• The average yield for the Winter wheat variety trial was 3.03 t/ha. The highest yielding variety was Amorok with 3.81 t/ha.
• The shorter season varieties yielded well compared to the longer season varieties. This was a response to the rapid finish to the season, where the longer season varieties lost some yield potential during grain fill.
• The rapid finish to the season also reduced the grain quality, where test weight and screenings were the main reasons for downgrading.

• The average yield for the winter wheat trial and Dunkeld was 7.25 t/ha. The highest yield was achieved by Preston (8.19 t/ha) followed by Beaufort (8.11 t/ha) and Mackellar (8.06 t/ha).
• For further take home messages please see attached trial report.

Wheat, barley and canola were tested in 2018, and wheat and barley in 2019, representing a range of quality segregations. Trials were located close to Hyden, Kojonup, Jerramungup, South Stirling, Mt Madden, Munglinup, Gibson and Scadden and Salmon Gums.

The 2018 season was characterised by significant autumn rainfall and below average seasonal rainfall for most sites. The first time of sowing was seeded dry for most cereal and canola trials and the second sowing followed opening rains.

There was little evidence from the eight locations in 2018 to support the idea that the latest varieties differ in their response to increasing N and P inputs in wheat, barley and canola such that it could be exploitable by growers. Some interactions between variety and N and P nutrition were identified but responses were isolated and varied with crop and site. For example, significant interactions were measured for wheat yield at Gibson and protein percent at South Stirling; barley yield at Jerramungup, protein at Hyden, protein at South Stirling and screenings at Kojonup; canolayield at Gibson and oil content at Hyden.

In 2019 the Western Australian wheatbelt experienced a late start to the winter growing season and one of its driest. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology show all sites tested in 2019 experienced a Decile 1 season with well below average seasonal rainfall.

The 8 locations for wheat and barley in 2019 tested N rate and timing and supported the findings of 2018 with very little evidence to support the idea that varieties differed in their response to increasing N inputs. In fact, the opposite was true with the four varieties of wheat and barley tested responding in very similar ways for yield and grain quality.

The lack of consistent variety x fertiliser interactions in these environments suggests growers need only consider a crop and not specific varieties in their agronomic management.

N and P nutrition in 2018 and N nutrition in 2019 data supports current farmer practices of adequate basal nutrient upfront for the season, followed by post-emergent nitrogen as season and yield potential warrant.

Conclusions of this study are limited by the site-specific growing conditions and choice of varieties.

• Significant variation in yellow leaf spot susceptibility exists between varieties of wheat commonly grown on the Lower Eyre Peninsula and this is correlated with significant yield differences.
• If sowing into stubble with a history of yellow leaf spot, it is important to make good management decisions to avoid yield losses.
• Choice of variety has more impact on yield than does fungicide management strategy, and is likely to lead to greater profit.

• Significant variation in yellow leaf spot susceptibility exists between varieties of wheat commonly grown on the Lower Eyre Peninsula and this is correlated with significant yield differences.
• If sowing into stubble with a history of yellow leaf spot, it is important to make good management decisions to avoid yield losses.
• Choice of variety has more impact on yield than does fungicide management strategy, and is likely to lead to greater profit.

The best strategy against yellow leaf spot is to avoid sowing susceptible varieties in a wheat-on-wheat situation. The effectiveness of foliar fungicides for the control of yellow leaf spot is often variable; appropriate timing is crucial. In a low rainfall environment, it is rare to achieve an economic response when applying fungicides to control yellow leaf spot. Under the right seasonal conditions, YLS can reduce yields by between 5-10%.

• Sowing date and variety maturity choice is a balance between the risk of frost versus terminal heat stress.
• Earlier sowing can increase frost risk, but also generally maximises yield potential and reduces the extent of yield loss from crown rot.
• Cereal crop and variety selection can have a significant impact on yield where there are high levels of crown rot infection.
• Durum wheat, barley or bread wheat varieties with increased susceptibility to crown rot, should only be grown in paddocks known to have lowrisk inoculum levels based on testing (e.g. PreDicta B).
• All winter cereal varieties are susceptible to crown rot infection and will not significantly reduce inoculum levels for subsequent crops. Cereal crop and/or variety choice is not the sole solution to crown rot.

• APSIM simulations, accessed through the Yield Prophet web interface, were evaluated for their ability to forecast nitrogen fertiliser responses at the canopy management trial in the Wimmera.
• Yield Prophet accurately simulated crop yield and protein for a range of nitrogen fertiliser application rates and timings.
• Yield Prophet was able to estimate likely nitrogen fertiliser responses and dollar returns during the season.
• For accurate simulations Yield Prophet requires good soil characterisation data (crop lower limit, drained upper limit and bulk density) and pre-sowing measurements of soil water and available nitrogen.

• The quicker maturing varieties LRPB DartA, HatchetA LivingstonA, MaceA, SceptreA, MitchA and SuntopA were generally lower yielding than other entries at SD1, but were more yield competitive with other entries at SD2 and SD3.
• The longer season varieties EGA WedgetailA (6.08 t/ha) and EGA EaglehawkA (5.88 t/ha) were the highest yielding varieties at SD1, followed by CutlassA (5.51 t/ha) and LRPB FlankerA (5.36 t/ha).
• The mean yield at SD1 (4.89 t/ha) was not significantly different from SD2 (4.63 t/ha), but SD3 (3.56 t/ha) was significantly lower yielding than either SD1 or SD2.
• All varieties yielded their lowest from SD3.
• Protein percentages were low to moderate (mean of 9.8% for SD2 and 10.3% for SD1) with no significant difference from SD for any of the entries

Registered Yitpi seed came in two sizes in the 2000 season (small - 36g/1000 grain and large - 43g/1000 grain). The general concern for those who purchased Yitpi with small seed was that it was of poor quality. A demonstration investigating emergence and crop yield showed that there was no difference between the small and large sized grain in emergence and crop yield. The harvested grain from the small and large sown seed was the same size (40g/1000 grain).
It is advisable to know grain size and emergence potential so that optimum sowing rates can be determined.

• Correction of zinc deficiency in a barley crop increased grian yield and reduced Rhizoctonia bare patch.
• In glasshouse experiments, increasing wheat shoot zinc to 20 mg/kg dry matter strongly suppressed damage to roots by the Rhizoctonia fungus.
• Experiments also showed that the zinc was ot toxic to the fungus but instead improved root growth.

• There are identifiable production zones in Paddock N1. 
• Production zones are useful for designing sowing input strategies for ‘typical’ yields.
• In wet years, zones still indicate the risk and size of a return to in-season inputs but there will be increased input demand (e.g. N) and the response probably won’t follow the exact pattern of response for an average year.