To demonstrate the effectiveness of current and new chemistries for controlling ryegrass in wheat.

Ryegrass management is one of the key drivers of profitability in Lower Eyre Peninsula (LEP) cropping systems, and herbicides have recently been used as the main strategy for control. The intensification of cropping rotations and a decrease in livestock in farming systems has increased pressure on herbicides, resulting in the development of herbicide resistance. Other management strategies need to be assessed to manage ryegrass. The Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (ARHI) based at University of Western Australia developed the Ryegrass Integrated Management (RIM) model. This model enables growers and advisors to run various ryegrass management scenarios, with the model showing the cumulative effect on ryegrass numbers and profitability of the management strategies. This model can be accessed at ahri.uwa.edu.au/research/rim.

The GRDC ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ project has a focus on barley grass (Upper EP) and ryegrass (LEP). The research on this project has been undertaken by SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre staff. As part of this research a LEP farm was selected to monitor in-paddock ryegrass populations and weed management strategies. This research aims to ground-truth the effect (predicted by the RIM model) that various ryegrass management strategies have on ryegrass populations on a LEP farm with high ryegrass numbers and extend this information to EP growers and advisors to assist them in improving ryegrass management decisions using the RIM model.

To test the accuracy of ryegrass mapping using satellite imagery.

To measure if the period of residual ryegrass control can be extended using PSPE treatments.

To assess the new herbicide Sakura on Annual Ryegrass control/suppression in wheat

To examine rygrass control in barley using pre-emergent herbicides. 

To evaluate methods of Rutherglen bug management following canola harvest.

The objective of the trial was to test varieties for their resistance to rust along with their yield qualities against locally grown varieties.

Russian Wheat Aphid (RWA) was first reported in 2016 in South Australia (SA), and has since been detected widely throughout Victoria, and in New South Wales (NSW) as far north as Coonamble and as far east as Tamworth.  It has not been detected in Queensland or Western Australia.

As part of the GRDC investment “Russian Wheat Aphid Risk Assessment and Regional Thresholds”, field trials were run at Minnipa for the second year through the Minnipa Agricultural Centre team. The purpose of these trials was to look into the level of natural infestation of cereal crops, and the effect of high RWA populations (obtained through artificial inoculation) on aphid and symptom dynamics and yield loss. This trial was one of a suite of trials undertaken in SA, Victoria, Tasmania, and NSW over 2018 and 2019, and contributes to a larger dataset.

The aim of the trial reported here was to determine the risk of RWA infestation in cereal crops in the Minnipa area in 2019 and observe the effect of high aphid numbers achieved through artificial inoculation on crop development and yield.

To investigate regional risk and management tactics for RWA.

To report on the Rural Finance wheat challenge for 2008.

To summarise the results from this three-year cycle of the Rural Finance Crop Challenge competition.

The aim of the competition is to see which team produces the highest gross margin crop (not necessarily the highest yielding crop) against a background of uncertain input and grain prices and unknown growing season rainfall.

To report on the Barley Challenge at Dunkeld.

To conduct an on-farm wheat demonstration.

To demonstrate the effects of lentil rolling at five different timings: with rolling post sowing/pre-emergence as the control.

To conduct a chickpea variety demonstration.

To conduct an on-farm barley demonstration.

To conduct an on-farm barley demonstration.

To investigate row spacing and sowing rates on crop yield and quality.

• To maximise production advantages of new kabuli and desi chickpea varieties through the
  identification of optimum row spacings.

• To investigate the adaptability of a range of faba bean varieties to varying row spacing.

• To investigate the effects of row spacing and plant populations across a range of advanced varieties on yields of chickpea at Yenda in south western NSW.

• To investigate the impact of row spacing and stubble management on a range of lupin varieties.

To identify the optimum plant populations for the grain maize Pioneer Hybrid 1756 at 500 and 750mm row spacing for grain yield.

• To investigate the effects of row spacing and effect row across a range of advanced varieties on yields of Faba bean at Yenda in south western NSW.

• To investigate if optimum chocolate spot management strategies change in different row spacing’s and standing and burnt residue across a range of faba bean varieties.

• To investigate if optimum disease management strategies change in different row spacings in
  standing and burnt residue across a range of chickpea varieties, differing in ascochyta blight
  susceptibility.

• To investigate if optimum chocolate spot management strategies change in different row spacings and standing and burnt residue across a range of faba bean varieties

This demonstrations was conducted for three significant reasons.

• 1. Assess the potential yield losses when increasing the seed row width for the benefits of subsequent inter-row (no-till) cropping;
• 2. Determine if nitrogen application efficiency can be increased in wider row spacing scenarios by applying product either up front or in crop;
• 3. Assess the varietal response to row spacing width to determine yield in response to nitrogen timing and row widths.

• To assess the potential yield losses when increasing the seed row width for the benefits of subsequent inter-row (no-till) cropping;
• To determine if nitrogen application efficiency can be increased in wider row spacing by applying product in a linear manner.

To investigate the impact of crop row spacing on fallow efficiency.

• To investigate the optimum row spacing for range of faba bean varieties and the interaction withg sowing rate for one variety..

To investigate the impact of row direction and row spacing on grass weed competition and ceral performance over three years.

Controlling barley grass in upper EP farming systems is becoming a major issue for growers, due to the development of herbicide resistance and delayed weed emergence. Management options other than herbicides need to be considered to address the issue for long-term sustainability. One of the best bets for cultural control of barley grass in-crop may be increased crop competition. The Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (ARHI) based at University of Western Australia has shown an increase in grain yield with wheat and barley sown in an east–west (E-W) orientation over crops sown in a north-south (N-S) orientation due to a decrease in ryegrass competition. This effect is due to lower light interception by the weed due to the crop row orientation resulting in a decrease in weed seed (Borger, 2015).

A trial was established at Minnipa Agricultural Centre to investigate the impact of row direction and row spacing on weed competition and cereal performance over twoyears. The previous season’s research is reported in Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2015, Row orientation and weed competition, p163.

To investigate the impact of row direction and row spacing on grass weed competition and cereal performance over three years.

To investigate the effects of row direction, row spacing and stubble cover on grain yield and quality. 

To investigate the effects of row direction, row spacing and stubble cover on grain yield and quality.

To investigate the effects of row direction, row spacing and stubble cover on grain yield and quality.

To compare digestion methods for plant analysis.

To compare four different GM canola varieties in a farmer sized trial and monitor these plots throughout the growing season with the potential to compare yield at harvest.

To make farmers more aware of herbicide drift and the management practices which reduce the potential for drift to occur.

To compare fallow and termination timing treatments of legumes on biomass and grain production (2014), and their impact on sowing-time, soil nitrogen and water, and subsequent yield and quality of cereal sown the following season (2015).

To explore constraints to wheat yield potential in the northern sandplain region.

To demonstrate establishment, management and viability of legume phase options in cropping rotations with appropriate agronomic management packages.

To demonstrate establishment, management and viability of legume phase options in cropping rotations with appropriate agronomic management packages.

To demonstrate establishment, management and viability of legume phase options in cropping rotations with appropriate agronomic management packages.

To demonstrate establishment, management and viability of legume phase options in cropping rotations with appropriate agronomic management packages.

To demonstrate establishment, management and viability of legume phase options in cropping rotations with appropriate agronomic management packages.

• To assess the impact of rotary spading non-wetting sandplain soil on soil properties and on crop growth and productivity.
• To assess the use of strip trial techniques for on-farm assessment of agronomic management options using Precision Agriculture tools.