Lentils trials

This was a small trial in which alternative break crops were sown into a deep sand.

GRDC has funded a programme to address this issue and one of the projects within this programme is developing an improved understanding and implementation of management practices for brassica and pulse crops, pastures and other options to reduce the risk of crop failure and improve whole farm profitability in low rainfall south-east Australia.

To investigate amelioration options for sands that have low water holding capacity, low organic matter, low nutrient availability, compaction, non wetting and high risk for wind erosion.

The aim of this project is to improve the capacity of growers to identify and manage subsurface acidity on the Northern Yorke Peninsula. Soil testing and pH mapping for acidity has become common practice in the district. However, this sampling and mapping has focused on the top 0-10 cm of soil. Recent reports and preliminary work have confirmed an acidic band of soil is often occurring at the 5-15 cm depth and beyond in certain soil types.

There are two main components to this project:

• Spatially identifying subsurface acidity by validating the relationship between soil pH and EC (electrical conductivity).
• Develop best management practices for lime amelioration to manage subsurface acidity.

To examine crop safety and broadleaf weed control implications for various herbicides and combinations in lentils.

This research aims to trial and demonstrate different management practices which could be used by growers to ameliorate saline soil patches:

1) Amending soil with sand, straw or gypsum - application of amendments to the soil surface can improve crop emergence by reducing evaporation leading to more soil moisture, or by reducing the moisture required to germinate a seed by increasing the sand content of the soil surface. Gypsum was also included to increase the amount of calcium relative to the level of sodium (salt) and address sodicity in the longer-term.  

2) Selecting crop types/varieties – to investigate the differences in crop performance on saline soils between crop types and varieties with improved salt tolerance.

Trial 1: Lime comparison trial 
The use of new pH mapping technologies has increased the awareness and identification of soil acidity in many districts. However, there are several aspects of soil acidity management which remain a problem for growers. This trial aimed to investigate a range of lime and acidity management factors outlined in the three key areas below. 

• Lime source 
• Lime rate and particle size 
• Decline of soil pH from sulphur applications 

Trial 2: Comparison of lime incorporation techniques 

Acidic layers of soil are increasingly being identified in the topsoil (0-10 cm) and subsurface soil (10-30 cm) of no-till farming systems. Stratified low pH soil layers need appropriate lime treatment to maintain and prevent the decline of soil pH further. Surface application of lime alone is unlikely to raise the pH in subsurface layers quickly. Recent work has reported lime movement as little as 1 cm – 2.5 cm per year (Fleming et al. 2020, Burns et al 2017). Given the slow movement of lime, incorporation and mixing of surface applied lime to depth is expected to accelerate the movement of lime.

There are a range of machinery options that can provide different levels of lime incorporation and to different depths, such as cultivation, deep ripping with or without inclusion plates, spading and combinations of these. This trial was designed to investigate which of these are most effective on a sandy soil with stratified soil acidity at Bute.

There are a range of machinery options that can provide different levels of lime incorporation such as spading. However, research to date on rotary spaders has shown soil/amendment mixing is not uniform due to the cyclical process, and the mixing quality reduces significantly at faster speed (Ucgul et al. 2019). This trial aimed to understand how the uniformity of soil-lime mixing by spading affected crop response and soil pH. 

To compare three legume crops in farmer scale seeding strip trials at three locations in the Albany Port Zone. Demonstrations will compare several legume crops in different soil types in different micro-environments. The same trial sites will be monitored in 2019 to determine the effects (positive or negative) of the legume break crop on the subsequent barley/wheat crop and soil nitrogen status. The legume demonstration trials will provide growers with current agronomic information for pulses/legumes as a break crop in farming systems for the Albany Port Zone. Information from both the legume demonstration and effect on the subsequent crop will complement the Crop Sequence Calculator Workshops to be run concurrently by Farmanco.  

To understand the effects of stubble, row spacing and row direction on plant growth, grain yield and pod drop of lentil varieties differeing in architecture and tolerance to pod drop.

To understand the effects of row spacing and row direction on plant growth, grain yield and pod drop of lentil varieties differeing in architecture and tolerance to pod drop.

To understand the effects of stubble, row spacing and row direction on plant growth, grain yield and pod drop of lentil varieties differeing in architecture and tolerance to pod drop.

To evaluate the effects of break crop species on the yield of subsequent wheat crop.

To evaluate the suitability of different pulse species as break crops for different climatic, soil and biotic stress conditions.

To evaluate the impacts of the soil amelioration practices of deep ripping and organic matter inputs on the growth and production of lupin, lentil and chickpea grown on deep sandy soils in the Mallee.

To investigate adaptability chickpea, faba bean, field pea, lupin, vetch and lentil varieties and breeding lines to spring sowing. Specifically, in chickpea there was a focus on new early flowering breeding lines with improved cold tolerance during the pod set phase.

• To investigate the suitability of a range of lentil varieties and breeding lines differing in flowering
  and maturity characteristics for crop-topping/desiccation.

• To investigate the suitability of a range of lentil varieties differing in flowering and maturity
  characteristics for crop-topping/desiccation.

• To investigate the suitability of a range of lentil varieties differing in flowering and maturity
  characteristics for crop-topping/desiccation.

• To investigate the suitability of a range of lentil varieties and breeding lines differing in flowering
  and maturity characteristics for crop-topping/desiccation.

To assess wether recent field pea breeding advancements in resistance to blackspot are significant enough to allow management changes to sowing time in this crop.

To determine the correct maturity timing required in field peas, chickpeas, lentils and faba beans for successful crop topping practice.

• To determine the correct maturity timing required in lentils for successful crop topping practice.

• To determine the correct maturity timing required in lentils for successful crop-topping practice.

To measure the affect of deep ripping on the Water Use and WUE of Lentil

• To investigate the impact of crop-topping and harvest timing on the yield and quality on new green lentil lines.

To demonstrate new technologies to aassist with managing weeds in lentils.

• To compare new lentil varieties with current commercial varieties as well as current commercial field pea varieties and Kaspa type pea blends on two different soil types.

• To determine whether sowing inter-row in standing stubbles varying in stubble height will benefit yield of field pea, lentil and chickpea varieties.

• To determine the effect of stubble height on grain yield of field pea, lentil and chickpea varieties.

• To assess the agronomic benefits of seeding pulses into standing cereal stubble and identify optimum standing stubble retention management strategies for maximising yields.

• To investigate the impact of crop-topping and harvest timing on the yield and quality on new green lentil varieties.

• To identify levels of tolerance to a range of group B herbicides, as preliminary work for the application of a registration for post-emergent use in this variety.

• To assess the effect of various residual group B chemistries on growth and yield of tolerant and susceptible lentil varieties, and
• To confirm in-crop tolerance of some group B chemistries applied post-emergence on Group B herbicide improved XT varieties and advanced lentil breeding lines compared with conventional standards.

• To investigate the adaptability of a range of new herbicide tolerant lentil varieties to a range of
  Group B herbicides.

• To investigate the adaptability of a range of new herbicide tolerant lentil varieties to a range of Group B herbicides.

• To understand the genetic control in lentils relating to tolerance to the range of sulfonyl urea herbicides.

• To understand the genetic control in lentils relating to tolerance to the range of sulfonyl urea herbicides.

• To investigate the adaptability of a range of new herbicide tolerant lentil varieties to a range of
  Group B herbicides.

• To investigate the adaptability of a range of new herbicide tolerant lentil varieties to a range of Group B herbicides in standing and burnt stubbles.

To investigate the stability of the seed size trait in PBA HallmarkXT across generations.

To investigate the stability of the seed size trait in PBA HallmarkXT across generations.

To increase productivity of pulses in the LRZ through increasing podding height, plant height and harvestability. This work builds on previous successful trials in the SA Mallee

• To assess the agronomic practice of ‘crop topping’ at multiple application timings on grain yield and grain weight of lentil varieties varying in plant maturity.

• To determine the correct maturity timing required in lentils for successful crop-topping practice.

To determine the optimum disease management strategy for CIPAL 203.

To maximise production advantages of new lentil varieties through the development of appropriate disease management strategies.

To report on lentil disease management x time of sowing, Paskeville and Maitland, Yorke Peninsula, SA

To determine optimum disease management strategy at different sowing times, in the new green and red lentil varieties with improved ascochyta blight and botrytis resistance.

To determine optimum disease management strategy at different sowing times, in the new green and red lentil varieties with improved ascochyta blight and botrytis resistance.