The highest yielding wheat overall was Janz at Charlton at 3.72t/ha.

The highest yielding wheat overall was Janz at Charlton at 3.72t/ha.

The highest yielding wheat overall was Janz at Charlton at 3.72t/ha.

In this demonstration at Birchip, Yitpi and Krichauff were the highest yielding wheat varieties (3.28 and 3.26 t/ha),.

• A diagnostic service is available to farmers and industry for diseased plant specimens.
• Samples of all leaf and aerial plant parts should be kept free of moisture and wrapped in paper not a plastic bag. Roots should be dug up carefully, preserving as much of the root system as possible and preferably kept damp. Samples should be sent to the following address:

SARDI Diagnostic Centre
Plant Research Centre
Hartley Grove
Urrbrae SA 5064

• Please see the attached trial report for full details.

• Oats produced the most dry matter after repeated grazings.
• Manage timing of grazing to allow cereal recovery. • Establish as much bulk as possible in a cereal pasture by increasing.
• seeding rate and consider dry sowing.

The GRDC-funded Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative recommends the use of chaff carts as part of a 10-point plan to beat crop weeds on the WeedSmart website.

• Resistance to Group B herbicides is common across western Victoria.
• Resistance to trifluralin is increasing.
• A new pre-emergent herbicides should become a fundamental part of an integrated weed management strategy to aid in control of multiple-resistant ryegrass.

 

• Current standard practices of 50 kg/ha DAP or 50 kg/ha MAP balanced with urea below the seed provides adequate P nutrition.
• With adequate soil moisture, no large differences in grain yield were observed in 2019 at Streaky Bay with different granular fertiliser treatments.

• CL Kord seed treated with EverGol Prime and 40 kg/ha DAP out-yields standard 40 kg/ha DAP and untreated CL Kord seed. Very little differences between other treatments at Penong in 2013.

• There were very little differences between fertiliser treatments and methods of application (applied 2013) at Penong in 2014.

• PBA Amberley faba bean produced yields over 5 t/ha.
• Faba bean did not respond to Phosphorus or Nitrogen inputs.
• Additional fungicide and nutrition treatments increased yield by 400 kg/ha – however treatments tested were not economically viable.

• PBA Amberley faba bean produced yields over 3 t/ha.
• Faba bean did not respond to Phosphorus (> 10 kg P/ha) or Nitrogen inputs.
• Our ‘Extra: treatment in late August during a dry period scorched the leaves which resulted in a reduction in seed yield of 250 kg/ha.

• Application of nitrogen fertiliser significantly increased yield compared to no fertiliser.
• Grain protein results suggest that in 2014 nitrogen was not the limiting factor to yield especially at the higher rates; incremental increases in mean grain protein were recorded with each increase in N, up to 300 kg N/ha.
• Variety choice had a significant effect on final grain yield and protein, however individual variety response to applied N rates were relatively similar.
• There was a strong link between N rate and what was left in the soil after harvest, and the higher rates left a considerable amount.
   

Nitrogen fixation can be manged to maximise efficiency by following a few rules:

• only sow inoculated legumes into soils low in available N,
• inoculate legumes every time they are sown, and
• keep the rhizobia alive.

• Prior to sowing, seed was treated with various products that are commercially available although no seed treatment improved crop performance relative to the untreated control.
• Rancona C had no negative effects on germination early vigour, establishment or yield of wheat when compared to other seed treatments or the untreated control.
• There was no evidence of wheat smut at the trial site this season, if disease pressure was greater we may expect to see difference in yield between treatments.

The trial went well in 2011 because the manure coverage was good. Michael was disappointed with the results from the deep rip treatments with or without lime, because there was no significant yield difference compared to the control and hence no economic gain. However applying chicken manure at 2t/ha resulted in an increase in yield (especially from the most acidic sand rises) with a considerable economic gain/return. Therefore, as a result of these trials Michael is going to implement a strategic manure application programme with the objective of increasing his paddocks yield and profitability while reducing the impact of the sand rises. Fellow growers in the area have embraced the trial outcomes and most of them are keen to adopt a similar strategy in their cropping system since chicken manure is widely available in the area.

Key messages: There was a significant effect of deep ripping on both dry matter production and grain yield for all three crops. Conversely the was no significant effect of organic matter inputs in any of the trials.

It is too early to tell whether chickpeas are as sensitive to simazine on clay soils as they demonstrated to be on a sandy soil in 1995.

• Commercial viability has been difficult to demonstrate.
• Field trials demonstrated that the H Senor was able to accurately classify annual ryegrass in several broadleaf crops, including canola, faba bean, lentil and field pea.
• Other grass weeds such as brome grass and wild oats were also correctly identified as grasses in these crops.
• Broad leaf weeds were accurately classified in cereal crops, however this was more difficult due to the overlapping nature of the cereal crops at the time when the broadleaf weeds had emerged.
• Classification accuracy was lower for detection of grass weeds in cereal crops and broadleaf weeds in broadleaf crops, and these scenarios were not pursued for that reason.  

• Chickpeas and lentils should be sown in early May to achieve early growth and maximise biomass and yield.
• In 2013 at Westmere, growth was generally slow and lacked vigour, however lentils tolerated some short term waterlogging surprisingly well.
• The larger Kabuli chickpeas, like PBA Monarch, Almaz and Kalkee are likely to be the most profitable options for this region.

• Resistant varieties will still produce excellent yields under high disease pressure and provide growers with a low risk alternative to grow chickpeas again.
• The resistant varieties Genesis 090 and Genesis 509 produce excellent yields under high disease pressure and provide growers with a low risk alternative to grow chickpeas again.

• The mild (although dry) finish to the 2012 season suited chickpeas at this site enabling them to mature slowly and achieve relatively high yields (averaging 2.6t/ha).
• Across all varieties a 13% yield improvement from fortnightly disease control, and a 7% yield improvement from strategic control involving three applications of chlorothalonil compared to untreated plots occurred.

• A direct relationship between grain yield and ascochyta blight infection, and grain yields varying from 0.4t/ha (Howzat) to 2.45t/ha (PBA Slasher), highlight the achievements of the chickpea breeding program in developing varieties with improved ascochyta blight resistance.
• The kabuli variety Genesis090 (rated as R) has the highest level of ascochyta blight resistance of all the varieties tested in this trial, supporting previous findings.
• Despite higher levels of ascochyta blight infection, some desi varieties, including PBA Slasher, may have higher yield potential due to better general adaptation to South Australian growing environments eg earlier maturity and better tolerance to variable soil types.

• Although chickpea yields were higher than previous years at Hart, the rapid finish to the season favoured earlier flowering and maturing varieties such as GenesisTM079 and Sonali.
• Ryegrass competition at 31 and 86 plants/m2 reduced chickpea grain yield by 31% and 56%, respectively.
• Breeder’s line “Chickpea 4” recorded the lowest yield loss from ryegrass competition at both sites (9% at the low ryegrass density at Hart), and also displayed 35% better tiller suppression than other varieties at Hart.
• Early vigour appeared an important trait in chickpea for improved competiveness with ryegrass, whilst short plant height was a disadvantage.

• A combination of weed competition and bird damage likely accounts for the absence of interaction between variety and crop-top application timing for grain yield in this trial. However significant treatment and variety responses were generated for grain yield, as well as a significant interaction for grain weight.
• Earlier maturing cultivars generally showed higher grain yield, favoured by the dry (but mild) finish to the season. The latest maturing cultivar Genesis114 showed the equal lowest average yield with other later maturing cultivars Genesis090, PBA HatTrick and Chickpea 3.

• PBA DrummondA generally had more Ascochyta blight infection than CBA CaptainA.
• Fungicide reduced Ascochyta blight infection in both varieties.
• At Canowindra on 17 September Ascochyta blight infection was rated as 6.1 in untreated PBA DrummondA (1 = no disease, 10 = disease across whole plot and all plants dying) and 2.5 in untreated CBA CaptainA.
• Fungicide reduced Ascochyta blight infection in CBA CaptainA (rated moderately susceptible [MS] to Ascochyta blight) and PBA DrummondA (rated susceptible [S] to Ascochyta blight) at both Canowindra and Parkes.
• Where fungicide applications were Delayed until after the crop had visible signs of Ascochyta blight, yield was lower than the Complete fungicide treatment for PBA DrummondA but the same as Complete fungicide treatment for CBA CaptainA (at both sites).
• The average yield was 1.78 t/ha at Canowindra and 1.49 t/ha at Parkes
• At Parkes the yield of CBA CaptainA was 0.7 t/ha higher in the Complete fungicide treatment compared to the Nil. PBA DrummondA yield increased by 2 t/ha for the same comparison.
• At Canowindra, CBA CaptainA yield increased by 1.5 t/ha and PBA DrummondA by 1.3 t/ha from Nil to Complete fungicide. However, the yield of the CBA CaptainA was still more than double the yield of PBA DrummondA in a high disease pressure environment.
• At Canowindra, yield of CBA CaptainA with Nil fungicide was either equal to or better than PBA DrummondA with fungicide applied. At Parkes, yield of CBA Captain with nil fungicide was higher than both the Budget and Delayed treatment, but lower than the Complete treatment of PBA DrummondA.
• These trials show that even a subtle improvement in varietal resistance from susceptible (PBA DrummondA) to moderately susceptible (CBA CaptainA) can take a lot of pressure off fungicide programs in environments and seasons conducive to disease.

Grain yield results of these trials need to be treated with caution due to the adverse environmental
conditions experienced throughout the season.

• Howzat had significantly greater levels of foliar disease and pod infection levels than all resistant varieties when no fungicides were applied.
• Under high disease pressure in Howzat fortnightly sprays of chlorothalonil did not always prevent plant death from occurring.
• Maximum grain yields in Howzat treatments at Turretfield occurred in fortnightly sprays of
  chlorothalonil, however disease levels in these treatments were still higher than in untreated plots of the resistant varieties
• Resistant varieties with no fungicides applied suffered no yield loss when compared to the same varieties treated with fortnightly sprays under high disease pressure at Turretfield
• One spray at podding to reduce pod infection levels from low levels to very low levels in resistant varieties was all that was required to successfully grow the new resistant chickpeas under high levels of disease pressure last year. There was no significant difference between the fungicides used to reduce pod infection levels in the resistant types, however chlorothalonil reduced levels to a far greater extent than Mancozeb in Howzat.

Grain Yield results of these trials need to be treated with caution due to the adverse environmental
conditions experienced throughout the season.

• The trial had no disease pressure and was not harvested for grain yield due to the dry conditions which have been outlined previously.

Grain Yield results of these trials need to be treated with caution due to the adverse environmental
conditions experienced throughout the season.

• See Milestone 1 for weather interpretation.
• Infected stubble was spread throughout this trial to ensure adequate infection by ascochyta
• blight.
• The trial highlighted the excellent foliage resistance of Flip 94-090c, Flip 94-508c, Flip 94-509c and Flip 97-530. However because of late rainfall it also showed the importance of the recommended fungicide application at early podding to prevent seed discolouration. Where the plots remained untreated, there were significant levels of infection on the seed.
• Varieties that are susceptible (Kaniva) or moderately susceptible to ascochyta blight (Howzat and WACPE 2075) had significant yield reductions without the application of fungicides.

• The application of fungicide reduced infection of Botrytis Grey Mould (BGM) compared to the untreated control. Ascochyta blight was not observed in this trial.
• Despite high levels of disease infection, the control of BGM did not increase yield.
• Grain yields above 2 t/ha were achieved with all treatments.

• Ascochyta blight was detected at both Ganmain and Caragabal, with infection observed in the Complete fungicide treatment.
• CBA Captain had less Ascochyta infection than PBA Slasher at Ganmain (only CBA Captain sown at Caragabal).
• At both Ganmain and Caragabal, a Complete fungicide program and a Budget fungicide program reduced Ascochyta blight infection compared to the untreated control.
• At Caragabal, grain yield was highest with the Complete fungicide program (2.20 t/ha) with no difference between the Budget program and the untreated control.
• The Ganmain site was not harvested due to a hail storm on 18 December.

• Dry seasonal conditions did not favour chickpea production in 2006 and grain yields were below average
• Ascochyta blight infection levels were only low in the trials however the ascochyta blight resistant varieties still had lower infection levels than Howzat, Almaz and Nafice
• Susceptible and moderately resistant varieties incurred grain yield loss in nil treatments compared to fortnightly sprayed treatments at Turretfield. This did not occur in varieties rated resistant including the two new lines to be released (FLIP94-079C and CICA503)
• Previous trials show ascochyta blight resistant varieties Genesis090 and Genesis509 can be successfully grown under high disease pressure with only the need for foliar fungicide sprays during podding
• No information was obtained on podding strategies required to reduce grain yield loss in resistant varieties due to a lack of pod infection from the dry spring conditions. Further work is required in this area.
• Varieties with intermediate resistance require foliar fungicides early in the season to control ascochyta blight and prevent yield loss even in dryer years.

• Howzat, Sonali and Almaz had significantly greater levels of foliar disease, pod infection levels, yield loss and seed size reductions than all three resistant varieties when no fungicides were applied at both sites.
• Under very severe disease pressure levels fortnightly sprays of chlorothalonil did not always prevent plant death from occurring in Howzat, Sonali and Almaz.
• One spray of chlorothalonil at the podding stage in the resistant varieties was sufficient to control high levels of ascochyta blight disease pressure and prevent yield loss and seed size reduction, up to eight sprays were required in moderately susceptible lines and four sprays in moderately resistant varieties.
• Genesis090 and Genesis508 can be successfully grown in SA with only the need for one fungicide spray during podding except for in cases where very severe levels of disease pressure exist early in the season and then more frequent spraying in flowering and podding may be required.
• Varieties with partial resistance to ascochyta blight like Almaz can be successfully grown in SA however they will require a proactive regular fungicide spray strategy including early season fungicide sprays when disease is present.
• The treatment based on spraying according to forecasted rainfall amounts and variety disease susceptibility (predictive) was successful for moderately susceptible varieties under high levels of disease pressure, however needs further refining for severe disease level conditions and varieties with moderate or greater levels of resistance to ascochyta blight.
• Chlorothalonil was superior to mancozeb as a podding spray treatment.

• No disease was present in the trial this year, therefore no effects of fungicide management regime were seen.

• Dry and hot conditions prevailed throughout late winter and spring limiting disease spread and plant growth.
• There was no fungicide treatment effect on grain yield in 2007.
• Fungicide treatments at early podding (pod), early and late podding (podplus) and strategic sprays (strat) had larger seeds than the control, but not significantly larger than fortnightly or systemic sprays.

• No disease was present in the trial this year, therefore no effects of fungicide management regime were seen.

• Significant levels of disease were present in the trial this year, but due to the high temperatures in November causing a short finish, it appears that potential yield differences were negated.
   

• Both desi and kabuli chickpea varieties suffered severe plant establishment reductions from fertiliser placement with the seed and with increasing fertiliser rates.
• Fertiliser rates of 20 kg P/ha and above placed with the seed had a significant negative effect on grain yields.
• Yields increased with fertiliser rate up to about 20kg/ha of P in this particular season and soil type
• Over two seasons fertiliser placement has been shown to influence plant establishment and yield of chickpea.

• 2019 had below average growing season rainfall, which led to very little disease development
• No difference in fungicide treatments was observed due to good environmental control of disease

• 2019 had below average growing season rainfall, which led to very little disease development
• No difference in fungicide treatments was observed due to good environmental control of disease

• Response of 13 chickpea genotypes to zinc nutrition was studied in a pot experiment under glasshouse conditions.
• When grown with no added zinc, zinc deficiency symptoms appeared 3–4 weeks after planting.
• Zinc efficiency based on shoot dry weight showed marked differences among genotypes.
• Root:shoot ratio was increased and proportionally more zinc was transported to the shoot when the soil was deficient.
• Cultivars that were very sensitive to zinc deficiency tended to have their root:shoot ratio increased by zinc deficiency more than less sensitive cultivars.
• The insensitive lines transported more than 70% of the total absorbed zinc to the shoot .
• Chickpea genotypes vary in their sensitivity to zinc deficiency.

Large differences in yield existed between varieties and also in their tolerance to different herbicides.

• Lasseter chickpeas had the highest yield compared to Desavic and Tyson, which, in turn, were better than the Kabuli type, Kavina.
• There were no effects of the herbicides on yield.

Grain Yield results of these trials need to be treated with caution due to the adverse environmental
conditions experienced throughout the season.

• Growing season rainfall was extremely low (157mm c.f. 230mm long term average) and there was no subsoil moisture due to low summer rainfall. Only 8mm rainfall was recorded in r (a critical period for crop growth and yield determination). There was an extremely hot
  period during October which resulted in significant flower and pod abortion. Many plots had
  died without setting pods prior to harvest. The late rainfall of 50mm in November was too late to be of any benefit.
• Emergence was similar across all treatments and varieties.
• All varieties responded similarly to the herbicide treatments.
• The most significant damage was in simazine + imazethapyr and simazine + isoxaflutole
  treatments. Simazine + isoxaflutole applied at double rates caused a significant reduction in
  crop height.
• The trial was not harvested and grain yields not recorded as there was almost no pods set (see above).

Grain Yield results of these trials need to be treated with caution due to the adverse environmental
conditions experienced throughout the season.

• See Milestone 1 for weather interpretation.
• Emergence was similar across all treatments and varieties.
• All varieties responded similarly to the herbicide treatments.
• The most significant damage was in simazine + imazethapyr, simazine + isoxaflutole and flumetsulam treatments.
• Grain yields were improved in treatments with greatest weed control, hence no yield reductions were observed in the simazine + imazethapyr and simazine + isoxaflutole treatments, where most crop damage was observed.

• Simazine + imazethapyr applied at the double rate PSPE, reduced yield significantly in all varieties.
• There were no significant differences between varieties in 2009.

• Application of inoculant (standard peat rhizobia) increased nodulation on CBA CaptainA, but there was minimal effect of crop nutrition (N and P) on nodulation.
• Inoculation increased crop biomass, even where 40 kg/ha N was applied. N application only increased biomass where inoculant was not applied.
• Increasing P rate from 5 to 15 kg P/ha did not affect crop biomass.
• The trial was not harvested for grain due a hailstorm.
• Biomass samples are being processed to determine the amount of N-fixation in the nil N treatments.

• There was diversity in phenology between varieties.
• Early sowing extended the crop vegetative period, but increased exposure to frost damage during the flowering phase.
• Desi varieties PBA Striker, PBA Slasher, PBA Boundary and CICA1521 were the highest yielding varieties at both sites.
• Dry conditions severely limited chickpea grain yield in 2019, but favoured early maturing varieties, particularly with mid May sowing.

Key findings:

• In a wet season, substantial yield losses (94%) from Phytophthora root rot (PRR) occurred in susceptible chickpea varieties such as PBA BoundaryA.
• Varieties with improved resistance to PRR (PBA HatTrickA and YorkerA) can also have large yield losses (68–79%) in a season highly conducive to PRR.
• Although yield losses will occur in seasons highly conducive to PRR, crosses between chickpea and wild Cicer species, such as the PBA breeding line CICA1328, currently offer the best levels of PRR resistance.

Summary

Under conditions that are highly conducive to PRR, substantial (94%) yield losses occur in susceptible varieties such as PBA Boundary.  However, significant losses (68-79%) can also occur in varieties with improved resistance to PRR (PBA HatTrick and Yorker).  Crosses between chickpea and wild Cicer species such as the PBA breeding line CICA1328 offer the best resistance to PRR.

• Pod set in chickpeas was suppressed by the cool September and October in 2009. Dry spring conditions further suppressed grain yields and grain weights of late sown chickpea crops by terminating seed fill prematurely.
• The dry season favoured early sowing, and generally favoured the early maturing Genesis079. The desi’s Genesis509 and new release PBASlasher generally performed similarly, although PBASlasher has higher long term yields and improved seed quality over Genesis509 in NVT trials.
• Earlier sown chickpeas yielded higher than those sown later. However, when sowing was delayed, yield was maximised in some varieties by increasing the seeding rate above recommended, similarly to 2008. However current chickpea densities of 35 plants/m2 for kabuli’s (small and large) and 50 plants/m2 for desi’s remain best-practice when sown early.
• Higher grain weights in chickpeas were achieved in 2009 by sowing early, particularly in larger seeded kabuli’s. However this finding was opposite to that found in the past where later sowing dates have led to larger grain weights. Increasing plant density from current recommendations did not influence yield, but reducing density to 20 plants/m2 did show a reduction in grain weight.

• Favourable early winter seasonal conditions were followed by dry conditions during late
  winter and spring.
• Late spring rainfall events were beneficial to grain formation and the average trial yield was a very respectable 1.7 t/ha given the below average growing season rainfall.

• The yields were to low to providing meaningful information on effects of plant population on yield, with moisture stress and varietal maturity having a major impact on plant reactions.
• There was a significant variety by density curvature.
• Genesis 509 shows a maximum yield at approximately 35 plants/m2, whilst the other two varieties show no real maximum, with Flipper showing a decline in yield with greater plant densities.

• Given the optimum growing conditions of 2010, lower plant populations more than
  compensated while higher populations suffered from lodging and shading issues
• Optimum plant densities were at the lower range - 20-30 plants/m2.
• Yield declined sequentially as seeding rate and lodging increased
• CICA0511 showed excellent lodging resistance, allowing it to maintain a positive response
  to yield as plant density increased.
• Genesis 509 was the highest yielding variety

• There was no significant variety by seeding rate interaction.
• There was however very significant main effects of variety (p<0.0001) and seeding rate  (p<0.0001).

• There were no significant varietal differences in either the curvature or linear response to plant
  density.
• There was however highly significant main effects of variety and plant density and an overall curvature effect.

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.

• Environmental and management conditions such as water availability and sowing date (SD) significantly affected phenological development, grain yield, disease levels and biomass accumulation. 
• The highest yields at both Wagga Wagga and Leeton were associated with mid to late sowing (SD2 and SD3), and early sowing (SD1) at Condobolin.
• The highest yields at both Wagga Wagga and Leeton were associated with the dryland treatment; there was a significant yield penalty associated with irrigation due to increased disease incidence (Wagga Wagga) and lodging (Leeton).

• Doubling row spacing in chickpeas from 9” to 18” caused an 18% reduction in yield, although there were improvements in lodging and pod loss. Variety ranking was the same for both row spacings.
• Row spacing had no influence on grain weight in 2009.

• The 50cm row treatments were significantly lower yielding in all varieties.
• There were no significant variety by row spacing interactions.
• Varieties were significantly different with Genesis509 the top yielding variety at 19 cm, 30cm or twin rows.
• The twin row arrangement (two rows 35/15cm apart) showed similar results to the 19cm or 30cm rows.

• The trial site was too affected by moisture stress to provide any meaningful results, with the site plot yields extremely low.

• In dry years, sow faba bean and chickpea as early as possible in the recommended sowing window.
• Grain yield declined significantly as sowings were delayed from 30th April through to 7th July.
• Faba bean was far more sensitive to delays than chickpea –they lost on average 21 kgs seed/ha/day over this period compared to only 7 kgs seed/ha/day for chickpea.

• There was a significant effect of variety, row spacing, plant population and variety x row spacing.
• The full 3-way interaction and the interactions of population by variety and row spacing were not significant.

There was a small but significatn yield penalty for desi chickpeas treated with P Pickle T compared to the nil treatement (the control).

• Results of this trial need to be treated with caution due to the low yields and adverse environmental conditions experienced throughout the season.
• Growing season rainfall was extremely low (190mm c.f. 265mm long term average) and there was no subsoil moisture due to low summer rainfall. Only 9mm rainfall was recorded in October (a critical period for crop growth and yield determination). There was an extremely hot day October 13 (37OC) followed by a frost (Oct 16, -3.4) which resulted in almost complete flower and pod abortion. Approximately 80mm rain fell in November and December, ensuring that we achieved grain yields up to 400kg/ha.
• Emergence was similar to target plant densities.
• Results highlight the yield potential of the new lines Flip 94-090c and Flip 94-509c.
• Low plant densities and later sowing tended to be higher yielding due to the late rainfall. This is the opposite trend of 2003 and needs further investigation.
• There was a greater proportion of large seed (>8mm) of Flip 94-090c at low plant densities compared with high plant densities (25% c.f. 5%).

• A dry (but mild) finish to the season meant that yields were less than the previous seasons but still above average, and there was less biomass production and disease pressure, resulting in low amounts of plant lodging.
• As expected, lodging was greater at the earlier sowing date, but was generally only minimal.

A strong negative effect on crop yield was found with sowing chickpeas shallow even with light rates of Simazine and Triflualin.

• In 1997, due to dry conditions, there was little effect of Simazine and Trifluralin on chickpea yield.
• On lighter soils it is still advisable to sow chickpeas relatively deep (7-8cm) when using Trifluralin and Simazine for weed control.

The yields are too poor to properly assess the three different treatment times.

Chickpeas should be sown from early June in the Southern Mallee.

• Given the moisture stress only the chickpea plot warranted harvesting, with the faba beans not handling the conditions as well.
• Yields were extremely low due to moisture stress

• Early sowing generally produced the highest yield for chickpeas in 2007.
• Chickpea varieties showed differences in response to plant density at each of the sowing dates.
• Generally Genesis 509 showed increased yield with higher plant densities, Almaz showed reduced yields and Genesis 090 was variable depending on sowing date.

• Trial not harvested in 2009 due to dry conditions and poor growth throughout the season.

• Generally early sowing and higher plant densities resulted in highest yields.
• Wider row spacing’s with standing stubble (60 and 30 cm) produced 10% higher grain yields than slashed stubble treatments (19.5 cm and 30 cm) for chickpeas in 2009.

• It is generally recommended that sowing of chickpeas is performed later than other pulses,
  particularly in favourable areas, due to poor pod set in cool weather (winter) conditions and
  excessive lodging in favourable regions and seasons where vegetative growth is high.

• There is a clear significant effect of time of sowing, with a near linear yield decline with the delay in sowing.

• Chickpeas are not traditionally grown in the Victorian HRZ. Plots were not harvestable due to unfavourable weather during reproductive stages at this exposed site.
• Many pods were white and did not produce grain, as a result of cold conditions and frost.  
   

• There was a highly significant time of sowing effect across all times of sowing with the each sowing time being significantly from each other.

• The varietal effects were strongly detected with the newly released PBA varieties proving their
  superiority over older chickpea varieties.

• Wimmera rye grass. Score 4 (Early season). 2 (Mid season).
• Capeweed score 4 (Early season. 2 (Mid season).
• Drought score 5 (Mid season).
•  

The optimum time for sowing Desavic chickpeas, for the 1996 season, was from early May to mid June.