Wagga Wagga ACT trials

To investigate establishment, crop phenology, days to flowering, flowering duration, and grain yield responses of commercially available pulse and legume varieties.

This work estimates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from grain production systems for different regions of NSW. Data used for analysis was based on DPI gross margins and validated at grower forums in Wagga Wagga and Harden in the southern region. 

The aims of these experiments were to determine:

• the potential effect of natural enemies on insect pests

• any long-term effects from insecticide seed treatments on natural enemies

• any differences in natural enemies and pest distribution.
 

This app was developed for weather-based irrigation scheduling using a crop coefficient (Kc) estimated from satellite observations and reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated from scientific information for landowners (SILO) grids (Jeffery et al. 2001).

 The aim of these experiments is to examine how tillage intensity influences allocation and stabilisation (storage) of newly assimilated C in canola crop-soil and wheat crop-soil systems at Wagga Wagga and Condobolin.
 

To determine the optimum sowing date to reduce effects from abiotic stresses and increase grain yield in chickpea. These experiments also aimed to identify phenological drivers of crop development in chickpea and determine which varieties are best adapted to the target environments. 

This paper reports the findings of field experiments conducted at Wagga Wagga and Leeton (southern NSW), and Condobolin (central
western NSW) in 2020, where the phenology and biomass accumulation and yield responses of diverse chickpea varieties were evaluated across three sowing dates from late April to early June (Wagga Wagga and Leeton) and two sowing dates, early May and early June (Condobolin, Figure 1), under dryland conditions, with additional irrigated treatments at Wagga Wagga and Leeton.

The aim of this study was to determine what effect the start of flowering had on Sclerotinia development. Two canola experiments using a range of varieties with different flowering times were conducted in southern NSW.

 To investigate whether competitiveness can be increased in chickpea and faba bean to reduce sowthistle biomass and seed production, and how this affects crop yield.
 

The aim of the experiment was to examine the effect of crown rot on yield in 12 bread wheats, one durum wheat and five barley varieties of differing tolerance levels in southern NSW (sNSW).

This project conducted a preliminary investigation to determine whether an objective remote sensing method could be a feasible alternative to hand sampling, and to guide further research.

The aim of this experiment was to understand canola variety heat stress responses and their capacity to adapt to warmer future climates.

The aim of this experiment was to test a novel method of imposing heat stress in the field and determine the effect of heat stress on canola grain yield and its interaction with water availability

T evaluate the influence of seeding density and nitrogen (N) applied at sowing on plant establishment, phenology, grain yield and quality of four commercial milling oat varieties.
 

To assess the effect of early, mid and late sowing times on the phenology, grain yeild and grain protein of several newer wheat varieties grown in southern NSW.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of three different foliar fungicides in managing sclerotinia stem rot in canola.

Faba bean phenology and yield responses to sowing date and water treatment – Wagga Wagga 2021

To compare growth, development and yield of current commercial faba bean varieties and advanced breeding lines sown on three dates on a red brown–earth at Wagga Wagga in southern NSW.

To compare the growth, development and yield of current commercial faba bean varieties and promising advanced breeding lines at three sowing dates on a hard-setting, acidic, red brown soil at Wagga Wagga.

To compare growth, development and yield of current commercial faba bean varieties and advancing breeding lines at three times of sowing (TOS) at Wagga Wagga.

The Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia project (BFDC) aims to provide the fertiliser industry, agency staff, agribusiness advisors and growers with the knowledge and resources to improve nutrient recommendations for optimising crop production.

To identify frost damage in canola and assess symptoms and risk

 An international research collaboration with CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico) has developed new wheat germplasm carrying Karnal bunt resistance genes. These will be made available 
to Australian breeders for variety development. As a prerequisite, this study was carried out to determine what penalties could affect yield or its components due to incorporating Karnal bunt resistance. 

This experiment evaluated the two new imidazolinone (IMI) herbicide-tolerant lentil varieties PBA Herald XT and PBA Hurricane XT alongside other commercial varieties and breeding lines for adaptation and production in southern NSW

Improving canola harvest management decisions with remote sensing

In this experiment, we compare three methods of N supply to wheat:
1. surface spread in front of the seeder (early May)
2. mid-row banding at sowing (early May)
3. surface spread at stem elongation (late July).

The difference method was used to evaluated the efficiency of each. 

To explore whether the nitrogen (N) benefits to subsequent cereals from the break crops, and savings from weed control, could offset the loss of income from break crops in the longer term. 

To investigate the influence of sowing date on the phenology and grain yield responses of a core set of 36 wheat genotypes.
 

To determine the optimum sowing date for lentil to reduce effects from abiotic stresses and increase grain yield. These experiments also aimed to identify phenological drivers of crop development in lentil and determine which varieties are best adapted to the target environments.

This paper reports the findings of field experiments conducted at Wagga Wagga and Leeton (both southern NSW), and Condobolin (central western NSW) in 2020, where lentil variety yield responses were evaluated across three sowing dates from late April to early June (Wagga Wagga, Figure 1, and Leeton) and two sowing dates, early May and early June (Condobolin), under dryland conditions, with an additional irrigated treatment at Wagga Wagga.

To establish agronomic guidelines for lentil time of sowing (TOS) and seeding rate for current commercial lentil varieties and advanced breeding lines at Wagga Wagga. 

As growers push for maximum grain yield, lodging is becoming a significant factor in rice production, increasing the time and cost of harvest and often resulting in significant yield loss andreduced grain quality.
Several factors influence lodging susceptibility including seasonal weather, variety, sowing method, nitrogen rate and timing, plant density, water depth, time of draining and wind or rain as the crop nears maturity. Some of these factors can be managed, thus providing the opportunity to reduce crop lodging potential.

Lupin phenology and yield responses to sowing date and water treatment

To compare growth, development and yield of current commercial lupin varieties and promising advanced breeding lines sown on three dates on a red–brown earth at Wagga Wagga in southern NSW. This information will be used to confirm and update current agronomic
recommendations for lupin in this region.

This experiment aimed to evaluate agronomic management options that enhance the yield potential on this specific soil type.

This project explored the extent to which various crop and pasture management options effected changes in SOC, from sub-tropical to temperate environments. 

Under the new NVT Pathology Services Agreement 2019–23, the total number of diseases and crop species being screened in NSW has increased. Eight different crop types, both cereal and broadleaf, are annually screened for a total of 17 different diseases across three climatically and agronomically diverse sites within NSW (NSW DPI research stations based at Grafton, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga).

This experiment compared different rhizobia inoculant formulations on nodulation, growth and yield of field pea, lupin, faba bean, lentil and chickpea under varying rain-fed and soil moisture conditions on an acidic, red-brown earth at Wagga Wagga in the south-eastern cropping zone of southern NSW

The objectives were to:

1. reduce nitrous oxide emissions from dryland grains cropping.

2. improve nitrogen use efficiency.

3. validate and develop process-based biogeochemistry models.

4. simulate net greenhouse gas emission under current and projected future climate scenarios. 

This experiment examined the phenology of 31 commercial varieties and newly released lines sown on two sowing dates at Wagga Wagga, NSW in 2019.

An experiment at Wagga Wagga in 2020 examined the phenology of 34 commercial and newly released varieties sown on two dates.

This experiment is beginning to characterise the reaction of Australian barley varieties at the seedling stage to scald isolates collected from southern NSW. It complements the adult plant screening process. 

This paper provides preliminary data on the observed relative resistance of Australian wheat varieties to grain shattering in the field at Wagga Wagga and Leeton.

The aim of these projects was to monitor and detect strong resistance to phosphine in the five major stored grain beetle pests, as well as record all details that might have led to any development of resistance, in order to control these outbreaks, develop a phosphine resistance management strategy and,consequently, prolong the life of this fumigant.

Resistance to phosphine in stored grain insects from farm storages in south-eastern Australia: 2021

In this series of experiments, we have quantified the extent of yield loss displayed in a number of commonly grown winter cereal varieties in southern New South Wales across four years.
 

To assess how rhizosheath formation can improve wheat crop survival in a false break

1. To ascertain the presence of any pH threshold below which the tolerance of the species declined

2. To study the response of several faba bean cvv to a range of pH to determine whether there were any genetic differences in tolerance to low pH.
 

Seed viability of feathertop Rhodes grass (Chloris virgata Sw.) affected by sheep rumen digestion

To tests the ability of the EM38 to predict soil water in rainfed agricultural systems in southern NSW.