Residual herbicides can be an effective management tool in providing an extended period of weed control but careful consideration must be given to potential crop selection limitations, or crop loss, that their application may impose.

1. Terbyne® Xtreme® and Valor® provided the best residual control of common sowthistle as stand-alone residual herbicides and as mix partners with ‘grass active’ herbicides.
2. Group K, Group D and Flame® provided the best residual control of grass weeds as standalone residual herbicides and as mix partners.
3. Herbicide mixtures provided improved control over individual products and are likely to provide more wide-spectrum control of a range of weed species.

• P fertilisers applied in 2006 did not improve grain yield in 2007, even at the high P rate (18 kg P/ha).
• In terms of residual value, there was no difference between granular and fluid P.
• 2007 applied fluid P (TGMAP) at 6 kg P/ha increased dry matter at GS30 from fresh granular P and control treatments.
• Soil testing is a useful tool for estimating P status in the soil.

• Almost 20% of all stored grain insects collected had strong resistance to phosphine.
• Rusty grain beetle resistance is the most serious, as it is beyond label rates to control.
• Strong resistance in lesser grain borer is the main problem in New South Wales; rice weevil in South Australia.

• Wtih three continuous wheat years, all the varieties were very responsive to 120kg N/ha. 
• Increasing seed density is a good management tool for weeds in wheat. At this site, yields increased with increasing seed density without a reduction in grain quality.

• Responses to Zn were measured in terms of seed yield, yield components and growth.
• Responses differed between varieties. In terms of yield response to Zn.
• Forrest is extremely responsive; Dare, Dodds and Bragg are moderately responsive; and Lee and Ruse are relatively tolerant of Zn deficiency.

The Jibberding site showed a positive and linear response to increasing P with no PR-70.

• Significant increases in dry matter at GS30 were found in wheat. Fluid P increased dry matter from the control by 49%, whereas only 19% increase was found when P was supplied as a granule
• There was an increase in dry matter from the application of P for both Barley (20%) and Oats (35%). There was no difference in dry matter between the granular and fluid products.
• There was no difference in terms of grain yield from P application compared to the control of each crop type.

• In 2009 47 ha of barley sown for feed at the break of the season sustained 300 ewes and lambs for 3 months during the period of late autumn-winter, a traditional period of pasture deficit.
• Hay freezing the forage crop ensures grass weeds are controlled.
• Use of strip grazing better utilises feed on hand and helps control erosion (especially around watering points).

• In dry years open-pollinated canola can produce small seed in low rainfall areas. Sowing the small seed at a low seeding rate of 2 kg/ha reduced yield and farmers could benefit by increasing the seeding rate to 4 kg/ha  in the following year or purchasing fresh seed.
• Grading small seed hard was not as reliable as increasing the seeding rate to 4 kg/ha.
• F2 hybrid seed produced lower yields than F1 seed unless seeding rates are increased to 4 kg/ha or mixes are made with F1 seed.
• Hybrid TT was less productive than open pollinated TT canola.

Farmers can safely retain OP seed for at least two years

Retained and graded hybrid TT seed had lower % establishment, variability in flowering, higher % of sterile flowers, lower oil and yield – but in this environment with yields below 1.5 t/ha the effects were not large enough to reduce gross margins compared to purchasing hybrid TT seed.

Farmers can safely retain OP seed for at least two years

Retained and graded hybrid TT seed had lower % establishment, variability in flowering, higher % of sterile flowers, lower oil and yield – but in this environment with yields below 1.5 t/ha the effects were not large enough to reduce gross margins compared to purchasing hybrid TT seed.

The hybrid canola 44Y84 (both certified and retained generations) yielded better than the open-pollinated variety 43C80, by an average of 0.3t/ha (20%). The hybrid established better than the OP variety. On average, 40% of seeds established as plants and plant densities above 20 plants/m2 maximised grain yield. The use of certified seed for both open-pollinated and hybrid canola did not increase yields compared with retained seed for both hybrid and open-pollinated. However, view results with caution as the variability within the trial was high.

Retaining hybrid canola from one season to the next incurred a yield penalty of 0.3t/ha at Quambatook. There was a general penalty of 0.2t/ha for retained seed in the mean yield of all varieties (including OPs) at Horsham. Oil content and test weights of retained seed were lower at Quambatook, but not at Horsham. Retaining hybrid seed compromises plant vigour, disease resistance and herbicide tolerance. The yield advantages (0.2-0.3t/ha) from hybrid varieties, particularly within the Clearfield hybrid varieties, significantly outweigh the initial seed cost of $44/ha at 2kg/ha sowing rate.

• Early growth of commercial, retained and mix seed treatments was similar.
• In 2013 fluquinconazole had no effect on the yield for any of the varieties.
• The conventional variety Hyola 50 was consistently higher yielding in 2013 (and 2012) when grown from commercial seed.
• The triazine tolerant variety showed no yield difference among the different seed sources in both years of trials.
• Significant yield reductions can result from retaining hybrid seed of some varieties.

• At Grass Patch in 2018 hybrid TT’s produced higher yields and gross margins than most of the OP TT canola variety ATR Bonito treatments.
• Retaining ATR Bonito seed ‘on-farm’ for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years produced similar yields, oil and higher gross margins than purchasing new OP seed.
• Using ATR Bonito seed stored for 4 years produced plants lacking in vigour and overall poorer performance than growing out and retaining seed each year or purchasing new commercial seed.

• At Cunderdin in 2018 hybrid TT’s sown at the same target density produced similar yields to OP TT.
• With low seed costs, ATR Bonito retained for 2, 3 or 4 years produced equal highest gross margins of over $600/ha - Comparable to the high yielding hybrid Nuseed HyTTech Trophy.
• Retaining ATR Bonito seed ‘on-farm’ for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years produced similar yields, oil and higher gross margins than purchasing new OP seed.
• At our three sites in 2018, using ATR Bonito seed stored for 4 years produced plants lacking in vigour and overall poorer performance than growing out and retaining seed each year or purchasing new commercial seed.

• At Merredin in 2018 the OP TT canola variety ATR Bonito produced similar yields and higher oil than hybrid TT’s.Retaining ATR Bonito seed ‘on-farm’ for 4 years produced similar yields, oil and financial returns to purchasing new seed.
• Using ATR Bonito seed stored for 4 years produced plants lacking in vigour and overall poorer performance than growing out and retaining seed each year or purchasing new commercial seed.

• A lack of grain yield response to lime rates and products trialled at Bute is most likely due to the slightly acidic (pH CaCl2 4.8 – 6.1 in the 0-30 cm) nature of the site. However, it is important to monitor soil pH profiles similar to this for pH declines in the future.
• Grain yield response to incorporation method has been variable across the seasons. Lentils showed the greatest benefit in both 2020 and 2023 seasons, while the cereal yields have been unresponsive.
• Treatments which incorporated lime by spading, increased molybdenum tissue concentration (0.35 – 0.37 mg/kg) compared to the no-till control (0.24 mg/kg) in barley in year four.
• Predicta rNod samples taken four years after the trial commenced showed, the application of lime (regardless if surface applied or incorporated) has increased the level of group E/F rhizobia persisting in the soil.
• Both trials contained treatments which have increased soil pH since lime was applied. However, the depth where this pH change has occurred was different in the lime product compared to the lime incorporation trial.

Due to the dry season, there were no visible differences in crop growth and yield resulting from different seed treatments.

2018 Season

• Deep ripping to alleviate compaction and allow better water absorption has improved crop yields at 4 of the 5 EPZ Ripper Gauge demonstration sites in 2018.
• Not all ripping responsive soils required ripping to the same depth.
• While early season dry conditions were challenging and total growing season rainfall was low at the Dunn Rock demonstration site, the deep tillage treatments applied to the site’s sandy gravel over clay soil were a profitable means of increasing barley yield.
• Early season conditions were dry at the Cascade demonstration site. The results collected suggest deep tillage to 300mm or 600mm in the heavy sodic soils present at this site did not improve wheat yield. The rip to 600mm strip achieved an operating gross margin of less than half of both the control strips and the rip to 300mm treatment.
• While the mixing effect of the TopDown achieved a gain of 0.28t/ha when compared to the control, gains in yield were not as large as the effects of deep ripping, spading or a combination on the gravelly sand over clay soil type present at the Coomalbidgup site. The latter tillage treatments improved wheat crop yield by 0.51t/ha to 0.78t/ha when compared to the control strip average of 3.75t/ha, equating to a gross margin increase of between $54/ha and $174/ha.
• The loamy clay to circle valley sand over clay soils present at the Salmon Gums site showed an increase in crop yield of almost 0.91t/ha from ripping to 450-540mm depth. While both the control and shallow deep ripping (ie to 300mm depth) treatments yielded 2.5t/ha of wheat, the deepest tillage treatment yielded approximately 3.4t, equating to a gross margin increase of $316/ha.
• Tillage of the Neridup site’s sandy gravel over clay soils to 300mm increased canola yield compared to the control by 0.41t/ha which equated to a gross margin increase of $179/ha. Tillage to 600mm reduced canola crop yield by 0.35t/ha when just ripped and by 0.9t/ha when exposed to ripping to 600mm combined with a Topdown.

2019 Season

• Tillage treatments applied in 2018 to alleviate compaction and allow better water absorption (ranging in ripping depth from 100mm to 600mm) did not significantly affect crop yield when compared to site controls, regardless of the predominant soil type present at the site or the ripping equipment used. This is likely due to the much dryer than average rainfall conditions that prevailed at all sites in 2019 and the impact of severe frost at two of the demonstration sites (Salmon Gums and Cascade).
• Although the ripping treatments did not significantly improve or reduce crop yield at any of the Ripper Gauge demonstration sites in 2019, gross margin analysis did indicate tillage to 600mm depth plus use of a Topdown slightly improved operating profit at the Neridup site, when compared to the site control. Ripping to 540mm depth also improved financial performance at the Salmon Gums site when compared to the control.
• Ripping to 300mm and 600m depth reduced financial performance at the Coomalbidgup and Cascade Demonstration Sites, compared to the site controls. Two of the tillage treatments also reduced operating profit at the Neridup site compared to the site control.

Soil amelioration is a vital part of farming systems in Albany Port Zone to overcome soil constraints, which limit crop yields. 

The ripping treatments resulted in minimal yield beinifits in the Tenterden and Darakan sites, due to the high gravel content in the soil, which limited compaction.

Ripping treatemtns at the Bromehill site resulted in significantly higher yields in 2018 and 2019 comapared to the untreated control (UTC), however the treatments failed too yielded significantly better then the UTC, in 2020. 

The Kojaneerup sandplain trial site was highly responsive to deep ripping to 50cm in 2020 after clay spreading. 

 

• There was no significant different between treatments for yield.
• For further conclusions please see the attached trial report.

• High Density Legumes (HDLs) offer a profitable 1 year (potentially 2 year) break crop option for cropping rotations, as an alternative to the traditional pulse break crop.
• HDLs offer greater flexibility in that they can be grazed, cut for hay/silage or green manured. They also have the potential to produce significant quantities of regrowth after cutting or grazing, extending the period of high quality green feed on offer after other pastures have dried off.
• HDLs offer substantial benefits to the following crop(s) in the rotation, including high nitrogen input, disease break and weed control (if managed correctly). Their superior economic returns, compared with pulses, depend on the grower's ability to rotationally graze HDLs throughout winter and spring (and early summer if the season permits), and/or the capacity to use or sell large quantities of hay or silag

This project is providing a focus on pasture species, inoculation, weed control and overall management together with the crop nitrogen benefits and crop responses. This project is a large-plot Development and Extension project, part of a much broader effort of many industry participants in developing new pasture systems in crop rotations.

This project is providing a focus on pasture species, inoculation, weed control and overall management together with the crop nitrogen benefits and crop responses. This project is a large-plot Development and Extension project, part of a much broader effort of many industry participants in developing new pasture systems in crop rotations.

This project is providing a focus on pasture species, inoculation, weed control and overall management together with the crop nitrogen benefits and crop responses. This project is a large-plot Development and Extension project, part of a much broader effort of many industry participants in developing new pasture systems in crop rotations.

This project is providing a focus on pasture species, inoculation, weed control and overall management together with the crop nitrogen benefits and crop responses. This project is a large-plot Development and Extension project, part of a much broader effort of many industry participants in developing new pasture systems in crop rotations.

This project is providing a focus on pasture species, inoculation, weed control and overall management together with the crop nitrogen benefits and crop responses. This project is a large-plot Development and Extension project, part of a much broader effort of many industry participants in developing new pasture systems in crop rotations.

• An east-west (E-W) sowing direction increased yield over north-south (N-S) sowing direction in an average season.
• The results showed a decline in yield due to weed competition, but no effect on weed competition due to row direction. Sowing in an E-W direction may give a yield benefit with no difference in weed seed set.
• The wider row spacing of 30 cm resulted in a yield reduction and greater weed biomass at harvest.
• There were no differences in yield with ribbon seeding with either 18 or 30 cm row spacings, but ribbon seeding reduced ‘weed’ biomass.

• There was no detectable direct effect of sowing direction this season at Minnipa with a mild spring.
• Using a narrow row spacing of 18 cm instead of 30 cm resulted in wheat yield increasing from 3 t/ha to 3.6 t/ha (19% increase).
• Light interception was very sensitive to sowing direction, and not having ‘weeds’ resulted in higher light within the canopy in the north-south direction compared to east-west.
• Knife point and ribbon seeding systems achieved similar crop establishment and crop performance.

• An east-west (E-W) sowing direction increased yield over northsouth (N-S) sowing direction in an average season.
• The results showed a decline in yield due to weed competition, but no effect on weed competition due to row direction. So sowing in an E-W direction may give a yield benefit with no difference in weed seed set.
• The wider row spacing of 30 cm resulted in a yield reduction and greater weed biomass at harvest.
• There were no differences in yield with ribbon seeding with either 18 or 30 cm row spacings, but ribbon seeding reduced ‘weed’ biomass.

Results from this demonstration suggested that in the dry season of 2006, there were yield benefits from wider row cropping. Whilst the results showed no significant differences between the nil nitrogen by row spacing treatments for yield (see Table 1. shaded plots), correct placement of nitrogen during the season for wider row spacings showed a yield advantage.

Whilst the year was dry, there appeared to be a significant yield difference between varieties, no matter what the row spacing or nitrogen treatment. When analysis was undertaken to compare row spacing, nitrogen and variety responses, there still appeared to be significant differences within one variety, suggesting the importance of row width and nitrogen placement.

• Yields at the widest row spacing (50cm) were significantly less
• Seed size in desi varieties showed reasonable stability across row spacing
• Seed size in Genesis 090 (kabuli) increased with row spacing

• Research to date in Australia suggests optimum rolling time between 3-5 node and crop damage has been recorded from rolling after the 7 node stage. However this trial showed no yield penalty from any time of rolling.
• Lentil rolling is a management practice utilised to create better harvesting conditions and to lower sample contamination. The results from this trial suggests there is flexibility in rolling time and that rolling can be delayed up to the 9 node stage if other management issues are more pressing immediately after sowing. However, this is dependent on the soil and crop health conditions at the time of rolling.
• To avoid crop damage rolling should not occur within 2 weeks of a herbicide application.
• Soils at risk of hard setting or wind erosion should not be rolled PSPE.

• In the 2019 Minnipa field trials, natural infestation of RWA was extremely low. As such, prophylactic seed treatments were not warranted against this aphid for the 2019 season.
• After artificial inoculation, RWA numbers increased to levels above the United States (US) intervention threshold. In this trial up to 15% of tillers with aphids and >30% of tillers with symptoms were measured, but no significant effect on yield was observed. 
• RWA should be managed using currently recommended intervention thresholds. The US threshold of 20% of plants with RWA before tillering, and 10% of tillers with aphids after GS35-40 seems sufficiently conservative to avoid any yield loss. Find further details in the GRDC RWA Tips and Tactics Guide, which can be downloaded online.

Higher rates of Triflur Xcel can only be used in a no‐till system where a knife point and press wheel system operated at a suitable sowing speed ensures that soil throw from seeding rows does not fall into adjacent seeding rows thereby avoiding crop damage.
The high levels of ryegrass control achieved in this trial demonstrate how a concentrated band of trifluralin in the top few cm of soil is highly effective when weed seeds are also in this band. The tank mix partners used in the trial, Bouncer and Avadex Xtra, can provide cost effective control over a range of additional weeds, as well as ensuring control of any possible group D resistant ryegrass plants.

• Sakura performed well against other herbicides.

• Sakura alone or in combination with Avadex Xtra or Dual Gold provided the best pre-emergence ryegrass control (72 to 94%) in 2010.
• New pre-emergent herbicides like Boxer Gold or Sakura provide good control of trifluralin resistant annual ryegrass.
• Post-sowing pre-emergent herbicide applications provide significantly improved ryegrass control in the crop row, and also give longer residual control.
• Sakura significantly reduced the number of ryegrass heads produced.

Picking out the ryegrass from the cereal crops in spring did not prove to be effective.The ryegrass tiller count data was converted into a contoured map and divided into three zones for each paddock. Once again we compared the manually drawn zones and found a relatively good correlation but not good enough to mplement patch ryegrass management with confidence. A dual boom A more detailed analysis of previous yield maps when farmers determine their ryegrass patches would certainly improve the accuracy of their zone drawings. Any farmer wanting to implement patch ryegrass management should also consider btaining imagery at a time of the year when ryegrass is more visible such as prior to sowing or around crop establishment as these maps would more accurately define the weed patches with less crop effect.

• Managing herbicide resistance in ryegrass continues to be crucial in maintaining sustainable crop production on Lower Eyre Peninsula.
• Management strategies other than herbicides need to be deployed to ensure sustainable ryegrass control into the future.
• Windrow burning proved to be an effective method in reducing ryegrass seed numbers in 2015.
• Managing ryegrass on differing soil types will prove a challenge into the future.
• Information generated by this project will provide data to simulate how different management strategies can be used to manage ryegrass in a sustainable, cost effective way.

• BOXER GOLD® (Prosulfocarb + S-metalochlor) is a new chemistry released in 2008 that can be rotated with trifluralin (Group D) .
• Rotation of herbicide groupsis a mustto ensure herbicide resistant weed populations do not emerge.

• Grower noted that Sakura mixed well in the tank and was easy to spray.
• Sakura reduced the numbers of barley grass across the site compared to the grower’s treatment. This was also evident down by the Summit trial where Sakura applied pre-emergent adjacent to the trial was giving better control of barley grass than Trifluralin 2 L ha with a post-emergent application of Monza® 25 g/ha.
• Sakura was safe to Calingiri wheat in this commercial trial.
• The yields presented were taken from close to the northern contour bank where there was higher numbers of barley grass in the crop to represent a good efficacy comparison.
• Based on this the Sakura treatment recorded a 110 kg/ha yield increase over the grower’s Trifluralin at 2 L/ha.
• This equals a $20.58 ROI above the grower’s program once herbicide and application costs were removed.

Using an effective knockdown with broad spectrum pre-emergent grass herbicide like Sakura can deliver excellent weed control, yields and return on investment not just in the year of application but in following seasons due to a reduction in the seed bank when combined with a complete integrated weed management program across the farm.

This site received only a single knockdown on the 1st June 2010. There was a thick covering of green material present across the trial site when the treatments were applied especially on the header rows which would have compromised coverage and therefore final weed control.  The trial treatments were applied to moist soil on the 1st June. The trial was sown by the grower the following day after treatments were applied with knife point and press wheels on 9 inch row spacing. After sowing there were some clumps of trash caught up in the points particularly in the header rows across the site.

A site inspection on the 29/6/10 confirmed the effectiveness of the glyphosate application with no large weeds observed across the site.

No damage to lentils was observed, but it should be noted that conditions were not conducive to herbicide damage.  Following label rates will ensure that the risk of damage is minimized.  Using a range of pre-plant and post-plant-pre-emergent herbicides will assist in reducing pressure on in-crop herbicides for grass weed control such as Clethodim (group A).  Rotating herbicide groups and sound manual methods such as wind row burning, chaff carts and fence line spraying will ensure that weed numbers are kept in check and “blow-outs” of weed numbers is minimised.

• The application of Pastures from Space technologies allowed wethers to be carried at a stocking rate 50% above the district average.
• There were no significant differences in animal health or parasite burden between the two groups.
• The per head wool production was reduced by approximately 5% in the PFS mob; however, the per hectare performance was 42% above the Control mob for CFW and 44% above the Control mob for wool income per hectare. This outstanding result demonstrates the ability of merino sheep to grow wool at close to maximum rates on 800 – 1000 kgs DM per hectare of good quality feed
• Forward feed budgeting using the Feed Budget program was able to predict when it would be necessary to initiate supplementary feeding in the PFS wethers and when it would be necessary to remove sheep from the paddock altogether. This allowed forward planning to maintain adequate ground cover and hence preserve topsoil in the more heavily grazed paddock
• The net benefit in the PFS wether group was $73.83 per hectare after allowing for the higher direct costs per hectare associated with the higher stocking rate and the extra supplementary feed required in the PFS wethers. Due to the extraordinarily high prices for supplementary feed in early 2008, the extra supplementary feed cost
• $63.11 per hectare. This obviously had a large influence on the magnitude of the net benefit, with a benefit of $97.00 per hectare being achieved using long-term average supplementary feed prices

• During 2013, in canola crops sown on time that achieved target plant populations, it appears that late burning and/or cultivation of previous crop stubbles improved yield.
• The cost of burning stubble needs to be considered both in terms of dollar labour cost and lost nutrients.
• Potential impact on fallow efficiencies following the canola crop need to be better understood. Burning stubbles may have a fit in paddocks where windrows are being burnt for grass seed control or stubbles are too heavy for seeders to get through.
• The cost of cultivation needs to account for both cost of the operation as well as the risk soil erosion, and the possibility of producing drier seedbed conditions at sowing time.
• CWFS proposes to do further trials in the next two years. Remember this report represents only one year (2013) of data from trials at Rankins Springs, Wirrinya and Tullamore.

• During 2013, in canola crops sown on time that achieved target plant populations, it appears that late burning and/or cultivation of previous crop stubbles improved yield. • The cost of burning stubble needs to be considered both in terms of dollar labour cost and lost nutrients. Potential impact on fallow efficiencies following the canola crop need to be better understood. Burning stubbles may have a fit in paddocks where windrows are being burnt for grass seed control or stubbles are too heavy for seeders to get through. • The cost of cultivation needs to account for both cost of the operation as well as the risk soil erosion, and the possibility of producing drier seedbed conditions at sowing time. • CWFS proposes to do further trials in the next two years. Remember this report represents only one year (2013) of data from trials at Rankins Springs, Wirrinya and Tullamore.

• In 2018 there was a reduction in crown rot severity when Product X was applied, however this did not improve yield
• 2019 pre-season PreDictaB results showed a reduction in crown rot risk for Evergol, Product X and Vibrance
• The second year had no carry over benefit of seed dressings or previous year’s variety. These seed dressings are only effective in the year applied and effectiveness can be influenced by initial inoculum level and how conducive the season is for the disease

In furrow devices were superior to a press wheel.

The seed lock wheels were significanly more durable compared to in-furrow seed firmers.

• Both higher seed manganese concentration or seed coating with MnSO4 were found to increase yield of barley on manganese deficient soil

• Seed treatments are essential for smut and bunt control.
• There was no significant difference of seed treatment on the yield of wheat.
• Significant differences were found in growth measurements such as emergence, coleoptile length, plant weight and tillering between seed treatments.

Sowing feed into dwindling lucerne stands; either barley or the newer forage ryecorn varieties resulted in increased weight gains of lambs when compared with those lucerne stands where annual grasses were becoming more dominant allowing lambs to be finished quicker prior to the onset of grass seeds
• Oversowing with Scope CL provides a flexible option in the grazing system with the ability to graze for feed in a seed free environment, or to lock up for grain if seasonal conditions are favourable 
• Heavy stocking rates (and possibly small paddocks or strip grazing methods) are needed to keep newer
forage ryecorn varieties grazed down to maintain feed quality and maximise grazing benefits.

• 60 thrips per plant four weeks after cotton emergence.
• Cruiser® seed treatment reduced thrips larvae numbers at one week after cotton emergence.
• Thimet® in-furrow treatment reduced thrips larvae numbers at one and three weeks after cotton emergence. » Hand-harvest yields indicated the Thimet® treatment increased yields over no Thimet®-treated plots.
• Machine harvest yields were not significantly different between treatments.

• Even when sowing in April, into drying soil, establishment of canola was better at 1 cm compared to 3 or 7 cm.
• Sowing small OP seed deeper, at 3 and 7 cm, resulted in the poorest establishment and yield.
• In difficult conditions hybrid seed was better able to establish than OP canola.

• Even when sowing in April, into drying soil, establishment of canola was better at 1 cm compared to 3 or 7 cm.
• Sowing small OP seed deeper, at 3 and 7 cm, resulted in the poorest establishment and yield.
• In difficult conditions hybrid seed was better able to establish than OP canola.

• Seed quality: Check the germination and vigour of seed harvested in 2000, or other weather damaged seed.
• Nitrogen: Soil nitrogen levels are likely to be lower in 2001, but will vary depending on summer rainfall, fallow weed control and paddock history.
• Screenings: Pinched and small grain can result from drought stress and high temperatures, foliar disease or inappropriate input levels such as excessive early nitrogen, late sowing or poor soil water extraction.
• Black Point: Black point in wheat is now thought to result from enzyme reactions during ripening, brought on by environmental stresses.

There are numerour interactions between soil type, mineralisation level, PAWC and tiller response inthis trial. Generally speaking the trial showed that applying more nitrogen resulted in increased protein but not necessarily yield

• Growers should check the grain weight, germination of retained seed and calibrate accordingly to achieve consistent plant establishment from season to season.
• Correct seeder calibration amounted to a 0.3t/ha yield or $60/ha gain.
• If phosphorus (P) soil reserves are low, consider increasing P fertiliser rates to achieve optimal yields.

Please see attached trial report for results.

• Hot weather for 3 weeks in August impacted the range of results that could be expected. Yellow spot was quite evident early in many of the plots, with the treatments claiming to have some protection (Systiva)

• Qualitative research suggests that the results seem significant, however quantitative findings with an L.S.D of 0.169 suggest otherwise.

• No significant yield or plant establishment differences occurred between seed treatments in this trial at Culgoa in 2010.
• Gaucho 350 is now registered in cereals and legumes.

This trial showed considerable infection of striperust at flag leaf stage through to grain filling stage.There were visual differences in stripe rust levels between the control and stripe rust treatments at flag leaf stage. A foliar fungicide application would have undoubtedly protected the plant in the later growth stages, thereby providing higher yields. The soil root disease test showed no
problem with the root diseases listed above. One disease, which cannot be commercially tested for at this stage, is pythium. Dividend does not claim to have any effect on stripe rust so the increase in yield in the Dividend treatment could be attributed to pythium. The other treatments have clearly had a yield benefit from stripe rust suppression, as this was the only visible foliar disease in the trial. The trial will be extended in 2005 to include foliar fungicide applications and other combinations of products used in this trial.

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

• Fungal diseases and aphids can affect yield dramatically in some years in some areas.
• Bayer CropScience is developing two new seed treatments which can help with fungal disease and aphid control and reduce the spread of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) helping to increase yields.
• In this trial no aphids and very low levels of disease were recorded.
• The use of Hombre and Zorro in this situation did not increase yield.

• Low-zinc seed and high-zinc seed oilseed rape genotypes were sown in pots containing zinc-deficient siliceous sand fertilized with low or high zinc supply in a controlled environment.
• After six weeks, plants derived from the high-zinc seed had better seedling vigour, increased root and shoot growth, more leaf area and chlorophyll concentration in fresh leaf, and higher zinc uptake in shoot compared to those from low-zinc seed at low zinc supply .
• The influence of high-zinc seed was dissipated at high zinc supply.
• The results demonstrate that although oilseed rape has very small seeds compared with wheat, zinc reserves present in seed still have a strong impact on early vegetative growth and zinc uptake in zinc-deficient soils.
• The results suggest that sowing high-zinc seed coupled with growing zinc-efficient genotypes may help in sustaining the production of oilseed rape in zinc-deficient soils.

• SBU is the spread pattern of seed and fertiliser relative to row space, expressed as a percentage.
• Safe urea N rates in Canola are approximately half that of wheat at the same SBU %.
• When the SBU % is > 45%, safe N rates become less than half that of wheat.

For full assessment of plots and other results please see the attached trial report.

• 18 cm (7”) systems showed better plant establishment in a drier seeding than the 30 cm (12”) system.
• Higher seeding rates resulted in higher grain yield but also higher screenings and lower protein.
• Grass weeds were lower in the higher seeding rate and in the 18 cm row spacing indicating crop competition is a non-chemical weed reduction method.
• Single row or spread row seeding boots showed little differences in plant establishment, grain yield and quality or grass weed competition.

• Reducing row spacing to 18 cm from 30 cm increased grain yield of wheat by more than 0.5 t/ha in 2015 and 2016.
• Increasing seeding rate also increased grain yield in 2015 and 2016.

• Late grassy weed dry matter was 65% lower, and barley grass weed seed set was 57% lower, with a higher seeding rate.
• 18 cm row spacing had 42% lower grass weed dry matter than 30 cm row spacing.
• Single row or spread row seeding boots showed little differences in plant establishment, grain yield and quality or grass weed competition.

• 18 cm (7”) systems showed better plant establishment in a drier seeding than the 30 cm (12”) system.
• Higher seeding rates resulted in higher grain yield but also higher screenings and lower protein.
• Grass weeds were lower in the higher seeding rate and in the 18 cm row spacing indicating crop competition is a non-chemical weed reduction method.
• Single row or spread row seeding boots showed little differences in plant establishment, grain yield and quality or grass weed competition.

• A critical level of zinc is required in the soil before roots will either grow into it or function effectively.
•  It is likely that this requirement is frequently not met in deep sandy in fertile soils.
• This paper presents arguments for breeding cereal varieties with root system is better able to mobilise zink from soil sources of low availability.
• Significant genetic variation for this character is described for wheat, barley and oats.
• Linkage to other efficiency traits for example manganese, is poor suggesting independent mechanisms and genetic control not linked to gross root system geometry.
• Zinc efficiency traits for sandy and clay soils are appear be genetically different.
•  Zinc inefficient genotypes absorb more zinc from deficient soils.

• Genetic mutations in the Septoria tritici blotch (STB) pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici can differentially influence the performance of triazole fungicides in the laboratory.
• There should continue to be a focus on the principles of an integrated disease management (IDM) approach to control diseases such as STB, using rotation, cultivar resistance, later sowing, and other aspects of cultural control to compliment fungicide control.
• New research on foliar fungicide indicates that the principal fungicides still give good in-field control of STB up to 30 days after application when applied at full label rates.
• There are significant differences in disease control amongst the different fungicide products and rates of application when monitored leaves are assessed more than 30 days after application.
• Single spray timings of foliar fungicide for control of STB made during the late tillering phase gave less effective disease control than applications made at first node (GS31). Spray application delayed until flag leaf gave the poorest control of STB but gave superior leaf rust control later in the season.

 • Reduced sensitivity of the Septoria tritici blotch (STB) pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici to triazole fungicides is likely to be an increasing problem, following the discovery of more resistant biotypes (R8 strain or Isoform 11) on the mainland in 2016.
• The presence of this strain and its proportion in the population will influence disease management strategies differentially.
• In Tasmania, early season disease control in the field with flutriafol (2017 trials) and tebuconazole (2016 trials) has been reduced by the more resistant biotypes of the pathogen, whilst on the mainland trial sites the activity of flutriafol appears to have been maintained in 2017 for the control of STB.
• The performance of a new SDHI based seed treatment and to a lesser extent fluquinconazole (Jockey) has been better than flutriafol in Tasmanian trials.
• Triazole/strobilurin mixtures based on epoxiconazole and azoxystrobin (e.g. Radial, Tazer Xpert), along with new as yet unregistered combinations of triazole & SDHI have given excellent control of STB.
• In 2016 the advantage of these products was evident in disease control and yield response in wheat but in 2017 the yield response to these products was similar to that observed with Opus and Prosaro (registered in wheat but not registered for STB control).
• Single spray timings of foliar fungicide for control of STB made during the tillering phase gave less effective disease control than applications made between GS31 – GS39.
• The most effective control of STB on a canopy leaf layer is achieved by applying fungicide to that leaf shortly after it has fully emerged but before infection becomes established.
• Where more than one fungicide is used in wheat avoid using the same triazole active ingredient twice in a season, irrespective of diseases to be controlled. If it is not possible ensure it is mixed with another mode of action (strobilurin) at one of the timings.
• Since strobilurins are at higher risk of resistance avoid using products containing these active ingredients more than once in a season.

• Dry conditions reduced the severity of septoria tritici blotch.
• Timing of fungicide application did not affect (p<0.05) grain yield or quality.
• Consider using seed or fertiliser fungicide treatment when grazing wheat early in the season.
• Multiple fungicide applications using different active groups will reduce the risk of fungicide resistance developing in Zymoseptoria tritici.
• Grazing can add feed value to the wheat crop and reduce disease pressure. 

For the fourth year in a row grain yield was increased by controlling summer weeds. There has been a return on investment in all years of this trial, by controlling summer weeds. Retaining or removing stubble has only a minor effect on yield.

• There was significant variation for many of the parameters measured between seeders
• Lowest variation was for disc and tyne parallelogram setups – JD disc, Boss, Equalizer
• Discs were more consistent for seed depth
• Seeder setup, operation and monitoring is critical to success
• Low NDVI areas were the highest yielding
• The selection, setting up, monitoring and operating of seeders is vital in capitalising on machine design features 

• Grazing crop stubbles makes more mineral N available to crops which increases grain N uptake and is perhaps an overlooked benefit of keeping livestock in stubble-retained farming systems.

• Overall the efficacy of pre-emergent herbicide control of ARG increased with increasing water rates. This was particularly the case with Sakura, supporting the results from Western Australia.
• There was no significant difference between weed control treatments (both between and within herbicide treatments) on end grain yield.
• This trial experienced extremely dry conditions throughout the season, as such grain yield was limited.

Flight, Velocity, Jaguar and the Agritone plus Affinity mix were the herbicides that provided the most effective wild radish control in wheat. A two-spray strategy is required to control later germinations of wild radish. Short-term pain for long-term gain: including new herbicides (with different modes of action) into the cereal phase will delay the onset of resistance.

Ultimately herbicide selection should be based on the suitability of that product to the sowing conditions, weed pressure and rotational fit while trying to completely control ARG in both single & consecutive years, managing for chemical groups.  Annual ryegrass populations can incre3ase rapidly if in any one year poor control occurs.  Therefore careful rotational planning to include crop types, vaqrieties and herbicide technologies is essential in an overarching control strategy.  From the results observed in this two year trial it is evident that effective weed control in year one results in a reduction in seed season are necessary to reduce weed seed bank numbers potentially making Roundup Ready canola systems more viable in a lower risk situation.  Herbicides with lo binding, moderate solubility and longer persistence such as Sakura tend to offer higher levels of weed control.  It is also clear that herbicide technology is not straight forward and attention to detail can mean the difference between a mediocre and first-rate result.  Chemical efficacy can be influenced by a number of factors, especially when using pre-emergent herbicides in a combined chemical IWM strategy.  Little things like stubble load, method of application, level of seedbed cultivation, incorporation timing and technique, rainfall after sowing and the suitability of that herbicide for the particular situation can add incremental gains for the overall result.  For RR canola and TT canola ensure to use every option available, don't settle for just 1 application of RR or rely solely on triazine chemicals for effective control of weeds.

Annual ryegrass control is a long term holistic proposition and no 1 or 2 control methods will solve your issues.  It must be tackled with multiple techniques.

Eradicating SLN using only herbicides appears to be very doubtful. It is therefore time to consider how to coexist
with the problem weed; at least for the next few years. It is necessary to identify options and implement
cost-effective strategies that prevent the spread of the weed and suppress the infestations. The options
should not be a drain on the farms cash reserves or a strain on one's mental health.

We are optimistic that the demonstration is making progress towards eradication; albeit slow. The drought has made progress difficult because I suspect we are not getting the same level of herbicide translocation into the rhizomes as we did in the early 1990s. We are prepared to push on with the demonstration for
another two years with the expectation of eradication.

• On average in the Mediterranean Mallee environment, sub-tropical grasses grow best during late spring and early summer when soil temperatures are rising and soil moisture is available.
• Unless significant rain occurs after December, the growth rate of sub-tropical grasses is typically low in the period December to April.
• Subtropical grasses are dormant in the winter months, so weed control measures are relatively easy and the inclusion of annual medics may be possible.
• The standing fodder of sub-tropical grasses can potentially be carried over for grazing later in summer.

After six years of running the Systems Site comparing farming systems it has become clear that the critical issues are as follows.

Conserving soil water into dry seasons, which can be achieved using either mechanical in a conventional system or chemical means in a reduced till or no till system (assuming there is enough stubble to protect the soil surface from evaporation).

Since the introduction of Frame and Yitpi (CCN resistant wheats) CCN has not been a problem.

Take-all and Pratylenchus neglectus appear to more closely correlate to specific areas in a paddock rather than levels changing because of crop choice or the rotation (field peas did lower Pratylenchus levels). Certainly there did not appear to be any influence of farming system on these two soil borne diseases.

Weed levels have not changed markedly over the duration of the trial and there were no differences between systems after six years. Brome grass is now present at the site at very low levels whereas it was not recorded in 1999 and 2000.

Wind erosion susceptibility and risk is lowest in the No Till plots because of good stubble cover and aggregation of soil particles. The three other systems all had plots which were moderately susceptible to wind erosion, primarily as a result of low stubble cover.

Using current technology and sampling intensity it is not possible to pick up changes in soil available nitrogen levels between different farming systems.

Soil changes in soil biological characteristics are currently being assessed and will be reported by the BCG update in February 2006.

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

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