• Time of weed removal at the high rainfall site did not affect canola yield but the canola had a higher biomass when weeds were removed earlier.
• The medium rainfall site had consecutively higher wheat yields with earlier times of weed removal; however these were not significantly different.
• At the low rainfall site plots sprayed for summer weeds had significantly higher oat yields than unsprayed plots. Timely control of summer weeds increased soil moisture and nitrate conservation.

• In dry regions, summer fallowing is not just about controlling weeds but mainly about conserving moisture!
• Cultivation conserved the most amount of soil moisture over the summer period. ƒ
• The three treatments which controlled summer weeds: (i) cultivation every three weeks; (ii) cultivation when required; and (iii) knockdown when required, had a significantly higher yield (0.4 to 0.7 t/ha) compared to the treatments where there was no or poor summer weed control. ƒ
• Greater than 80mm of available moisture was lost under heavy heliotrope and melon populations

• All fertiliser treatments significantly lifted grain yield from the untreated control with 15cm working depth.
• There was no significant response to applied potassium.

Applying high phosphorus and potassium rates in Vigour significantly maximised grain yield.

Liquid fertiliser significantly increased grain yield above the control at equivilant P rates.

• Sunflower yields were very low at this site in 2015–16, averaging 0.56 t/ha.
• Plant population affected plant measurements, with larger head diameters and 1000 grain weights resulting from lower populations.
• Hybrid selection also affected plant measurements. Ausistripe 14 had the longest arc length but the smallest head diameter. Ausigold 4 and Ausigold 62 had very similar plant characteristics.

• The more area of leaf removed, the greater the yield loss in sunflowers.
• The greatest effect on yield was from total leaf defoliation at the start of flowering or the end of flowering, which reduced yield by 1.16 t/ha (78%) and 1.02 t/ha (66%) compared to the control.
• Removing the top 10 leaves at the end of flowering had no effect on grain yield or any of the quality parameters measured.

• Yields from the 35,000 plants/ha and 45,000 plants/ha target plant populations were significantly higher than the 25,000 plants/ha treatment (by 0.52–0.56 t/ha). Plant population did not affect oil content.
• The solid 75 cm treatment achieved a yield significantly higher than the solid 100 cm and superwide (150 cm) configurations. Varying row configuration did not affect oil content.
• Ausigold 62 and Hyoleic 41 produced higher yields than the experimental sunflower hybrid. Ausigold 62 had significantly higher oil content than the other two hybrids evaluated.

There was a significant difference in canola yield between the high and low fertiliser treatments.

• There was no significant difference in field pea yield between the treatments.
• The yield only reached 20% of potential, according to WUE principles.
• A severe frost in late September resulted in massive pod damage.

• The crop reached 100% efficiency rating according to WUE principles.
• In years with low rainfall agronomic practices aimed at optimising produciton are unlikely to have any special benefits.
• It is only in years with average to above average rain that limiting factors can start to be identified.

• The target of a six tonne wheat crop was not achieved at all three sites.
• The dry spring reduced the yield potential of Frame, hence the most limiting factor was water.
• The demonstration showed little consistencies for treatment responses across the three sites.

• There were responses to Super Phos but these were difficult to assess due to uneven pasture growth, the presence of blue lupins and a high stubble load from 2009.
• Pasture cuts on 17 June measured a 0.6 t/ha dry matter response to 200 kg/ha Super Phos.
• There were no responses to Muriate of Potash (MoP) or lime. Late season responses were variable.

• No significant differences noticed in sheep supplemented with La Trobe pellets and grazing medic compared to sheep grazing medic only, however the sheep added 8 kg liveweight in 4 weeks.
• Trial to be repeated next year earlier in the season on rapidly growing medic with younger animals.

• Trials are underway investigating the effects of rotational grazing versus set stocking of stubble residues on surface cover and soil characteristics in arable paddocks.
• Early rain in 2014 disrupted the trial’s implementation but initial results on a stubble / self-sown pasture grazed in June indicated no difference between set stocking and rotational grazing on surface cover.

During 2006 and 2007, a field trial designed to quantify the effect of two different surface drainage strategies of pasture (hump & hollow and raised beds) on farm productivity, profitability and sustainability was conducted on a commercial farm near Derrinallum. Under the rainfall conditions experienced for the two years of the trial, it is concluded that the use of raised beds for the growing of pastures for grazing has little to offer the sheep industry. On the basis of the data obtained in this trial, it is recommended that the hump & hollow system is the preferred method of surface drainage for sheep grazing systems in this environment and should be promoted in the region. Major findings included:

• In both years, total annual pasture dry matter (DM) yields from the raised bed treatment were substantially less than for the undrained and the hump & hollow treatments.
• In the drought year of 2006 the raised bed treatment grew 37% (2.8 t DM/ha) less while the hump & hollow treatment grew only 7% (0.6 t DM/ha) less than the undrained (total of 7.6 t DM/ha).
• In the higher rainfall 2007 year the raised bed treatment produced 15% (1.6 t DM/ha) less pasture than the undrained. In contrast, the hump & hollow grew 10% (1.1 t DM/ha) more than the undrained (total of 10.7 t DM/ha) in 2007.
• The reasons for the lower than expected pasture yields on the raised beds are speculated to be a combination of low yields in the furrows, poorer plant establishment and density on the beds, and a reduction in the water holding capacity of the soil relative to the other treatments.
• Soil physical health was however considerably better on the raised beds than the other treatments. Aeration porosities at field capacity in November 2007 were a very healthy 16.3% in the raised beds, a moderate 11.8% for the hump & hollow and a poor 7.0% for the undrained.
• No significant differences in ewe or lamb weights at weaning were found between treatments in either year. This was most likely due to the set stocked sheep having pasture on offer in excess of requirements for most of the spring. In 2006 however, the raised beds were stocked at around 1 ewe/ha less due to the lower pasture growth rates.
• From a catchment and general environmental health perspective, the water run‐off results raise some concerns about the environmental impact of growing and grazing pastures on raised beds.
• The raised beds proved to be very effective in removing excess water from the pasture. Over 2007, the raised bed treatment (47.1 mm) had 170% more runoff water than the undrained (17.4 mm) while the hump & hollow (26.7 mm) had 53% more runoff.
• Both drainage treatments had considerably higher concentrations of, and total loads of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in runoff water. Of particular concern were the losses of 0.5 and 0.4 kg P/ha for the raised bed and hump & hollow treatments respectively compared to 0.1 kg P/ha for the undrained in 2007. For N, corresponding losses were 6.3, 2.1 and 0.9 kg N/ha for the raised beds, hump & hollow and undrained respectively.
• It is recommended that if raised beds are to be used for grazed pastures, then the best practice recommendations developed for raised bed cropping also be applied to pasture.

• From 2007 to 2009 field pea crops in the Hart district were sown in an even spread from early May through to June.
• The majority of crops were within 500 m of field pea stubble from the previous year.
• Blackspot was most severe in early sown crops adjacent to field pea stubble.
• There was a significant relationship between predictions of disease risk made by Blackspot Manager and the disease severity observed in these crops.

UWA trials on an MLA funded project showed that using more disease-resistant or disease-tolerant cultivars across Australia in 2015 and 2016 significantly increased plant productivity by up to 4 to 5-fold. This opportunity to identify cultivar resistances and cultivar field tolerances to the soil borne pathogen complex offers the best and most cost-effective, long term, and economically feasible means of managing damping-off and root diseases in subterranean clover across southern Australia. However, despite this tremendous opportunity to benefit producers, this opportunity is unlikely to be realised unless there is ongoing commitment by Industry funding to support such an approach and to realise this potential.

• Inoculum are living bacteria.
• Survial of rhizobia is vital for inoculation and effective nodulation of crop and pasture legumes.
• Chemicals and fertilisers can affect survival and persistence of rhizobia in the soil.
• Therefore, ensure high numbers of rhizobia are sown, especially where chemicals are used.

• Chickpea pods can split open when harvest is delayed (harvest date (HD)3 and HD4), allowing easy access for water and an easier exit for seeds that can drop to the ground before or during the harvest process.
• HD3 averaged 28.6% split pods per plant (varietal range of 2.8–51.9%) while HD4 averaged 46.0% split pods per plant (varietal range of 30.0–64.9%).
• Averaging across HD3 and HD4 for the desi chickpeas, Howzat had the least split pods (10.5%) and PBA SeamerA had the most (55.6%). For the kabuli chickpeas, Genesis™ 090 had the least split pods (22.5%) and Genesis™ KalkeeA was the worst affected (55.6%).
• Loss of seed from split pods and pod abscission, seed shattering and reductions in grain weight caused from delaying harvest were shown to reduce grain yields by up to 44%.
• A delay of six days with one rain event (44.2 mm) was enough to reduce the grain yield in chickpeas (averaged across varieties) by 2%, due to lower seed density.
• Growers should aim to harvest chickpeas on time to avoid yield losses and grain quality penalties at receival.
   

• The 2013 Tamworth and 2014 Trangie environments were not conducive to high levels of seed markings, with all varieties having <5% tiger stripe/blotches.
• The later sown chickpeas had a lower incidence of seed markings in two of the three environments.
• The 2015 Tamworth experiment was conducive to seed markings for the first sowing date (SD1). In this case, the most susceptible commercial varieties were PBA PistolA and PBA BoundaryA, with 9.7% and 6.7% of individual seeds having tiger stripe/blotches respectively.
• All five kabuli varieties did not display any seed markings in any of the three environments.
• All desi varieties showed at least low levels of tiger stripe/blotch type markings in one or more of the three environments and two sowing dates

Conclusions

Time of sowing and variety influence the amount of seeds showing the tiger stripe/blotching type markings in chickpea. Kabuli chickpeas do not suffer from this defect. Desi chickpeas sown in mid-June at Tamworth and Trangie had a lower incidence of this type of seed marking. Research is ongoing to identify both the genetic basis and the environmental triggers of tiger stripe/blotch type markings in desi chickpeas to minimise any potential risk to the Australian chickpea industry.

In 2001 the Rankins Springs CWFS plan to sow lupins across all treatments with the exception of organic treatment, which is considering vetch. The original plan was for barley in 2001, but at the last meeting a motion was passed for lupins to be sown this year to aid soil nitrogen levels.

The Sustainable Land Management Demonstration Sites in the Mallee have been established to demonstrate improved farming practices through a better understanding of crop management and water use to reduce groundwater recharge and soil erosion.

• Test your soil- soil testing individual paddocks for nutrient status and plant available water at the start of the season allows you to determine the paddocks yield potential and requirements. Knowing this information at sowing can assist in making decisions throughout the season.
• Yield Prophet- the crop simulation model is a great tool for assessing crop risk and predicting potential yields.

• Yield Prophet- the crop simulation model- is a great tool for assessing crop risk and predicting potential yields.
• For renovating overgrazed perennial pasture paddocks, the sowing of cereals is a low risk strategy.
• Pasture establishment is extremely difficult in the Mallee in years with limited spring rainfall.
• Cereal biomass production may be greater by an order of 10 times than either perennial or leguminous pastures in the first year of establishment.
• Best pasture options for a June sowing in terms of biomass in the first year of establishment are either forage brassica or Italian Ryegrass

The results to date from the systems trial are broadly summarized in the attached tral report.

• In 2016 only 40% of the barley grass was greater than 17 cm tall and had the potential to be collected by early swathing, or 60% of the barley grass seed had already shed or was below harvest weed seed collection height.
• Sampling of the swathed paddock area showed slightly better barley grass weed seed collection using swathing than from the rest of the paddock which was harvested normally.
• Seed capture at both swathing and harvest is higher with annual ryegrass than with barley grass.

• Applying a monolayer of ethylene glycol monooctadecyl ether polymer reduced evaporation by 50%–60% under small scale, controlled environmental conditions.
• Under field situations its efficacy is significantly reduced and produces inconsistent results with evaporation savings of less than 10%.
• Windy conditions and/or a decrease in the polymer’s longevity on the water surface under field situations probably cause this reduced effectiveness.
   

• For this trial, the N-calculator prediction optimised yield and gross margin in Mace wheat.
• In Season N Calculator model predictions were
• Getting mid-season N decisions right can have a significant impact on profitability since optimal top up N rates indicatively increased yields by 480 kg per hectare and net returns by $70 per hectare.
• The value of split N applications was shown and the trial provides more weight to the building confidence that the N calculator can provide real and robust N recommendations that are not in excess of crop requirement and produce maximum or near maximum margin returns from mid-season N applications.

• N Calculator recommendation was accurate for 9 weeks after sowing (WAS) application with additional nitrogen not increasing yeild. The recommendation was slightly below optimumfor 7 WAS.
• Achieving close to the target 10.5% protein indicates that recommended N rates were utilised to optimise growth and yeild and application of N was not deficient or excessive.
• This provides confidence to incorporate the use of N Gauges and the N-calculator to assist in making N application decisions to wheat crops during the season based on the growth status of the crop.
• Summit will continue further testing of the N Calculator under differedt seasonal consitions in the noerthern Wheatbelt and the effect if timining of NVDI assessment and N-Calculator recommendations on yield response to in season N applications.  

• TagTeam™ has increased the yield of field peas by 4.5 percent in trials using half the rate of phosphate fertiliser, resulting in a productivity gain of at least $30/ha from both the yield increase and fertiliser reduction.
• JumpStart™ has been shown to increase the wheat yield by 5 percent in farmer split-paddock trials where half the rate of the grower’s fertiliser was used, resulting in productivity gain of at least $30/ha from both the yield increase and fertiliser reduction.

• In the unusually wet growing season of 2016, increasing the barley plant density did not increase the yield of all varieties.

• High tiller numbers reduced overall grain size.

• In ideal growing conditions, some varieties with lower plant densities of <125 plants/m2 out-yielded higher density treatments.

An Ally tank mix gives farmers a fantastic weapon in the fight against weeds.

• Ancient barley germplasm from Ethiopia harbours resistance to scald and other diseases.
• Twenty-eight out of 355 Ethiopian lines were moderately resistant to scald.
• Careful selection for disease-resistant lines is important to retain other desirable traits.

• Nuseed Diamond achieved 5 t/ha grain yield from early sowing (watered for germination on 12 April).
• The high yield of Nuseed Diamond was due to its high biomass accumulation and high harvest index. ATR BonitoA was the lowest yielding variety, largely because it accumulated less biomass than hybrid non-TT varieties.
• Split nitrogen application resulted in higher grain yield than all nitrogen applied at sowing or all nitrogen
delayed to the 8-leaf stage.

• Pioneer® 45Y88 (CL) was the highest yielding variety, averaging over 4 t/ha, with Nuseed Diamond and Pioneer® 45Y25 (RR) also achieving high yields.
• Sowing on 5 April resulted in higher grain yield, reduced lodging and lower oil content compared with sowing on 26 April.
• A plant population of 35–56 plants/m2 resulted in higher grain yields than populations of 18 plants/m2 or 68 plants/m2.
• Applying 200 kg N/ha resulted in higher grain yields than 150 kg N/ha when the soil available nitrogen (N) at sowing was 64 kg/ha. Nitrogen rates above 200 kg N/ha resulted in no extra yield.
• Increasing N application rates above 200 kg N/ha reduced oil concentration.
• Crop lodging increased with plant populations above 35 plants/m2 and N rates above 150 kg N/ha.

• Correct varietal selection and optimal agronomic management can result in irrigated wheat yields of over 10 t/ha.
• LongReach CobraA, LongReach TrojanA and BeckomA were the highest yielding varieties.
• Delaying nitrogen fertiliser application by applying the greatest amount at booting was shown to improve grain protein concentration and reduce lodging compared with applying more nitrogen at sowing.
• A plant population of 120 plants/m2 was shown to yield more than higher plant populations whilst also minimising lodging.

• The results must be treated with caution as the late break, extremely wet September/October period and then extremely dry finish to the season did not suite any of the wheat varieties with very little significant differences occurring between the yields of different varieties.
• For further conclusions, please see the attached trial report.

In this experiment foliar application of tebuconazole at label rates to a wheat crop (cv. Yitpi) at GS38-49 resulted in a significant yield loss (0.43t/ha or a 43 percent decrease relative to the control)

One way plough and Grizzly Offset discs appear to be the most efficient, practical most cost effective method of incorporating lime into the topsoil in the eastern wheatbelt wodjil soils.

• Annual ryegrass (ARG) establishment and seed head numbers increased significantly under the faba bean herbicide strategies used in 2016
• There were no significant differences between herbicide strategies in 2016, with the legacy of past years’ management strategies not creating any difference in yields this year
• Over the five years of the trial, RT Canola in 2014 was been the best option to maintain ARG seed head numbers
• ARG seed head numbers increased by 35% in 2016 following the high cost weed strategy (strategy C) in combination with HWS prototype mill
• ARG seed head numbers increased by 148% (low cost, strategy A) and 171% (mid cost, strategy B) in 2016
• Effects of pre-harvest desiccations in 2016 will not be evidenced until emergence in 2017 

• Substantially better brome control and seed set reduction is possible by using pre-emergence options other than trifluralin.
• The costly Sakura+Avadex treatment is likely to be the most effective.
• Consistency of performance of all pre-emergence herbicides for brome remains a problem
• On-row seeding on non-wetting sand showed that it can substantially improve early crop emergence.
• One reason for this is the likely wetter surface soil in rows at time of seeding.
• Seasonal conditions such as the long-wet season of 2016 will affect efficacy of both pre-emergence herbicides and the impact of additional crop competition on brome seed set suppression.
• Maintaining low seedbanks and having alternative options for weed seed control when faced with a risk of ‘blowouts’ in brome seed set is important given the chance of particularly poor control in some seasons.

• Substantially better brome control and seed set reduction is possible with pre-emergence options other than trifluralin.
• The costly Sakura+Avadex treatment is likely to be the most effective.
• Consistency of performance of all pre-emergence herbicides for brome remains a problem
• On-row seeding on non-wetting sand can substantially improve early crop emergence in part due to increased surface soil water accumulation in rows at time of seeding.
• Seasonal conditions such as the long wet season of 2016 will affect efficacy of both pre-emergence herbicides and the impact of additional crop competition on brome seed set suppression.
• Maintaining low seedbanks and having alternative options for weed seed control when faced with a risk of ‘blowouts’ in brome seed set is important given the chance of particularly poor control in some seasons.

In this trial we observed no response to the non-nitrogen test products, either on the low or high fertilizer at seeding treatments.  However we cannot say that they will not work under other site, season and management conditions.  Unfortunately the promoters can rightly say that we did not give their product the best opportunity to perform and so it was an invalid test.

Such a reply has implications for the promoters rather than the testers. The promoters have an obligation to state under what conditions they expect their product to work and those conditions  have to be readily recognized by potential local users. It is not good enough to list a range of processes which the product “improves” or even to quote circumstances from elsewhere where the product has worked. Any new product (and agronomic practice for that matter) has to be  extensively tested under local conditions so that the promoters can say what the chances of success are if used by local growers.

We, the testers are able to state that the product did not work under our conditions and in the Popper sense of “falsification” have disproved any statement about how generally useful the product might be. That is, 100% of our observations say it does not work, but that is hardly useful. We could have had a drought year and nothing would have worked. We could have been wiped out by      frost or we may have chosen a site with the wrong levels of fertility. We did not test across a full range of conditions and so have too limited information for invalidating the all claims made for the products. This problem is equally true for validation by the product developers.

Products MUST be tested across a wide range of local conditions before it can be promoted with confidence to the broader agricultural community.

In short, any new product (or agronomic practice) requires a major investment in validation trials which are ranged across the full set of management, site and season conditions experienced in the new environment. Otherwise, general promotion of those products should not be believed until such work has been done.

• The later seeding had very poor crop establishment, resulting in significantly higher brome seed production (115% more panicles) than early seeding, but seeding time did not interact with herbicide treatment effects.
• Only the treatments including Sakura resulted in significantly (P<0.01) better brome control than trifluralin alone (measured by number of panicles/m2).
• Sakura alone resulted in 55% less brome panicles than trifluralin alone, and Sakura + Avadex resulted in 72% less brome panicles than trifluralin alone.
• Sakura’s extended residual soil activity, which can restrict root growth of brome, combined with the dry spring, was probably responsible for the reduced seed set.
• Substantially better brome control and seedset reduction is possible by using pre-emergence options other than trifluralin. The additional herbicide cost needs to be evaluated against the better level of control, including the longer-term seedbank benefits.

(i) In many cases, retained hybrid sowing seed resulted in more blackleg and lower grain yields than when commercial hybrid sowing seed was used. (ii) Oil content was lower in crops grown from retained sowing seed. (iii) Benefits of commercial hybrid sowing seed outweighed the cost of buying that seed.

For a presentation of the story so far, please see the attached trial report.

• From the 10% challenge came a feast of ideas, usually with one or two key focus points considered valuable to the farming operation, with farmers agreeing with or discussing other ideas as they were shared within the groups.
• The information arising from these sessions has been presented at farmer meetings for local groups to discuss in relation to their own farming systems. Further development and extension of this work and ‘rules of thumb’ will be investigated with the discussion
• groups and delivered at local farmer meetings.

Forty per cent of all pasture and cropping sites had little or none of these beneficial species present. Of the sites where adequate populations of carabid beetles and earwigs were found, cropping paddocks were dominated by one subspecies of carabid (Rhytisternus) and the beneficial native earwig (Labidura truncate).

Changes in pasture composition, groundcover, stocking rate and stock condition are being monitored at each grazing site. Soil moisture is being measured at one pasture site (to 1.2m) and one cropping site (to 1.6m). Water quality will be monitored at one pasture site opportunistically depending on flow. Photo points were established and soil pH and nutrient testing was undertaken at all sites.

There are substantial benefits from GM herbicide tolerant canola when compared with alternative non-GM weed control systems. These include more effective weed control, reduced pesticide use, reducted use of cultivation, improved yields, reduced risk of herbicide resistance and a reduction in the environmental 'footprint'.

• In 1997-98, Durum wheats attracted a huge premium over bread wheats.
• Whilst the prices were one-off, Durum wheat offers an alternative to growing prime hard wheat.
• Durum growers - especially in the Central West - need to emphasise keeping the quality high and keeping a close eye on marketing opportunities.
• Durum wheat is used especially to make pasta and noodles and various export opportunities exist.
• Durum wheat is best grown on land that would be used for prime hard wheat.

Agricultural activities such as cultivation, livestock farming, stubble burning and decomposition of crop residues cause greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere.

• All two year break options increased yield by 0.5–1.0 t/ha compared to continuous wheat.
• Single year breaks improved wheat yields in 2012 and also appeared to increase them slightly in 2013.
• Grassy weeds had a major impact on wheat yields.
• Only 2 year breaks reduced grassy weed seed banks substantially compared to the continuouswheat control.

• Canola and peas only produced half the yield of wheat, but barley performed very well.
• Ryegrass is becoming a problem in wheat on wheat plots.
• Pastures performed well where seed reserves had been increased in 2011.
• All options had good soil moisture (40mm) at the start of the season.

The grain yield from raised bed plots was 60% higher than from unbedded plots. Given the very wet winter and the waterlogging intolerance of albus lupins, this result is not surprising. In the two previous relatively dry years wheat and poppy crops in the same trial area have shown no benefit from the raised beds (on a per hectare basis).

Topdressing pulses with nitrogen does not pay; inoculation does. Nitrogen topdressing of pulses resulted in little or no net growth or yield benefit. Inoculating pulses is most effective if the soil is moist and if residual soil nitrogen and soil rhizobia populations are low. The current study indicated that a return on investment of up to $60 can be achieved from the inoculation of chickpeas in the absence of soil rhizobia.

There is enormous opportunity for the farming sector in general to benefit through the introduction of new crop types. Potentially crops that may have previously been bred for the food industry might now have an opportunity to be reutilised through the significant segregated storage and handling system that we see across most of the east coast of Australia. The ongoing reliance on fossil fuels is not healthy. With the world oil stocks depleting at an ever increasing rate we need to be proactively looking at all sorts of alternative renewable fuel sources.

• There was a wide range in crop maturities with up to 50 days difference in date of first flower
• Several lines had flowering dates which fell between the commercially available spring and winter types
• Yields of up to 7 t/ha were achieved at Inverleigh and 6.6 t/ha at Hamilton
• Many of the lines not commercially available to growers outperformed the commercial varieties
• Lines with mid-season maturities may be suited to a wide range of locations in the HRZ 

Soil organic matter consists of a labile (non-permanent) and stable (humus) fraction. No-till increases the labile fraction of soil organic matter, but not the stable fraction. Additional nutrients will be required to ‘fix’ the labile fraction to humus.

• Trials conducted in 2012 have shown that larger droplets and variations in droplet application direction can successfully control summer weeds, compared to the traditionally favoured medium droplets.
• This includes a variation of weed species, different herbicides types and application within conditions that are not generally conducive to summer spraying.
• The work has shown that for contact herbicides like Spray.Seed extremely coarse droplets can give reduced control, regardless of water rate.

Wild oat control in dryland cereals is important for yield maximisation and profit. Even low levels of wild oats (50 plants per m2 ) can reduce yields by 17% (PISA Weed Decide Calculator). In a trial conducted at Birchip, Victoria Hussar® and Atlantis ® (group B herbicides) were shown to give similar wild oat control when compared to the current standards and can be used to rotate modes of action. Hoegrass® and Decision™ were shown to be less effective than current standards for wild oat control, at the rates used. Yields varied greatly within replicates so little can be derived from them.

• 67% of divalent manganese incubated on calcareous sands form Warooka was immobilised within 167 hours by chemical and biological processes.
• In field experiments over seven years manganese up to 16 kg/ha drilled with the barley crop did not prevent manganese deficiency in crops.
• However, manganese applicaiotn increased crop growth, delayed deficiency symptoms and increased grian yield by an average of 61%.
• The optimum applicaiotn at seeding was 6 kg/ha manganese (25 kg/ha nanganese sulphate).
• Three foliar sprays of manganese did not completely correct manganese deficiency.
•  The best results were obtained by applying 6 kg manganese at sowing followed by three foliar sprays.

• Critical concentration of manganese in wheat tissues for optimal growth was determined.
• In the youngest emerged blade the critical concentration was 11 µg per gram.
• The critical concentrations for whole tops were 12 µg per gram.
• The older blades were less sensitive determinants of the growth response and are not recommended for analysis.
• Diagnosis using whole tops was less sensitive than with youngest expanded blade but may give an integrated picture of man manganese deficiency where availability varies with time.
• The critical level of manganese was the same for 2 genotypes differing in their ability to tolerate manganese deficiency.

•  Use the tools – they are easy to use and real eye opener on what acidity can be costing you.
• Significant yield improvements have been seen when cropped paddocks are limed.
• Make liming a part of your annual program. 
   

A harvest-time knockdown to kill summer weeds has been shown to conserve significant soil moisture prior to seeding in a series of trials across the eastern wheatbelt this year.

• Wider row spacings (300mm vs 200mm) significantly reduced yield when averaged across three wheat varieties and two nitrogen timings. Wider rows reduced crop income in excess of $100/ha.
• The cultivar (variety) grown was just as important as row spacing in determining yield. When averaged across the different row spacings and nitrogen timing treatments, Kellalac yielded 4.61t/ha, Bolac 5.12t/ha and Beaufort 5.72t/ha.
• Tiller counts were significantly less when moving to the wider row spacing widths. At the 200 mm row width, Beaufort had significantly fewer tillers/m2 than Kellalac, which in turn had significantly fewer tillers than Bolac. When the row spacing increased to 300mm, both Kellalac and Bolac had a significant reduction in tillers, while counts for Beaufort did not drop significantly. Kellalac had the fewest number of tillers at the wider row spacing.
• Row widths of 200mm with nitrogen applied at GS00 & GS31, tended to give higher yields (5.30t/ha & 5.33t/ha respectively) when compared to a row spacing of 300mm with nitrogen applied at GS00 (5.09t/ha) & GS31 (4.88t/ha).

No fertiliser had any effect at any rate on the establishment of canola when watered up.

• A replicated trial was conducted to compare grain yield of early sown Revenue wheat (cut and uncut for fodder) with that sown at a more traditional time, May.
• Both cutting and later sowing significantly reduced grain yield compared with the early sown uncut treatment.
• The most significant effect was the ability of the early sown plots to better tolerate the very wet conditions. With a root system actively depleting moisture from the soil profile in late autumn the early sown treatments entered winter with a depleted soil moisture bank whereas May sown plots struggled over winter due to additional water logging.
• March sown plots that were cut did not recover as well as in drier seasons. It is likely that the prolonged water-loggin created an addional stress on top of cutting to the detriment of crop recovery and grain yield.

• Despite visual differences there is no major impact on soil structure, water holding capacity or water infiltration from grazing in summer or winter when soils are water logged.
• Grazing in the previous winter or summer does not affect the following crop establishment or grain yield.
• Any yield losses after winter grazing are the result of moisture stress in the period immediately after grazing through to flowering.
• Annual ryegrass and wild raddish populations did not increase because of grazing, although the sites only had low levels of infestation to being with. However, farmer observations do not support this and further work is needed.

• Despite visual differences there is no major impact on soil structure, water holding capacity or water infiltration from grazing in summer or winter when soils are waterlogged.
• Grazing in the previous winter or summer does not affect the following crop establishment or grain yield.
• Any yield losses after winter grazing are the result of moisture stress in the period immediately after grazing through to flowering.
• Annual ryegrass and wild raddish populations did not increase because of grazing, although the sites only had low levels of infestation to begin with. However farmer observations do not support this and further work is required.

Grazing crops early and/or lightly will generally not affect grain yields.

Plant recovery is supported by having more green material remaining after grazing; the more the merrier!

Early sown winter wheat can produce more biomass earlier in the season than spring wheat varieties.

• In 2015, two spring irrigations produced the highest wheat grain yield (7.61 t/ha), but one irrigation provided the highest water use efficiency (1.7 t/ML).
• Ponding irrigation water for 48 hours to induce waterlogging did not reduce grain yield in this experiment, but increased water use and reduced water use efficiency by 25%.
• If the number of spring irrigations is limited, it is important to find a balance between irrigating before significant moisture stress occurs and ensuring adequate moisture is available during flowering.
   

• 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.  

• Suntop was the highest yielding variety (4.48 t/ha).
• Lancer achieved high protein, high test weight and low screenings at all nitrogen application rates.
• Grain yield increased as nitrogen application rates increased, but there was no significant increase in yield above 20 kg N/ha applied nitrogen.
• Applying 160 kg N/ha resulted in a yield decrease.

For results and discussion please see the attached trial report.

Lodging was reduced in scout wheat with the application of Moddus Evo at GS31, but yield was not affected.

 

The PGR trinexapac ethyl reduced plant height and improved lodging resistance but no PGR influenced yield.

Only the Chlormequat + Tebuconazole treatment reduced crop height (100 mm). No lodging, yield or grain quality differences where significant.

No PGR had any effect on plant hieght, lodging or yield.

Trinexapac-ethyl resulted in shorter crop height and higher screenings from th late application. There were no effects on yield or crop lodging.

• Weed control in Broad beans in the SE of South Australia requires increased research to adapt new strategies to minimise resistance to herbicide technologies.
• Conmurra Trial Site was extremely clean in 2013 with lesser loosestrife being the only major weed observed.
• All treatments except Triflur X, Terbyne PSPE, F8142/6 and Magister significantly increased yield when compared to the untreated control.
• Triflur X, Terbyne PSPE, F8142/6 and Magister were not significantly different in yield when compared to the untreated control.
• Ensure to read and follow herbicide label before the application.
• Trial Photos Can Be found on the Mackillop Website.

Rhizobium inoculation improved faba bean yields by 9-30% above uninoculated plants. Higher rates of rhizobium inoculum show a trend to further increase yield though this was not significant. Rhizobium inoculation should be considered as cheap insurance against conditions not favourable to nitrogen supply, particularly during winter.

• Higher seed manganese content increase growth and yield of barley on manganese deficient soil.

• The disc machine had much less variation in seed placement than the tyne.
• The depth of incorporation with the single disc seeder increased slightly with speed, although speed of sowing did not significantly improve weed control.
• Crop growth was not affected by the speed of sowing with discs as hypothesized but there was a significant difference between the tyne and disc seeded treatments. The limited vigour of the wheat seedling sown by the disc seeder is probably the reason for generally lower yields than tyne sown plots. It is not clear whether reduced vigour was due to weed competition or herbicide toxicity as these factors weren’t tested separately in this trial. 
• For further detials, see attached trial report.

The high rate of gypsum (3.0 t/ha) was the best ameliorant, with all other ameliorants and rates performing better than the control (no ameliorant).

• Sowing date and varietal phenology both affected the exposure of canola to rain days and potential disease infection.
• Early sowing increased the level of pod blackleg infection.
• Early sowing increased sclerotinia infetion in the early flowering variety Hyola 575CL but not in the slower variety Pioneer 45Y88 (CL). 
• Grain yield was higher from the later sowing date (22 April) than the early sowing date (7 April).
• Grain yild was closely correlated to total biomass accumulation, which was greater from the 22 April sowing time than 7 April sowing time.

• Early sown (9 April) Pioneer 45Y88 (CL) yielded similarly to later sown (20 April) Pioneer 45Y88 (CL) and Hyola 575CL.
• The irrigation treatment that stored 20mm plant available water did not increase grain yield or oil concentration.
• The maturity biomass was higher from the later sowing date, but the harvest index was slightly higher from the early sowing date.

 

The effect of planting date on grain protein is less clear when viewed over the full planting date range. Past mid June however, the figures would suggest that delaying sowing date in fact increases grain protein.

For a full list of take home messages please see the attached trial report.

• Variety phenology and sowing date need to match to avoid plants flowering and podding during periods of severe frost. The highest yield in 2017 came from the 6 April sowing of the long season varieties Archer and ATR WahooA that flowered in early August.

• ATR Stingray and Nuseed® Diamond flowered earlier than the optimum start of flowering (OSF) date (28 July) from both the 6 April and 20 April sowing dates with significant frost damage incurred at both sowing dates.

• Canola varieties have the ability to recover from severe frost damage where soil water is not limited.

• Plant population is poorly correlated with sowing rate. Farmers should focus more on plant populations rather than just sowing rate.
• High plant populations increased yield without affecting grain quality in these two trials.
• Dryland wheat farmers in the Parkes and Forbes areas should target a plant population of 100-120 plants / m2.
• Sowing rates should vary depending on seed size, germination and sowing conditions to achieve the target plant density.

• Harvest results (grain yield and quality) are more closely related to plant density than sowing rates.
• Plant density can vary by over 50% for any given sowing rate. Correct sowing rate calculations that take into account seed size, germination % and expected emergence losses are needed to achieve target densities.
• A target density of 120 plants/m2 is suggested as a good compromise for achieving good yield and quality in the local area.

• The effects of sowing time and variety on yield and oil concentration of canola (Brassica napus) were investigated at Condobolin in 2002 and 2003.
• Eight canola varieties and two Indian mustard varieties differing in maturity were established at four sowing times from early April to mid June.
• Early sowing increased yield and oil concentration.
• Yield and oil concentration declined with each delay in sowing time in both years.
• Variety maturity type is not as important as early sowing.