To assess strategies for reducing pre harvest losses in lentil

To assess fungicide strategies for BGM control

To develop sustainable management guidelines for Beans

To assess (1) yield loss from disease infection in faba bean, (2) economics of disease control strategies, (3) disease infection risk under different crop canopies

To assess (1) yield loss and grain quality from disease infection in lentil, (2) economics of disease control strategies, (3) disease infection risk under different crop canopies

To measure the affect of deep ripping on the Water Use and WUE of Chickpea

To measure the affect of deep ripping on the Water Use and WUE of Lentil

To assess strategies for reducing pre harvest losses in lentil

Improve targeted and sustainable use of fungicide for disease management in faba beans

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

Native budworm actively feeding on cereals has not been an issue for growers or industry in the past, and considering the recent detections, growers and western region industry networks have voiced that they would like support on this issue, especially regarding sampling techniques and spray thresholds. To achieve this, we investigated this new behavioural trend and the population numbers required to cause economic yield losses to determine if and when management is required in non-traditional cereal hosts.

Through pheromone-based moth trapping, crop inspections, glasshouse trials and a field cage trial, we investigated the behaviour of H. punctigera moths and larvae on, and potential economic damage to, wheat in the northern grainbelt of Western Australia. 

Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (especially crown canker blackleg, upper canopy blackleg and sclerotinia stem rot) and grain yield in HyTTec Trifecta (Resistant, Blackleg Group ABD) and 45Y28 RR (Moderately Resistant, Blackleg Group BC).

To determine optimum foliar fungicide management for hyper-yielding spring canola. Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (upper canopy blackleg and sclerotinia), grain yield and profitability.

Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (primarily blackleg and sclerotinia), grain yield and profitability in 45Y28 RR (moderately resistant, blackleg group BC) and HyTTec Trifecta (Resistant, blackleg group ABD).

To determine optimum fungicide management for hyper yielding winter canola.

To determine optimum fungicide management for hyper-yielding winter canola.

Demonstrate the effectiveness of different fungicide timing options on chocolate spot management and evaluate a new spray decision support tool.
This trial was a collaboration of the Crop Protection and Grain Science groups within DPIRD.

To assess yield loss and grain quality from disease infection in early sown lentil.

To assess the impact of fungicide management strategies with and without upfront fungicide options based on seed treatments and in-furrow fungicide application

To assess the impact of fungicide management strategies with and without “upfront at seeding” fungicide options

To assess the relative importance of fungicide input for DBA Aurora and DBA Vittaroi under overhead irrigation

To assess the relative importance of fungicide input for disease management in DBA Aurora and DBA Vittaroi under overhead irrigation

To evaluate the influence of top work cultivation (speed till) on chickpea stubbles vs. direct drilling prior to a durum wheat (effect on yield and profitability).

To evaluate the influence of top work cultivation in faba bean stubble (using a speed till cultivator) on following crop durum yield and profitability.

To assess the impact of grazing and plant growth regulation on durum wheat sown in mid and late May.

To assess the impact of grazing and plant growth regulation on durum wheat sown in late May.

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) rate on durum wheat on Surface irrigation.

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) rate on wheat under Overhead irrigation.

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) rate on durum wheat on Surface irrigation.

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) timing on durum wheat on surface irrigation

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) timing on wheat on overhead irrigation

To assess the impact of nitrogen (N) timing with three levels of N on durum wheat grown on surface irrigation.

Assess the performance of durum grown at different plant populations under overhead irrigation

Assess the performance of durum grown at different plant populations under overhead irrigation

Assess the performance of durum grown at different plant populations under surface irrigation

To determine optimum foliar fungicide management for hyper-yielding canola.

Individual objectives specific to the trial are:
1. Determine the value of contrasting major gene blackleg resistance groups in HYC environments:
a. BC (45Y28 RR and 45Y93 CL) – largely ineffective major gene resistance (good minor gene resistance).
b. ABD (HyTTec Trifecta) – currently effective major gene resistance.

2. Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (upper canopy blackleg and sclerotinia), grain yield and profitability.

To determine optimum foliar fungicide management for hyper-yielding canola.

Individual objectives specific to the trial are:

Determine the value of contrasting major gene blackleg resistance groups in HYC
environments:
a. BC (45Y28 RR and 45Y93 CL) – largely ineffective major gene resistance (good minor
gene resistance).
b. ABD (HyTTec Trifecta) – currently effective major gene resistance.

Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (upper canopy
blackleg and sclerotinia), grain yield and profitability.

To determine optimum foliar fungicide management for hyper-yielding canola.

Individual objectives specific to the trial are:

Determine the value of contrasting major gene blackleg resistance groups in HYC environments:
a. BC (45Y93 CL) – largely ineffective major gene resistance (good minor gene resistance).
b. ABD (HyTTec Trifecta) – currently effective major gene resistance.

Determine the effect of fungicide management strategies on disease control (upper canopy
blackleg and sclerotinia), grain yield and profitability.

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 10 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.

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. 

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.  

This project conducted a preliminary investigation to determine whether an objective remote sensing method could be a feasible alternative to hand sampling, and to guide further research.

To evaluate double knock timing and options for button grass control

To evaluate double knock timing and options for button grass control

Part 1: Medic cultivars were grown in soil with high boron levels in a glasshouse, leaf damage symptoms recorded and cultivars allocated to different tolerance groups (Howie 2012). 

Part 2: The above identified that all spineless burr medic cultivars are susceptible to high boron levels. Screening wild accessions (supplied by the Australian Pasture Genebank) identified a burr medic accession with boron tolerance and vigorous growth. The boron tolerant accession was crossed with current spineless burr medic cultivars Scimitar and Cavalier. F2 plants with high early vigour were selected and a molecular marker used to identify homozygous boron tolerant plants. A single seed descent breeding method using speed breeding was used to obtain uniform lines. Lines were seed increased at Waite in 2018 and lines with the highest agronomic performance selected for 2019 field evaluation trials. A cohort of 16 boron tolerant lines along with their  parents and barrel medic cultivars that differ in boron tolerance, were sown at Roseworthy and Minnipa. The trials were managed as best practice first year annual medics to maximise dry matter and seed production. Best practice consists of a high sowing rate (10 kg/ha), controlling broadleaf and grass weeds, monitoring and controlling insects and no grazing. Dry matter production was  assessed and pods collected. Seed yield will be determined by April 2020.

In southern Australian mixed farming systems, there are many opportunities for pasture improvement. The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project aims to boost profit and reduce risk in medium and low rainfall areas by developing pasture legumes that benefit animal and crop production systems. A component of the DLPS project aims to quantify the impacts of different pasture
legume species on livestock production and health. Included are widely grown legumes (strand medics and vetch) and legumes
with reasonable prospects of commercialisation (trigonella).
A five-year grazing system trial was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC) in 2018. It is the main livestock field site
for the DLPS program in southern Australia.

Legume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, and improve fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation. Despite these benefits pasture renovation rates remain low and there is opportunity to improve the quality of the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. A diverse range of pasture legume cultivars are currently available to growers and new material is being developed. Some of these legumes, such as the annual medics, are well adapted to alkaline soils and have high levels of hard seed, which allow them to self-regenerate from soil seed reserves after cropping (ley farming system). Other legume cultivars and species are available and being developed that offer improved seed harvestability, are claimed to be better suited to establishment when dry sown and/or provide better nutrition for livestock. Regional evaluation is needed to determine if they are productive and able to persist in drier areas (<400 mm annual rainfall) and on Mallee soil types common to the mixed farming zone of southern Australia.

The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems project will both develop and evaluate a range of pasture legumes together with innovative establishment techniques, measure their downstream benefits to animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms.

This trial was established in 2018 to assess a diverse range of annual pasture legumes in order to determine whether there are more productive and persistent options for the drier areas (< 400 mm) of the mixed farming zone of southern Australia. In 2019 the trial was allowed to regenerate to determine which legumes regenerated and how their performance differed from the establishment year.

The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems project will both develop and evaluate a range of pasture legumes together with innovative establishment techniques, measure their downstream benefits to animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms.

There are reports of low grain protein levels in wheat following medic pastures and many observations of poor medic nodulation. Previous work has shown that rhizobial inoculation can improve the nodulation of medics in the SA and Victorian Mallee, and that more generally about 50% of the populations of medic rhizobia in soils are suboptimal in their nitrogen (N) fixation
capacity. This trial aimed to:
• Determine if inoculation can improve medic nodulation at Minnipa,
• Quantify the amount of N fixed by different legumes, and
• Assess impacts on the following wheat crop.

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.