The program demonstrated that:
• At some sites where copper deficiency was historically assumed, no response to any form of copper application was observed. Copper response is likely to vary by site and season.
• Yield loss caused by copper deficiency can be devastating to wheat yield.
• Soil and tissue testing can be useful in helping to detect low levels, but are not always definitive. Copper response appears to be dependent on other complex interactions such as soil moisture, yield potential and other constraints (N fertility etc.) and thus soil/tissue tests alone are not a definitive guide to future responses.
• Foliar applications performed better than in-furrow liquids.
• Chelate and sulphate products performed equally well when applied as foliar applications.
• Timing did not appear to be critical, with a wide band of opportunity from mid-tiller to early head emergence providing similar results

• In 2019 the IMI system had the lowest barley grass plant numbers.
• The Cultural Control strategy did not achieve the desired outcome of having a more even seed spread and increased competition in interrow row for barley grass weed control.
• The medic pasture produced low dry matter compared to the cereal systems, had the highest barley grass population, and the lowest competitive ability with the barley grass. 
• The loss of Group A herbicides to control barley grass within local pasture systems has the potential to change rotations and decrease farm profitability.

 

2020:

Grain protein, but not grain yield was significantly affected by the type of pasture legume previously grown.

The findings will be used to prioritise further research and development of novel pasture species on sandy soils.

2021:

The annual medics were the most persistent species after cropping. 

Grain protein, but not grain yield was significantly affected by the type of pasture legume previously grown.

Volga vetch produced the most biomass in the establishment year at both sites. 

The findings will be used to prioritise further research and development of novel pasture species on sandy soils.

• Medic species appear to be well adapted to be able to produce pasture biomass and regenerate well after a year of cropping on the alkaline soils of the lower Eyre Peninsula {EP).

• Vetch species can produce high quantities of biomass in the year of planting and may be best suited to farming systems with more intensive cropping enterprises that have run down pasture seed reserves.

• The alternative species evaluated did not appear to be well adapted to the soil type/ environments/ farming systems that they were planted into.

• Pasture species must have a level of tolerance to broad leaf herbicides to allow for the removal of broadleaf weeds, which in some situations and soil types is seeing pasture production severely restricted with broadleaf weeds.

• Soil type differences did appear to reflect differences in pasture production, particularly getting pastures to establish on sandy soil types, but the work was unable to identify a superior pasture species beyond medic or vetch adapted to the lower EP's sandy soils.

•    Soil amelioration through ripping with inclusion plates or clay delving has supported the development of plant cover in areas with a history of wind erosion.
•    Mixed species pasture systems can present an opportunity to increase soil cover and feed levels.
•    Summer cover crops can deliver higher levels of soil cover over summer, providing increased soil protection and can support soil amelioration practices, such as ripping with inclusion plates.
•    Compared to stubble treatments, summer cover crops can lower soil water levels when growing, but soil water levels measured post-germination showed mixed results. Even where soil water is lower, there may not be a negative impact on biomass or yield in the subsequent crop as shown in 2021.

Applying foliar treatments prior to a frost can help reduce frost risk/damage.

Choosing varieties with a phenology that shifts flowering away from when a frost is likely to occur, can reduce frost damage/risk.

Choosing varieties with a phenology that shifts flowering away from when a frost is likely to occur, can reduce frost damage/risk.

Mixing varieties with different phenologies together can reduces frost risk/damage by allowing for multiple flowering windows that can avoid a frost at different times.

mixing varieties with different phenologies together can reduces frost risk/damage by allowing for multiple flowering windows that can avoid a frost at different times.

Demonstrating how different crop types respond to frost. 

Demostrating how different crop types respond to frost. 

• Thirty two barley grass populations were collected from grower paddocks from Eyre Peninsula and Upper North regions in 2019 and screened for resistance to major herbicide groups in 2020. This was not a random survey because most of these populations were considered difficult to control with herbicides. 
•  All of these barley grass populations collected in 2019 from Eyre Peninsula and Upper North regions were completely killed by glyphosate and paraquat and were rated as herbicide susceptible.
• Resistance to the FOP herbicide quizalofop was confirmed in 50% (n=16) of these targeted populations tested in 2020. In addition to this, 19% of the populations (n=6) were classified as developing resistance. 
• Ten barley grass populations were confirmed resistant to clethodim at 250mL/ha. At the higher clethodim dose (500mL/ha), only three populations were rated as resistant. This result is consistent with research results for annual ryegrass where higher rates of clethodim can improve weed control. Growers could improve barley grass control by increasing clethodim dose but this is unlikely to be a long-term solution to the problem. 
• Out of 1 O clethodim resistant populations, only 3 showed resistance to butroxydim at 90 g/ha and only 1 was resistant at 180 g/ha. These results are consistent with the findings from the previous year, which showed the susceptibility of many clethodim-resistant populations to butroxydim.
• Resistance to the IMI herbicides still appears to be very low in barley grass. Only one barley grass population from Eyre Peninsula was found to be highly resistant to Intercept® and showed no reduction in plant survival or biomass. 

 

Deep ripping with inclusion plates generally resulted in lower plant numbers than unripped plots.
• Yield increases to ripping were observed mainly in sandy and calcareous soils.
• Treatments including the incorporation of mineral nutrients and organic amendments delivered mixed results but were generally the highest yielding treatments

The initial baseline survey received 96 responses from growers on the upper Eyre Peninsula.

68% of the grower respondents identified barley grass as having a medium to hight impact on their cropping systems

35% of growers used some method of harvest weed seed collection and 65% did not

Current row spacings for cropping were 3% having greater than 30 cm (12") wide rows, 35% having 30 cm (12") wide rows, 21 % having 25 cm (1 0") and 31 % having 22.5 cm (9") row spacing, 10% having 18 cm (7") row spacing, and 1% having less than 18 cm row spacing.

30% of growers were using paired row or splitter systems to increase crop competition, 62% were not and 8% would like to.

•  Longer coleoptile wheat  varieties  provide opportunities and flexibility to successfully establish crops in situations where previously not possible.
•  The coleoptile provides protection to the emerging shoot. Longer coleoptiles allow wheat to successfully emerge from deeper sowing.
•  2021 trials conducted on sandy soils at Cootra found that both a Mace and a version of Mace with a long coleoptile gene emerged equally well from a sowing depth of 10 cm.
•  The long coleoptile genetics did not show any yield penalty when sown at 10 cm.
•  Four   newly   released commercial  varieties  with longer coleoptiles were all able to establish well from a depth of 10 cm.

• Crop intensive farming systems are running down soil carbon. 
• Mixed species cover cropping offers a new approach that may address the issue.
• The cover crop species grown in 2019 had no influence on the growth, yield and grain quality of the wheat over-sown in 2020.

2020 Key message:

• The ability to make the best use possible out of rainfall and stored soil moisture continues to be the largest driver of crop and pasture production on the Eyre Peninsula.
• Being able to measure what plant-available soil moisture is present at any time of the year, not only at soil moisture probe points but across the landscape offers the potential to improve productivity and limit risk.
• In the next 12 months, tools such as an improved platform (website/app) to display soil moisture probe information will be rolled out.
• 2021 Key message
• Out of season rainfall and stored soil moisture were found to be key factors in driving grain yields across most farming systems on the Eyre Peninsula in 2021. 
• Collating and interpreting information from a range of sources including plant available water, previous grain yields and soil testing across the landscape can maximise returns and reduce risk. 
• Improving knowledge of soil characteristics can add considerable valueto monitoring soil moistue probes.  

•    Production constraints on sandy soils can be overcome by mechanical intervention and the application of soil amendments, however, the response can vary between sites and years.
•    Knowledge of soil characteristics throughout the profile is vital for identifying key production constraints and determining an appropriate and effective management strategy.