1. Winter cover crops can improve ground cover, increase plant available water and improve subsequent cotton yields in pivot-irrigated systems.
2. The early spray-out treatment was the best cover crop for storing water over the short fallow in this study where cover did not have to last very long. However, the extra cover in the mid-terminated cover treatment continued to boost infiltration in the cotton’s
early growth stages.
3. All cover crop treatments improved the yields of cotton by approximately 3 bales/ha; well in excess of any gains expected from the increased fallow soil water storage.

• There is no significant difference between any of the sowing rates over 100 kg/ha this year, although the higher yields were obtained with the higher rates.
• This is probably due to the dry conditions killing off a large number of secondary tillers at the lower rates, while the increased plant densities at the higher rates with fewer secondary tillers resulted in more grain per hectare.

The Wolseley “Cereal Challenge” is an initiative of the Wolseley Ag Bureau and funded by the MFMG. The challenge compares grain yields and quality of milling oats, durum wheat, bread and feed wheats and feed and malt barley varieties and the subsequent gross margin when all crops are grown side by side on the Wolseley flats.

Within species, the only significant difference in grain yields was between the bread wheats with Trojan being significantly higher
yielding than Hatchet CL Plus.

Sclerotinia stem rot (sometimes known as white mould) is an important disease of many crops around the world. On canola it can cause substantial losses, but a number of fungicides (mostly benzimidazoles and dicarboxamides) have been used in different countries for control. To date, sclerotinia has not been a major problem on canola in the Wimmera, but in adjacent areas it does cause losses. Furthermore, it may become more important in the Wimmera in wet years because of the increased cultivation of broad-leaved crops. All broad-leaved crops are susceptible to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the fungus pathogen that causes stem rot.

Agricultural crop film may be the future of agriculture. This project aims to understand the degradation process of polyethylene, as well as understand the effects on crops when covered with polyethylene.

Take Home Messages

• Near perfect growing season for canola, provided ideal opportunity to assess the residual N feeding effect of the legumes.

• All legumes sown in 2016 – peas, lupins, sub clover and faba beans had similar starting soil N levels and soil water nitrate readings throughout the year which was reflected in similar grain yields inferring that all legume species were equal in terms of their N fixing capabilities.

• The average amount of N fixed by the legumes was calculated as ~86kg/ha.

• Growing adequately nodulated legumes can give rise to a ~1t/ha canola yield advantage compared with a non-legume.

• Linseed used more moisture, from a greater depth, than the faba beans in 2016. Resultantly more moisture was extracted by the canola crop sown on the faba bean stubble in 2017, and yet there is still more  residual moisture left.

Similar to trials undertaken in previous years, the fungicide trials undertaken in 2005 indicated there was no fungicide activity on Yellow Leaf Spot (YLS) when applied early post emergent (GS13 – three leaf stage). Fungicides applied to fertiliser or as a foliar application did not reduce the level of YLS in the crop and showed no yield benefits. Zincsol® applied to crops in paddocks which have had a good zinc fertiliser history also showed no benefit in reducing YLS pressure. After several years work the BCG conclude that spraying fungicides for YLS is not a successful practice.

Similar to trials undertaken in previous years, the fungicide trials undertaken in 2005 indicated there was no fungicide activity on Yellow Leaf Spot (YLS) when applied early post emergent (GS13 – three leaf stage). Fungicides applied to fertiliser or as a foliar application did not reduce the level of YLS in the crop and showed no yield benefits. Zincsol® applied to crops in paddocks which have had a good zinc fertiliser history also showed no benefit in reducing YLS pressure. After several years work the BCG conclude that spraying fungicides for YLS is not a successful practice.

• Pasture cropping systems can provide grain (and out of season fodder) on deep sandy soils and reduce the likelihood of groundwater recharge.
• Potential yield penalties associated with pasture cropping across perennials on deep sandy soils in the west midlands appear to be less than 20%.
• Pastures started competing with the crop for soil water during grain filling, but impacts on soil water and grain yield were generally small given average rainfall in spring.
• During the crop growing season, there was little difference in soil water under annual crop, perennial pasture, and pasture-cropped plots.
• Soil water contents were much lower under pasture and pasture-cropped plots during summer and autumn.

• Sowing date and variety maturity choice is a balance between the risk of frost versus terminal heat stress.
• Earlier sowing can increase frost risk, but also generally maximises yield potential and reduces the extent of yield loss from crown rot.
• Cereal crop and variety selection can have a significant impact on yield where there are high levels of crown rot infection.
• Durum wheat, barley or bread wheat varieties with increased susceptibility to crown rot, should only be grown in paddocks known to have lowrisk inoculum levels based on testing (e.g. PreDicta B).
• All winter cereal varieties are susceptible to crown rot infection and will not significantly reduce inoculum levels for subsequent crops. Cereal crop and/or variety choice is not the sole solution to crown rot.

• Yield Prophet® in 2005 had many new features and capabilities and was delivered to 338 paddocks that were subscribed Australia-wide. From 5 April to 1 December, 6813 reports of various types were generated by subscribers, with most around time of top-dressing.
• Final simulated yields for wheat crops, using appropriately measured soil characterisation and initial soil data, fitted observed yields comparable to previous seasons (R2=0.74, 67% of simulated yields within 0.5 t/ha of observed, 98 % within 1.0 t/ha).
• Yield Prophet simulates yield more accurately than it does grain protein content.
• However, overall accuracy for all subscribed crops was lower due to expansion into new regions with less soil characterisation data available.

• 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.

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.