To provide growers and advisers with a better understanding of the benefits of deep ripping and in particular depth of deep ripping required to optimise crop yield and profit.

To provide growers and advisers with a better understanding of the benefits of deep ripping and in particular depth of deep ripping required to optimise crop yield and profit.

Why do the trial? 
Barley grass possesses several biological traits that make it difficult for growers to manage it in the low rainfall zone, so it is not surprising that it is becoming more prevalent in field crops in SA and WA. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 1 O weeds of Australian cropping in terms of area infested, crop yield loss and revenue loss. 
The biological traits that make barley grass difficult for growers to manage in low rainfall zones include: 

- early onset of seed production, which reduces effectiveness of crop-topping or spray-topping in pastures,
shedding seeds well before crop harvest, reducing harvest weed seed control effectiveness compared to weeds such as ryegrass which has a much higher seed retention,•    increased seed dormancy, reducing weed control from knockdown herbicides due to delayed emergence, and
•    increasing herbicide resistance, especially to Group A herbicides, used to control grass weeds in pasture phase and legume crops. 

Barley grass management is likely to be more challenging in the low rainfall zone because the growing seasons tend to be more variable in terms of rainfall, which can affect the performance of the pre-emergence herbicides. Furthermore, many growers in these areas tend to have lower budgets for management tactics, and break crops are generally perceived as more risky than cereals. Therefore, wheat and barley tend to be the dominant crops in the low rainfall zone. This project is undertaking coordinated research with farming systems groups across the Southern and Western cropping regions to demonstrate tactics that can be reliably used to improve the management of barley grass. 

Over the past three decades there has been a shift from integrated crop-livestock production to intensive cropping in dry areas, which has significantly reduced the resilience of farms in low to medium rainfall areas. Intensive cropping is prone to herbicide resistant weeds, large nitrogen fertiliser requirements, and major financial shocks due to frost, drought or low grain prices. 
A pilot project with MLA and AWi in WA and southern NSW has demonstrated how novel pasture legumes such as serradella, biserrula and bladder clover can improve livestock production while reducing nitrogen requirements, weeds and diseases for following crops. The extent to which these new legumes establish, grow and persist on South Australia's alkaline sandy soils requires clarification. 
The demonstration sites are primarily an extension tool, unlike research trials requiring detailed data collection. The purpose of these sites is to gather information on regional legume performance, including benefits to the crops that follow. 

This article will report on findings from two pasture trials conducted on the lower Eyre Peninsula in the 2019-2021 growing seasons. The trials are part of the demonstration component of the Dryland Pasture Legume Systems (DLPS) project developed with the former LEADA committee/AIR EP Medium Rainfall RD&E committee to answer several questions about how pasture performance could be improved in the region. 
Demonstration 1: What is the best pasture species/ mix of species to plant in paddocks with differing soil types? 
Background 
Paddocks across the region often have soil types that vary, ie. changing from heavier flats to sandier rises, with pH varying from below 6 to above 8. Getting pasture species established and maintaining good production levels across this landscape is often challenging. 

To look at grinding our local limesands to see if it made them more effective.

To look at the effectiveness of grinding our local limesands and comparing the changes in soil pH against unground lime.

• To demonstrate and refine the technique to suit the many mixed farmers on Kangaroo Island.

To assess the impact of deep ripping on barley and canola yield on sand over gravel and deep sand soil types in the South Stirling area of WA.

To assess the impact of deep ripping on wheat yield in a sand over gravel soil type near Northam, WA.

To determine the impact of delaying harvest on yield and grain quality and to create management packages for varieties, as a guide for farmers.

To compare the yield and grain quality of barley varieties when harvest is delayed.

To compare the performance of new and current barley varieties at two different harvest times and to determine if delaying harvest compromises yield and grain quality.

To investigate the effect of water quality on glyphosate efficacy when used in a spring-spraying knockdown scenario.

To compare three direct drill seeders for wheat crop establishment; crop yield; and incorporation efficiency of group D herbicides.

To compare a number of different varieties  which could be used for making hay.

To investigate some practical options for direct drilling wheat into wheat stubbles in the Mallee.

To determine whether desiccation of lentils helps with harvestability.

To establish a fungicide strategy to control spot form of net bllotch in Gairdner barley.

To discuss a project involved in developing lentisl for profitability in Australia.

To identify narbon bean varieties suited to the Mallee and Wimmera.

To test a new AgrEvo product on fieldpeas and lentisl for Ascochyta control activity.

To report on the development of a new grain legume for south eastern Australia: narbon bean (Vicia narbonesis).

To dicusss developments in herbicide resistance and new products.

To report on the results of recent herbicide resistance ryegrass surveys.

To identify the yield penalty associated with direct heading oilseeds as compared with windrowing, and whether Desikote Max and Reglone negate any losses.

To compare the performance of disc and knife-point seeding at two different sowing times (early and late)

To compare two new field pea varieties (Parafield and Kaspa) to Dundale.

To discuss disease issues with pulse-on-pulse cropping.

To provide a disease management 2005 summary.

• To assess the biodiversity values of stock water points in the Wimmera Mallee Channel/Dam region and the Northern Mallee Pipeline region.
• To determine whether biodiversity and the environmental values of open water can be maintained in a farming landscape through the use of purpose-built water points for wildlife.
• To develop guidelines for farmers and industry on the use of water points for best management of wildlife within a piped water delivery system.

To sample fauna distribution, abundance and habitat use at the different water access points.

To quanitfy the role of livestock in the financial performance of Wimmera and Malle farming systems.

To discuss the costs of fertilisers.

To observe whether additions of a zinc based liquid fertiliser to a herbicide reduces the crop effect often seen when using broadleaf and grass herbicides in cereals.

To investigate whether fertiliser granule size influences nutrient availability to plants.

To investigate whether fertiliser granule size influences nutrient availability to plants.

To investigate whether fertiliser granule size influences nutrient availability to plants.

To determine whether UAN as a carrier, rather than just water, increases the efficacy of grass selective herbicides on ryegrass control.

To present ideas around drought being a catalyst for change.

To discuss the integration of livestock into the cropping program.

To discuss notes on Durum wheat production.

To conduct a Durum wheat agronomy demonstration,

To trial a number of Durum wheat varieties in a demonstration.

To answer the question 'Does stubble height matter?'

To report on trial results comparing the performance of Wollaroi and Janz in the Forbes district in 1999.

To achieve:
• target yields
• target water use efficiencies
• DR1 quality grade.

To provide an overview and improve understanding of the range of tillage implements available to growers to incorporate lime, their respective costs and benefits and to assess novel options.

To measure the effect of deep ripping on depth to free water (waterlogging) and the associated yield response of canola (2018) and wheat (2019) after deep ripping on this soil type.

To determine how long the ripping effect lasts for in a controlled traffic farming (CTF) system and when to repeat the deep ripping on deep sands