South Australian Grain Industry Trust Fund trials

To assess and compare the biomass accumulation and grain yields of current field pea standards, Kaspa (the predominant grain yield variety in south eastern Australia) and Morgan (a dual purpose field pea variety), as well as several current vetch variety options. 

To quantify and potentially exploit the variation in nutritive value of a range of cereal grains that come on to the feed market in South Australia to increase grain trading options for grain growers.

To establish product, rates and timings suitable to achieving the most economic return for managing sulphur deficiency.

To assess the potential of a range of multi-trait breeders’ lines for commercial development.

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.

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

To better understand best practice management of WPM given emerging fungicide resistance issues.

For trial results please see attached report. 

Barley grass continues to be a major grass weed in cereal cropping regions on the upper Eyre Peninsula (EP). Swathing a cereal crop involves cutting and collecting the cereal crop and weeds into windrows at 20 to 40% grain moisture and allowing it to dry. Having the weed seeds cut and in the windrow before the seed heads shatter and before tillers fall over (lodging), may allow greater weed seed collection when using a chaff cart or windrows. Swathing early then harvesting for weed seed collection needs further evaluation as it may provide farmers with another tool for integrated weed management, especially for barley grass that matures and sheds seed before crops ripen.

To investigate swathing early then harvesting for weed seed collection to evaluate usefulness for farmers in providing another tool for integrated weed management, especially for barley grass that matures and sheds seed before crops ripen.

To investigate responses to phosphorus (P) fertiliser of common wheat and barley varieties on a P deficient soil

To assess the potential of fluid nutrient delivery systems and disease control strategies compared to current systems.

To update the benefits of fluid delivery systems from previous research and assess the potential of fluid nutrient delivery systems and disease control strategies compared to current systems.

To update the benefits of fluid delivery systems from previous research and assess the potential of fluid nutrient delivery systems and disease control strategies compared to current systems.

To assess barley grass weed seed capture by swathing and weed seed capture in chaff dumps after harvest, to determine how effective these practices can be in contributing towards an IWM program for barley grass on upper Eyre Peninsula.

To investigate the level of damage that may occur from clethodim applications and what factors might influence the degree of damage, over two seasons

To investigate the level of damage that may occur from clethodim applications and what factors might influence the degree of damage, over two seasons

To compare the performance of 3 seeding systems and 2 nutrition strategies. This is a rotation trial (funded by SAGIT) to assess the longer term effects of seeding systems and higher fertiliser input systems.

To evaluate the relative weed competitiveness of barley, bread wheat, and durum against annual ryegrass grown under different management practices including seeding rate, nutrition, variety, and row spacing.

• To investigate the effect of different nitrogen and grazing strategies on crop competition with annual ryegrass.
• To evaluate the performance of new durum varieties at different crop densities.

To identify best sowing time and fungicides strategies in new pea varieties to maximise yields and to improve recommendations from the ‘Blackspot Manager’ disease risk prediction model in different regions by incorporating data from replicated trials.

• To identify best sowing time and fungicide strategies for maximum grain yields in field peas.
• To improve the reliability of the SARDI blackspot disease prediction model and validate the blackspot predictive model ‘Blackspot Manager’ in SA by incorporating data from replicated trials.

To assess the potential of the newly released forage (PBA Hayman) and dual purpose (PBA Coogee) field pea varieties as alternatives to vetch and grain field peas.

To investigate the effect of full stubble retention compared with other stubble management methods and seeding technologies.

To evaluate the relative competitiveness of durum wheat compared to barley and bread wheat, against annual ryegrass grown under different management practices tailored to influence crop competition.

To investigate improvements for pre-emergent herbicide spray coverage in stubble retention systems.

To comment on increasing economic returns of agronomic management using precision agriculture.

To evaluate the effect of crop stubble management and seeding system on pre-emergent herbicide behaviour and crop safety.

To compare the performance of three seeding systems and two nitrogen (N) strategies.

To compare the performance of three seeding systems and two nitrogen (N) strategies.

• To compare the performance of three seeding systems and two nitrogen strategies.
• This is a rotation trial to assess the longer term effects of seeding systems and higher fertiliser input systems on soil fertility, crop growth and grain yield and quality.

To compare the performance of three seeding systems and two nitrogen strategies

To compare the performance of three seeding systems and two nitrogen nutrition strategies.

To investigate the effect of full stubble retention compared with other stubble management methods and seeding
technologies.

To investigate the effect of full stubble retention compared with other stubble management methods and seeding technologies.

To identify management decisions that impact on blackspot in field peas and to validate disease risk predictions from Blackspot Manager.

• 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 inform members about airborne imagery: the taking of photographs of the ground and crops from a direct-down position. Platforms for airborne imagery for agriculture include satellites, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”).

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 this region to select the most appropriate break crop for their farming system.

To provide information about understanding maps.

To inform readers about weed sensing: the use of a machine or instrument to detect a weed; a plant that shouldn’t be there

To evaulate the nitrogen fixing capacity of various legume species grown on Kangaroo Island.

To address a knowledge gap by evaluating dual-purpose canola varieties (both commercial cultivars and experimental lines) in the HRZ of south-east SA, comparing two times of sowing and exploring grazing management options.
 

To evaluate the potential of novel slower developing barley varieties to increase profitability in the higher rainfall zones of SA. 

To report on paddock yield and seeding depth optimisation.

To test a range of early maturing canola cultivars.

To understand the impact of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling on disease suppression.

To assess the potential of a range of multi-trait breeders’ lines for commercial development.

To verify that recommendations for maximum production in other pulse growing regions of SA are applicable under low rainfall conditions.

To understand the impact of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling on disease suppression.

To investigate the threshold temperatures to kill weed seeds, and the temperatures achieved when burning crop residues in various formats to faciliate weed seed control of problematic weeds in low rainfall cropping systems.