• Grain yields of beans were lower in 2012 in than previous seasons, averaging 3.6t/ha at Bool Lagoon.
• All varieties showed higher yields sown early.
• Later maturing varieties PBA Rana and PBA Kareema performed similarly to other varieties in this trial in 2012, despite the low season rainfall.
• The three earlier maturing varieties (Farah, Fiord and Nura) showed increased yield from increasing plant density, while no yield response was seen in later maturing and larger seeded varieties (PBA Rana and PBA Kareema).
• Fiord showed the most response from varying plant density across the three seasons of trials.
• Crop-topping trials showed a 9% yield loss across all varieties from crop-topping at the milky dough stage of ryegrass in 2012 and caution is required with this practice in later maturing regions. No yield loss was generated from later treatments.

• Plant densities greater than 25 pl/m2 produced the highest grain yields in 2018.
• PBA Samira and PBA Zahra performed equally well, with average grain yield of 3.2 t/ha and 3.1 t/ha, respectively.
• 2018 was a low disease year and there was no disease penalty from higher sowing rates. Yield benefits from higher plant densities should be weighed against higher disease risks in wetter years. 

• Very high yields achieved in faba bean breeding trial in South Western Victoria in 2016
• New PBA faba bean varieties have higher yields than older varieties
• A high level of fungal disease developed in 2016 and a proactive fungicide program is required to manage faba beans in high rainfall districts 

• Despite a dry season, yields for many of the varieties was extremely good, with Aquadulce and Fiesta VF both performing well. Manafest did not perform well in this trial, although in the intermediate trial at the same site, it yielded much better and was not significantly different in yield to Aquadulce. 
• Dry conditions at sowing limited the effectiveness of the post sowing pre-emergent herbicide sprays used. This is a major constraint with growing beans as there are no broadleaf herbicides registered for use post emergent in beans. Beans are best grown as a third or fourth crop in the rotation, after broadleaf weeds have been controlled in previous years. 

• The faba bean varieties produced high yields (>4 t/ha) indicating their potential as a crop in the Western Districts.
• The three major faba bean varieties, Farah, Fiesta VF and Nura, produced comparable yields in both 2009 and 2010 while there was also little difference between the varieties for chocolate spot. Farah and Nura are both MR-R to Mscochyta blight whereas Fiesta VF is MS-MR, so Farah and Nura would be the preferred varieties for the district.
• The broad bean varieties Aquadulce and PBA Kareem yielded significantly less than the faba bean varieties in both years. Broad beans are very late to fill pods and mature, compared to faba beans, and require a long and cool pod filling period to achieve maximum yields.
• A significant level of chocolate spot developed in both seasons and is likely to have affected yields. Chocolate spot is favoured by a high humidity during the flowering and pod filling period and a preventative fungicide should be applied at the commencement of flowering with follow-up applications dependent on disease development and weather conditions.

These results are only preliminary and should not be used on their own. The effects of the different fungicides will require greater investigation before significant interpretation can be made.

• In a season with very little disease pressure, small varietal differences in chocolate spot did occur throughout the season, but these differences did not manifest into yield differences. Seed rate was critical to maximise yield in 2020, where lower seeds rates produced significantly lower yields when compared to higher seed rates. Seed rates also had a major effect on crop architecture, with lower seed rate treatments podding over a longer portion of the stem and having a higher pod number but lower overall dry matter harvest than that of higher seed rates.

 

• In 2020 grin yields were high (3.36 and 2.96 t/ha) considering the dry finish to the season. As with the sowing rate trial, varieties that were slower to mature and held a green canopy for longer and could not convert the green leaf area into yield due to the very dry spring conditions Variety selection is the key to minimise diseases. However, in low disease pressure situations, less disease doesn’t mean higher yields.

PBA Samira, PBA Zahra, and PBA Amberley, varieties with improved resistance to chocolate spot had less symptoms and better grain yields than PBA Marne and PBA Bendoc. At Tarrington, where there was very high disease pressure, the new chemistry fungicide strategy increased grain yield by 33% (to 4 t/ha) compared to the control where fungicides were not applied (3 t/ha).

• Despite very low disease pressure in 2018, there was a significant and profitable grain yield increase of between 40 and 55% with the use of fungicide strategies. 

• Disease was not an issue in 2018 due to very dry seasonal conditions. There was no difference in grain yield between the disease management strategies, and the varieties and breeding lines.  

Despite some early infection, disease was not a significant issue in 2019 due to dry spring conditions. There was no difference in the grain yield response of varieties to disease management strategy. At the higher rainfall zone site, Gymbowen, a complete fungicide spray treatment (7 applications) increased grain yield by 5-8% compared with other strategies, which was not profitable. An early flowering line, AF12025, was the highest yielding line, similar to Curyo and consistent with previous observations.

Although disease pressure was low, the resistant variety, PBA Amberley had significantly lower occurrence of chocolate spot disease than the other two varieties confirming improved resistance in this variety. The lower rainfall in spring was not conducive to chocolate spot and no infections were seen until late November when plants were near maturity. Further research is required to clarify the fungicide treatments required to control chocolate spot in PBA Amberley, especially in seasons more conducive to the disease.

PBA Bendoc, PBA Amberley and PBA Samira showed similar relative tolerance to GpC in terms of crop damage, but slightly higher biomass reduction in PBA Bendoc, could indicate greater sensitivity. PBA Bendoc showed excellent tolerance to ‘imazamox & imazapyr’, even with GpC applied PSPE. Results also highlighted the base level tolerance that many conventional faba bean varieties have against imidazolinone products with PBA Amberley and PBA Samira showing almost no damage with the PSPE application of ‘imazamox & imazapyr’.

•  Group B herbicide application timing significantly influenced herbicide damage of faba bean varieties. Herbicide damage scores generally increased with delaying herbicide application timing from PSPE to 4 node, 8 node and flowering stages. Although the level of damage in PBA Bendoc was significantly less than PBA Samira, both varieties showed the highest sensitivity to in-crop application of sulfonylurea herbicides (see Table 1 in attached trial report summary). Grain yield results are not presented due to soil variability and poor root nodulation caused by soil acidity. 

• Group B herbicide application timing significantly influenced herbicide damage, biomass and grain yield loss of faba bean varieties. Herbicide damage and subsequent yield losses were more severe in the conventional variety PBA Samira than in the group B tolerant variety PBA Bendoc, and generally increased with delaying herbicide application timing from PSPE to 4 node, 8 node and flowering stages. PBA Samira incurred significant yield loss from all the herbicide treatments except PSPE and in crop application of ‘Imi2’, and application of ‘Imi1’ up to 8 node stages. In contrast, PBA Bendoc showed improved tolerance and did not have significant yield loss from the herbicide treatments except in-crop application of ‘SU1’ and ‘SU2’ at 8 node and flowering stages. The results should be treated with caution due to the confounding effect of dry seasonal conditions and repeated frost events. 
   

High levels of crop safety were observed in the imidazolinone tolerant faba bean variety at both Mundulla and Yeelanna sites in 2019.

Applying inoculant at sowing has proven to be beneficial to early season crop vigour in faba bean production. Adequate phosphorus fertiliser increased early season crop vigour, biomass and grain yields. Applying 75 kg/ha MAP to faba bean at sowing doubled biomass production compared to faba bean being sown with no fertiliser, at Strawberry Hill in 2019.

• There was no grain yield response to the phosphorus fertilizer rates. These results may be due to very dry growing season conditions, which might have reduced movement and uptake of the applied nutrient by the crop. Hence, results should be interpreted with caution. Biomass yield however showed a significant increase from application of 20 kg/ha and higher rates of P2O5. 

Tebuconazole foliar fungicide is the superior treatment for controlling this disease, showing that Systiva® seed treatment or Uniform® in furrow were not effective fungicide treatments for control of cercospora leaf spot. 182 Infection from cercospora leaf spot was high early in the season at eight node stage where Uniform mildly suppressed severity compared to the nil treatment. However, by spring the standard tebuconazole treatment at six node growth stage prevented further spread of the disease.

The grain yield of faba beans significantly increased at higher plant densities especially when the when the diseases were controlled. Despite a late autumn break, with adequate chemical disease control, PBA Samira grain yields more than tripled (from 1.5 t/ha to 5.4 t/ha) when plant densities increased from 5 plants/m2 to 45 plants/m2 at Tarrington in 2019.

In 2019 at Lake Bolac, faba bean grain yield was reduced by 15% when the crop emerged on June 12 compared to May 23. PBA Zahra and PBA Nasma had larger seed sizes than PBA Samira and PBA Marne.

• Soil amelioration, particularly liming with incorporation to depth, increases break crop options.
• Faba beans can be successfully grown on light soil types if pH is managed.
• Subsequent nitrogen fertiliser programs should take account of residual N to optimise the benefits of pulse crops.

Group B herbicide application timing significantly influenced plant height, biomass and grain yield of faba bean varieties. The level of herbicide damage and subsequent yield losses from the herbicide treatments were generally more severe in PBA Samira than PBA Bendoc, and when applied incrop than PSPE. PBA Samira incurred significant yield loss from all the herbicide treatments except SU1 applied at PSPE and Imi2 applied at PSPE and flowering. In contrast, PBA Bendoc showed improved tolerance and did not have significant yield loss from most herbicide treatments except in-crop application of SU2 and SU1.

• The Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia (BFDC) database allows us to search for soil test calibrations for four macronutrients across a range of crops, soils types, regions and time spans.
• As an example, the critical range for soil test P (Colwell) for wheat grown in red chromosols in NSW has increased under minimum-tillage management.

Cu greatly increased yield fro 560 kg/ha to 1570 kg/ha.  Copper was applied as copper sulfate at 6.6 kg/ha.

Highlights of the results are:

(a) preseeding cultivations after drilling the Cu in 1979 markedly increased Cu uptake;

(b) medium sized Cu-OSP was inferior ti fine granule size

(c) the effects of granule size & 1979 pre-seeding cultivations were not reflected in 1980 Cu uptakes.  The effectiveness of the treatments which were relatively ineffective in 1980 as those treatments which were most effective in 1979

(d) Cu drilled with the seed in 1980 was much less effective than all Cu treatments applied the previous year

(e) although all grades of Cu-OSP drilled with the seed in 1980 were relatively ineffective compared with that applied the previous year, the inclusion of 15% fine material with 85% medium material increased Cu uptake from the fertiliser by 40%, 50% fine material increased Cu uptake from fertiliser by 80%.

GRanules > 3 mm are much less effective than medium sized granules.

REsearch suggests that 1 kg/ha copper sulfate at early boot is required for the first crop where Cu fertiliser is applied at recommended rates.

 

2012 was a set up year for the Rhizoctonia best bets demonstrations. Fungicides banded with fluid fertilisers at seeding did not reduce Rhizoctonia in the following cereal crop.

In 2013 the Rhizoctonia best bets demonstrations using rotations were over sown with cereal and showed break crops which are grass free are the best option to lower Rhizoctonia inoculum levels.

In the 2014 season there were no significant yield advantages recorded at five sites across upper Eyre Peninsula when using the fungicide products over the nil treatments. This was in a season with an early start and minimal stress during crop establishment, and at sites with high Rhizoctonia inoculum levels. The broad acre farmer demonstrations in the 2014 season showed no visual differences or early plant growth measured at the given sites during the cropping season. There were differences in the level of crown root infection at Cleve, where the nil treatment had a higher number of crown roots infected and a greater % of crown root infection than the fungicide treatments. There were differences between treatments recorded in the mid-May sown barley crop at Piednippie in Rhizoctonia patch score and the seminal root score. Differences in protein, screenings and test weights were recorded between treatments at several sites with a general trend of lower yields having higher protein, higher screenings and lower test weights. Further evaluation of research trials and farmer demonstrations using new fluid products and fungicide placement, will occur over two more seasons to evaluate the economics of using fungicides in low rainfall farming systems.

Six different farmer operated seeders were used in a minimum tillage situation to compare seeder set up and the effect of trifluralin incorporated by sowing on crop emergence. The demonstrations were taken through to harvest to compare yield.

The farming systems trial is in its first yera of operation and has collected base line information so that the effects of each farming system on soil characteristics, weed composition and disease burden  an be assessed as the trial progresses.

The drought of 2002 continued to impact on sheep production in early 2003 through a lack of bulk in crop stubbles and a high erosion risk if these stubbles were grazed. Breeding ewes were retained in the Hungry Sheep system using containment areas to avoid erosion problems and to maintain ewes. No other system contained significant sheep numbers during 2003. July-dropped crossbred lambs grazed on medic pasture and reached a weight of 45kg in mid-December. The ewes received no supplementary feeding from July, at a stocking rate of 3.7 ewes/ha. This was largely due to early germination of medic pasture in February, and sufficient follow-up rain to keep some plants alive, producing adequate pasture in late autumn/winter. Regenerating pastures were more productive than pastures sown at the autumn break.

Of the seven frost events that showed significant differences, all showed that the reduced stubble treatment (2t/ha) reached colder minimum temperatures than the removed stubble treatment (1.6t/ha). Across the seven events, the retained stubble treatment (2.5t/ha) also remained warmer than the reduced stubble treatment. The removed stubble treatment spent significantly less time at -2⁰C temperature threshold compared to the reduced stubble treatment. The retained stubble treatment was not significantly different to either of these.

These results suggest that removing stubble decreases the severity and duration of frost, however as discussed, there was variability in the results between the retained and reduced stubble treatments. This suggests, that in seasons where frost events are so severe, stubble management does not have a large effect on the severity of events.

The interim temperature results suggest that retaining 4t/ha of stubble significantly increases the severity and duration of frosts when compared to 0t/ha. On all occasions, reducing stubble loads to 0t/ha reduced the severity and duration.

• Crop yields in 2006 were driven by fallow (no difference between mechanical/conventional).
• Early sowing set an upper limit to yield but did not compensate for not being sown on fallow.
• Crop emergence was very sensitive to sowing conditions, with later sowing and sowing into 2005 cereal crop stubbles leading to much later crop emergence.
• The difference in soil available water driving the fallow response was difficult to measure with soil sampling on these soils; soil available nitrogen was a better predictor of yield in 2006.
• There were no yield penalties to adopting no-till in the Hungry Sheep and Fuel Burner systems.
• Cultivation in No Till and Reduced Till paddocks produced inconsistent effects on yield.

• There is no clear difference between till and no-till crop establishment systems for yield at the Farming Systems Trial.
• Low protein in some plots indicated nitrogen deficiency in 2009.
• Pre-sowing deep soil nitrogen tests indicated low protein but not always at the levels expected.

• Long chemical fallow plots achieved record yields in 2010.
• Rotation was a factor in higher 2010 yields, but the cause of differences is not clear.
• Pre-sowing soil nitrate was not a good predictor of crop yield potential in 2010.

• It is possible that a one off cultivation in no-till systems could increase crop yields in successive years..
• Standard and Fuel Burners outyielded No Till, followed by Reduced Till, followed by Hungry
  Sheep

• Using crop growth models to quantify the season to season yield performance on different soil types and predict in-season potential yield can be a very useful tool for managing risk and inputs.
• Given the high spatial variability in soils and grain yield, mapping paddocks into zones of similar soil and yield potential enables farmers to better target input levels as well as understand crop yield potential in different seasons.
• Information about the capacity of a soil to hold water, the water and mineral N levels at sowing are the basic information needed to use Yield Prophet - given this information, grain yield can be accurately predicted.

This study of Victorian wheat crops shows that:

• increasing the uptake of nitrogen by 50kg N/ha improves WUE by 3.4kg/mm,
• introducing a break crop increases WUE by 2.1-4.2kg/mm,
• the efficiency with which fertiliser nitrogen is taken up by wheat increases from 40 to 80% as GSR increases from 200 to 400mm,
• each 1% of OC contributes from 16kg N/ha (200mm GSR to 32kg N/ha (400mm GSR) to the uptake of nitrogen,
• at current prices for fertiliser N ($1kg/N) and for wheat ($170/t) is is still more economic to apply fertiliser N than to increase N supply by raising OC levels with pasture,
• grain protein levels tend to fall by 1% for each 100kg/ha increase in yields.

Spinnaker at 150ml/ha was the safest post-sowing-pre-emergent herbicide for use in fenugreek. Post-emergent herbicides with good crop safety included Broadstrike 25 g/ha + Uptake 0.5%, Buttress 2 L/ha, Buticide 2.5 L/ha and Broadstrike 25 g/ha + Buttress 1 L/ha.

• Varieties 150265 and 150292 were the highest yielding varieties at Birchip and over all sites.
• Dry matter increased 10-fold from early flowering to mid pod fill which may have implications on the optimum time for terminating crop growth for green manuring.

• Wheat was surprisingly tolerant of continuous flooding for nearly 4 months, yielding up to 2.8 t/ha with the best combination of nutrients tested.
• Despite the extended flooding there was a 13% response to P at a starting Colwell P of 29 mg/kg, with an economic optimum application rate of 7 kg P/ha.
• Canola was intolerant of extended flooding, producing no harvestable yield.
• In-crop application of urea shortly before flooding showed no grain yield response in wheat, while there was a negative response of 9% to applying S as in-crop sulfate of ammonia.
• Ideally in-crop applications of fertiliser should be made at least a week prior to flooding to allow time for the crop to take up the nutrients.

Sowing more than 20kg of N with seed (seeder set at 9inch spacings) resulted in seedling burn and poor crop establishment.

• Crop nitrogen requirements should be applied at or before sowing as poor spring conditions can reduce crop responses to topdressed nitrogen.
• When drilling nitrogen with the seed, rates should not exceed 25 kg/ha (7" rowing spacing).
• Grain protein levens under 10.5% indicate crop yields are below thier optimum potential - apply additional nitrogen.

Stretegic (up-front) nitrogen was useful in a wet year, but no N rate used was high enough to anticipate the wet and cool spring at Ouyen.

• Applying MAP with the seed at sowing resulted in a 25% increase in plant emergence compared to using DAP at Piednippie.
• Applying MAP at sowing resulted in higher grain yields and better water use efficiency (WUE) in plots which had high seeding rates at Nunjikompita.
• In combination with a high seeding rate, a blend of DAP and triple super phosphate (TSP) applied at sowing at Piednippie and Nunjikompita (plus urea) resulted in grain yields which were closer to the crop yield potential than the control.

• The field peas sown at Hart on the season break in 2009, were heavily infected with blackspot and grain yields were reduced by 30% (0.8 t/ha) compared with later sowing times.
• Sowing peas two to four weeks earlier (late May) than the conventional time (early–mid June) optimises production of Kaspa and the earlier, longer flowering line OZP0602.
• OZP0602 was generally higher yielding than Kaspa particularly in later sowing treatments.
• Yield loss from blackspot can be minimised if peas are sown after 60% of airborne spores have been released.
• The combination of P-Pickel T with two sprays of mancozeb was economic in some cases in the time of sowing trial at Hart in 2009, resulting in an average 7-14% yield gain in Kaspa and OZP0602.

• Overall lentil and pea grain yields averaged 1.18 t/ha across all sites and treatments.
• There was no significant foliar disease and the major yield limiting factor was the lack of late season rainfall, only 25mm in September and October.
• Although only small the slightly higher grain yield at the eastern site compared to the western site highlights the importance of paddock and crop selection to maximise pulse yields in these more marginal areas.
• A similar result was found in 2011 where there was a 0.46t/ha yield increase from the western site to the eastern site, 1.76 t/ha to 2.23 t/ha respectively.

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

• All varieties showed similar levels of yield loss from crop topping two weeks prior to the recommended timing (rye grass milk dough stage) and no yield loss at the recommended timing under dry finishing conditions in 2014 and therefore no one variety was more or less suited to this agronomic practice.

• Yield losses from Early crop-topping generally followed cultivar maturity, with latest maturating varieties (eg Glenroy) showing the highest yield losses. Glenroy was also the only variety to show yield loss at the Recommended timing, supporting previous findings that later maturing varieties are not as well suited to crop-topping as earlier maturing recent releases PBA Twilight, PBA Gunyah and PBA Oura.

• There was low disease pressure in 2018 and no differences in grain yield between the untreated and fungicide programs.  

• There was no grain yield response to supplementing a foliar application of micronutrients as a foliar spray to field peas.  
• 2018 was a low disease pressure year and there was no grain yield response to fungicide applications.  

• A high rainfall growing season favoured blackspot disease build up and generally later flowering pea varieties at Minnipa in 2009.
• Kaspa was 17% higher yielding than Parafield, its highest margin over this variety at Minnipa in 11 years of testing.
• Kaspa’s grain yield was reduced by 19% when sowing date was delayed from 30 April to 20 May, however no grain yield reduction occurred in the advanced PBA field pea lines OZP0602 and OZP0601 with this delayed sowing date.
• OZP0601 and OPP0602, despite lower performance than Kaspa in the MAC variety trial in 2009, will provide better adapted “Kaspa type” options for low rainfall environments when they become available due to their earlier and longer flowering periods.

• Despite a late break to the season (12 June), very favourable conditions followed resulting in exceptionally well grown plants and above average yields with very little disease.
• Yield declined in all varieties when densities were below 35-40 plants/ sq m.
• There were no significant yield responses above 35-40 plants/ sq m in all varieties except 96-262*1.
• Seed size increased with density for Kaspa, Moonlight & Parafield but unaffected in others
• Increasing density increased lodging in the semi-dwarf types (Kaspa, Moonlight, Yarrum and 96*262*1).

• Despite a late break to the season (12 June) and very late sowing, very favourable conditions followed resulting in exceptionally well grown plants and above average yields with very little disease.
• Yields at Yenda were not significantly different for the 19, 30 & twin 50 cm spacing.
• Stretching row spacing to 50 cm reduced yields

• Field peas performed exceptionally well at Minnipa in 2012, despite a decile 3 growing season and a rapid season finish. This is likely due to good stored soil moisture levels, good early winter rainfall amounts and generally mild winter temperatures.

• Pea yields were high in 2011, but less than in the previous 2 years.
• Later maturing lines were favoured by the longer season, and apart from lower yields in Parafield there was generally little difference in grain yield between named varieties.
• A four week delay in sowing from early May resulted in a 32% yield loss across all varieties.
• Agronomy trials showed no significant effect of stubble management of grain yield in 2011, however standing stubble treatments showed increased standing height and reduced lodging compared to slashed stubble plots, which could aid harvest.

• New field pea varieties PBA Gunyah and PBA Twilight performed similarly to Kaspa and Parafield under extremely favourable conditions in 2010 at Minnipa, and given their yield advantages over these varieties in drier seasons, will be better adapted varieties for this region.
• Grain yield of PBA Stage 3 field peas averaged 2.9 t/ha at Minnipa in 2010 due to the wet and long growing season, which generally favoured later flowering pea varieties.
• Most advanced breeding lines showed no difference in yield to Kaspa (2.93t/ha) due to the favourable conditions.
• Though blackspot was present in 2010, it was not as extensive as in 2009 and had little impact on yield. This will have contributed to the 27% higher yield achieved in 2010 compared with 2009.
• Agronomy trials showed no significant effect of sowing date or stubble management treatments in 2010. This is likely due to the long growing season, and lack of disease. However early sowing is still recommended for low rainfall regions providing frost, weeds and blackspot risks are considered.

• New varieties of field peas are available for southern Victoria, offering a range of grain types and forage options, associated with excellent yield potential.
• Kaspa continues to perform well with new line OZP1101 consistently producing the highest yields.
• Crop topping saw a yield reduction in most varieties due to crops not being advanced enough when ryegrass was at milky dough stage.
• In 2013, a fortnightly fungicide program proved profitable to control disease in field peas (particularly black spot).
• Sowing earlier has been found to be most profitable in this region, but disease management needs to be a priority.
• Based on yields achieved where disease was managed (4.7 t/ha) peas could have achieved a net profit of approximately $1000/ha based on management costs of $370/ha and grain price at $300/t.
   

• Field pea trial yields across the Mallee were variable, ranging between 0.8 and 2.5 t/ha, reflecting those achieved in commercial crops in the region.
• The main factors affecting yield were low spring rainfall and presence of powdery mildew and downy mildew.
• Many of the new varieties show a significant advantage in yield, disease resistance, harvestability, early vigour, shatter resistance and seed quality compared to the commonly grown variety Dundale.
• A series of late maturing breeding lines have given superior yields in the Mallee over the last three years.
• The yield advantage due to shatter resistance in PSL4 was clearly demonstrated at the North Central sites where heavy rains fell prior to harvest.
• The dun pea PSL4 with its excellent shatter resistance and the white pea PSL10 will be multiplied as potential variety releases.

• Yields for the spring sown field peas at both Gnarwarre and Hamilton were promising this year, despite the dry spring conditions. Site means of 2.89 and 2.51 tlha were obtained for Gnarwarre and Hamilton respectively. 
• For further discussion please see the attached trial report.

Grain yield of PBA Oura field pea was 400 kg/ha at Kimba, 2019, due to dry seasonal conditions. A foliar fungicide strategy is only recommended for crops that have a potential yield of at least 1.5 t/ha. However, it is not economic to apply fungicides in crops with grain yields below 1.5 t/ha.

• Well below average growing season rainfall did not provide favourable conditions for the development of blackspot, therefore there were no significant differences in grain yield between any treatments.  The mean yield across all varieties was 0.64 t/ha. 

Seed dressings were more effective at controlling the mild infections in Hart while seed dressings or foliar fungicides were not effective in controlling the severe infection levels in Minnipa. Seed dressing is more effective than foliar sprays for low to moderate disease severity, but for severe disease conditions both were less effective.

• Despite consistent stubble loads between treatments, differences in lodging (in all crops) and
  grain yield (field peas only) were generated between the three stubble heights at Pinery in 2013.
• In a similar trial in 2012, stubble treatments generated significant responses for biomass, maturity and grain yield.
• This supports previous work conducted by this project showing that the physical arrangement of stubble (ie standing versus slashed) can have a significant effect on the growth and performance of pulse crop types, as well as the amount of stubble present (ie retained versus removed).

• Our results show that stubble management (reduction in height from 40cm to 5cm) had no improvement on yield and lodging between crop types and varieties within a crop type under the seasonal conditions in 2014.

• Weather patterns experienced early in 2015 resulted in growers in many districts being advised by DAFWA’s Blackspot Manager Prediction model to delay sowing of field peas in SA. This sowing was often out of alignment with optimal sowing times based on best agronomic practice for some districts.
• Under high disease risk situations, growers in low rainfall areas may be best suited to choose alternative break crop options to field peas to avoid significant yield losses through delayed sowing or disease infection. If field pea remains the preferred crop it is important that growers consider the current recommended fungicide strategy of PPT and Mancozeb treatments, selecting paddocks with little or no field pea history, avoiding close proximity to previous field pea stubbles, and delaying sowing as long as possible.
• Several experimental fungicides with greater efficacy than Mancozeb showed improved blackspot control and significant yield increases over the nil and Mancozeb treatments in 2015.
• Disease progression and grain yield were both reduced by dry and hot spring conditions in early October at all sites in 2015. Further evaluation is warranted in years and environments with more favourable spring conditions. Earlier application timings than the 8 week treatment used in these experiments may also be warranted, along with additional ‘spring’ treatments in longer more favourable seasons.
• A number of industry support groups have reported the economic benefit of using fungicide in controlling blackspot in field pea. Results in 2015 showed the current fungicide application strategy, using PPT and two Mancozeb applications suppressed blackspot at most sites, but previous yield benefits reported from this treatment were not realised due to the hot and dry spring conditions experienced in 2015.
• New fungicide actives and formulas being evaluated showed significant increases in efficacy for controlling blackspot compared to untreated plots and those treated with Mancozeb. Furthermore, a significant yield benefit (approx. 15%) were also identified in these treatments this year. Further trials are planned in 2016 to explore these results.

Despite the lack of significant disease, grain yields were reduced by 20% (0.54t/ha) in a ‘nil’ treatment compared with a fortnightly fungicide application regime.

• Early sowing of field pea is essential for economic yields in dry years in low rainfall environments, providing frost, weed and blackspot risks are considered.
• Kaspa & OZP0602 had lower disease severity and slower build up of blackspot than the old Alma cultivar.
• Strategic applications of foliar fungicides led to a small but significant reduction in blackspot.
• Sowing field peas on the season break will increase blackspot risk however exposure to risk can be reduced through the use of the blackspot predictive tools (Blackspot Manager and DIRI) and careful paddock selection.

• Pulse production was generally much higher at the Mildura site than the Ouyen site.
• Field pea was the best yielding pulse crop at both sites.
• Selecting the right crop was more important than selecting the best variety.
• Field pea, lupins and faba beans had the greatest biomass production.
• Vetch biomass production was low due to the late break.

• Pulse production was generally much higher at the Mildura site than the Ouyen site.
• Field pea was the best yielding pulse crop at both sites.
• Selecting the right crop was more important than selecting the best variety.
• Field pea, lupins and faba beans had the greatest biomass production.
• Vetch biomass production was low due to the late break.

• The cereal varieties and winter gap fill blend provide livestock with substantial feed during autumn and winter, then go on to produce high quality hay in spring.
• Clover, medic and forage brassica varieties provide nutrious feed over winter, spring and into early harvest time. These varieties also offer a disease break in a cereal rotation.
• Nutritional value of varieties was exceptional and would provide an excellent feed source for lactating ewes, and lambs.
•  

Knowing phosphorous levels in the soil is critical. At low levels of nutrition, an economic response to phosphorous application will be achieved. This work is critical in determining where the nutrient response curve flattens out – allowing for improved management decisions to be made.

• Since the year 2000 farm debt has doubled but so have land values hence current debt has adequate security.
• Farming systems which increase income through intensive cropping and higher inputs also increase costs of farm input and machinery. Higher costs will increase the loss in droughts. Target low cost options in 2007 to reduce the level of new debt and the risk of losses in 2007/08
• In 2007 it will be OK to leave 25 to 40% of area to livestock or fallow. Focus crop selection towards the low cost paddocks.

1. There was a 35% (970 kg/ha) grain yield response to the highest deep-P treatments in the 2018 sorghum crop.
2. There was no significant response to K in the 2018 sorghum crop.
3. Over 5 crops the deep-P treatments have produced between 2500-3000 kg/ha of extra grain over the zero P treatments.
4. After 5 crops the return on investment for 20 kg and 40 kg P/ha are 4.7 and 3.4 respectively.

This site had high soil nitrate reserves (45 mg/kg Nit N in 0 - 10cm) but there were still very good responses to Flexi-N. Although there were no Flexi-N placement/timing or stubble effects on yield, an analysis of protein yield showed that stubble reduced N recovery in the grain by about 30 kg protein/ha or 5 kg N/ha – most likely due to increased immobilisation. Leaf disease symptoms were most severe where stubble was retained but they were less obvious where Flexi-N was banded. Hectolitre weights were 78 – 79 kg/hl and screenings were 2 - 3% in all treatments.

These results show a strong tend towards N applied and what is remaining in the soil after the failed wheat crop.

• Cereals yield well relative to other crop types under low rainfall conditions, but use all available water and nitrogen
• Grain legumes do not yield well in dry seasons but can fix valuable amounts of nitrogen if brown manured
• Forage legumes (vetch and forage peas) can produce profitable amounts of dry matter in dry seasons.
• Research in higher yielding environments has shown that break crops provide significant yield benefits to subsequent wheat crops. Benefits to subsequent crops should be accounted for when making decisions regarding break crop options and end-uses.

• Cereals yield well relative to other crop types under low rainfall conditions, but use all available water and nitrogen
• Grain legumes do not yield well in dry seasons but can fix valuable amounts of nitrogen if brown manured
• Forage legumes (vetch and forage peas) can produce profitable amounts of dry matter in dry seasons.
• Research in higher yielding environments has shown that break crops provide significant yield benefits to subsequent wheat crops. Benefits to subsequent crops should be accounted for when making decisions regarding break crop options and end-uses.

• Grain yields can vary considerably within the paddock in the Victorian Mallee. The spatial pattern of this yield variation, however, is not always consistent, with relative yield patterns differing over consecutive seasons, and/or crop types, in a flip-flop (alternating) pattern.
• Consistently high yielding zones existed where the shallow subsoil (10-20cm) was a clay loam texture (33% clay) with low salinity. In contrast, consistently low yielding zones possessed a shallow subsoil of light clay (40% clay) and medium to high levels of salinity.
• Flip-flop yield zones were associated with gilgai (crab-hole) depressions where yields tended to increase in dry seasons (due to a concentration of surface water) but decreased in wet seasons (due to water logging of the heavy textured soils). In contrast where gilgai depressions and light textured soils occurred, crop yields were depressed in dry seasons.
• Overall, the flip flop patterns in grain yields observed within paddocks was attributed to the effect of gilgai microrelief and changes in soil texture which influence soil water availability to crops.

• Intake (on fertiliser) and Jockey (on seed) is current standard practice for lower EP canola and reduced Blackleg stem infection. In 2014 this practice also increased grain yield. This remains the recommended practice.
• The application method for the fungicide, either as seed treatments or in-furrow, did not increase canola yields in 2015 or 2016.
• The source of nutrients and application method, either fertiliser, in-furrow or foliar had no effect on canola yield in 2014, however further research should be undertaken in this area before final conclusions are drawn.

• Phosphoric acid showed a yield response at Streaky Bay in 2014 of 13% and 2015 of 8%.
• Fungicides did not reduce Rhizoctonia infection or significantly increase yield in 2015 at either site despite high levels of inoculum.
• Including fungicides will increase input cost and risk over a cropping program.
• The addition of trace element or manganese treatments did not improve yield at Streaky Bay or Warramboo in 2015.

• In 2016 there was a small yield response to phosphoric acid over granular P at Warramboo.
• Fungicides and the addition of extra 40 kg/ha urea at seeding separately reduced Rhizoctonia seminal root infection compared to the control at both sites.
• Including fungicides will increase input cost and risk over a cropping program.
• The addition of a trace element mix or manganese did not improve yields at Streaky Bay or Warramboo.

• Phosphoric acid as a liquid fertiliser resulted in 13% and 8% higher yields in 2014 and 2015 respectively at Streaky Bay, and an 8% yield increase at Warramboo in 2016 when compared to the same rate of P delivered in granular fertilisers.
• Despite the yield increases at Streaky Bay and Warramboo, the economics showed granular fertiliser had greater returns in $/ha compared to using phosphoric acid at 9 units of P.
• The guidelines for moving to the adoption of phosphoric acid as a P source exist in the Fluid Fertiliser Manual which adequately covers the principles, economics, recommendations and chemistry of adopting fluid delivery systems. The manual is available at www.fluidfertilsers.com.au.
• Knowing the responsiveness of a soil type to phosphoric acid is an important factor to consider before investing in a fluid delivery system. The responsive soil types are generally higher n calcium carbonate (greater than 25%). P source responses may also be driven by soil moisture conditions because in 2016, which had wetter seasonal conditions, phosphoric acid and granular P performed similarly in the same soil type at Streaky Bay.
• The adoption of fluid fertiliser systems to place fungicides in-furrow for rhizoctonia disease management is not recommended in this environment. The addition of fungicides showed small and variable yield advantages at Warramboo in 2014 and 2016 and Streaky Bay in 2016. Using fungicides in above average seasons the greatest yield benefit was only 0.22 t/ha with an in-furrow application with granular phosphorus and trace elements. This is lower than the benefits achieved in other regions where yield increases of up to 0.49 t/ha in wheat with split applications of fungicides were achieved. Inluding fungicides on wheat up front will increase input costs and risk over a large cropping program. 
• Large scale demonstrations by growers across Eyre Peninsula with in-furrow fungicide applications at seeding did not reduce rhizoctonia or produce yield benefits over three seasons.
• The adoption of fluid fertiliser systems will depend in growers' soil types for phosphorus responses, the existence of trace element deficiences and ease or timing of application (in-furrow at seeding) and machinery ability to deliver fluids.

• There were no differences in canola Blackleg infection or yield using fungicides as seed treatments or in-furrow in 2015.
• In 2014 combined protection of a fungicide on seed and in the furrow as a banded fluid reduced Blackleg infection and increased yield.
• The selection of Blackleg resistant varieties in the rotation is important.

• Fungicides as seed treatments or in-furrow did not increase canola yield in 2015 or 2016.
• In 2016 Intake (on fertiliser) and Jockey (on seed) which is current standard practice, lowered Blackleg stem infection, and in 2014 this treatment increased yield.

• Field trials were conducted at two sites (comprising Sodosol and Calcarosol soil types) in the southern Mallee and one in the Wimmera (Vertosol soil) to assess the responsiveness of wheat to fluid forms of phosphorus (P) fertilisers.
• Fluid P forms (APP and phosphoric acid) generally produced greater growth during vegetative stages of crop growth compared to granular forms (DAP and Triple Super) at all three sites.
• However, in a season characterised by a late break and dry conditions prior to flowering, early growth responses to P fertiliser (regardless of form) translated to grain yield responses at only one Mallee site. In contrast there was significant grain yield responses to fluid P at Dooen (Wimmera).
• At this site, fluid P forms produced 0.24 t/ha (or nearly 10%) more grain on average than granular forms at commercially applicable rates (4 to 12 kg P/ha).

• An aggressive fodder species with good herbicide options is effective at controlling weeds.
• Grazing in summer or winter has no significant effect on weeds. Instead, controlling the late-in-crop weeds that survive grazing and preventing them setting seed is what’s important.
• The timing of seed removal operations is critical. Hay can be just as effective at reducing weeds as silage if it is timed correctly to prevent seed set.
• Modelling has shown that the longer the pasture phase, the greater the weed control. Early work indicates that this may be the case but future trials will need to confirm this.
   

Despite the wet year, little folir disease was detected in the trial, therefore the foliar fingicides tested had no effect on yield.

• Fungicides are an effective management tool in protecting faba bean crops from grain yield and quality losses caused seasonally by Chocolate Spot and Ascochyta blight.
• Owing to the late break in the season crop growth rates were low until late September and the canopy remained open minimising the risk of a severe disease infestation.
• Fungicide treatments did not significantly affect yield (average yield 2.6 t/ha) or grain quality at this site.
• Seasonal conditions and disease pressures must always be taken into account when making a fungicide decision.

 

The 2001 season was a low disease pressure year, Botrytis grey-mould was not detected in this trial and Ascochyta appeared late in the season at low to moderate levels. Fungicide treatments did not affect grain yield regardless of fungicide type, application timing or the number of applications made. Fungicide timing affected seed discolouration with late season fungicide treatments on Cassab and Digger having cleaner seed than those treated earlier or not treated at all.

None of the fungicide treatments gave a statistically significant increase or decrease in yield compared to the untreated. Disease levels were extremely low all season at the Gnarwarre site, such that at GS72 (milky ripe stage) there was little difference between treatments in terms of green leaf area (GLA) of the whole crop canopy.

No fungicide treatment gave any yield benefit or extension of “green-ness” of the canopy.

The dry early winter and spring resulted in low disease pressure.

Variety response to the fungicides tested differed, with Commander having increased yields, but no yield increase with LaTrobe.

Know the disease rating of the varieties you grow.

• The absence of leaf rust was presumably a function of the dry finish to the season and dry autumn and lack of a "green bridge" (alternative hosts). Scald infection levels were low. Based on the pessimistic seasonal forecast, nitrogen was not applied to the crop and it is likely this retarded the development of scald. 
• Further trials are required to evaluate these fungicides in seasons with higher disease pressure. 

There was no yield benefit from the application of foliar fungicides and no differences in response between Kellalac and Tennant. Seasonal conditions were not conducive to disease and further trials are required. 
 

At the time of first visit (30th May), plants were at ~3 leaf stage and no foliar disease was evident.  Seedling establishment showed no spatial differences, with average emergence of >100 plants / m2 in all treatments except those with triadimenol seed treatment where >20% reduction in emergence was noted.

Minimal foliar disease was evident at 7th July (~Z31) assessment, minor levels of Stagonospora nodorum (septoria nodorum blotch) (SNB) were evident in the lower canopy but severity was too low for fungicide differences to be assessed.  

Trace levels of powdery mildew (PM) were evident on stems and lowest canopy leaves of untreated plots at booting (27th July) when the second foliar spray was applied. Development of PM was slow and on 15th September (~Z69) average severity in untreated controls was <1% leaf area affected on top 3 leaves, with infection primarily restricted to Flag-2 (Table 1).

PM was also present on heads and stems at low severity at this time, however the distribution of disease, particularly on heads, was patchy across the trial making differentiating between treatments difficult. At this time only the booting foliar spray provided consistent significant reduction in incidence of powdery mildew on stems and leaves.

SNB was present at low levels throughout the season, assessments at head emergence (23rd August) showed a small but significant effect of foliar treatments (Z31 and Z45) and flutriafol and Uniform in-furrow on necrotic leaf area. Assessments 3 weeks later at Z69 indicated that flutriafol in-furrow, triadimenol seed dressing and both foliar spray timings were providing a small reduction (~8-15% leaf area) in necrosis associated with SNB infection (Table 1).

With late and patchy onset of PM, yield responses to fungicides were 0-320kg/ha, with only the flutriafol in-furrow treatment having significantly greater yield than the untreated control, this response is likely due to the reduction of SNB rather than any effect on powdery mildew. Neither foliar spray timing gave significant yield response. Reduced emergence in triadimenol treated plots resulted in a 15% yield reduction (Table 2).

At two other sites (Geraldton, Dalwallinu), where powdery mildew infection commenced during stem elongation, all tested seed dressing and in-furrow fungicides had significant impact on disease severity and incidence. At the one site (Geraldton) where powdery mildew was yield limiting, in-furrow and foliar fungicide treatments gave a significant yield response.