Tamworth Agricultural Institute NSW trials

To determine the efficacy of a range of herbicide treatments or double knock strategies on the post-emergence control of common sowthistle.

To determine the efficacy of a range of herbicide treatments or double knock strategies on the post-emergence control of flaxleaf fleabane.

To determine whether a range of systemic herbicides have the potential to control mid-tillering awnless BYG when used in combination with a following application of paraquat, in a double knock control strategy.

To determine whether a range of systemic herbicides have the potential to control mid-tillering FTR grass when used in combination with a following application of paraquat, in a double knock control strategy.

To determine whether a range of herbicides by themselves or in a tank mix with paraquat are a viable option for the control of established common sowthistle plants. 

To determine whether a range of herbicides by themselves or in a tank mix with paraquat are a viable option for the control of established flaxleaf fleabane plants. 

To determine whether combining (i.e. tank mixing) some herbicides with paraquat provided additive or synergistic post-emergence control of awnless barnyard grass (BYG) compared with standard singular herbicide treatments such as atrazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, haloxyfop or Balance.

To determine whether tank mixing some herbicides with paraquat provided additive or synergistic control of feathertop Rhodes (FTR) grass compared with standard singular treatments such as atrazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, haloxyfop or Balance. 

Toreport on decisions used by NSW grains industry advisers to determine nitrogen fertiliser management recommendations.

To determine yield losses from Ascochyta blight in current chickpea varieties and advanced breeding lines.

This experiment reports the effect of three sowing dates on the timing of anthesis, grain yield and grain quality parameters for a range of commercially available and advanced bread wheat and durum varieties.

The combination of phenology and sowing date (SD) determines the probable timing of environmental stresses (frost and heat stress) at key developmental stages, such as anthesis and during the critical post-flowering grain-fill period. The optimum flowering window is considered an agronomic compromise between avoiding excessive yield loss due to frost and ensuring that flowering occurs early enough to enable a long grain-fill period, before heat and moisture stress restrict yield potential.

Variety response to SD experiments help to determine how new varieties compare in maturity and yield with existing varieties across the sowing window at a regional level. This provides data to better inform growers about varietal response to SD options and therefore to better match variety with SD. Overtime, these experiments provide greater confidence in varietal
performance estimates and flowering behaviour.

 To determine the various causes and to address concerns around fusarium head blight (FHB) infections.

 To compare the relative impact of CRR and CR on wheat yield and determine if mixed infection exacerbates losses. 

To compare the relative impact of common root rot and crown rot on wheat yield and determine if mixed infection exacerbates losses in a second season.
 

To examine whether integrating row placement, stubble management, chickpea row spacing and a ground engaging tool would affect Fp incidence and grain yield in wheat in a chickpea–wheat sequence grown under a zero-tillage system. 

To examine the effect of seed size at sowing, at a fixed population, on grain yield and seed size distribution at harvest. 

To re-evaluate seed colour change in canola to improve harvest management decisions. 

To examine the impact of crown rot on yield and grain quality in 22 barley, six durum and 34 bread wheat entries across two sowing times at Tamworth in northern NSW in 2014. 

Crown rot, caused predominantly by the fungus Fusarium pseudograminearum (Fp), is a major constraint to winter cereal (wheat, barley and durum) production in the northern grains region. Yield loss is related to the expression of whiteheads which are induced by moisture and/or temperature stress during flowering and grain-filling. Previous NSW DPI research has demonstrated that earlier sowing can reduce the expression of crown rot by bringing grain-fill forward a week or two when temperatures are generally lower. Earlier sowing potentially also facilitates increased root growth early in the season which may result in deeper root exploration and access to soil moisture throughout the season. However, sowing time needs to be balanced against the risk of excessive early vegetative growth depleting soil moisture reserves prior to grain-fill and the risk of frost versus terminal heat stress during flowering and grain development. The impact of crown rot on yield and grain quality was examined in 22 barley, 6 durum and 34 bread wheat entries across two sowing times at Tamworth in northern NSW in 2014.

To investe options for reducing nitrous oxide emissions from dryland summer grain cropping in northern NSW. 

To report on the nitrous oxide (N2O) emission results from the 2014–15 grain sorghum trials, which aimed to optimise both nitrogen (N) rate and fertiliser N release to benefit crop production and reduce N2O emissions.

To report the biomass, grain production, and gross margin results from sorghum grown in 2014−15 on plots where nitrogen (N) fertiliser was applied in 2013−14 and no additional N was applied to the current crop. 

To report on trials conducted in 2012–13 using 15N applied at three N rates (40, 120 and 200 kg N/ha) were reported previously, but those results are repeated here for comparison with more recent trial results.

To compare the effect of delayed harvest on pod splitting, grain weathering and yield for a range of commercial chickpea varieties. 

 To compare the incidence of seed markings (tiger stripe/blotch) for a range of commercial chickpea varieties and advanced breeding lines sown on two sowing dates on the central western and north-western slopes of NSW.