Caring for our Country trials

To compare four locally grown wheat varieties at district practice and high seeding rates to assess their influence on reducing the impact of ryegrass in the whole farming system.

To investigate the impact of glyphosate as a crop-topping operation and the follow-on effects on grain yield and quality

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

To demonstrate the effect of seeder type and operation on the efficacy and safety of pre-emergent herbicides in barley.

To evaluate the interaction between seeding systems and pre-emergence herbicides on the establishment of wheat, on two contrasting soil types.

To determine:

• Which dual purpose varieties respond to Gippsland’s climatic conditions?
• Which new varieties may have commercialization potential?
• Which varieties are best suited to forage and feed grain production?
   

To compare the yields of crops in southern Mallee farming systems in 2009.

To assess the yield and grain quality effect of grazing on currently grown commercial cereal varieties via paddock scale demonstrations in the Rainbow district.

To use the increased concentration of fertiliser granules in low SBU systems to measure any advantage of fertiliser uptake

To test the viability of establishing lucerne pastures in areas where they have not been traditionally grown.

To investigate methods for successfully establishing crops in a single pass to reduce erosion potential and improve productivity.

To investigate nitrogen response at Minnipa in 2009.

To investigate options for no-till sowing in stony soils.

• Test the “triple pack pasture program™”, against the usual pasture establishment system of one year’s weed control and sowing of a perennial pasture.
• Assess the result by comparing the two systems with approximately one fifth of the paddock sown in a conventional way and the rest of the paddock established with the “triple pack pasture program™”.
• Try to ascertain whether the claimed benefits of the “triple pack pasture program™”, outweigh the extra costs of a three year establishment system.

To identify alternative grazing systems that are both sustainable and profitable in low-medium rainfall zones where cropping is no longer viable due to high risks and changing climatic conditions.

To investigate a spader machine for lime incorporation.

To test the concept of spreading sand on transient salinity “magnesia” patches to see if could be equally effective in improving the performance of heavy soils.

To trial supplementing sheep grazing medics with La Trobe pellets to accelerate growth.

To ascertain the crop safety of pre-emergent (IBS) herbicides when used with differing seeding systems and sowing speeds.

To deal with the issue of sustainable agriculture.

To compare the production of different winter pastures and their recovery from grazing.

Demonstrate best practice phalaris establishment and management at the PPS/EverGraze site at Mooneys Gap which should provide information to producers to give them confidence to increase phalaris use.

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

To identify better perennial species than what is already available in low rainfall areas.

To evaluate a range of forage shrubs in the Victorian Mallee environment in terms of plant survival, canopy development, health, edible biomass, seedling recruitment and performance under grazing.

To assess whether the effects of grazing canola with sheep during the growing season: factors being assessed are yield and quality, dry matter production and grazing value.

This Demonstration forms part of the Grain & Graze II project looking at the relative merits of grazing canola and cereal crops. This demonstration looks to assess whether the effects of grazing wheat with sheep during the growing season. Factors being assessed are Yield & quality, dry matter production and grazing value.

To evaluate the suitability of different wheat and barley cultivars for both grazing and grain production, when sown as part of a the normal cropping program in low rainfall zones of western Victoria.

To provide further understanding of what is driving responses to modification of sandy subsoils and how soil modification techniques can be improved.

To develop a regionally viable farming system which incroporates the establishment of native perennial pastures, cropping into native pasture adn rotational grazing of the pasture and stubble.

• To investigate the effect of different types of inoculant on nodulation and yield in field peas grown in KI conditions.

To examine the pasture productivity and economic response to the application and incorporation of low rates of clay to pale deep sandplain over three years.

To determine the impact of grazing on soil condition and weed populations.  This report is on findings after two years of grazing. 

• To evaluate the fit of commonly used and non commercial (dual purpose) canola varieties in Southern Victoria under a range of sowing dates.
• To quantify the yield response of canola to a range of grazing conditions.
• To develop grazing principles for canola in the high rainfall zone.
   

To report on the use of crop sensors as an aid for nitrogen decisions.

• To look at some agronomic solutions to waterlogging.

• To determine which wheat varieties perform best under local conditions. The trial included a number of bread wheats, but also some noodle and biscuit wheats.

To use whole farm soil mapping to rationalize the farm fertilizer programme.

To improve our understanding of what is driving these responses and how soil modification techniques can be improved on sandy profiles.

To assess the growth and yield of barley and wheat growing in a range of different established perennial pasture species.

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

• To investigate the potential to incorporate a mixture of perennial species into farming systems in low-rainfall areas across southern Australia.

• To examine the potential for both grain and forage cereal crops to supply feed for grazing enterprises.
• To determine the effects of grazing on grain yield and quality to help build informed decisions about when to graze crops to ensure maximum profit

To assess whether the effects of grazing wheat with sheep during the growing season. Factors being assessed are yield and quality, dry matter production and grazing value.

To assess whether the effects of grazing wheat with sheep during the growing season. Factors being assessed are yield and quality, dry matter production and grazing value.

• To compare the impact of four different management strategies on production, profitability and sustainability at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre.

To determine the effect of grazing on grain yield of Naparoo wheat

To find a way to improve the productivity and sustainability of the Darkan river flats.

To assess the usefulness of using historical yield data to predict future yields and adjust fertiliser rates according to production zones.

To evaluate whether farmers can make use of the out-of-season rainfall.