Canola trials

To investigate the effectiveness of BTH (benzothiadiazole) to increase a crops resilience to disease.

• To determine if retaining canola seed leads to reduced yield, oil and financial return.

To report on the outcomes of the 2014 Rural Finance Crop Challenge.

To est alternative products to Mesurol that are commercially available both in Australia and overseas, to assess their effectiveness as bird deterrents.

This was the first year of an intended long term trial investigating the effect of K nutrition on sandplain. Potassium was applied at rates between zero and 100 kg/ha IBS and banded in the forms of MOP and compound NPK product (Vigour).

Some districts in NSW and Victoria are known to frequently develop Sclerotinia stem rot. The purpose of conducting the petal survey was to identify if there are significant differences in the level of petal infestation between districts where the disease develops frequently, compared with those districts where the disease develops once every few years. This information will indicate what influences disease development, background inoculum levels or environmental conditions, or both. 

To report on a three year strategy to manage clethodim resistant ryegrass without oaten hay.

To test pre-harvest treatments in order to accelerate the ripening and harvest of barley in a double cropping sitution.

To provide information for the growing farmer interest in subsoil manuring during the year with data and information on demonstration trials on subsoil manuring on heavy clay and duplex soils where the plant available water capacity at depth is restricted by low porosity, water extraction and root growth.

To present results from the large plot focus farm trials of the Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble in the Riverine Plains region project, which where to

• investigate, demonstrate and extend cultural practices that will assist growers to adopt no-till stubble retention (NTSR) in medium and higher-rainfall environments;
• build on findings from the previous Riverine Plains Inc. Water Use Efficiency (WUE) project; and
• extend the frontier of agronomic knowledge for crops grown in NTSR systems.

To recommend options to improve;
• soil nutrients and groundcover, and 
• reduce disease levels and chemical use.

To investigate options for pasture and fodder break crops for southern Victoria with an emphasis on weed control.

To discuss adjuvant choice for atrizine for best control of radish in TT canola.

• Trials were implemented to compare break crop productivity and profitability on major soil types in the northern South Australian Mallee. This information will help farmers in the region to select the most appropriate break crop for their farming system.

• To investigate an agronomic solution to waterlogging through the use of Agpipe.

• To investigate the use of slotted drainpipe (Agpipe) for removal of water from waterlogged crops.

To determine if the addition of lime and its method of incorporation (mouldboard ploughing or deep ripping) has an effect on the soil pH profile, topsoil water repellence and crop productivity.

To consolidate information and provide guidelines for best bet management of canola sown at or before mid-April.

To consolidate information and provide guidelines for best bet management of canola sown at or before mid-April.

To present the main messages from the agronomy trial work undertaken in 2005.

The aim of this trial was to investigate alternative chemicals for the control of ryegrass in wheat; and in broadleaf crops, canola, lentil and field pea.

To look at alternative crops to wheat and barley.

To investigate the effect of a number of biological seed dressings, organic and inorganic fertilisers on canola yield.

Trials were conducted by the BCG to evaluate a range of these alternative oilseed options.

To investigate the effect of deep ripping and gypsum on root and plant growth of wheat, canola and lentils.

Experiments were conducted on two different soil types to test if (a) amelioration of these subsoils with a mix of gypsum and organic peat would increase the ability of the soil to hold more ‘plant available’ water and (b) if this extra water availability, would assist crops to achieve a better yield.

• To test the performance of a range of subsoil amendments.

To identify if Amsul, NPKS 21:0:0:24 is a cost effective alternative to urea and gypsum as source of nitrogen and sulphate sulphur.

To evaluate the potential for grain yield responses from controlling insects and diseases in canola with commercially available seed applied treatments.

This work estimates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from grain production systems for different regions of NSW. Data used for analysis was based on DPI gross margins and validated at grower forums in Wagga Wagga and Harden in the southern region. 

To report on testing, monitoring and calculations that are designed to make decisions which minimise
risk and maximise returns.

To evaluate the response of canola to low fertiliser inputs

To compare different blackleg control measures in canola.

The aims of these experiments were to determine:

• the potential effect of natural enemies on insect pests

• any long-term effects from insecticide seed treatments on natural enemies

• any differences in natural enemies and pest distribution.
 

To assess the impact of deep ripping on crop yield in a gravelly loam soil type near Muradup, WA.

To increase grower awareness of: the current status of soil acidification and the associated causes and impacts and associated need to address of soil acidification via the ongoing application of agricultural lime.

To demonstrate whether Atrazine (alone or in combination with Select) can assist in the control of ryegrass.

To investigate a range of rates and timings of foliar fungicide to try to reduce the impact of aerial blackleg.

The GRDC ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ project aims to improve farm profitability while retaining stubble in farming systems on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP). Weed control in stubble retained systems can be compromised where herbicide efficacy is limited due to higher stubble loads, especially for preemergent herbicides. Current farming practices have also changed weed  behavior with later germinating barley grass genotypes now present in many paddocks on the Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC) (B Fleet, EPFS Summary 2011). Several MAC farm demonstrations  were undertaken in 2014 to address barley grass weed issues including later germinating types and barley grass resistance to Group A herbicides. An integrated approach to weed management aimed at lowering the weed seed bank can make use of diverse techniques such as cultivation, stubble burning, in-crop competition using higher sowing rates and possibly row orientation. The weed seed bank can be reduced within the break phase by hay making, or green or brown manuring. Other techniques used effectively in WA on ryegrass and wild  radish have been narrow windrows and chaff carts. However there is limited information on the effectiveness of these tactics on barley grass in part because it is believed that most seed is shed well before harvest, limiting control. In 2015 the monitoring of farm paddock demonstrations in low rainfall farming systems to  assess control methods for grass weeds, mainly targeting barley grass, were undertaken by;
• Monitoring of narrow windrows in MAC paddocks N1 and N6W, and Bruce Heddle’s paddock CE42 (windrows and chaff dumps).
• Spray topping after oat and vetch hay (MAC paddock S4) using both crop competition (high seeding rate) followed by spray topping after the hay cut.

To conduct a barley variety trial.

To determine if the inclusion of Bentonite clay improves crop yields on non-wetting sandy soils and their ability to store more carbon.

• To evaluate the effect of row spacing (18, 22 and 30 cm) and target plant population (20, 40 and 60 plants/m2) on yield and oil content of a representative Clearfield® and TT variety.

To improve the long term control of Rhizoctonia by increasing the understanding of the interactions between disease inoculum and natural soil suppressive activity and to improve the prediction and management of disease.

To compare different fungicides for control of blackleg.

To assess the effect of blackleg on canola crops and varieties in the South East of SA.