Vetch trials

To investigate the implications of novel herbicide toerance traits in lentil and vetch on the management of broadleaf weeds.

To investigate the impact of early sowing and fungicide strategies on disease development in vetch 

To determine if the risk to frost damage is similar across a range of break crops in a high risk zone. 

To determine if the risk to frost damage is similar across a range of break crops in a moderate risk zone. 

To evaluate fertiliser input strategies for pulse crops growing on unripped and ripped soils

To demonstrate management options to increase the safety of pre emergent herbicides when applied pulse crop grown in sandy soils.

Multiple trials around the theme of improving and quantifying the benefit of pulses to subsequent crops. This will include comparisons of crop types in 2022, followed by cereal crops in 2023, and techniques to increase biomass (early sowing) and increase N fixation (rhizobia studies) 

Demonstrate a range of options for weed control, especially broadleafs, with good crop safety

To evaluate the phenology and grain yield responses of various albus lupin, faba bean, vetch, lentil and chickpea varieties. 

To investigate establishment, crop phenology, days to flowering, flowering duration, and grain yield responses of commercially available pulse and legume varieties.

Barley grass is one of the major weeds in the southern region. Many southern growers think their barley grass is resistant to grass selective herbicides and may have developed late germination to avoid pre-seeding herbicides. In this area, barley grass is a major problem in pastures, and often in break crops as well.

The trial aims to investigate pre-emergent herbicides in wheat in 2019, crop density and post-emergent herbicides in barley in 2020, and pre-emergent herbicides and grass selective herbicides in vetch in 2021.

To evaluate the impact of agronomic strategies to enhance productivity of vetch growth on sandy Mallee soils

To compare the tolerance of legume varieties to a range of registered herbicides, and assess grass and brassica weed control

To demonstrate and quantify the benefits of growing pulses with alternative broadleaf break crops (canola) 

Identify optimum seeding rate and variety selection depening on target crop end use

To explore pulse species and variety comparison. 

Pulse species and variety comparison

Pulse species and variety comparison

To demonstrate agronomic management strategies to reduce the risk of herbicide damage when applying Metribuzin to lentils and vetch on Mallee sandy soils.

To investigate the response of new vetch varieties and genotypes to variable soil types.

Vetch and faba bean biomass

1. Demonstrate that growing canola (with effective weed control options) followed by a high value legume
(with higher economic value) can lead to an effective and profitable double break crop sequence. The
contribution of an early sowing date versus a traditional sowing date to increase the profitability of
these crops will also be evaluated.
2. Determine the economic value of growing canola followed by a high value legume, and the impact of
this rotation on the grain yield and profitability of a cereal crop in the first year following the double
break crop sequence.

This project set out to contribute to an understanding of legume agronomic and financial management in the Esperance Port Zone in an effort to support the decision-making process undertaken by growers in deciding the best crop sequence for their farms, including which break crop best suits their needs.

This project aims to:

1. Contribute to the agronomic understanding of best practice pulse agronomy in the EPZ.
2. Contribute to the financial decision-making process undertaken by growers in deciding the best crop sequence for their farms, including which break crop is the best option to suit their needs.

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 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 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 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 evaluate effect of time of sowing and fungicides on diseases, biomass and yields of vetch varieties.

To evaluate the effects of time of sowing and varieties on disease management, biomass production and grain yield in vetch.

To evaluate time of sowing and disease management programs on the establishment, biomass development and grain yield of different vetch in comparison with faba bean and field pea.

To promote early vigour to improve biomass and yield partitioning in vetch.

To evaluate the effects of different seeding systems, which alter seed bed utilization on vetch biomass production.

To compare the performance of a range of pulse varieties and sowing dates in two contrasting soil types in North Central Victoria.

To compare the performance of a range of pulse varieties and sowing dates in two contrasting soil types in North Central Victoria.

Assess the performance of a range of lentil, faba Bean, field pea and vetch varieties and breeding lines on acidic soils in the North Central region of Victoria. 

To identify plant varieties or mixtures that can increase dry matter production of the pasture break phase on the highly alkaline soils of upper Eyre Peninsula. Current cropping and grazing systems are mostly based on monocultures and the potential feed base of the break phase could be broadened to be more productive for grazing and available for a longer time period in the season. Current oat varieties, mixed break crops and newer pasture species were trialled at Piednippie in 2018 to investigate whether a more productive and prolonged feed base is possible.

Barley grass weed density was monitored in three paddocks on upper EP (Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC), Heddle’s at Minnipa and Wilkins’ at Yaninee using an UAV during the 2017 (EPFS Summary 2017, p 83) and 2018 growing seasons at three different timings, with paddock transects conducted to verify grass weed density in paddocks.

To focus on the impact of trafficking by heavy vehicles on crop production and soil condition, as well as monitoring how quickly LRZ soils will "self-repair" if heavy trafficking is stopped. Issues of implementing CTF and managing permanent wheel tracks are being addressed in other components of the project.

To compare the tolerance of legume and canola varieties to a range of herbicides and timings.

Can cover crops increase infiltration and net water accumulation in pivot-irrigated cotton systems with low (<30%) ground cover?

• 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 demonstrate the rotational benefits of a sequence of broadleaf, legume, and pasture crops for the production of wheat in the Kwinana West and East zones of WA. 
 

To compare the tolerance of legume and canola varieties to a range of herbicides and timings.

To examine two main management options to deal with high stubble loads (≥5t/ha) in 2017, and incorporates many of the main findings from the stubble initiative to date.

• To investigate legume pasture options for controlling group A (ACCase inhibitors) resistant barley grass (GRDC project UA00149).
• The trial also looked at the impact of these pasture treatments on a subsequent wheat crop and compared one vs. two consecutive years of legume pasture on barley grass management in the absence of group A herbicides.

The issue of enteric (from intestines) methane (CH₄) emissions produced by ruminant livestock is gaining local and global interest due to methane being a powerful greenhouse gas and ruminants being a significant source of emissions. In the absence of measurements, prediction models can facilitate the estimation of enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock and aid investigation of mitigation options. In Southern Australia, the management of the feedbase in low rainfall mixed farming systems through addressing ‘feed gaps’ – times of year during which the supply of forage is insufficient to meet livestock demand; is a key practice change which has the potential to mitigate methane emissions, particularly from sheep.

The aim of this trial was to evaluate pasture/forage options with a potential to fill the late-spring and early winter feed gaps and to measure comparative animal production and feed quality in response to current and improved forages. Methane output (gCH₄/day) was simulated using the GrazFeed model.

The GrazFeed decision support tool is a component of the GRAZPLAN decision support project for Australian grazing enterprises developed by CSIRO to help graziers improve the profitability of livestock production through more efficient use of pastures and supplementary feeds. It does this by predicting the intake of energy and protein and their use for maintenance and production (Freer et al., 1997).

The aim of this project (SAGIT S914) was to:

• Provide a genuine legume break crop option for cereal and mixed farmers in the marginal cropping areas of South Australia. Focusing on Western Eyre Peninsula, the Upper North and the Murray lands/Mallee.
• Trial advanced common vetch lines with specific targeted traits in replicated trials in these regions of South Australia for assessment of potential new releases.
• Validate the benefits and potential of common vetch in the targeted areas.
• Provide farmers with high yielding alternative vetch varieties that are well adapted to sandy-alkaline soils in low rainfall environments.

To see whether green manure a viable management option (in terms of maintenance of ground cover and other agronomic benefits) as we know that terminating cover crops will result in 100% seed set control providing that the crop is effectively killed at an appropriate time.

To investigate selection of the right rotation and herbicide strategy for brome grass management.