2019 trials

The trial has 6 treatments with 4 replications and compares various BioAg products and rates against an annual application of single super.

The BioAg fertiliser trial was established in 2019. The trial has 6 treatments with 4 replications and compares various BioAg products and rates against an annual application of single super.

To evaluate the phenology and grain yield responses of various albus lupin, faba bean, vetch, lentil and chickpea varieties. 

To evaluate alternative second knock options for grass weeds

To evaluate alternative second knock options for grass weeds

1. To investigate the effects of dry sowing on the nodulation and nitrogen fixation of chickpea in a low rainfall environment.

2. To investigate the residual effects on the growth of a subsequent wheat crop.

Failure to control annual weed species that persist through cropping phases facilitates replenishment/establishment of weed seedbanks. Consequently, this maintains weed interference in subsequent years of crop production. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) has been widely adopted in Australia since its inception over three decades ago to prevent redistribution of weed seeds across cropping fields during commercial harvesting operations (Walsh et al. 2017). Implementation of HWSC obstructs fresh seedbank inputs by subjecting the weed seed bearing chaff fraction to a treatment, such as combustion (narrow windrow burning), mechanical pulverisation (impact mills), decomposition (chaff-lining) and removal (chaff cart). Chaff-lining has been readily adopted by growers because of the low cost of modifying a harvester to confine the chaff fraction into a narrow row between stubble, or onto dedicated wheel tracks in controlled traffic farming systems (chaff-tramlining). There is a paucity of literature examining seedbank decline of important Australian weed species in chaff-lines, however a common conjecture is that a mulching effect is created by a combination of physical and chemical influences (Walsh et al. 2018). Field observations suggest that in the absence of seed decay, control failures of annual weed species and volunteer crop plants may be exacerbated. Therefore, growers urgently need information that substantiates the implications of chaff-lining to weed seedbanks.

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase the adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control.

A survey indicated that in the central-eastern wheatbelt, barley grass is mainly an issue in pasture. While barley grass also grows in crops, it is rarely the most prominent cropping weed. The KDG group aimed to investigate grass selective herbicides and late-season control in pasture, and pre-emergent herbicides in-crop, to find the best combination of practices that would control barley grass while also removing other grass weed species in a three-year rotation.

The trial aimed to investigate Group 1 herbicides and spray topping in 2019, pre-emergent herbicides and knockdowns in 2020 and Group 2 herbicides and spray topping in 2021.

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control. A survey indicated that in southwest Australia, many growers thought their barley grass was resistant to grass selective herbicides and may have developed late germination to avoid pre-seeding herbicides. In this area barley grass was a major problem in pastures, and often in break crops too.

A three year trial aimed to investigate pre-emergent herbicides and autumn tickle in wheat in 2019, pre-emergent herbicides and crop density in barley in 2020 and grass selective herbicides and crop topping in pasture in 2021.

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control. A survey indicated that in southwest Australia, many growers thought their barley grass was resistant to grass selective herbicides and may have developed late germination to avoid pre-seeding herbicides. In this area barley grass was a major problem in pastures, and often in break crops too.

A three year trial aimed to investigate pre-emergent herbicides and autumn tickle in wheat in 2019, pre-emergent herbicides and crop density in barley in 2020 and grass selective herbicides and crop topping in pasture in 2021.

Barley grass is one of the major weeds in the southern region. Many southern growers think their barley grass is resistant to grass selective herbicides and may have developed late germination to avoid pre-seeding herbicides. In this area, barley grass is a major problem in pastures, and often in break crops as well.

The trial aims to investigate pre-emergent herbicides in wheat in 2019, crop density and post-emergent herbicides in barley in 2020, and pre-emergent herbicides and grass selective herbicides in vetch in 2021.

This research aims to determine in which situations extra fertilisation can bring benefits to growers in 14 different Eyre Peninsula (EP) environments.

Every season, growers need to make choices over limited resources in order to optimise their profitability. Soil type and water represent two of the key limiting resources which define the grain yield potential of a paddock. The unpredictability of growing season rainfall patterns restricts in-season fertiliser applications for EP growers, due to the associated high economic risks. As a risk management strategy, growers often apply lower rates of nutrients than required to achieve the water limiting yield potential (Sadras and Roget 2004, Monjardino et al. 2013). Therefore, less than optimum nutrient rates are applied in many instances, and maximum grain yield gains are not reached on occasions where opportunities have existed. Understanding soil water and nutrient dynamics can be useful to determine when in-season extra fertiliser applications are worth the investment in EP dryland farming systems.

This study used a subset of the Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation (EPARF) soil moisture probe network locations to benchmark the water limited yield potential and determine the achievable grain yield of cereals crops across major soil types of EP.

The aim of this project is to investigate the use of biosolids to overcome subsoil constraints in the high and low rainfall zones in Victorian grain growing regions: in brief,

• investigate whether subsoil physicochemical constraints that limit root growth and reduce water and nutrient-use efficiency can be overcome by using subsoil amelioration with pelletised T1C2 grade biosolids 
• determine whether subsoil amelioration with biosolids will have any adverse effects on plant availability of heavy metals
• investigate whether microbial populations will be impacted from the application of biosolids into the subsoils
• determine whether biosolids as a subsoil ameliorant can have  any impacts on grain quality

Farming systems in the low rainfall zone of southern Australia are dominated by cereal production. There is increasing concern about grass weed and soil-borne disease pressure, diminishing soil fertility (particularly nitrogen), and water use efficiency, as a result of continuously cropping cereals. Break crops have a key role to play in addressing these issues, as well as diversifying crop production and economic risk, and maintaining long-term sustainability of the system. However, there remains a lack of information available to growers about choosing the break crop best suited to their situation, as break crop development to date has largely occurred in medium and high rainfall zones. The aim of this research is to identify the best break crop options for different climate, soil type and biotic stress situations within major cropping regions of the southern low rainfall zone.

To evaluate the effects of break crop species on the yield of subsequent wheat crop.

To evaluate the effects of break crop species on the yield of subsequent wheat crop.

To evaluate the suitability of different pulse species as break crops for different climatic, soil and biotic stress conditions.

Soil testing for N, P, K and S is a key strategy for monitoring soil fertility of cropping soils as well as for refining fertiliser application strategies for future crops. For this to be successful, the relationship between the soil test and likely response to applied nutrients needs to be well calibrated. Many of these calibrations were developed from fertiliser trials conducted over 20 years ago and have provided robust guidelines on many soil types, but mostly for cereals. Since these trials were conducted cropping systems have changed significantly and altered the face of soil fertility in the Australian grains industry. A detailed re-examination of those existing guidelines is needed to ensure they are still relevant in current farming systems.

As part of the GRDC funded MPCN2 (More Profit from Crop Nutrition) program, a review of data in the Better Fertilizer Decisions for Cropping (BFDC) database showed gaps exist for key crops, soils and regions. Most of these gaps relate to crops that are (i) new to cropping regions or are a low proportion of cropped area, i.e. break crops, (ii) emerging nutrient constraints that had previously been adequate in specific soil types and (iii) issues associated with changing nutrient profile distribution. This project (UQ00082) is closing gaps in the BFDC database using replicated trials. Trials have been established on sites selected for nutrient responses and run over multiple years to develop soil test-crop response relationships. By using wheat as a benchmark alongside a break crop, we should be able to extend the relevance of the guidelines beyond the conditions at the trial site.

To enable growers to evaluate a selected number of varieties under specific local conditions. 

To enable growers to evaluate a selected number of varieties under specific local conditions. 

Barley grass continues to be a major grass weed in cereal cropping regions on the upper Eyre Peninsula (EP). Swathing a cereal crop involves cutting and collecting the cereal crop and weeds into windrows at 20 to 40% grain moisture and allowing it to dry. Having the weed seeds cut and in the windrow before the seed heads shatter and before tillers fall over (lodging), may allow greater weed seed collection when using a chaff cart or windrows. Swathing early then harvesting for weed seed collection needs further evaluation as it may provide farmers with another tool for integrated weed management, especially for barley grass that matures and sheds seed before crops ripen.

Cereal disease management and diagnostics: What we learned in 2021 to improve management in 2022

On the upper Eyre Peninsula (UEP), highly calcareous soils constitute a high proportion (more than 1 million hectares) of soils used for agricultural production (Bertrand et al. 2000, Bertrand et al. 2003). The website ‘Yield Gap Australia’ (http://yieldgapaustralia.com.au/maps/) identifies that the average grain yield on Western Eyre Peninsula (WEP) and UEP is between 41 and 45% of the water limited yield potential (1.5 t/ha for WEP and 1.8 t/ha for UEP). Closing the grain yield gap for wheat on UEP presents a challenge to growers, particularly on highly calcareous soils where nutrient deficiencies are common (Holloway et al. 2001). The production of insoluble minerals through the interaction of soil calcium carbonate with soluble nutrients such as phosphorous and trace elements (Holloway et al. 2001), combined with low soil moisture conditions prevents these nutrients from being readily available to the plant (Lombi et al. 2004). Holloway et al. (1999-2003) demonstrated the possibility of providing phosphorus (P) to the plant in an available form by applying fluid P fertilisers instead of granular fertilisers at seeding.

The majority of landholders in Australia, including the western and upper Eyre Peninsula currently use granular fertilisers which require good soil moisture conditions to enable uptake of nutrients by crops. Growers and advisors have noted that highly calcareous top soils dry out quickly after rainfall events, which may contribute to poor water use and nutrient extraction efficiency, and may also be a reason why diseases such as Rhizoctonia solani have greater impact in these soils. In addition, as a risk management strategy, growers often apply lower rates of nutrients than required to achieve the water limiting yield potential (Sadras and Roget 2004, Monjardino et al. 2013). A better understanding of soil moisture, root disease and factors which influence nutrient availability and the efficacy of fertilisers are needed to increase the water limited yield potential of the highly calcareous soils (McLaughlin et al. 2013).

Field trials were conducted in 2019 to investigate these factors on the nutrition of wheat on highly calcareous soils.

To evaluate the impacts of the soil amelioration practices of deep ripping and organic matter inputs on the growth and production of lupin, lentil and chickpea grown on deep sandy soils in the Mallee.

To evaluate the impact of desiccant application timing on yield, grain quality and economics.

To evaluate the impact of desiccation timing on chickpea yield and grain quality.

To evaluate the impact of desiccant application timing on yield, grain quality and economics.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of newly registered fungicides on ascochyta in chickpeas.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of newly registered fungicides on ascochyta in chickpeas.

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. 

To evaluate the effects of fungicide strategies and inoculants on the nodulation, root disease score and grain yield.

To evaluate the effects of fungicide strategies on the nodulation, root disease score and grain yield.

To evaluate chickpea varieties and breeding lines against ascochyta blight and their response to foliar fungicide application.

To evaluate chickpea varieties and breeding lines against ascochyta blight and their response to foliar fungicide application.

To identify economically viable fungicide strategy to mitigate yield loss due to Ascochyta rabiei in varieties and advanced lines of chickpea.

To investigate the adaptability of a range of chickpea varieties and breeding lines to acidic soils of the Dookie region.

To evaluate mixed species cropping on harvestability and input costs, which include weed and disease management, and, harvest desiccation. This work investigates the mixed species crop combinations most grown in Canada.

To understand the yield limitation in pulse crops grown in high intensity production zones of the Mid North.

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

To investigate the response of chickpea to microbial inoculation and application of macro and micro-nutrients

Chickpea, Sowing Time, MRZ Wimmera (Horsham), Victoria Chickpea, Sowing Time, LRZ Mallee (Ouyen), Victoria.

To investigate adaptability chickpea, faba bean, field pea, lupin, vetch and lentil varieties and breeding lines to spring sowing. Specifically, in chickpea there was a focus on new early flowering breeding lines with improved cold tolerance during the pod set phase.

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase the adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control.

A survey indicated that growers in the southern lakes region of Western Australia often had pasture as the main rotation choice after cereal. In contrast to other areas of the wheat belt, some growers in this region considered barley grass a valuable (early) feed in pasture as well as a weed in crops. However, growers found that barley grass could have a large impact on crop yield. Growers were interested in either controlling barley grass or suppressing barley grass in crops while allowing it to survive in pasture.

Most group members felt their barley grass was resistant to herbicides (especially low-level resistance to Group A, Targa^®). However, growers were unwilling to stop using Targa^®, even if efficiency was reduced against barley grass, as it effectively controlled other grass weeds. Growers wanted to pair Targa^® with other products in the pasture to kill barley grass, and then control surviving barley grass in crop with best practice pre-seeding herbicides.

The trial aimed to investigate pasture barley grass control in 2019, pre-emergent herbicides in barley in 2020 and oats in 2021.

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control.

A survey indicated that in growers in the northern wheatbelt felt that barley grass was most likely to be a major problem in pasture, and a common response is use of Group A herbicide to remove grass in pasture. However, given how easy it is to develop Group A resistance, the group wanted to investigate other chemical and non-chemical options in pasture, as well as the impact of late seeding and pre-emergent herbicide for barley grass control in crop.

This three year trial aimed to investigate slashing and spray topping in pasture in 2019, and then time of sowing and pre-emergent herbicides in wheat in 2020 and canola in 2021.

This project aimed to explore different management strategies to overcome copper deficiency in cereals. The project compared the effectiveness of copper sulfate and copper chelate applied either as liquids banded at seeding or as a foliar spray. The project also evaluated the effect of different timings of application of the foliar sprays and their efficiency.
This project aimed to benefit local and South Australian farmers by establishing an independent best practice management guide for copper applications for the future.

This experiment aimed to improve the infiltration and water holding capacity of red–brown earth irrigated by furrow.

To measure the effect of deep ripping on depth to free water (waterlogging) and the associated yield response of canola (2018) and wheat (2019) after deep ripping on this soil type.

To determine how long the ripping effect lasts for in a controlled traffic farming (CTF) system and when to repeat the deep ripping on deep sands

Barley grass possesses 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. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 10 weeds of Australian cropping in terms of area infested, crop yield loss and revenue loss.

The biological traits that make barley grass difficult for growers to manage in low rainfall zones include:

• early onset of seed production, which reduces effectiveness of crop-topping or spray-topping in pastures,
• shedding seeds well before crop harvest, reducing harvest weed seed control effectiveness compared to weeds such as ryegrass which has a much higher seed retention,
• increased seed dormancy, reducing weed control from knockdown herbicides due to delayed emergence, and
• increasing herbicide resistance, especially to Group A herbicides, used to control grass weeds in pasture phase and legume crops.

Barley grass management is likely to be more challenging in the low rainfall zone because the growing seasons tend to be more variable in terms of rainfall, which can affect the performance of the pre-emergence herbicides. Furthermore, many growers in these areas tend to have lower budgets for management tactics, and break crops are generally perceived as more risky than cereals. Therefore, wheat and barley tend to be the dominant crops in the low rainfall zone. This project is undertaking coordinated research with farming systems groups across the Southern and Western cropping regions to demonstrate tactics that can be reliably used to improve the management of barley grass.

Why do the trial? 
Barley grass possesses 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. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 1 O weeds of Australian cropping in terms of area infested, crop yield loss and revenue loss. 
The biological traits that make barley grass difficult for growers to manage in low rainfall zones include: 

- early onset of seed production, which reduces effectiveness of crop-topping or spray-topping in pastures,
shedding seeds well before crop harvest, reducing harvest weed seed control effectiveness compared to weeds such as ryegrass which has a much higher seed retention,•    increased seed dormancy, reducing weed control from knockdown herbicides due to delayed emergence, and
•    increasing herbicide resistance, especially to Group A herbicides, used to control grass weeds in pasture phase and legume crops. 

Barley grass management is likely to be more challenging in the low rainfall zone because the growing seasons tend to be more variable in terms of rainfall, which can affect the performance of the pre-emergence herbicides. Furthermore, many growers in these areas tend to have lower budgets for management tactics, and break crops are generally perceived as more risky than cereals. Therefore, wheat and barley tend to be the dominant crops in the low rainfall zone. This project is undertaking coordinated research with farming systems groups across the Southern and Western cropping regions to demonstrate tactics that can be reliably used to improve the management of barley grass.