Pre-emergent simazine and propyzamide (IBS) at maximum label rates recorded low crop safety margin.

Higher uptake of simazine following good soil moisture appeared to have made lupins varieties sensitive to damage by normally safe rates of post-emergent broadleaf herbicides.

A new herbicide Ultro® 900 WG at 2.3 kg/ha applied before seeding was tolerated by all the lupin varieties.

For blue lupin control/suppression, Garlon® 600 (triclopyr) at 30 mL/ha applied at 8-leaf stage and at pod setting on main stem of narrow leafed lupins caused statistically significant yield loss across all the lupin varieties. Triclopyr use on narrow leafed lupins is not registered.

Note: Always follow label recommendations. The Department Primary Industries and Regional Development, does not endorse the use of herbicides above the registered rate or off-label use of herbicides or off-label tank mixes. Crop tolerance and yield responses to herbicides are strongly influenced by seasonal conditions.

All the lupin varieties tolerated the registered pre and post-emergent herbicides at the label rates and timings with good safety margin.

A new herbicide Ultro® 900 WG at 2.3 kg/ha applied before seeding was tolerated by all the lupin varieties.

For blue lupin control/suppression, Garlon® 600 (triclopyr) at 30 mL/ha applied at 8-leaf stage of narrow leafed lupins was tolerated well by all the varieties, whereas its application at pod setting on main stem of narrow leafed lupins caused statistically significant yield loss across all the lupin varieties (18-24%). Triclopyr use on narrow leafed lupins is not registered.

Note: Always follow label recommendations. The Department Primary Industries and Regional Development, does not endorse the use of herbicides above the registered rate or off-label use of herbicides or off-label tank mixes. Crop tolerance and yield responses to herbicides are strongly influenced by seasonal conditions.

• Low potash treatments were easily observed in the lupin rotation (2018). They had less vigour and plant biomass and yielded significantly less than the other treatments.
• The low potash treatments were also low yielding in the 2017 wheat phase.

• All the legumes sown - peas, lupins, sub clover and faba beans - were equal in terms of their nitrogen-fixing capabilities, reflecting the importance of having well nodulated legumes.
• The average amount of N fixed by the legumes was calculated at approx. 86kg/ha.
• In year 2, this residual N gave rise to a approx. 1 t/ha canola yield advantage.
• In yera 3, no differences in residual nitrogen from legumes were measured.
• Linseed extracted more moisture, from a greater depth, than the faba beans in the same year and all subsequent crops - canola and oats.
• The linseed was able to dry the soil profile in a decile 10 year (812mm rainfall). This is a potential solution for farmers wanting to dry out their soil profile.
• Two years after growing linseed, soil moisture levels were even.

• Canola yield increased up to 17% when plants were spaced evenly apart compared to the spacing observed in commercial paddocks.
• Lupin yield improved up to 7% when plants were spaced evenly apart, but this was not statistically significant.
• Moving towards improved plant spacing without achieving perfect spacing is likely to improve yield.

• Lupin establishment was strongly affected by seed depth and by the herbicide application treatment.  In all treatments except metribuzin applied PSPE, plant density was higher at a sowing depth of 3 cm rather than 6 cm. The IBS application of metribuzin reduced plant density for both sowing depths, however the PSPE application only reduced density for the 3cm depth. In  comparison to the untreated plot.
• There was a significant herbicide treatment by sowing depth interaction on the visual herbicide damage score ( Figure ). The greatest damage was observed where lupins were sown at 6 cm and metribuzin was applied IBS.  However, with a damage score of 10-15, the symptoms were only slight with the effects reversable.  This was reflected in grain yield as overall there was no significant effect of the treatments, seeding depth or variety.  The mean grain yield for all treatments was 0.75 t/ha. 

Subsurface soil compaction has been shown to be a major constraint to crop production and the removal of
this compaction via deep ripping can lead to large yield increases.

• Lupin yielded 3.0 t/ha and canola 2.0 t/ha from late May emergence.
• Lupin gross margins were competitive with canola, and lupin gave the highest return on investment.
• For both lupin and canola variety selection was important, in particular Jurien lupin performed well from all sowing dates.

Please see attached trial report for results.

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.

• Grain yield across all crops were exceptional in 2016 despite a relatively late break and sowing date. Yields were aided by exceptional spring conditions where there was abundant moisture and cool finishing conditions.
• Field peas were the most productive crop grown across all soil types in 2016 and averaged an exceptional 2.9 t/ha. Vetch (2.2 t/ha), narrow leaf lupin (2.1 t/ha) and lentils (2.1 t/ha) also averaged over 2 t/ha across the four trial sites. Faba beans yielded just under 2 t/ha while both chickpea treatments yielded above 1.5 t/ha (Kabuli 1.5; Desi 1.8 (t/ha). Both canola and albus lupins averaged less than 1.5 t/ha.
• High value crops such as desi and kabuli chickpeas produced extremely high gross margins on approximately $2000/ha. Lentils also had an average gross margin of over $1000/ha across the four trial sites.
• Break crop productivity and profitability was very different between common Mallee soil types with the poorest break crop productivity and profitability on the deep sand at Loxton in 2016.

• The ecology of brome grass has changed, making it more problematic to control in crops. Higher levels of seed dormancy are allowing brome to escape pre-sowing control tactics, resulting in greater in-crop emergence.
• Increased seed dormancy associated with a requirement for cold or chilling. Under field conditions this increased chilling requirement would not be met until late Autumn or early Winter.
• Knockdown herbicides are less effective in the management of highly dormant populations of brome. Therefore, brome grass management has become heavily reliant on Group A and B herbicides, especially the Clearfield(TM) technology, which is expected to increase the risk of herbicide resistance development.
• High levels of seedbank persistence from one year to the next (approximately 25%) means multiyear control of brome grass is required to exhaust seedbanks to manageable levels. Plan a three-year rotation.

A summary of the main results from the first season at the Moora trial are presented in Figures 1 and 2.  Due to technical issues, the trial was not seeded at the same time as the rest of the paddock, which was supposed to be used as an untreated control. For this reason, a comparison of the treatments to a control treatment without tillage and clay spreading is not available.  A statistically significant effect of tillage on early plant establishment was found when analysing the plant counts measured about four weeks after sowing (Figure 1, left). All the treatments with the off-set disc (in combination or not with clay spreading) had more plants per linear meter in comparison to the one-way plough treatments. This is likely due to uneven seeding depth following tillage with the one-way plough (deep tillage) compared to the shallower tillage with the off-set disc. Surprisingly, incorporation of subsoil clay at any given rate did not show any significant effect on early plant establishment although this result could be explained by the wetter than usual weather in April-May reducing the severity of soil water repellence.

Again, when looking at the tiller counts recorded 8 weeks after sowing (Figure 1, right) the addition of clay at different rates did not affect the number of tillers. However, the wheat growing in the one-way plough treatments overcame the initial delay in germination giving higher tiller number than those recorded in the treatments with the off-set disc (except for the treatment with 250 t/ha of clay). This trend continued at harvest, with the one-way plough treatments producing higher yields (4.5-4.6 t/ha on average) than the off-set disc treatments (4.1-4.3 t/ha on average) at any given rate of subsoil clay.

Due to the low rates of clay spreading and the low cost of the incorporation methods, all treatments provided a positive return of investments in the first year (ROI= ($/ha gain – $/ha total direct costs) / $/ha total direct costs), based on mean values in Table 1. Not surprisingly, the best ROI in the first year was obtained by the one-way plough treatment without clay spreading (1.42 $/ha), followed by the off-set disc without clay spreading (1.22 $/ha) and the treatments clay spread at 50 t/ha incorporated with one-way plough (1.17 $/ha). These estimates are indicative only, as indirect costs and interests on the initial capital investment are not included in the calculations. For more accurate estimates of ROI, yield results from multiple seasons and crops will be collected in the next 3 years.

 

• The results presented in this report are from the first year of a three-year study that investigates the effect of break-crop sequences on wheat grain yield. The site was selected due to its high background levels of ryegrass control, and crop rotation treatments have been designed around weed control as the main rotational factor.
• Grain yield was relatively low compared to the growing season rainfall of 253 mm. Grain yield was affected by severe frost that occurred during grain fill.
• This project will continue with the second crop in rotation for the 2017 season, followed by wheat across all plots in 2018 to assess the benefit of a stacked rotation for subsequent wheat grain yield.

• Grazing vetch and lucerne can be used as a management strategy to improve lamb dry matter intake and growth rates during the late spring and early winter feed gaps.
• The Grazfeed decision support tool has predicted that while both legume forages (vetch and lucerne) will increase methane output (gCH₄/day), there is a reduction in methane output per unit of animal product (gCH₄/day/100gADWG).
• Moisture limitations can affect herbage production of lucerne, which in turn reduces the chances of growing lambs to achieve the full potential dry matter intake in low rainfall mixed farming systems.

Subsurface soil compaction has been shown to be a major constraint to crop production and the removal of
this compaction via deep ripping can lead to large yield increases.

• No significant difference in any of the treatments.

• Break crops faced a range of tough environmental conditions in the Mallee in 2015 including multiple frost and heat shock events.
• Timely rainfall in April and hence early sowing resulted in excellent biomass production with most crop options producing on average more than 2 t DM/ha and several break crop options producing greater than 2.5 t DM/ha.
• The highest grain yields tended to be crops with the quickest maturity such as lentils (0.73 t/ha), vetch (0.64 t/ha) and field peas (0.63 t/ha).
• High value crops such as lentils and vetch were highly profitable due to both excellent prices and reasonable grain yields.

• Break crops faced a range of tough environmental conditions in the Mallee in 2015 including multiple frost and heat shock events.
• Timely rainfall in April and hence early sowing resulted in excellent biomass production with most crop options producing on average more than 2 t DM/ha and several break crop options producing greater than 2.5 t DM/ha.
• The highest grain yields tended to be crops with the quickest maturity such as lentils (0.73 t/ha), vetch (0.64 t/ha) and field peas (0.63 t/ha).
• High value crops such as lentils and vetch were highly profitable due to both excellent prices and reasonable grain yields. (v) Break crop productivity and profitability was very different between common Mallee soil types.

• CWFS regional site trials during 2013 and 2014 suggest stubble loads greater than 3 t/ha can limit yield.
• “No till with no stubble is no good” on hard setting red brown soil types. The delimma is that the annual incorporation of stubble just prior to sowing by cultivation or removal by burning would result in the loss of signifigant long term benefits to soil health.
• “If you do not measure it you cannot manage it!” Field measurements of stubble are the starting point for deciding what to do.
• Options to manage stubble loads above 3t/ha need to be made seasonally. Good planning may allow other agronomic and farm efficiency outcomes to be achieved at the same time.

• Each foliar spray plot had a yield higher than the control. Blackjakyielded the highest followed by Sumisclex, then Bravo. 

• For the 3 phases of methane measurement reported, methane emission intensity (L CH₄/hr/100g ADWG) was significantly lower for lambs on a better quality forage with high metabolisable energy, digestibility and crude protein.
• Feedlotting is an option that gives producers the flexibility to finish lambs when pasture availability is limited or light soils are at risk of erosion.
• Spray-topping cereal crops is a good management strategy for weed control and feed management for livestock, however, livestock productivity gains can be compromised when spray-topped cereals are grazed without offering lambs better quality fodder supplements.

• The profitability of any crop is highly sensitive to changes in both yield and price. In past Crop Challenges, cost of production ($/t) and crop yield (t/ha) have been strong indicators of financial return. On average, these indicators have been able to predict 75-90% of the variation in gross margin.
• In 2014 due to low yields and vastly different cost structures across the teams, yield was a substantially better indicator of final gross margin (see Figure 4 in attached trial report).
   

These grower scale on-farm soil amelioration demonstrations have been managed by the growers according to standard practice. Both soil types were highly water repellent and the amelioration treatments have generally improved establishment but have probably had an even bigger impact on crop vigour. While it is possible to improve establishment, water and nutrient use efficiency and crop productivity using these techniques it is important to recognise that other constraints such as poor water and nutrient holding, soil acidity and compaction can still limit the yield potential of these soils. Pale sands which overly a clayey gravel or clay base within the top 1 m often have greater potential than the very deep sands.

• There were no significant differences in yield between field pea or lupin varieties in 2014.
• The extremely dry spring may have reduced varietal differences in the trials.
• Pea varieties yielded 2.5 t/ha to 2.8 t/ha while lupin varieties yielded 1.7 t/ha to 2.5 t/ha.

It is critically important to sample soil pH to depth prior to investing large sums in lime application and incorporation. Typically it has been found that on sandplain soils the yield benefit of one-off deep cultivation or deep ripping is large enough to cover the cost of the tillage in the first year so the subsequent productivity benefits associated with more rapidly fixing the soil pH by incorporating lime can be realised sooner. Other factors such as water repellence, herbicide resistant weeds, subsoil compaction, wind erosion risk and soil type will impact on the choice of incorporation implement used.

NVT is a national program of comparative crop variety testing with standardised trial management, data generation, collection and dissemination. The program is supported by the Australian Government and growers through the Grains Research Development Corporation and is managed by the Australian Crop Accreditation System Limited.

• Lupinbud gave an increase in yield of 200kg/ha.

• The key to long term Rhizoctonia disease control is to keep inoculum in the soil low in the crop and pasture phases and increase the ability of crops to tolerate the infection (create environments where plant infection is reduced and plant tolerance to infection improved).
• The success of available disease control strategies, e.g. soil disturbance, fertilizer addition or fungicides is greatest at low to medium inoculum levels and their effectiveness declines as inoculum levels increase or where disease suppressive activity is low.
• Overall, effective control of rhizoctonia disease in cereal crops requires both the reduction of the pathogen inoculum in the soil prior to seeding and control of the infection process in the crop itself. This has to be achieved through management practices spread over more than one cropping season and through an integrated management strategy.

• Field peas were the stand out crop in terms of both dry matter production (5.8-6.5 t/ha) and grain yield (1.7-2.3 t/ha)
• Excellent grain yields were generally achieved for the other pulse crop options; chickpea (1.5-1.6 t/ha), lentil (1.5 t/ha), faba bean (1.4 t/ha) and lupins (0.9-1.2).
• Over two seasons at the site, Kabuli chickpeas have been the most profitable crop option followed by Desi chickpeas and field peas. Lentils were the most profitable option in 2014.
• There were no significant dry matter differences between treatments in the Brown Manure trial with all producing about 4.5 t/ha.

• Chickpeas were consistently amongst the highest yielding pulses at this site across all soil types and EM39 ranges.
• They produced the highest gross margins on both the deep sand and the mid-slope soils.

Wheat yields were highest when grown after chickpeas or lupins at both low and moderate phosphorus (P) sites. Benefits provided by the previous chickpea or lupin crops could not be attributed to an increase in residual P sources alone.

From the sequences gathered from the survey group, 70% of the hectares planted were to cereals, with the balance to break phases. This appears to be a little higher than the average at around 60% to cereals. All growers surveyed noted flexibility as important to each rotation. Meaning longer sequences were often subject to change. Rotational changes are predominantly driven by weeds burdens and seeding conditions/seasonal outlook.  
 

• The goal of achieving a 10% increase in water use efficiency appears to have been achieved quite comfortably as evidenced by the entry and exit survey results.
• Farmers in the Upper North district have madesubstantial gains in knowledge, skills and practice change to increase their water use efficiency.

• Analysis of the results has not been conducted. The analysis will be distributed to the WMG membership when it is completed.
• Despite this, it is apparent that the data for the WMG trial does not show any trend to an improvement in pod numbers or yield for any treatment over the ‘Nil’ treatment.
• Of the other 2 sites, only the Mingenew trial showed a significant trend to increased pod numbers using ‘Lupin Bud‘ at the 6 leaf stage. Secondary pod numbers were also higher for all treatments compared to the Nil. This trial was not harvested.
• This trial should be repeated in 2014 to see if any conclusive claim can be made for the efficacy of ‘Lupin Bud’.

• The analysis of the results must take into account the Least Significant Difference (LSD) of 0.43 t/ha.
• The LSD of 0.43 t/ha indicates that Jenabillup was statistically better yielding than all varieties except PBA Barlock.
• All other varieties except Danja were not statistically significantly different in yield.
• The yield trend shows PBA Barlock was second highest yielding.
• While Jenabillup was the highest yielding variety, which is not unusual for this variety, it is not recommended for the WMG region as it is susceptible to Anthracnose.

Preliminary results showed the level of nitrous oxide emissions did not increase over the 2013 winter as a result of near capacity soil water contents coupled with increased nitrate nitrogen levels resulting from seeding and in-crop nitrogen applications on the canola compared with a pulse crop and legume pasture.

• Crop seeding rate and perennial row spacing both influence grain yield of pasture crops.
• Lifting seeding rate of pasture crops might compensate for poorer establishment and, in turn, help to reduce any grain yield penalty.  For this experiment and assuming lupin seed is $300/t, lifting seeding rate by 50 kg/ha ($15) helped to avert a 26% yield penalty and proved to be $165/ha more profitable overall.
• Where growers do not own a disc machine but have invested in precision guidance technology, with forward planning, it is feasible to use a tined machine to sow crops into perennial pastures without damaging the perennial base.

• Due to the dry season yeilds were very dissapointing, 0.2-0.3t/ha, and there was no response to fertiliser. Results were not printed in the report.

• Plant testing should be used as a guide to better K fertiliser decisions.

• Pale deep sand has inherently poor yield potential and given the high cost of the water repellence amelioration treatments it can be difficult to determine whether the investment is worthwhile.
• At this site the productivity gains have been sufficient to offset the costs and be profitable for each of the options tested.
• Claying despite being expensive does have the advantage of being long-lasting and reduces wind erosion risk. Shallower cultivation with offset discs or one-way ploughing can give profitable improvements but the example of the one-way plough demonstrated that the benefits can be reduced or even negated by wind erosion damage.
• It should be noted that other research indicates that improving the effectiveness of the seeding operation can give yield gains of similar magnitude or even greater than those measured for the offset discs without the erosion risk. Exploring this possibility is probably a first step for growers looking to manage repellence on these soils.

Brassica or legume break crops can be as profitable as wheat. In most cases, the higher the legume dry matter produced, the greater the amount of nitrogen produced. Strategic timing of operations such as hay cutting and brown manuring provide an opportunity for improved weed control.

• If early sowing, Morava vetch is the best choice for brown manuring, particularly if brown manuring for early weed control is the objective since early desiccation will preclude any persistence of hard-seeded vetch into subsequent crops. Field peas are the preferred option for later (mid May) sowing for either brown manuring or crop topping
• TOS 1 field peas had disease problems in early winter reducing biomass.