trials

We plan to demonstrate a range both peat and granular inoculant options for chickpeas, placement of these products with seed vs. with fertiliser, and the interactions of these products with seed applied fungicide.

To promote early vigour to improve biomass and yield partitioning in chickpea.

To promote early vigour to improve biomass and yield partitioning in faba bean.

To promote early vigour to improve biomass and yield partitioning in lentil

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

• To assess the impact of rhizobial inoculation on the growth, nitrogen fixation and grain yield of faba beans and lupins in a paddoci with no recent history of growing legumes.
• To determine whether there was any subsequent effect of the inoculation treatment on soil mineral nitrogen and grain yield by the following wheat crop.

To compare the performance of liquid, freeze dried and granule inoculants on chickpea production.

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona® Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

To evaluate the response of mungbeans to N, P & S.

• To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
• To control Crown Rot was also conducted across the same 12 sites in the northern region. 

• To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
•  To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona® Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

To determine the maximum attainable grain yield for a given location and year, and to quantify the contributions.

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

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

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.

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties. 
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

To assess the impact of nitrogen nutrition on chickpea yield.

To examine the impact of crown rot on yield and grain quality in a range of durum, bread wheat and barley varieties across two sowing times near Tulloona in north-western NSW in 2015. 

To assess the impact of nitrogen nutrition on chickpea yield.

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona® Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

1. To examine the effect of Crown Rot on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona Dimension as a standalone option to control Crown Rot.

To evaluate the relative resistance of each variety to Pratylenchus thornei under field conditions. 

To assess the impact of nitrogen nutrition on chickpea yield.

To assess the impact of nitrogen nutrition on chickpea yield.

To assess the impact of nitrogen nutrition on chickpea yield.

To better understand and quantify potential production losses incurred from foliar, crown and root diseases by developing response curves.

To examine the effect of CR on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties. 

To evaluate the relative resistance of each variety to Pt under field conditions. 

1. To examine the effect of CR on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties. 
2. To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona® Dimension as a standalone option to control CR.

To evaluate a range of varieties and advanced PBA breeding lines.

Phytophthora medicaginis, the cause of phytophthora root rot (PRR) of chickpea is endemic and widespread in southern QLD and northern NSW, where it carries over from season to season on infected chickpea volunteers, lucerne, native medics and as resistant structures (oospores) in the soil.  Although registered for use on chickpeas, metalaxyl seed treatment is expensive, does not provide season-long protection and is not recommended.  There are no in-crop control measures for PRR and reducing losses from the disease are based on avoiding risky paddocks and choosing the right variety.

Detailed information on control of PRR in chickpea is available at:

http://www.pulseaus.com.au/growing-pulses/bmp/chickpea/phytophthora-root-rot

Current commercial varieties differ in their resistance to P. medicaginis (Pm), with Yorker and PBA HatTrick having the best resistance and are rated MR (historically Yorker has been slightly better than PBA HatTrick), while Jimbour is MS - MR, Flipper and Kyabra are MS and PBA Boundary has the lowest resistance (S).

From 2007 to 2015 PRR yield loss trials at the DAF Qld Hermitage research Facility, Warwick QLD have evaluated a range of varieties and advanced PBA breeding lines. 

To predict the risk of PRR disease and potential yield losses in chickpea, and detect P. med inoculum in soil from commercial paddocks. 

• To examine the effect of CR on the yield of two barley, one durum and 13 bread wheat varieties.
• To evaluate the efficacy of Rancona® Dimension as a standalone option to control CR was also conducted across the same 12 sites in the northern region. 

To evaluate agronomic strategies to overcome constrained soils where lentil is grown in high intensity production zones of the Yorke Peninsula.

To investigate the effect of the seed treatment Hombre on reducing barley yellow drawf virus in different wheat varieties.

To investigate the effect of the seed treatment Hombre® on reducing barley yellow dwarf virus in different wheat varieties

To demonstrate and quantify the benefits of differing inoculants in both dry and wet sown faba beans and lentil

To investigate the potential of inoculation technologies to improve the nitrogen fixation and/or production of field pea

To determine the variation in the build-up of Rhizoctonia solani AG8 inoculum between cereal crops wheat, barley, triticale and cereal rye and varieties in a cropping system.

To evaluate effectiveness of commercially available inoculant products to increase nodulation in chickpea. 

To evaluate effectiveness of commercially available inoculant products to increase nodulation in field pea. 

To assess a range of commercial rhizobia inoculant products, application strategies and sowing times to provide growers with recommendations that ensures adequate nodulation and nitrogen fixation in dry sown crops.

Legume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, and improve soil fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation. Despite these benefits, pasture renovation rates remain low and there are opportunities to improve the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. There are also reports of poor protein levels in wheat following medic pastures and many reports of poor medic nodulation. Previous work has shown that substantial responses to inoculation are possible in the Victorian Mallee, which is possibly linked to the poor N fixation capacity of some populations of soil rhizobia. The extent to which inoculation can still improve medic nodulation on Eyre Peninsula requires clarification.

The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project aims to develop recently discovered pasture legumes together with innovative management techniques that benefit animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms in the low and medium rainfall areas of WA, SA, Vic and southern NSW.  One objective within this work program is to increase the amount of fixed N provided by the pasture.

This is a component of a new five year Rural Research and Development for Profit funded project supported by GRDC, MLA and AWI; and involving Murdoch University, CSIRO, SARDI, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Charles Sturt University and grower groups.

There are reports of low grain protein levels in wheat following medic pastures and many observations of poor medic nodulation. Previous work has shown that rhizobial inoculation can improve the nodulation of medics in the SA and Victorian Mallee, and that more generally about 50% of the populations of medic rhizobia in soils are suboptimal in their nitrogen (N) fixation
capacity. This trial aimed to:
• Determine if inoculation can improve medic nodulation at Minnipa,
• Quantify the amount of N fixed by different legumes, and
• Assess impacts on the following wheat crop.

To look at current techniques used by farmers, or recommended by consultants, to improve medic pastures and determine the most effective method to optimise N₂-fixation. Biomass, nodulation and N₂-fixation differences between management practices, including inoculation treatments on both sown and regenerating medic stands were measured. The trial also investigated if grazing medic pastures in the break phase of the rotation benefits or impedes nodulation and subsequent N₂-fixation.

To promote early vigour to improve biomass and yield partitioning in vetch.

To investigate the impact of grazing, soil nutrition and rhizobial inoculants on dry matter production, nodulation and N₂-fixation of a regenerating medic pasture under field conditions.

To evaluate a range of herbicides for their efficacy of brome grass control in lentils

To observe growth and yield response in field peas to the use of seed inoculants.

To evaluate the application of various inoculant to lentils for yield response