A winter wheat trial was established to assess the whole-season nitrogen (N) availability against different nitrogen placement strategies when subject to waterlogging.

To determine the effectiveness of urease inhibitor products.

To determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses requires sowing into furrows.

In 2012 the UNFS attempted to validate this early work conducted by the CSIRO. Seed of a long season variety Eaglehawk was sourced. This variety is Prime Hard Quality in NSW and so would be AH in SA.The aim was to conduct a time of sowing trial using three varieties at three times of sowing:- an early maturing variety (Axe), mid season maturing (Frame) and late maturing (Eaglehawk). Ideally the three sowing times were to be 1) mid April 2) early to mid May and 3) early to mid June.

There are a range of machinery options that can provide different levels of lime incorporation such as spading. However, research to date on rotary spaders has shown soil/amendment mixing is not uniform due to the cyclical process, and the mixing quality reduces significantly at faster speed (Ucgul et al. 2019). This trial aimed to understand how the uniformity of soil-lime mixing by spading affected crop response and soil pH. 

To provide the UAV rhizo summary.

This trial aims to assist growers in making informed decisions around the construction of sub-surface drainage to reduce the impacts of waterlogging on crop production and farm profitability. By 2024, 45% of growers whose properties are affected by waterlogging will have a good understanding of the yield benefits and time to return on investment of installation of on-farm sub-surface drainage and ability to implement on-farm.

To present research information available on role of foliar fungicide mixtures with new chemistry against barley LR in a variety with known APR.

To investigate the effectiveness of clopyralid in the control of barrel medic with the new clopyralid tolerant lentil GIA Sire

To investigate the effectiveness of clopyralid in the control of fumitory with the new clopyralid tolerant lentil GIA Sire

To investigate the effectiveness of metribuzin in the control of barrel medic with the new metribuzin tolerant lentil GIA Metro

To investigate the effectiveness of metribuzin in the control of fumitory with the new metribuzin tolerant lentil GIA Metro

To investigate the effect of light penetration and canopy structure on pod-set and grain yield.

To quantify the effects of ProGibb on dry matter production of dual purpose wheat and to assess the effects on subsequent plant recovery and wheat grain yield.

To investigate the feasibility of utilising image data, collected using UAVs, to make timely management decisions relating to slug damage in emerging canola.

To provide the farmers with calcareous soils that were P retentive, with an alternative to P fertilisers which were continually becoming locked-up, as well as an economical and effective method for the application of these fertilisers 

To demonstrate the effectiveness of two types of surface applied organic amendments – compost and chicken manure. 

To increase grower and adviser understanding of: (i) tools available for better crop management decisions; (ii) soil water relationships and plant available water capacity (PAWC); and (iii) influence of seasonal conditions and PAWC on crop yield potential.

There is growing interest from growers in southern Western Australia around the opportunities that long season wheats can provide them in a mixed or 100% cropping farming enterprise. The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate to growers the agronomic and enterprise fit and associated benefits of including a long season wheat into their rotation and to encourage the adoption through the farmer scale demonstrations and economic analysis

The project will demonstrate time of sowing, best available varieties suited to the areas of the demonstration sites and season permitting, the opportunity for grazing without yield penalty. It is worth noting the 2020 season did not allow the opportunity to graze any of the demonstrations.  The project will also provide practical guidelines or agronomic packages for production of long season wheat in the medium to high rainfall zones of South Western Australia. The key outcomes of this project are:

• Demonstrate the yield potential of different long season wheat varieties relative to spring wheat varieties with an early sowing window
• Develop economic analysis comparing long season and spring wheat varieties and time of sowing regarding yield to assist producers in making informed decisions
• Begin the development of an agronomic package on growing long season wheats, time of sowing, seeding rates and fertiliser application and timing will be examined within this project.
• Develop protocols around the importance of time of sowing for long season wheat varieties that are best suited to different areas within southern Western Australia
• Where seasonal conditions allow, demonstrate the ability of sowing long season wheats to manage the feed gap in Autumn and winter through crop grazing with having minimal yield penalty

Understanding return on investment of sub-surface water management options for waterlogged areas in the Western Region.

This investment aims to assist growers in making informed decisions around construction of drainage to reduce the impacts of waterlogging on crop production and farm profitability. This will be achieved through grower participation in the planning, development, monitoring and maintenance of the drainage installation trial sites. Data (cost of implementation/ maintenance, water movement, establishment, biomass, yield etc.) from within the zone of influence of the drainage and outside this zone at each site will be collected 
over time to give growers a better understanding of the improvements in yield and time to return on investment at each site. 

To investigate whether we could show any affect on field wheat yield after just one hot day.

To improve predictability of growth responses to zinc from soil analysis.

To assess the potential to use Ultra High Pressure (UHP) liquid injection technology to apply an ultra low soil disturbance UAN sideband into cropping soils and test whether UHP injection of UAN is a viable alternative N application method for the future. 

To compare the effects varying fertiliser rates on three different soil types and to compare fertiliser rates, Nil, replacement, standard and high.

To develop a method using PA tools and VR technology, to resolve low yielding sandy rises in cropping paddocks.

• To determine if precision ag tools can improve the efficiency of soil amelioration as well as assess the effectiveness of amelioration techniques.
• To compare delving, spading and gypsum to improve sodic and bleached soils.

To understand the impact of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling on disease suppression.

To (i) improve the understanding of how soil moisture probes and Yield Prophet can be used to complement each other; (ii) increase the range of APSoil soil type selections in Yield Prophet by modifying existing soil types based on the probe data; (iii) provide growers with access to real-time soil moisture data and periodic Yield Prophet reports from soil types and cropping scenarios that are representative of their area; and (iv) cross-validate soil moisture probe data with Yield Prophet soil moisture modelling.

To provide information relating to managing sclerotinia stem rot in canola.

To understand the stages of resistance development within wild radish populations and to develop strategies from a grower’s perspective for growing weed free crops in the presence of resistant radish.

To gain an understanding of production benefits of clay incorporation and the role of organic matter in sandy soils. 

To assess the effect of retaining hybrid seed for sowing canola in the next year

To evaluate new and existing udon noodle wheat varieties.

To test future and existing Udon wheat varieties.

To conduct a wheat variety evaluation.

To conduct an evaluation of new and existing wheat varieties with AH and APW classification.

To conduct an evaluation of new and existing udon noodle wheat varieties.

To investigate how nutrient interactions influence yield response. Specifically, if:

1. Applications of P, K and/or S fertilisers influence wheat yield under varying N concentrations.
2. “Background” nutrition influences fertiliser responsiveness.
3. Yield responses are a result of absolute nutrient concentrations or ratios between essential nutrients.

To establish the fit for calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as a topdressed fertiliser in wheat in a low rainfall situation and on an N responsive site.

To determine the response of wheat to different Flexi-N strategies at two seeding rates, i.e. canopy management.

To assess the efectiveness and persistence of soil ameliorants for irrigated canola establishment.

To investigate options to increase canola profitability and reduce production risk with tactical agronomy advice underpinned by physiological insights.

To improve the water use efficiency of canola, through early sowing and correct variety selection. 

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

1. Understanding wheat variety by disease management interactions in the Gippsland sub region. 

2. To demonstrate the time of sowing of current and new varieties.

3. To assess fungicide treatments on various wheat varieties at key growth stages to evaluate fungicide performance to plan genetic disease ratings. 

This research identified the plant traits most likely to determine differences in external critical phosphorus (P) requirements (i.e. the soil extractable-P concentration required to achieve 90% of maximum yield) of pasture legume species. Understanding trait differences that affect critical P requirements of pasture legumes is important in providing confidence around field differences in external critical P requirement.

To understand wheat phenology, in particular flowering response to sowing time.

To explore the use of quality legume inoculants to get the most from nitrogen fixation.

Four years of research have been conducted to determine if rice PIN uptake can be predicted using remote sensing from drones, aircraft and satellites as part of an ongoing Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) research project. 

To determine if a soil wetter, such as SE14, improves plant establishment in years with a dry start.