(i) Managing slug populations is unlikely to be successful unless both cultural and chemical control strategies are used. (ii) Research has found burning, light cultivation and rolling improves slug control. (iii) Control measures must be carried out before slug damage is observed. (iv) Paddocks with a previous history of slug damage are always a good place to start monitoring in a susceptible crop like canola. (v) Slug bait should be applied at a rate to provide sufficient bait points per m2 relative to slug populations in the paddock. (vi) Check the accuracy of your bait spreader to make sure there is an even distribution of bait across the spreading width. This width may not be the same as the width you spread urea. (vii) Identify slug species present in a paddock for the most effective control. Different species demonstrate different behaviours.

• Mungbean yield potential ranged from a low of 0.81 t/ha up to a high of 2.70 t/ha in three years of irrigated variety evaluation experiments at Trangie in the Macquarie Valley.
• Jade_AUA (released 2013) is the recommended variety for Macquarie Valley mungbean growers with the highest yield potential, largest seed size (an important quality attribute for marketing) and best disease tolerance package. CrystalA would be an adequate second-best option based on yield and potential seed size.
• Niche mungbean varieties such as Regur (black gram type), and the two small-seeded lines Celera IIA and Green DiamondA, would have to command a substantial premium for their respective seed quality attributes to compensate for the poorer yield potential demonstrated in these experiments.

• Soybean yield potential ranged from a low of 1.01 t/ha up to a high of 2.94 t/ha in two years of harvested irrigated variety evaluation experiments at Trangie in the Macquarie Valley.
• Delayed sowing of a soybean crop in the Macquarie Valley can increase the likelihood of delayed maturity, potentially running into prolonged periods of wet autumn weather at harvest time; the 2015–16 experiment was not able to be harvested for this reason.
• MoonbiA (released 2010) is the recommended variety for Macquarie Valley soybean growers under fully irrigated conditions. It has high yield potential, maturity adaptation, excellent grain quality to meet human consumption markets, and resistance to powdery mildew.
• Djakal (southern NSW variety) is recommended for partial irrigation or dryland situations. Its earlier maturity and lodging resistance due to shorter height and reduced biomass enables it to achieve high yields and human consumption quality under less favourable growing conditions.

• Brome grass is increasing in prevalence across southern Australia and control in cereals is heavily reliant on Group B herbicides (sulfonylurea and imidazolinones).
• Experimental herbicides evaluated in this study were effective on brome (>90% control), but were also unsuitable for barley causing severe crop damage; trials undertaken this season (2017) will focus on wheat.
• Identifying effective but safe herbicide options for brome in cereals remains a high priority.

• All crops emerged and established well in the early stages.
• Lentils and fieldpeas were very quick and uniform.
• Lupin emergence was staggered but were eventually very even.
• Narrow leafed lupins were severely damaged in all replicates by hares, which removed the central spike of every flowering plant.

• The best yielding winter cultivars yielded similar to the best yielding spring cultivars despite a month difference in flowering date.
• Winter barley shows promise but we are still learning.  Strategies utilising Nitrogen, Plant Growth Regulators and Grazing need development to manage the increased biomass production and to improve the conversion of biomass to grain yield
• Early sown winter barley is a different agronomic system. The farming system benefits of winter barleys such as grain and graze, improved disease resistance should not be overlooked
   

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

In this survey, 76% of the paddocks had a Colwell P greater than 20mg/kg.

• Spading has mixed the non-wetting layer of soil in this paddock through the soil profile, resulting in an increase in crop yield in two out of past three years.
• Using the spader to mix lime and dolomite into the subsoil has improved the pH of the soil and increased yield. 
• Wind erosion is a big risk with spading and caused a yield decrease in 2010, the year the spading occurred. 
• Spading also reduces compaction at a similar level to deep ripping by physically breaking down any compacted layers in the top 30cm.
• Soil type is a large factor in the success of a spading operation; careful consideration must be given to this prior to commencing any spading program. 

 

• Spading has buried the non-wetting layer of soil in this paddock, resulting in an increase in crop yield in two of the past three years.
• Using a spader to mix lime and dolomite into the subsoil has improved soil pH soil and increased yield.

Key messages:

• Treating EGA GregoryA seed with Rancona Dimension reduced establishment losses associated with the addition of crown rot inoculum to 7% compared with 26% when no seed treatment was used.
• In this instance, Rancona Dimension did not provide a significant or consistent yield benefit in the presence of high levels of crown rot infection across the 12 trial sites in 2015.
• Growers should not expect Rancona Dimension to provide a significant and consistent reduction in yield loss from crown rot infection when used as a standalone management strategy.
• Growers considering the use of Rancona Dimension should follow the manufacturer’s advice and only consider it as part of an integrated management strategy against crown rot.

Conclusions

Rancona® Dimension is registered in Australia for the suppression of crown rot infection. Rancona® Dimension reduced establishment losses associated with severe early infection, created by the addition of crown rot inoculum to the seed furrow at sowing, to 7% compared to 26% in the absence of a seed treatment. Further research is required to determine if this improvement in establishment is associated with reduced Fusarium seedling blight. It should also be established whether such severe establishment losses are an artefact of the inoculation process used in the trials or occurs naturally in paddocks with high stubble-borne inoculum loads. In a separate larger trial conducted at Tamworth in 2015 in which infected stubble at the surface was the inoculum source Rancona® Dimension did not have a significant impact on the establishment of EGA Gregory compared to the Nil seed treatment (data not presented). Establishment benefits apparent in the 12 trials unfortunately did not translate into any improvement in grain yield. Rancona® Dimension did not provide a significant yield benefit over the use of no seed treatment or the two other commonly used seed treatments examined in this study under high crown rot pressure across 12 sites in 2015.

Although Rancona® Dimension is registered for the suppression of crown rot, with activity against early infection and potential establishment losses evident in this study, growers should not expect this to translate into a significant and consistent reduction in yield loss from crown rot infection when the product is used as a standalone management strategy. Integrated management remains the best strategy to reduce losses to crown rot. Growers may like to consider including Rancona® Dimension (320 mL/100 kg seed) as one additional component in their integrated management of crown rot.

• Both Aramo and Bounty performed as expected in the field in accordance with the label recommendations.
• Conditions at time of spraying and for the rest of the season were not favourable, however, both products stood up and performed quite well when compared to the unsprayed areas.

• On average the wide row lupins yielded 115kg/ha higher than the narrow lupins.
• Simazine damage was very pronounced in this particular crop. However, damage in the wider rows appeared to be much less than that in the narrow rows.
• The same seeding and fertiliser rates were used for both treatments which made changing the bar over relatively quick.

Sumemr fallow efficiencies at these sites were generally found to be within the range of 20 to 30%.

Averaged over all nitrogen treatments, there was no statistical difference between the 2 different plant populations in terms of yield or quality parameters, however the trends were identical to MacKellar: lower plant population 108 plants/m2 giving slightly lower yield (0.25 tlha) and higher protein.

• Seasonal conditions can affect the disease complexes that exist for sub-clovers in any season (eg. the drier summers in 2014 & 2015 would be expected to cause a higher incidence of Rhizoctonia, whereas the wetter season in 2016 saw Pythium sp., Aphanomyces sp. and Phytophthora sp. more likely to be the dominant diseases).
• Current sub-clover establishment management practices (knockdown herbicide, cultivation, use of Apron seed dressing and sowing newer varieties or those that are widely adapted to the region) appear to be reducing the risk posed by root disease across the region.

• Sowing late into a high disease burden may offset any benefits of varietal disease resistance or the benefits of chemical control methods (i.e. seed treatments).
• Seasonal conditions can affect the disease complexes that exist in any season (eg. the drier summers in 2014 & 2015 would be expected to cause a higher incidence of Rhizoctonia, whereas Pythium sp., Aphanomyces sp. and Phytophthora sp. are likely to be more dominant in wetter seasons).
• Varietal differences were observed in establishment and persistence, however it is yet to be determined if this was due to root disease tolerance.

• The timing of brownout had no significant effect on the germination rate. This may have been due to a simulated “cultivation” immediately prior to sowing.
• Significant differences were found in the germination levels between varieties; Woogenellup is an older variety that is thought to be more susceptible to root diseases. The varietal difference suggests that root disease may be an issue across the region.
• Demonstration site responses to metalaxyl seed treatments in sub-clover germination suggests that root disease may be present and affecting establishment and persistence.

• Know the risk of yield loss from eyespot before sowing a cereal - inspect stem bases (lodging does not always occur) in a previous cereal crop or take soil samples pre-sowing and submit them to PreDicta B for analysis.
• Select less susceptible varieties which are well adapted to the area - untreated they will perform better and they may also be more responsive to fungicide application, particularly where disease pressure is high. Avoid varieties with weak straw strength as they are more likely to lodge when affected by eyespot.
• No fungicides are registered at present for eyespot management, but a number are in the process of registration. Once these are registered - use the correct rate (lower rates can be less effective); apply before canopy closure (GS30-31 is usually recommended); use high water rates; target the base of the plant.
• Delays (due to waterlogging) in fungicide application until after early stem elongation may reduce eyespot incidence and severity but may not give a yield response.
• Inoculum carryover is unlikely to be influenced by variety resistance alone but is likely to be reduced where a fungicide is applied prior to canopy closure. Greatest reductions in inoculum carryover were seen where two fungicide applications were made (tillering plus GS30-31) or where one fungicide application was made to a less susceptible variety.

• This is the first quantitative information we have for the effects of varietal resistance and fungicide application and timing on eyespot expression and crop yield in the South East. These preliminary recommendations will become more robust as we gather more information.
• No fungicides are registered at present for eyespot management, but it is anticipated at least one registered product will be available for use in the 2017 season. Applying fungicides for eyespot management reduced eyespot expression and increased yields in the trials at Kangaroo Inn.
• Select more resistant varieties – untreated they will perform better and they may also be more responsive to fungicide application, particularly where disease pressure is high.
• Delays in fungicide application until after early stem elongation (recommended timing, as the canopy is still open enough to allow good coverage of the stem bases) may reduce eyespot incidence and severity but may not give a yield response.

Current projects are:

• Can adjusting zones within N1 paddock at Minnipa improve VRT outcomes?
• Small plot evaluation of the variable rate sowing paddock N1 at Minnipa
• Farming systems WUE survey 2010 – practices
• Responsive farming for soil type at Mudamuckla
• Responsive farming for soil type at Wharminda
• Manganese response in barley at Wharminda
• Can we reduce our phosphorus inputs?
• Crop production using replacement P
• Measuring the effect of residual P

The following series of articles are from trials undertaken in 2010 on the three focus sites:
• Responsive Farming Using Variable Rate Sowing at Minnipa
• Responsive Farming for Soil Type at Mudamuckla
• Responsive Farming for Soil Type at Wharminda
• Farming to Soil Potential on the Upper Eyre Peninsula: How Accurate was In-season Yield Prediction in
2010?
• Crop Production Using Replacement P Rates
• Measuring the Effect of Residual P
• Nitrogen Management on Upper Eyre Peninsula
• Wheat Variety Response to P on Grey Calcareous Soil

• Prices for faba beans have remained very high compared with long term averages, enhancing the profitability of faba beans. Growers always need to be aware of possible price swings as the international market is limited. The potential return for the crop should be based on longer term pricing between $300 and $400/ t.
• New varieties, PBA Zahra and PBA Samira, offer significantly improved grain yield (>10%) and disease resistance compared with older varieties.
• Sowing early is essential to maximise benefits to the farming system from improved biomass and grain yield to maximise profitability.
• Good disease management is critical to maximise grain yield and quality. Growers are encouraged to carefully plan their strategies, regularly monitor crops and have fungicide purchased in advance, to ensure appropriate timing of application.

• Early sowing, concurrent with previous research, was highest yielding in 2012
• There appear to be several promising new varieties available for southern Victoria, offering a range of grain types and forage options, associated with excellent yield potential.
• Crop topping results highlight the importance for growers and advisors to be aware of both weed and crop growth stages, otherwise significant grain yield loss could occur.

• New varieties are likely to offer significant yield improvement in southern Victoria, along with improvements in disease resistance.

• There were no significant differences in yield between lupin or faba bean varieties.
• Farah was the highest yielding faba bean variety and Mandelup was the highest yielding lupin variety.
• Disease and weeds were a significant problem in these poorly competitive crops in this wet year in Gippsland.

• An advanced breeding line (AF07125) has been developed with improved resistance to CLS.
• There was no CLS in the trial, and the fungicide amended fertiliser (Impact-in-furrow) provided no additional benefits in terms of grain yield.
• Disease levels were low, and grain yield was high, averaging 4.3t/ha across the trial.
• The potential release AF07125 was the highest yielding variety, outyielding Farah and Nura by 5%

• Chocolate spot is a major disease in bean crops, causing significant losses to yield and profitability.
• Low disease levels in 2012 and favourable seasonal conditions meant that there was no treatment or variety response for either disease severity or grain yield.

• Crop-topping 7-14 days prior to milky dough stage of ryegrass caused significant yield loss at all three sites, and ranged from 24% at Melton to 72% at Bool Lagoon.
• Crop-topping at the milky dough stage (MDS) of ryegrass caused significant yield loss at only one of the three sites (Bool Lagoon).

• The late break (12 June) and prevailing seasonal conditions were unfavourable for the spread of disease, although chocolate spot and rust did infect the trial plots early in the season. Disease was not a yield limiting factor in this trial this year.
• No significant difference was recorded between any of the different fungicide spray programs within varieties or between varieties.
• Fiesta VF plots had a reduced plant population compared to the other varieties due to poor seed quality of the commercial seed sourced.y treatment.

• Low levels of ascochyta. Fiesta had a significantly higher foliar symptom score (2.1) than
  Farah and Ic*As/7/3 (both 1.1). The Standard and Complete spray treatments reduced
  ascochyta on Fiesta to negligible levels (score of 1.0).

• A low level of rust infection occurred during October and was the only foliar disease affecting bean performance.
• 7% higher grain yields occurred in the fortnightly sprayed (improved rust control) and single
  cercospora treatment (reasons unclear) compared with the nil treatment.
• Grain yields decreased by 14% when sowing date was delayed from May 1 to May 18. No
  further yield loss occurred when sowing date was delayed to June 6.
• Nura was higher yielding than Farah at the mid sowing time and equal at the others, unlike
  in previous trials where Nura has been lower yielding at later sowing dates. Late rainfall events in 2007 were of more benefit to Nura than Farah.
• Necking (collapsing of top part of bean plant) was greater at the early sowing time. Nura
  had a higher level of necking than Farah sown early, but yields were the same. Similar
  necking and yield occurred between the two varieties when sown late.

• Yield of faba beans (ignoring the broad bean PBA Kareema) averaged 1.5t/ha at Wanilla in 2012. Early establishment and growth was excellent, disease pressure was low, and beans showed high yield potential.
• Beans appeared to “hay off” late in the season due to high early season biomass production and the dry and rapid finish to the season, together with the occurrence of several high temperature events during late flowering.

• There was low disease pressure in 2018 and there was no difference in grain yield between the nil control and various fungicide programs. 

• There was low disease pressure in 2018 and there was no difference in grain yield between the nil control and the fungicide programs.  
   

• The three bean varieties, Farah, Fiesta and Nura, gave similar yields and showed a similar yield response to delayed sowing – i.e. around 1.5 t/ha when sown on May 12, falling to around 0.9 t/ha with a June 7 sowing.
• Foliar disease levels (ascochyta) were negligible in Farah and Nura at both sowing times, and very low in late sown Fiesta. The slightly higher, but still low, levels of ascochyta in early sown Fiesta were reduced by fungicide sprays, but this did not produce a yield response.
• Spinnaker herbicide applied at 100 g/ha post-sowing pre-emergence caused no yield depression in any of the varieties at either time of sowing, and showed no effect on total plant height or height to bottom pods at harvest.
• The extreme dry late winter/spring conditions may have limited responses to fungicide spray regimes and Spinnaker in this trial.

• Chocolate spot levels were high in 2009, and accounted for 32% yield loss across varieties
  in untreated plots.
• Nura had higher disease levels and lower grain yield than Fiesta across all treatments in
  2009, but a triple chocolate spot spray strategy was effective in reducing yield loss by 25%
  in both varieties.

• In a year with high rust pressure, fungicide application provided beneficial to all genotypes, even those with a good level of rust resistance.
• Several advanced breeding lines from the northern breeding program show promise, with high yield and large seed size combined with rust and chocolate spot resistance equal to or better than the current northern varieties.

Conclusion:

The high rust pressure and frequent rainfall towards the end of the season was likely responsible for the poor fungicide response in the LF experiment in terms of reducing symptoms and improving yield and seed size. In the HF experiment, mancozeb and
tebuconozole were most effective overall in reducing symptoms and improving yield and seed size. Four of the five fungicides were effective in increasing yield in the HF experiment compared with only one in the LF experiment, indicating the need for repeated sprays when disease pressure is high.

Note that the permit for tebuconazole allows for only three applications of 145 mL/ha in commercial crops.

 

• In a year of high disease pressure, most fungicides did not provide a yield and seed size benefit when used at low frequency.
• A high frequency fungicide strategy provided yield benefit using a number of products.
   

No product had significant effects on crop height.

•Across all varieties tested, there was no significant response to sowing time, which validates the current sowing window recommendation. Therefore, the optimum time to sow faba bean at Lockhart in 2016 was late April–mid May.
• PBA Nasma and Fiesta VF were the two highest yielding commercial varieties.
• The advanced breeding lines AF10089 and AF09169, developed by Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) were significantly higher yielding than all other varieties.
• PBA Samira and Nura yielded significantly higher when sown on 18 May compared to 28 April.
• Crop lodging was significantly less for the 18 May sowing date.
• PBA Nasma flowered 17 and 14 days earlier than PBA Samira and PBA Zahra at 28 April, and eight and six days earlier at 18 May.

• Despite relatively low growing season rainfall in 2012, bean yields were still reasonably high at Bool Lagoon in 2012. It is likely that yields were buoyed by high December 2011 rainfall, lack of disease, and the relatively mild (although dry) finish to the 2012 season.

• Sowing early (April 26) produced the highest grain yields in 2018.
• In a drier than average year there was a yield benefit from very high sowing rates on narrow row spacings, with significant gains from 21 to 31 plants/m2, and from 31 to 45 plants/m2.
• 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. 

• Sowing time has far greater consequences on growth, development, dry matter and grain yield of faba bean than variety choice.
• The dry spring combined with temperature constraints, imposed a common ceiling to yield despite large differences measured in dry matter (DM), height and reproductive number across all treatments.
• Early sown faba bean was primarily affected by severe frosts, while later sown was limited by flower node production and heat stress.
• Under these conditions, early April sowings resulted in greater biomass, taller plants, more flowering nodes, additional lodging, more disease and greater frost damage. Given a more favourable spring, disease and lodging could have been further exacerbated, inflicting even greater yield penalties to the first time of sowing (TOS).
•  Findings from this and previous experiments show the optimum sowing window for faba bean on acidic, red brown soils of southern NSW to be from 20 April to 15 May. The later sown crops within this window could still be disadvantaged under early unfavourable finishing conditons. 

• Winter and early spring seasonal conditions favoured faba bean production in 2009, and yields were more than double those in 2008.
• Yield was generally maximised at the early sowing date and at the narrow row spacing.
• Farah was the highest or equal highest yielding variety at both sowing dates in 2009.
• The taller varieties Farah and 974* showed the largest reduction in yield when row spacing
  was doubled from 9” to 18”.
• Chocolate spot levels were high in 2009, and accounted for 32% yield loss across varieties
  in untreated plots. Agronomic techniques that delayed canopy closure (ie later sowing, lower
  plant densities and wider row spacings) were important in reducing disease severity.
• Nura had higher disease levels and lower grain yield than Fiesta across all treatments in
  2009, but a triple chocolate spot spray strategy was effective in reducing yield loss by 25%
  in both varieties.
• Decreasing plant density was the most significant factor influencing disease levels after
  delayed sowing, and resulted in lower disease levels across all varieties, and increasing row
  spacing reduced disease infection in early sown Fiord only.
• Increasing row spacing reduced chocolate spot infection, but only in the susceptible variety
  Fiord when sown early.

• New varieties are likely to offer significant yield improvement in southern Victoria, along with improvements in disease resistance.
• Residual herbicide caused issues in 2013, most likely due to the dry summer of 2012/13.
• Similar to 2012, AF05095 was the highest yielding variety at 3.95 t/ha, 37% higher than Farah.
• Based on yields achieved (3.9 t/ha) beans could have achieved a gross profit of approximately $1300/ha based on management costs of $250/ha and grain price at $400/t.
   

• 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.

• 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.  

•  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. 
   

• 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. 

• 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.