trials

Varied. Please see article. 

To explore issues of footrot in sheep and goats on Kangaroo Island. 

The KI Feral Pig Eradication project was funded to take advantage of this one silver lining of the fires. The program is a collaboration between PIRSA, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board and KI National Parks and Wildlife Service working together with the KI community, including AgKI, Livestock SA, KI Plantation Timbers and KI Council.

heep Blow Fly (SBF) causes significant economic losses for Australian livestock producers. South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) researchers are developing the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for Sheep Blow Fly.

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.

A recent N LP2 investment, Adapting cropping systems to changing climatic conditions to reduce inputs and maximise water use through improving crop competitiveness, is a demonstration and extension project which started in late 2019. An initial grower survey of current management practices and attitudes towards barley grass was undertaken in March 2020 to be used as the baseline to assess changes in grower attitudes and changes in practices at the completion of the project. 

The project aims to unlock value in existing data to drive innovation in agronomy and livestock management by bringing together data from a range of sources including satellite, soil moisture probe networks, weather stations, proximal sensing and yield models. By working with farmers and advisors to link data with decision making, the project aims to make more informed and significantly improved land management decisions. 

The objective of this survey is to understand if HWSC systems influence in mice populations in paddocks.

Properties with mice activity around sheds or houses were targeted.

To determine environmental triggers and time of day vegetable beetles and slaters are active.

Why do the trial? 
Barley grass possesses several biological traits that make it difficult for growers to manage in the low rainfall zone, so it is not surprising that it is becoming more prevalent in field crops in SA. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 1 0 weeds of Australian cropping in terms of the area infested, crop yield loss, and revenue loss. In this survey, barley grass was ranked as the 7th most costly weed to control by the growers in SA and VIC Mallee and Mid-North, Lower Yorke and Eyre Peninsula. In a previous random survey in SA in 2012, Shergill et al. (2015) identified resistance to quizalofop in 15% of barley grass populations from Upper North and Eyre Peninsula. Additional herbicide-resistant populations have been identified since the previous survey. Growers in these regions have observed many control failures and have been collaborating with this GRDC-funded project to confirm the resistance status of their barley grass populations. 

Barley grass continues to be a major grass weed in cereal cropping regions on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP). The use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology to identify and assess barley grass populations in paddocks and monitor potential resistant populations may be a useful tool for farmers. This approach was tested in three paddocks on upper EP Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC), Minnipa Hill and Yaninee using a UAV during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 growing seasons at three different timings, with paddock transects conducted to verify grass weed density in paddocks. In 2019 grass weed escape paddocks were targeted at MAC and Condada in the final flights.

The aim of the research was to determine if the UAV imagery could monitor the grass weed populations across seasons in crops and pastures, if resistant weed patches were continually in the same area of the paddock and if the information could be useful for farmers to adopt this method to better target grass weed control.

A guide to weather and climate on Kangaroo Island

Barley grass is now one of the top 10 weeds of Australian cropping in terms of area infested, crop yield loss and revenue loss (Llewellyn et al. 2016). Barley grass has several biological traits that make it difficult for growers to manage it in the low rainfall zone, so it is not surprising that it is becoming more prevalent in field crops in SA and WA.

Through recent GRDC investment, the research project ‘Demonstrating and validating the implementation of integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in the low rainfall zone farming systems’ (hereby referred to as GRDC Low Rainfall Barley Grass) has commenced. An initial grower survey of current practice and attitudes towards barley grass was undertaken in 2019 to be used as the baseline to assess changes in grower attitudes and any change in practices after the completion of the three-year project.

Barley grass weed density was monitored in three paddocks on upper EP (Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC), Heddle’s at Minnipa and Wilkins’ at Yaninee using an UAV during the 2017 (EPFS Summary 2017, p 83) and 2018 growing seasons at three different timings, with paddock transects conducted to verify grass weed density in paddocks.

This project aimed to assess the accuracy and precision of SBAS and PPP technologies across different farming tasks on farming properties using a range of GNSS positioning systems. In addition, this project conducted an economic survey of mixed farming enterprises throughout WA to collect data on the impact, benefits, and potential uptake of SBAS technology in small-medium mixed farming enterprises.

To investigate swathing early then harvesting for weed seed collection to evaluate usefulness for farmers in providing another tool for integrated weed management, especially for barley grass that matures and sheds seed before crops ripen.

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

The objectives of this study were to assess the current level of infestations of Button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) both in dryland and irrigated cotton farming systems and also to investigate the germination biology for future phenology/biology studies of this species.

Barley grass weed density was monitored in three paddocks on upper EP (Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC), Heddle's at Minnipa and Wilkins' at Yaninee) using a UAV during the 2017 growing season at three different timings, with paddock transects conducted to verify grass weed density in paddocks.

To share Tim Buck's story about using technology to make better farming decisions.

To report on the Paxton's efforts to “to keep the soil pH above 5, we know if we don’t, we start losing production”. 

To gain insights from some of the top performing farm businesses in the zone about their management, agronomy practices and the triggers for key decision-making.

This project aims to evaluate if there is any difference in deriving management zones from soil or production spatial information and in what situations each of these layers may be useful to help maximise grower investment in PA technologies.

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

To work out what are the most important factors affecting bait efficacy on small pointed snails.

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

To (i) establish a network of 100 engaged women from farm businesses across all port zones; (ii) increase confidence and capacity of women involved in farm businesses; (iii) increase engagement of women in local and industry organisations; (iv) increase sharing of farm business management responsibilities across various partners; (v) increase awareness and understanding of farm business succession, governance, farm advisory boards, technology, the impact of social media, office management systems, farm employment obligations and options, structures and strategies for overcoming the unexpected; (vi) improve communication and team management skills; (vii) aid better understanding of how significant agriculture is globally and the opportunities that brings Australian farm businesses; (vii) improve relationships and understanding between farmers and their consultants, accountants and bankers.

The project aims to educate farmers across the region, and the wider agricultural community on how working with the environment will provide long term economic and social benefits.

To assess the efficacy of two nitrification inhibitors, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole (DMP) and nitrapyrin, when applied directly into the anhydrous ammonia stream during pre-plant nitrogen (N) application for commercial irrigated cotton production.

To report on a survey of the “Red Leaf Clover Syndrome”.

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

To evaluate if there is any difference in deriving management zones from soil or production spatial information and in what situations each of these layers may be useful to help maximise grower investment in PA technologies.

To determin if harvest weed seed practices can be adopted to reduce soil week seed banks in high yielding HRZ areas of the southern region to address herbicide resistance issue.

To explore the assumptions used in our regular N2O emissions sampling. These campaigns examined:

1. the variation in N2O emissions in relation to chamber closure time.
2. the variation in N2O emissions over a full 24-hour period 
3. the variation in N2O across a two metre cross section of hills and furrows within a cotton crop.

To explore systems to control the air–water interface to reduce evaporation from water storages.

The Transitioning Family Farming Businesses project proposed to facilitate a discussion in the WA grains industry regarding its future industry development requirements around the establishment of farm advisory boards. It did this through the delivery of:

• Needs analysis of the Australian grains industry regarding the development of farm advisory boards using leading farmers and key industry stakeholders in;

o a series of in-depth interviews, and

o an industry forum.

• Develop an outline of a training programme that, once developed, will support grain businesses in their implementation of an advisory board of management.

• Develop fact sheets regarding the establishment of farm advisory boards.

• Provide an opportunity for members of the project team to participate with other leading businesses at a national level through;

o Participation in the National Farm Advisory Board Forum, and

o Participation in the Family Business Australia “Family Business Directors

• Delivery of information on the establishment of farm boards at identified industry conferences and field days.

To investigate the use of Gamma Radiometrics in SA. 

This project is being carried out across the South East Region to assess the role that Precision Agriculture (PA) can play in the region, what the most effective PA techniques are, and the role of PA in soil carbon management.

To ascertain the major differences in soil types in the region, and provide more accurate and timely information on a broad, generic scale that would have better relevance for growers in the region.

To reinvigorate the livestock component of the EP farming system.

• The Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC) has been funded by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to run a research and extension program (Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems 3 – Responsive Farming Systems) to improve water use efficiency on farms by 10% on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP). This is seen as one of the main ways to improve profit and manage risk for farm businesses.

To disucss how farmers get lucky.

• To compare the various tools for determining paddock zones.
• To determine whether thse zones neededt o be managed differently.

To discuss options for improving profits and managing risk: two keys to the future.

To provide information regardin the most important selection criteria (grain yield, disease resistance, maturity, standing ability, shattering and seed type/quality) for a number of lentil varieties.

To test the accuracy of ryegrass mapping using satellite imagery.

To evaluate variable rate technology using low, standard and high seed and fertiliser inputs on 3 soils zoned as of poor, medium and good production potential from a pre-2008 yield monitor, EM38 and elevation maps.

To increase the awareness of grain marketing tools available to grain growers and to demonstrate how they can be utilised.