The aim of this trial is to quantify the value of lime applications using different incorporation methods and compare the economic and agronomic returns of each. This trial also includes an application of a rapidly acidifying Elemental Sulphur to demonstrate how soils and crops will perform 10-years into the future if no action is taken to maintain pH levels. The trial also aims to analyse the interactions between each incorporation technique and its effects on ameliorating other crop constraints.

The objective is to give growers a greater understanding of different methods of lime incorporation and the most cost-effective practice locally and to extend on these findings with other research being conducted on varying soil types throughout the state, so that growers can make informed decisions for implementing their own liming strategy.

To assess whether imidazolinone tolerant wheat or barley provides better weed control and which gives the best economic return.

To evaluate the quality and yield of Carnamah wheat in response to a range of in-furrow fungicide applications.

This trial is conducted to investigate the value of nitrogen on the profitability of new wheat varieties in early and late sowings in fallow/wheat system at Wongan Hills

• To better understand the trade-offs between lupin yield and weed management when lupins are sown using different strategies; dry sowing vs delayed sowing.
• To investigate if shielded spraying can effectively control the large weed populations that often arise after dry sowing.

To 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 to increase the profitability of these crops will also be evaluated.

To measure the impact on crop productivity of combinations of lime and mouldboard ploughing on acidic deep yellow sand.

To evaluate the response of wheat (yield and protein) in different paddock management zones to in-season application of nitrogen fertiliser, using the Yield Prophet system as a guide.

To evaluate the response of wheat (yield and protein) in different paddock management zones to in-season application of nitrogen fertilizer, using the Yield Prophet system as a guide.

To evaluate the response of wheat (yield and protein) in different paddock management zones to in-season application of nitrogen fertiliser, using the Yield Prophet system as a guide.

To discuss alternative options to increase organic matter; improve soil properties and provide additional non-chemical control options for weed management, whilst providing a break crop effect.

The objective of the four small plot trials is to provide statistically sound data that will inform farmer and consultant decision making in years of early waterlogging, where they are considering late sown cereals as an option. The trials will be professionally implemented and managed by industry best practice standards to ensure the data is reliable. The implementation of four trial sites also ensures the data generated is locally relevant to farmers right along the South Coast of WA.  

GRDC Project Outcome:

By March 2024, All Western Region growers and advisers will have access to trial information on late winter to early spring sown cereals (wheat and barley) on the south coast of WA to assist in making educated decisions to sow at this time when waterlogging presents and cereal crops cannot be sown at the traditional time or for other reasons that may present for a later sowing opportunity such as weed issues or poor crop establishment.

To evaluate the influence of perennial row spacing and grass suppression on the performance of serradella summer sown into subtropical perennial-grass pastures.

• To reduce soil acidity at depth (i.e. 10-30cm) from banded prilled carbonate.
• To increase crop uptake of fertiliser from banded lime treatments, especially prilled humate and VAM seed dressing.
• To reduce sub-soil lime input costs by using prilled instead of liquid lime products.

This one-year investment aimed to provide growers and advisers along the South Coast of WA with greater confidence to make decisions on whether to sow a cereal crop later in the growing season (late winter, early spring) after crop failure, or inability to seed, due to early season waterlogging. It also aimed to provide some data on what varieties and nitrogen fertiliser strategies might be required for later sown crops.

To test the concept of variations in crop nitrogen dynamics in relation to soil compaction during the 2014 season.

Evaluate Lokomotive as an in season foliar potassium source for correcting potassium deficiency and compare to muriate of potash (MOP).

• To build an understanding of the current nitrogen use efficiency of four soil types in the Northern Agricultural Region of WA
• To understand how efficiently applied nitrogen is used in the soil.
• To educate growers and advisors on how to improve nitrogen use efficiency through a greater understanding of the soil water interactions and use this information to reduce production risk.

In Western Australia, break crop options are currently limited and there is a high proportion of wheat and barley grown in rotation. Cereal crops account for 60-70% of paddocks sown in any one year, with the remaining area sown to a range of crop and pasture types including canola, lupin, clover, volunteer pasture, or left as fallow. In addition, there is an interest in chickpea and lentil to add a high value legume to the crop rotation. The application of these break crops is dependent on the grain price per tonne and on the level of severity of biological constraints present that lead to a reduction in grain yield and which varies from paddock to paddock. The use of a single break crop in rotation has been shown to be an effective tool in managing both weed and diseases that affect wheat production to remove biological constraints to crop production and allow the sustained production of cereal crops. However, with a change in resistance status of many common weeds and diseases, and a change in soilborne pathogens, a single break crop applied to a cropping system that is largely based on cereals has limited effect in reducing the biological constraints, with the longevity of the break crop benefit being reduced. Recent studies into the break crop benefits for highly herbicide resistant weed populations has found that a break of at least two years was needed to prevent grass seed set and substantially reduce grass seedbank numbers. 

Considering the high percentage of cereal crops grown in Western Australia, there is the need to evaluate the use of double break crop sequences to improve wheat grain yield and profitability. In particular, the Eastern Wheatbelt region has very limited break crop options, and there is the need to investigate the better use of tools such as fallow periods to improve break crop outcomes.

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 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.

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.

To improve the adoption of liming practices in the medium to high rainfall zone of Western Australia by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of lime application and incorporation.

To improve the adoption of liming practices in the medium to high rainfall zone of Western Australia by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of lime application and incorporation.

The objective of the project is to support the introduction and scale up of commercial cultivation of Linseed in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and will support a larger initiative developed by Southern Dirt to develop a localised Linseed supply chain to take the crop from paddock to consumer on the back of renewed demand for Linseed’s omega 3 oil composition and capturing additional value for local growers.

Consistent supply with volume is imperative to develop a market that has the ability to realise the full value of Linseed produced. In order for growers to take up production it is important they have a full agronomic package available to grow the crop successfully.

Additionally, Linseed needs to generate an equivalent return per hectare of alternative rotational crops such as canola in order to expand into the rotation.

The key objectives of this project are:  

A: To determine if Linseed can be successfully grown under dryland farming conditions in the Great Southern region of Western Australia with the potential to scale up to commercial cultivation.

B: To determine if any investment is required into machinery and infrastructure by growers to grow linseed.

C: To develop basic agronomic guidelines to grow linseed in WA.

D: To assess the yield potential of two commercially available linseed varieties grown under dryland conditions in WA, Croxton and Bilney.

To annually monitor long-term focus paddocks in the Geraldton port zone for effectiveness of integrated weed management strategies in controlling herbicde resistant weeds

To evaluate specially formulated biodegradable soil wetters ability to improve crop establishment and yields in hydrophobic (non-wetting) soils.

Determine if there are economic and agronomic advantages with using soil ‘wetters’ at seeding to improve crop emergence of wheat (Arrino) in hydrophobic soils (non-wetting).

To assess the effect of different rates of CalSap® applied in-furrow on an acidic sand over gravel.

• To monitor how wild radish populations change under a range of integrated weed management (IWM) methods
• To investigate the economic advantages to spraying versus hand weeding.

To investigate rotary spading and other soil amelioration techniques on yellow sandplain soils west of Moora.

To support growers with agronomic decisions such as sowing time and variety selection to enhance industry profitability through improved wheat yields and grain quality.

To support growers with agronomic decisions such as sowing time and variety selection to enhance industry profitability through improved wheat yields and grain quality

To test the concept of variations in crop nitrogen dynamics in relation to soil compaction during the 2014 season.

To test the concept of variations in crop nitrogen dynamics in relation to soil compaction during the 2014 season.

• To determine the impacts of Biochar on crop yield.
• To determine how Biochar influences plant nitrogen uptake and soil nitrogen mineralization.
• To compare the effectiveness of different methods of applying Biochar to the soil.

• To determine the impacts of biochar on crop yield.
• To determine how biochar influences plant nitrogen uptake and soil nitrogen mineralization.
• To compare the effectiveness of different methods of applying biochar to the soil.

To determine the impacts of biochar on crop yield,2.To compare the effectiveness of different methods of applying biochar to the soil.

• To better understand the tradeoffs between lupin yield and weed management with delayed sowing. 
• To demonstrate shielded spraying in controlling large weed populations, which often arise after dry sowing.

To evaluate the pre-emergent herbicide Sakura 850WG and Boxer Gold in combination with different IWM tools (chaff cart, Harrington seed desctructor, narrow windrow burning) during harvest on a broadacre scale.

To assess comparative effect of anthracnose on yield and seed infection in a range of varieties and advanced lupin breeding lines.

To determine how mouldboard ploughing (soil inversion), rotary spading and banded wetting agent affect the availability of soil nutrients.

To assess the impact of different seeding systems on crop establishment in water repellent soil.

To determine how soil inversion and banded surfactants change the availability of soil nutrients.

To (i) ground truth through statistical analysis of small plot trials current practices of leading farmers in regards to the use of Variable Rate Technology (VRT), predictive yield modelling and nutrition modelling in improving water use efficiency and hence profitability; (ii) address the hypothesis that greater return on investment can be achieved through targeted nutrition applications according to variety, production zone, plant available water (PAW) and seasonal conditions; (iii) assist in the generation of data to extend the process of using soil moisture probe data in conjunction with Yield Prophet (YP) simulations to assist with production decisions for different soil zones (with differing PAWC), with particular focus on top-up nitrogen.

To determine the canola establishment success of four different seeding bars at three different seeding depths in the Northern WA wheatbelt using farmer scale machinery.

The aims of the PA component of the GRDC Stubble project were to:

• deliver a pilot project to understand how soil parameters, including PAW, vary across a paddock and understand
whether current PA datasets can correlate with PAW

• connect variations in soil moisture with nitrogen supply

• demonstrate the use of NDVI to inform variable rate applications of nitrogen

• determine the economic value of variable rate nitrogen application across paddocks, based on zones

To evaluate the effect of plant growth regulator (PGR) appliaction in early-sown first wheat grown under different levels of nitrogen application.

To investigate the benefits of specialty phosphorus products and liquid phosphorus
options in cereals