The ribbon sowing provided about 137kg/ha more yield, 0.6% less screenings and an average improvement to income of $35/ha; this will be a useful benefit when the system is used for shield spraying for grass.

Yields were low due to low rainfall.

• The trial had to be seeded a little deeper than we anticipated in order to chase moisture.
• There was no significant differences to come out of this trial as shown by LSD (least significant difference).
• This trial, like many other seed treatment trials, has provided not real differences between treatments.

Cullen australasicum was the best Cullen species overall, in terms of productivity and presistence throughout the year.

The most important findings of this study were that populations from some undomesticated, native Cullen species persisted better or were more productive than lucerne under the trial conditions.

• Skip row seeding is a stragegy to target water conservation; however, if weeds establish in hte skip row they escape competition from the crop and can be difficult to control.
• The total growing season rainfall for the trial paddock was 330mm, meaning plant competition for water was not as intense as it would be in a drier year.

• The skip row treatments were visually much more susceptable to weed competition.
• Further analysis and trials are necessary to gain a better understanding of the implications of skip row seeding in lupins and the impace the environment ha son its effectiveness.

There was a significant yield improvement of the triticale to applied gypsum.

Results show that there was a significant increase in grain yield and protein level for brown manure and organic matter treatments.

Research and trial work across Australia has shown that stubble retention does eventually lead to an improved soil resource

The lupin phase is primarily a 'set up' rotation which continues evaluation of the soil resource. No yield results are obtained in the lupin rotation.

No significant differences have been found between treatments in relation to the soil resource.

• This trial was implemented in an effort to increase grain yield through improved soil water storage and biological functioning. Organic matter, whether as retained stubble or additional inputs, is a significatn source of crop nutrition, and improved moisture conditions allow for optimal breakdown by soil microbes.
• Further investigation and trial work into the effect of chaff and straw from different crop species would have on yield and soil health properties would be beneficial to evaluate.

• Basal yield reached 75% of potential yield at this site.
• The plus N treatment did not significantly affect yield, and N was not a limiting factor.
• Moisture was in excess below 60cm soil depth.

This site was close to achieving potential yield according to the French-Schultz equation.

Yield from the basal applied treatment wqas 90% of potential yield.

Actual yield (basal treatment) was well below potential yield according to the French-Schultz equation.

• Yield was not significantly increased with the addition of extra N, therefore N was no limiting.
• Potential yield was not reached with either treatment.

• This site exceeded yield potential.
• The plus N treatment did not significantly increase yield from the basal treatment.

• Potential yield was not reached with the basal or the plus N treatments.
• Wheat yield was 1.27t/ha and was not significantly different with the addition of more nitrogenous fertiliser.

This was the highest yielding satellite site with the basal treatment yielding 4.03t/ha.

• As in 2014, there was a significant difference in yield, in response to the cultivation treatments but not between the lime treatments.
• Screenings in 2015 were much higher in the mouldboard and spaded plots than any other treatments. The percentage of screenings in these treatments increased with the increasing rate of lime.

Higher rates of Spray.Seed provided significantly greater levels of final ryegrass, radish, canola and lupin control.

The trial germinated well with a good start to the season and weeds were well controlled with sprays.

The high nitrogen rates caused the plants to burn off in early August. Grain fill of earlier season varieties was affected by frost damage.

Pre-sowing comment: surface crusting with adequate moisture at 3cm.

Early season commment: slow chickpea growth. Field peas ok some ryegrass. Adequte moisture.

Pre sowing comment: good rains at end of March, Good knockdown.

Early season comment: trial slow to germinate as weather cooled down. Trial looks good, weeds controlled with sprays.

Mid season comment: dry July, but trial still looks good.

Pre harvest comment: good rains and Aug and Sept finish trial off nicely, trial site clean.

Pre sowing comment: surface crusting with adequate mositure at 3cm.

Early season comment: slow chickpea growth. Field peas ok some ryegrass. Adequate moisture.

• There was significatn rain in early April.
• There were some dry periods but adequate rainfall overall. Some frosts occurred in July/August.
• Main weed problem was self-sown wheat.

Trial germinated well with a good start to the season and weeds were controlled with sprays.

Pre sowing comment: good knockdown. Good rains at end of March.

Early seaaon comment: germinated well, looks to be some simazine damage. Good rains keep growing going.

Mid season comment: dry July. Trial clean of weeds.

Pre harvest comment: good rains in August and September finishes off, trial still thin from probable simazine damage.

• Think of a fallow as a risk reducing investment for your property.
• Soil testing after chemical fallow is essential to determine the starting point of available nutrients in the soil.
• Good agronomic practices that maximise plant health and growth will allow crops to use water more effectively, improving yield potential.
• Weed free fallows mean increased moisture conservation leading to potentially higher yielding crops for the following year and more profitable rotations.
• The use of a residual herbicide to help suppress weeds over summer will be beneficial.
• If this trial was to be repeated, results will vary given different seasons and different soil types

These results suggest that the broader spectrum in-furrow and seed dressing treatments will return a significant return in yield over the narrower spectrum products even under low disease pressure situations.

Traditionally, forage legumes are sown after the main cropping program is completed and require
the application of a pre-sowing knockdown herbicide to control established weeds. This treatment
seriously reduces early winter pasture production which is then compounded by the slow growth
rate of legumes under the cold winter conditions.

For further comments please see the attached trial report.

• Weed counts were taken before and after treatments were applied and no significant difference in weed numbers was recorded.
• This was only a demonstration, further studies are needed.

• 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.

• Lupin yield loss caused by delaying sowing by 3 or 4 days is similar to the yield loss caused by one radish plant per square metre growing within the crop.
• As more populations of wild radish develop resistance to common herbicides it becomes critical to obtain effective weed control before and at seeding.

• The combination of Triazine Tolerant (TT) and Roundup Ready (RR) herbicide provided superior control of ryegrass and wild radish over individual chemistry treatments.
• Canola is an important rotational winter crop however, with increasing herbicide resistance across multiple chemistries in WA, growers are experiencing increasingly limited options with the current herbicide tolerance technologies available.
• Hyola RT® Technology allows the combination of strong knockdown and residual broad-spectrum herbicides from different herbicide groups and modes of action, targeting a wide range of weed species.
•  Hyola RT® will provide an important role in addressing the increasing Clethodim resistance problem.
• RT® dual herbicide tolerant Hybrids have now demonstrated their value as a new competitive integrated weed management (IWM) tool, also providing increased convenience and flexibility of in-crop weed control.

• The value of stored soil moisture at seeding in the Northern Agricultural Region of WA is not well understood.
• In trials so far, value of stored soil moisture at seeding has varied depending on season and soil type.
• In 2013, additional water at seeding increased yield by about 500 kg/ha at the sand site, and by 1000-2000 t/ha at the loam site.
• Trials such as these will help to unravel the value of stored soil moisture so that it can better be used as a predictor of crop performance and nutritional requirements.
• Available water at sowing is a poor predictor of expected yield and cannot be used as a simple tool for adjusting input levels. We need to develop an ability to understand when and why the water will be of benefit. 

This trial illustrated that there can be some significant benefits to deep ripping post sowing.

• The average yields peaked at the mid May sowing.
• Grain quality results were not available at the time of print, but will be available by the Crop Updates.

• TOS1 was sown in mid May and established well.
• TOS2 was sown late May but did not emerge until late June.
• TOS3 was sown late June and emerged a few days later.

• There was no significant pH changes within the first year of the demonstration however there was a trend for an increase in subsoil pH of 0.2-0.3 pH units following deep banding of lime.
• Predicted some of the lime deep banded in 2001 would remain undissolved and further pH increases should take place subsequently.
• Despite not significantly changing soil pH, there were first year yield responses in wheat following ripping, and the injection of lime.
• From a perspective to have lime react, it would seem imperative to have a deep tillage operation every few years.  Once a certain portion of lime has reacted, the residual lime then sits in a highly alkaline (caused by the dissolution of some of the lime applied) zone, within a highly acidic soil.  The chance of the excess lime present deep in the soil profile coming into contact with acid soil, to subsequently react and change more of the overall soil pH appears to be reliant upon some degree of mechanical intervention.

• A unique trial design (double up of each plot) was designed to allow destructive biomass sampling, and grain yield measurement
• This trial site was primarily used in a ‘screening function’- to evaluate any negative impact of lime of a variety of different legumes which was considered to be happening during the mid 1990’s. The key concern was to investigate if manganese deficiency was induced by liming
• The trial was sown to lupins in 1994, wheat in 1995.  Data not available
• Yield responses (negative) were apparently not noted in the early years following establishment of the trial.  Positive yield response did occur, several years post trial establishment
• The double up design allowed comparison of lime sources on many different species.  For example, in 1996, narrow leaf and yellow lupins were compared.  No data available
• In 1997 the trial was sown to wheat, no yield responses reported
• In 1998, the trial was sown to a diverse mix of new pasture legumes that were at various stages of evaluation prior to commercial release.  Some of the material screened, that subsequently was commercialised included Cadiz French serradella, Santorini and Charano yellow serradella, Casbah Biserrula, Prima gland clover and finally Bartolo bladder clover.  The primary focus of this work was to assess any negative impacts of lime on legumes.  No negative impacts reported.
• The inclusion of this trial into this sampling regime, was primarily because of the known (high rates) of lime subsequently applied by the cooperating farmer, and the focus to see if these high rates had changed soil pH deeper in the profile, which did not occur initially.

• There was rapid change in soil pH at this site in the first few years following the establishment of this trial.

• Despite the initial changes in soil pH, there were no positive grain yield responses between 1996-1999.

• In the 2000 wheat crop, there was a negative response to 2t/ha in 2000. 

• There has been a dramatic decline in soil pH across all treatments since 2000, despite a total of 4t/ha of lime being applied across the site (two applications of 2t/ha in circa 2009 and 2013.

• The source of the subsequent applications of lime applied by the farmer is unknown

• During the first few years of this trial being monitored, there were significant changes in soil pH due to the application of lime, and these changes resulted in significant grain response

• The ‘top up’ application (1.5t/ha, across all initial lime rates of 0, 1 and 2t/ha)) of lime applied in 2006 (10 years post trial establishment) has had dramatic impact on current soil pH.  Unfortunately, grain yields have not been monitored post the top up lime application.

• The 2016 pH measurements provide clear evidence inadequate lime has been applied to counter inherent and ongoing soil acidification. From a starting surface pH of 4.8 over a subsurface of 4.6 (in 1996), the highest rate of lime applied has been 2t (1996) and a further 1.5t (2006) is simply insufficient to lift soil pH above the DAFWA stated targets (5.5 over 4.8).

• Despite soil pH being under target, this trial provides a clear demonstration of the best soil pH profile being associated with the highest rate of lime application.  Collecting grain yields would be valuable

•    During the early years following trial establishment, there was no grain yield response measured
•    In 2004/2005, some 8 years post initial lime treatment, strong visual responses to lime became apparent
•    The ‘top up’ application (1.5t/ha, across all initial lime rates of 0, 1 and 2t/ha)) of lime applied in 2005 (9 years post trial establishment) has had dramatic impact on current soil pH, and the soil pH profiles now reflect lime applied
•    Only the highest rate of lime treatment (initial 2t/ha) followed by the 1.5t/ha in 2005 have a soil pH profile above the DAFWA recommendations (5.5 in the surface, over 4.8 at depth)
 

• We observed no significant differences in grain yield (GY) between any treatments due to low yield potential and reasonable soil nitrogen (N) levels at seeding.
• Timing of N application had no effect on GY. This is consistent with last years’ results at Wubin.
• Canola oil percentage decreased as N rate increased. High rates of N reduced oil significantly, consistent with last year at Wubin.
• The higher the rate of N the more rapidly oil percentage reduced, consistent with last year at Wubin.
• Gross margins (GM) decreased as N rates increased; all GM figures are negative due to poor GY, however, Sturt performed better than Pioneer 43Y23RR due to the higher seed costs associated with Roundup Ready (RR) seed.

• There were significant differences in grain yield (GY) between treatments (N kg/ha and timing), however, GY was particularly low in all treatments. 
• Total nitrogen (N) increased GY significantly up to 30kg N/ha.
• Canola oil percentage decreased as N rate increased. High rates of N reduced oil significantly.
• Applying N late (12 weeks after sowing (WAS) reduced canola oil percentage, however, not significantly.
• Gross margins decreased as N rates increased, but all gross margins (GM) were negative due to poor GY. Sturt had better gross margins than Pioneer 43Y23RR due to the higher seed costs associated with RR seed.
• Pioneer 43Y23RR produced higher GY at all rates and timings of applied N other than 10N seeding and 20N 12WAS.

There are no significant differences in yields between the control and the TM21 plots in either trial.

 

The 2007 growing season was extremely dry and proved extremely difficult for trials. BEST looks forward to seeing the trial evolve over the next few years.

• Normal traffic can easily reduce grain yield on this clay soil.
• This trial design is not very hard to use to quantify tramline farming systems.

Before attempting subsurface lime incorporation it is essentail that the pH profiel be known.

Before attempting subsurface lime incorporation it is essential that the pH of the profile be known. The amelioration treatments were no larger than the effect of the ripping. 

Trifluralin appears to be the best pre-emergent ryegrass herbicide for wheat.

Pre-sowing: limed and cultivated by farmer.

Early season: very slow growth and stressed.

Mid season: very stressed until good rain in September.

Pre-harvest: droughted.

• There was significant rain in early April.
• The paddock was cultivated wet at the time of seeding.
• Seeding was delayed due to seed supply problem.

At three field sites in WA, increased wheat yield was achieved at lower nitrogen (N) application rates when N was balanced with appropriate phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) applications. Wheat yield was driven by the ratio of N to P and K rather than the absolute concentrations of the nutrients and it is possible to increase profit margins by balancing nutrient inputs.

The level of background nutrients present in the soil at sowing was a key factor in determining the responsiveness of yield to fertiliser applications and how profitable the fertiliser treatments were. Pre-season soil testing to determine the level of residual nutrients will allow growers to balance their nutrient inputs and help to maximise profits.

CAN gave a significant yield result at both timings and over both rates of urea (Table 1). The site responded to topdressed N markedly with a yield increase of 0.81 t/ha (90 Urea) to 0.93 t/ha (132 CAN) at the first timing. The second timing showed a 0.6 t/ha (132 Urea) to 0.82 t/ha (132 CAN) yield response. Both CAN responses were significantly different to Urea. The first timing gave a higher yield response with both products. There was little site variation with both controls not significantly different.

• This site was unresponsive to N and there was no significant effect of either seed rate or N timing upon yield.
• Crop vigour was poor through the season and this was most likely related to subsoil acidity and aluminium toxicity.
• Plant testing confirmed adequate supply of nutrients.
•  

• Protein and yield responses may have been impacted by nitrogen residues in the soil from the two previous dry seasons.
• One treatment of 130kg/ha was also tested, however, due to an error during the harvesting of the trial and there being only one replicate of the treatment, the results have not been included.

An analysis of the soils PAWC needs to be conducted to determine yield potential of the soil types analysed to draw meaningful conclusions from these results.

The application of Real didn't appear to have a big effect on the occurrence of leaf rust on flag leaves.

• Further analysis using yield monitor data will allow for a comparison of fertiliser rates on the different productivity zones in the paddock which should enable us to determine the benefit from applying lower fertiliser rates to the poorer productivity areas.
• Overall the lower, more conservative, upfront fertiliser applications were the best strategy and there is still an opportunity to add more nitrogen later, depending on the season.

• Annual disc fallow provided no benefit this season and chemical fallow would be less profitable than whea ton wheat with 600mm row spacing.
• Wilder rows produced a less 'bulky' crop with less biomass/grain weight.

• The performance of WALAN2141 for croptopping could not be properly evaulated due to its poor establishment.
• There was no difference in the response to croptopping between any varieties.

• Bonnie Rock is showing promise as a new high yielding variety for the medium to low rainfall zones.
• As with 2000 and 2001 seasons, the results of this CVT are data for an unusually dry year, and should be treated as such.
• In an average season, the results between varieties would be more than likley to be very different.

• Pre-sowing: dry seeded some moisture below seeding depth.
• Early season and pre-harvest: dry and hot days caused tipping.

• There was significatn rain in early April.
• Main weed problem was radish.