additional sulphur. At this site, money was better spent on nitrogen than on sulphur.

Grain protein was very low (7-10% protein) which is becoming an issue on sandy country despite adequate nutrition.

The timing of nitrogen and sulphur applications made no difference to crop yield or quality. Consequently, growers could reduce production and financial risk by delaying some applications and adjusting rates to the seasons.

Hybrid varieties (44Y84CL, 44Y24RR, Hyola® 555TT) topped the yields at the Mallee sites, particularly on deep red Mallee sand. The shorter season varieties (ATR Stingray, IH30 and GT41) were not able to capitalise on the spring rainfall as well as later maturing varieties. New RoundUp Ready and Triazine Tolerant canola variety Hyola®525RT® was not a yield record breaker, but the technology is very exciting. Expect more varieties to be released with greater yield potential in the near future.

Delaying harvest decreased barley yields by 0.3t/ha. Scope CL and Gairdner harvest should be prioritised in the Mallee due to high susceptibility to head loss and yield loss. It is more profitable to grow higher yielding varieties and minimising their risks to delayed harvest, than to grow lower yielding varieties that have less susceptibility to delayed harvest.

The yield advantages of earlier sowing may not be achieved if volunteer plants cannot be controlled. Compass showed good adaptability at each sowing time both at Horsham and Watchupga East. Earlier sown barley plots at both sites were limited by nitrogen in 2013.

Wimmera had the greatest yield loss in the presence of weeds and produced the highest weed yield. Hindmarsh also produced the same weed yield. Both of these varieties should not be sown into weedy paddocks unless there is a good management strategy. Scope, Buloke and Compass were identified as very competitive varieties, with the least amount of yield loss and weed seed production. Generally, the presence of weeds reduced barley yields by 1.4t/ha on a 5.4t/ha crop (mean of all varieties).

Yield loss of 0.1-0.5t/ha was observed in some SFNB susceptible varieties at Horsham that had two fungicide applications. The Quambatook site suffered significant yield loss but this was due to a combination of SFNB and an additional factor (possibly crown rot). It is unlikely that a single application of foliar fungicide would have provided effective control of SFNB and prevented yield loss if applied after GS39 or to MS or better rated varieties.

• In 2013, all barley varieties had a similar yield response to nitrogen (N). Commander, La Trobe and Hindmarsh were the highest yielding and subsequently the most profitable varieties.
• 120kg N/ha (260kg/ha urea) was the best rate to achieve the greatest profitability at a very N responsive site at Nhill.

Retaining hybrid canola from one season to the next incurred a yield penalty of 0.3t/ha at Quambatook. There was a general penalty of 0.2t/ha for retained seed in the mean yield of all varieties (including OPs) at Horsham. Oil content and test weights of retained seed were lower at Quambatook, but not at Horsham. Retaining hybrid seed compromises plant vigour, disease resistance and herbicide tolerance. The yield advantages (0.2-0.3t/ha) from hybrid varieties, particularly within the Clearfield hybrid varieties, significantly outweigh the initial seed cost of $44/ha at 2kg/ha sowing rate.

Applying urea with the seed, even deep banded, can affect establishment and slow growth and development. There was no advantage in applying N at sowing (deep banded). The effects of seed burn on canola are much greater on sandier soils than clay. Dry soils are also more susceptible than wet soils: if applying up-front N, rates should not exceed 10kg N/ha (22kg/ha urea) on 30cm spacing, and seed should be separated by at least three to four centimetres from the nitrogen fertiliser.

• Hindmarsh, Skipper and Fathom all yielded consistently better than other varieties across all the trial sites.
• Commander performed the best out of the malt varieties and achieved Malt more often.
• Hindmarsh dominated the yields and is still worth selecting over any other variety, even in the Wimmera.
• At current Malt premiums, growing Hindmarsh is a good alternative to most malt varieties.

The hybrid canola 44Y84 (both certified and retained generations) yielded better than the open-pollinated variety 43C80, by an average of 0.3t/ha (20%). The hybrid established better than the OP variety. On average, 40% of seeds established as plants and plant densities above 20 plants/m2 maximised grain yield. The use of certified seed for both open-pollinated and hybrid canola did not increase yields compared with retained seed for both hybrid and open-pollinated. However, view results with caution as the variability within the trial was high.

The relatively new herbicide Sakura is currently registered for use in wheat only; in barley this product caused a yield penalty. Effects may not be seen in early stages of plant growth, as Sakura affects the root system. Deep sowing did not have an interaction with Sakura application.

Scout and Mace, both Hard varieties, are now suitable Yitpi replacements for the Wimmera and Mallee. Mace needs to be managed for stripe rust; there was a 0.6t/ha yield reduction due to stripe rust at Horsham. New varieties Phantom and Corack also performed well across all trials.

Flight, Velocity, Jaguar and the Agritone plus Affinity mix were the herbicides that provided the most effective wild radish control in wheat. A two-spray strategy is required to control later germinations of wild radish. Short-term pain for long-term gain: including new herbicides (with different modes of action) into the cereal phase will delay the onset of resistance.

Sowing early gave best crop competition with brome grass. Select a variety with high early vigour to suppress brome grass seed set. Select a variety with a short growing season when crop-topping brome.

whilst the time of sowing can strongly influence yield, the advantages of early sowing may be reduced if establishment is compromised. later sowing (23 June) reduced yield in all varieties except Wimmera, the average reduction being 0.8t/ha compared to sowing on either 26 April or 17 May. avoid dry sowing into paddocks with known weed burdens

• Crusher (TT), Garnet (conv), 44Y84 (IT) and Hyola 505 (RR) yielded significantly better than the site mean (2.20t/ha).
• Oil (%) was above 42% in all varieties.
• The best yielding of the triazine tolerant (TT) varieties were equal to the best of the other herbicide groups
• Of the Clearfield tolerant (IT) varieties, hybrids (44Y84 and 45Y82) yielded 14% higher than conventional open pollinated varieties (44C79 and 43C80).

• Roundup alone will not control Flaxleaf fleabane. 
• Addition of Surpass and Ally to Roundup provided the most effective control.
• To avoid the need to use more expensive chemicals and spray more than twice, control fleabane before it begins to elongate (>40cm in height).

This demonstration has shown that there are many tools available to help farmers identify paddock zones. In this case, the farmer was easily able to identify roughly each zone, however from the yield map it is apparent that using the yield maps, to get those zones 100%, slight changes were required. There was little advantage in applying fertiliser in any of the zones, however, emergence issues may have confounded some of these responses. Both P tests (Colwell and DGT) indicated that Zone 2 was responsive to P. There appeared to be a slight increase in yield to P. This was indicated visually during the season, though the difference was thought to be greater and unlikely to be significant. Most importantly, this demonstration has highlighted that you don’t need to invest heavily to practice PA and VR. The farmer identified 80-90% of the variation with the help of other tools. Those tools will prove very important when the zones as less pronounced or in paddocks that have been recently acquired.

• Commander was the only variety which did not meet the minimum protein of 9%.
• 50kg/ha Urea was required to increase Commander’s protein into the malt range from 8.6 to 9.7%.
• To increase grain protein by 1%, 10kg/ha Urea is required for every tonne of expected yield.
• For example, a 5t/ha crop requires at least 50kg/ha Urea. applying nitrogen (N) later in the season, when the yield potential is relatively certain, knowing the N (available soil N, mineralisation and applied N) available to the crop, will help refine the amount of N required.

• Severe leaf rust infections can cause yield losses of up to 26%.
• Grain yield, straw strength, retention, screenings and test weight are all affected by leaf rust infection.
• Growing resistant barley varieties significantly reduced the amount of leaf area affected by leaf rust as well as the associated grain yield quality.

There wass no significant difference in the way varieties respond to various amounts of nitrogen (N). Results indicate that for all varieties, as N increases, yield increases incrementally. the most profitable N rate for Commander, Buloke and Hindmarsh is 80kg N/ha, whilst Gairdner was still more profitable at 120kg N/ha

As the climate is changing to warmer conditions and the atmosphere contains more CO2 (also called CO2 fertilisation), crops grow more quickly and mature earlier. It is important to be aware of these effects on crops so that the risk of frost or heat shock reducing crop yield can be better managed. Even though the climate is warming, it is not clear whether the occurrences of frosts are reducing. In fact, there is anecdotal evidence that frost severity and frequency are not changing, which could be because there is reduced moisture in the atmosphere. If this is the case, it will have implications for sowing time and variety choice. Through the use of PA and VR, growers are able to sow different varieties on more frost prone areas. Without this technology, growers would either need to sow different zones separately, reducing efficiencies, or treat the paddock as a whole, which may see reduce yields and risk in various zones. To demonstrate the advantages of this strategy, over the past two seasons, BCG and SPAA have undertaken paddock scale trials. Two demonstrations were undertaken to compare two varieties of different maturity at two different sowing times.

Use of foliar fungicides applied prophylactically at the start of flowering (GS60) gave good control of a late stem rust infection in Yitpi, but were largely uneconomic in 2011.

In a trial on Yitpi at Corack there was not yield or margin benefit from using flutriafol on fertiliser at either 400 or 800mL/ha rate, despite low level stem rust and yellow leaf spot infection in the top three leaves of the crop.

This study has shown that substantial savings can be made with the use of this technology. It essntially allows the farmer to have a zero tolerance on summer weeds, without having to apply economical thresholds. The study also identified that the savings will not always result. If there is consistently, 60-70% ground cover, the economical returns may not be as great. This is due to the way the technology is designed. Often in relatively high densities, two sensors would come on to spray one weed, hence twice the amount of water. This is most likely the cause of more water being used in the areas with the High density. Overall, the Weed Seeker technology has the potential to reduce chemical costs and increase the efficiency of spray applications.

• Significant reductions in water and chemical use can be achieved when weed sensing technology (WeedSeeker) is used, compared with blanket applications.
• Erect plants compared with prostrate plants require less spray.

• Garnet, Hyola 50 and 44Y84 yielded significantly better than the site mean (2.4t.ha).
• Quality was exceptionally high in all varieties.
• Average yields of Triazine Tolerant (TT) varieties were similar to the Roundup Read (RR), Imi-tolerant (IT) and conventional varieties in 2010.

Ryegrass and barley grass were the dominant weed species along fence-lines.

• All varieties responded similarly to applied nitrogen.
• Hindmash and Commander yielded well; all varieties achieved malt.

• Monitor all varieties regularly for scald, regardless of disease ratings.
• A new virulent strain infected Hindmarsh crops in 2010.
• Later sown crops are less likely to be infected.

In a stem rust outbreak, fungicide is best applied before infection of the crop is visible.

• Time of sowing was not important for yield in a wet rainfall year with a soft finish.
• Varietal selection was a bigger contributor to grain yield than the time of sowing in 2010. Choosing a variety well-adapted to a range of seasons will provide the greatest returns in the long term.
• Hindmarsh performs well in dry and wet years, consistently yielding well at all sowing times. Commander was the best of the malt varieties, yielding similarly to Hindmarsh. However, Commander may struggle in drier years.

With a soil nitrogen content of 153kg N/ha at sowing, Derrimut wheat yielded just less than 6 t/ha with no N fertiliser.

Birchip: The site was located in a paddock with moderate subsoil limitations (40 to 70cm layer had chloride reading of 1800ppm, and an EC of 0.6dS/m). The site had a previous legume history and was high in soil available N (prior to sowing the soil contained 230 kg available N/ha to 1m depth).

Kooloonong: The site was located on a Mallee land system, on a flat to sloping rise with a sandy loam soil to a depth of 40cm and at greater depth a sandy clay loam to at least 130cm. The soil has no subsoil limitations but because it is light and sandy, leaching of nutrients can be a problem. 2010 had a growing season rainfall of 329mm (decile 10).

• Average yield for all varieties was 5.2t/ha, with Scout (5.86t/ha), IGW 3073 (5.95t/ha) and IGW 3119 (5.86t/ha) topping the yields.
• Correll, Gladius and Catalina yielded similarly to Yitpi (at 5t/ha).
• The higher yielding varieties - Scout, Magenta, Mace and InterGrain (Nuseed)- lines, were the most profitable.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

• Based on current prices, adjuvants can account for 5-50% of the total cost of application.
• Vegetable oils in general performed better than BS1000, Hot-up and Companion.
• Based on cost, Infiltrator was the best adjuvant to accompany Roundup CT.

There was no yield benefit using bio-degradable polymer film on late sown barley and field peas.

• The optimum nitrogen rate, regardless of timing, to maximise yield was 75kg N/ha, though protein contnet was maximised at higher N rates.
• Further investigation is required to define correlations between crop reflectance (NDVI) and N uptake.

• Espada, Lincoln and Correll yielded 10% higher than Yitpi at Woomelang.
• Gladius achieved H2 quality and was the most profitable on this occasion.
• Yitpi is likely to remain the main variety grown, though interest in Correll, Derrimut and Gladius is growing.

No visual herbicide damage symptoms or yield effects were evident in 2008 wheat, barley, IT canola or lentil crops sown after the application of common herbicides to chickpeas in 2007.

Good establishment and weed control is more important than varietal selection for productivity and persistence of lucerne • There was no significant difference in establishment or biomass production between lucerne varieties in 2007 and 2008 • This trial will continue in 2009 to further evaluate persistence and productivity

• There was no significant difference in early dry matter (GS30) or grain yield from the application of P at three trial sites at Hopetoun, Sea Lake and Waitchie
• The addition of chelated Zn and Flutriafol failed to increase grain yield at any of the sites
• There was no yield difference when P was supplied either as a fluid or a granular product
• There was no increase in grain yield from the addition of P or Zn at any of the sites.

• There was no significant yield difference between any of the P rates in 2008
• The most profitable application rate of P on average between 2003 and 2008 has been zero on a site with a strong fertiliser history and initial soil P Colwell of 41ppm
• Maintenance rates of 5kg/ha, produced the second highest net income with the least amount of risk
• Avoid making fertiliser decisions on ‘gut feel’. Make use of tools such as soil tests and nutrient balances to determine P rates in 2009.

• Allowing weeds to grow during summer reduced subsequent wheat yield by more than 50 percent
• Provided summer weeds were controlled, other surface treatments (slashed stubble, standing stubble, cultivation, bare earth) had little effect on crop yield
• Controlling summer weeds is one of the most cost-effective input investments available to growers in the Mallee, returning $5 for every $1 invested in this demonstration.

• Starter application of P was important in maximising yields at GS30.
• Grain yield responses (< 90 percent relative yield) to P were obtained for 35 percent of the paddocks surveyed.
• DGT accurately predicted wheat responses to P accounting for 64 percent and 79 percent of the variation in early dry matter and grain respectively.
• Colwell P could only explain 36 percent of the variation in early dry matter and no significant relationship could be obtained with grain.
• Colwell P plus the Phosphorus Buffering Index (PBI) correctly predicted wheat response in 60 percent of the sites.

• Biodegradable polymer films retain soil moisture and increase soil temperature.
• Polymers allow crops to be grown out of season and expand the planting window.
• Sorghum and millet successfully germinated under the film failed to germinate in the absence of the film.