West Midlands Group trials

To evaluate the performance of annual crops when pasture cropped over different perennial species.  

To investigate and demonstrate means to ensure effective control of wild radish in Roundup Ready canola grown on non-wetting sand.

To assess the whole farm implementation of water repellence management strategies.

To characterise the residual value of different P sources and changes in soil fertility (SOC, CEC, pH, nutrient supply, non-wetting, compaction) after 30 plus years, using soil measurements and bioassay cropping.

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 investigate the response of wheat to polymer-coated urea.

To investigate the response of wheat to different rates of applied P and N.

Evaluate yield and quality response of long season wheat and barley to sowing time.

To test whether we can increase radiation use efficiency and yield in wheat by changing architecture (floppy vs. erect leaves).

To determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses is affected by sowing speed

To evaluate which combination of an early bromoxynil based herbicide and follow up post-emergent herbicide will provide the best weed control and Return on investment (ROI) in a system approach to wild radish control in cereals.

Demonstrate variable rate technology on farm and how it can be applied to manage fertiliser use and to minimise nutrient enrichment or depletion that leads to poor soil health.

To demonstrate the use of soil mapping and soil moisture sensors as data sources for variable rate irrigation and fertigation decisions, with the ultimate aim of reducing pumping and fertiliser costs, improving potato yields and quality and reducing the risk of nutrient enrichment of waterways and wetlands.

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

To determine the effectiveness of urease inhibitor products.

• Serradella is a useful pasture species on the sandy soils of the West Midlands. But it has two major weaknesses: weed control (particularly radish and capeweed) and a lack of early biomass production. By sowing serradella with a Clearfield Barley variety (Scope or Spartacus) and using Clearfield (Imidazolinone) herbicides both of these weaknesses can be overcome.
• The aim of this demonstration was to highlight the pro’s and con’s of using Clearfield Barley as a cover crop when sowing serradella pastures.

To determine how lime, nutrients or other amendments are distributed through the soil after applicaiton with different mixing methods.

To ascertain the crop safety of pre-emergent (IBS) herbicides when used with differing seeding systems and sowing speeds.

To independently compare a range of agricultural foliar products on wheat at Badgingarra in a replicated trial.

To demonstrate and evaluate nitrogen-rich strips (N Gauges) and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measurement as to provide a simple, accurate and easy-to-understand decision support tool to guide economic application of nitrogen during the growing season.

To determine responses to Super Phos, Potash and Lime in a pasture wheat rotation over 5 years.

• To evaluate the effectiveness of establishing annual legumes into established perennial grass-based pastures by 'summer' sowing of hard-seeded serradella pod.
• To test the effectiveness of drilling pod versus broadcasting of pod.

To evaluate the effectiveness of establishing annual legumes into established perennial grass-based pastures by 'summer' sowing of hard-seeded serradella pod.

To evaluate effectiveness of ‘summer sowing’ hard-seeded serradella pod into established perennial grass pastures.

To compare two methods for the establishment of pasture legumes (i) summer sowing where dormant hard-seed is drill sown into the paddock after the crop is harvested; and (ii) traditional sowing where scarified seed is drill sown after the break of the season and knockdown weed control.

To compare two methods for the establishment of pasture legumes (i) summer sowing where dormant hard-seed is drill sown into the paddock after the crop is harvested; and (ii) traditional sowing where scarified seed is drill sown after the break of the season and knockdown weed control.

• To evaluate the performance of annual crop and pasture species sown into subtropical grasses.
• To compare summer and winter sowing options to introduce serradella into subtropical perennial pastures.

To evaluate the performance of perennial grass and crops (Barley in 2013) when pasture cropped over different perennial species established on deep pale sands.

To assess the second year impact of mouldboard ploughing on wetting up of water repellent soil and on lupin establishment and yield.

To look at the following soil amelioration treatments on water repellent pale sand:

• no amendment (nil);
• 3t/ha limesand; and
• 150 t/ha clay rich (31% clay) subsoil spread with a multi-spreader

To examine the pasture productivity and economic response to the application and incorporation of low rates of clay to pale deep sandplain over three years.

To examine the pasture productivity and economic response to the application and incorporation of low rates of clay to pale deep sandplain over three years.

To assess the use of banded slow release nitrogen in comparison to banded urea and best practice farmer practice.

To determine whether adjustments need to be made to a range of decision support systems (DSSs) to quantitatively account for the effect of gravel on inputs such as fertilisers, lime, pesticides and herbicides.

To determine how serradella performs when introduced to a sub tropical pasture stand.

To look at Serenade Prime as product to increase marketable potatoes and uniformity in tuber size through two applications during the growing season.

• To compare the weed control and yield of Sakura with commercial standards.
• To demonstrate efficacy & crop safety of Sakura when sown with grower’s machinery.

• To demonstrate the influence of rainfall on Sakura uptake.
• To highlight the influence of a drying top soil when weeds have already germinated prior to application of Sakura.
• To influence of rainfall to carry herbicide to soil active zone.
• To make a comparison between root (Sakura) and shoot uptake herbicides (trifluralin, Boxer Gold®, Avadex® Xtra) efficacy including residual control over time.

To demonstrate Sakura’s commercial fit for efficacy on barley grass and yield compared to the grower’s standard treatment in wheat.

To assess the impact of full inversion mouldboard ploughing and partial inversion rotary spading on soil repellance, crop growth and grain yield using large scale on-farm trials.

To demonstrate that, in the right season, ripping affects nitrogen uptake efficiency and availability to crops.

This trial was designed to test whether wheat growing on soil with low K levels will benefit from K application enabling it to make full use of applied N during the crop growth cycle. High yield potential crops in the area have shown decreased rigidity in foliage and tillers, with low Cu status suspected. Uptake of Cu can be influenced by rapid growth and N uptake. Application of Cu before rapid plant expansion was also to be tested.

To determine the residual value of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) applied in 2011.

• To identify impact of amelioration on maintaining productivity of adapted varieties in a district.
• To compare effect of amelioration on soil pH.

To demonstrate the crop safety and efficacy of Prosaro 420SC applied by grower machinery for the control of Blackleg in Canola.

To demonstrate Scope barley and the performance of Clearfield herbicides on brome grass in a non-wetting scenario, and to investigate the benefit of soil wetter and pre-emergence herbicides in improving this performance.

This trial examines potassium (K) rates as muriate of potash (MOP) products applied by a number of methods and the effects on growth and yield of Mace wheat.

To compare potassium (K) strategies over 3 years.

To assess the value of muriate and sulphate sources of potassium on growth and yield of wheat when applied by banding and topdressing at seeding time or topdressing after emergence.