GRDC Podcast

Changing weather patterns mean WA growers are often attempting to sow and get crops established in a warming and dry period. Although, there is often a reasonable level of subsoil moisture from summer rains, which are more common than in the past, to help boost establishment if accessed by roots. Geraldton and Kwinana East port zone growers are particularly interested in examining the factors that could be impacting on crop emergence. Most of these involve deeper seed placement for access to subsoil moisture, although crops vary in their ability to handle deeper sowing. GRDC has invested in a case study/booklet project aiming to provide an overview of the latest research into crop establishment for these regions - as well as examples of the successful management practices/tactics being used by growers in the regions. Seeing what others are doing should help growers to make informed decisions to achieve improved crop germination and establishment in a drying soil profile, lessening the risk of crop failure and reduced returns. Further information: Dylan Hirsch Latham WA 0408 790 816 email: [email protected] GRDC project code: 9176147 Tactics to improve crop establishment in a drying soil profile for Geraldton and Kwinana East port zone growers: An Initiative of the Regional Cropping Solutions Network. Julieanne Hill RCSN Co-ordinator 0447 261 607 email: [email protected] grdc.com.au/rcsn

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After harvest can be a good time to think about your future on-farm grain storage capacity.

In this podcast Philip Burrill from Queensland’s department of Agriculture & Fisheries’ post harvest team and a member of GRDC’s national grain storage extension team discusses what to consider when planning new on-farm grain storage and provides tips about storage hygiene.

Check out Grain Storage Bunker podcast: https:///grdc/grain-storage-bunkers

Further information:

Philip Burrill

Senior Development Agronomist, Postharvest Grain Protection

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

0427 696 500

[email protected]

www.daf.qld.gov.au

Hermitage Research Facility

604 Yangan Rd., Warwick QLD. 4370

DAF Customer Service Centre 13 25 23

More info: http://storedgrain.com.au

Adding grain storage video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2PndQdkNRHEXfx7v0hPuJXJ_8y5P8jCD

Subscribe: https://grdc.com.au/subscribe

For LIVE Events go to https://grdc.com.au/events

Get the latest from GroundCover: https://grdc.com.au/groundcover PODCAST: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/grdc-podcast/id1435125424?mt=2 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/theGRDC TWITTER: https://twitter.com/theGRDC INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegrdc/

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From time to time a grain grower might be in the position of needing temporary on-farm grain storage. One options for storing grain is a Bunker or grain pad.

In this podcast Philip Burrill from Queensland’s department of Agriculture & Fisheries’ post harvest team and a member of GRDC’s national grain storage extension team discusses what to consider if planning to construct a bunker or grain storage pad.

Further information:

Philip Burrill

Senior Development Agronomist, Postharvest Grain Protection

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

0427 696 500

[email protected]

www.daf.qld.gov.au

Hermitage Research Facility

604 Yangan Rd., Warwick QLD. 4370

DAF Customer Service Centre 13 25 23

More info: http://storedgrain.com.au

Adding grain storage video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2PndQdkNRHEXfx7v0hPuJXJ_8y5P8jCD

Subscribe: https://grdc.com.au/subscribe

For LIVE Events go to https://grdc.com.au/events

Get the latest from GroundCover: https://grdc.com.au/groundcover

PODCAST: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/grdc-podcast/id1435125424?mt=2

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/theGRDC

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/theGRDC

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegrdc/

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GRDC funded research is revealing the importance of managing nutrient availability to the crop deeper in the soil profile. On this podcast, David Lester from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), joins Darling Downs farmer John Alexander to talk about the encouraging results of trials in which phosphorus and potassium were placed deep below the soil surface.

Links: https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/north/2016/08/delving-deeper-into-deep-banding http://agronomyaustraliaproceedings.org/images/sampledata/2017/176_ASA2017_Lester_David_Final.pdf

Contact:

David Lester

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)

07 4529 1386

[email protected]

More info: https://grdc.com.au

Subscribe: https://grdc.com.au/subscribe

For LIVE Events go to https://grdc.com.au/events

Get the latest from GroundCover: https://grdc.com.au/groundcover

PODCAST: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/grdc-podcast/id1435125424?mt=2 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/theGRDC TWITTER: https://twitter.com/theGRDC INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegrdc/

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This podcast focuses on summer weed identification and control options.

GRDC’s Regional Cropping Solutions Network has highlighted the issue of effective summer weed control as a priority.

During February, Western Australia grain growers have the opportunity to attend a series of summer weed control workshops to be held in key WA grain growing regions.

Andrew Storrie from AGRONOMO is leading the free of charge workshops.

GRDC has invested in the early and effective summer weed control workshops and the dates.

Each event is free. Register for your nearest location below:

Mingenew 5 February: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/effective-summer-weed-control-workshops-for-wa-grain-cropping-mingenew-tickets-53529644608

Merredin 7 February: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/early-and-effective-summer-weed-control-workshops-for-wa-merredin-tickets-54157714181

Esperance 8 February: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/effective-summer-weed-control-workshops-for-wa-grain-esperance-tickets-53530678701

And Corrigin 22 February: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/early-and-effective-summer-weed-control-workshop-corrigin-tickets-54512964745?ref=estw Further information: Andrew Storrie 0428 423 577 email: [email protected] or visit http://agronomo.com.au

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GRDC’s multi million dollar investment in sorghum research is looking for ways to maximise yield and profitability while positioning the crop in total farming systems.

One aspect of the research relates to row spacing and tillering and on this podcast two leading researchers, Trevor Philp from Pacific Seeds and Dr Joe Eyre from QAFFI, a research institute at the University of Queensland supported by the Queensland Government discuss their respective research efforts.

Contacts:

Trevor Philp – 0427 568 517

Dr Joe Eyre – 0467 737 237

Links:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/07/impact-of-narrow-row-spacing-in-sorghum

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/12/finding-a-balance-optimising-sorghum-agronomy-in-central-queensland-and-how-it-has-changed-over-the-last-15-years

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Despite having a better climate for grain production than most of mainland Australia, the average cereal yield in Tasmania is still considered to be well below its potential.

In this podcast you’ll hear from GRDC’s MD Dr Steve Jefferies talk about two GRDC investments that are working to address this challenge, to help Tasmanian, and high rainfall zone cereal growers on the mainland, close the yield gap and develop new fungicide management strategies.

Both areas of research are part of The Hyper Yielding Cereals project and the project’s annual field day at Hagley in northern Tasmania attracted grain growers from as far away as South Australia’s York Peninsular.

GRDC’s Managing Director, Dr Steve Jefferies, was at the field day.

Further information: www.far.org.nz/far_australia/research_and_extension_projects https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/07/hyper-yielding-cereal-project

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There’s increasing awareness of the damage off-target spraying, or spray drift, can do to your own crops and those of your neighbours, sometimes many, many kilometers away.

A community in western NSW has decided to act and the steps they’ve taken appear to have had a positive impact on the numbers of spray drift incidences.

Called SOS Macquarie, the Stop Off-target Spraying action group has as one of its conveners the Grain Orana Alliance manager Maurie Street.

In this podcast Maurie explains why and how the group got started and what outcomes they want to achieve.

Further information:

Maurie Street

Chief Executive Office, Grain Orana Alliance

0400 066 201

email: [email protected]

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Home gardeners know the benefits of mulch in suppressing weeds, but researchers are also encouraging broadacre grain producers to deprive weeds of sunlight and space and take the pressure off herbicides as the ‘heavy lifters’ of in-crop weed control.

While defeating weeds through crop competition isn’t new, Queensland trials have shown that crop density and narrow row spacing have significantly suppressed the prevalent weeds common sowthistle and fleabane in the northern region.

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF) and the University of Queensland (UQ) are currently testing other non-chemical controls such as varietal differences and fertiliser placement for their impact on weed growth and seed production.

QDAF project leader Dr Michael Widderick says narrow row spacing has so far shown the clearest benefit in limiting weeds.

The tactic suppressed sowthistle and fleabane quite dramatically, but in trials testing control of feathertop Rhodes grass and awnless barnyard grass, the feathertop was quick growing and competed very well against sorghum and mung beans which didn’t suppress it as much as barnyard grass, which isn’t as robust a plant.

Both awnless barnyard grass and common sowthistle no have glyphosate resistant populations and sowthistle is becoming an all year round weed issue.

The trials showed that:

Growing a competitive crop can significantly reduce weed numbers, biomass and seed production in crop while providing increases in grain yield.

Growing faba beans and chickpea at a narrow row spacing of 25cm and a high plant density of 70 and 80 plants/m2 respectively significantly reduced sowthistle biomass and seed production while increasing crop yield.

Growing wheat at narrow row spacing of 25cm and a high density of 120 plants/m2 significantly reduced awnless barnyard grass density, biomass and seed production while increasing crop yield.

Narrow row spacing (25cm) in mung bean and soybean can reduce weed growth and increased crop yield. The critical time of weed removal in mung bean and soybean occurs at later stages of crop growth in narrow (25cm) compared to wide rows (75cm).

Michael says these key weeds are increasingly emerging later and affecting winter crops at a growth stage when residual chemistries are no longer persistent in the soil and when in‐crop herbicides are either unavailable or can no longer be applied.

But by purposefully using crop competition alongside in-crop residual and knockdown herbicides, producers can delay herbicide resistance and limit future weed populations by reducing seed set.

Further information:

Dr Michael Widderick

Leslie Research Facility

Queensland Department of Agriculture & Fisheries Toowoomba, Qld

07 4529 1325

[email protected]

GRDC project code: US00084 https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/deprive-weeds-of-sunlight-and-space-crop-competition-research

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Can you explain the difference between crop varieties that are tolerant, resistant and susceptible to a particular pest?

Researcher Kirsty Owen from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) says knowing the difference is critical for producers responding to one of the northern wheat industry’s thorniest problems.

The root lesion nematode, Pratylenchus thornei reduces the ability of crop roots to take up water and nutrients, leaving a sickly plant with yellowing lower leaves and poor tillering.

Populations build in susceptible crops, can survive fallow periods and have the ability to carry over between cropping seasons, and there are no registered chemical control methods.

Tolerance is the ability of a plant to produce good yields in the presence of P. thornei and its opposite is intolerance, while resistance is the ability of the plant to prevent nematode reproduction. Its opposite is susceptibility.

Kirsty says crop varieties may be tolerant but susceptible, that is, they produce good yields but allow the nematode to increase in population. The ideal combinations for management of P. thornei are varieties that are both tolerant and resistant.

In USQ’s study of chickpeas, wheat and the build-up and decline of P. thornei in the farming system, researchers found that while chickpea varieties may not suffer yield loss, the crop’s tolerance may lead to a build-up of nematodes that affects the following crop.

When P. thornei was present in paddocks at damaging populations (greater than 2/g soil), management relied on growing tolerant crop varieties that don’t suffer yield loss and increasing the number of resistant crops in the cropping sequence to reduce populations.

Trials showed that:

Chickpeas generally have a good level of tolerance to P. thornei but because most varieties are susceptible, populations of the nematode will increase to attack future crops

The tolerance of a wheat variety and the populations of P. thornei at the time of planting will determine the degree of yield loss at the end of the season

Intolerant wheat varieties should be avoided when P. thornei populations are at damaging levels, but even moderately tolerant varieties may suffer yield loss.

Growers and agronomists can learn how to sample for root lesion nematodes and interpret the results by taking part in PreDicta®B courses run by SARDI; download an app that has ratings for resistance; use the NVT site comparison tool to find tolerance ratings; and tap into their local crop variety guides for more information.

Further Information:

Kirsty Owen

Research Fellow (Crop nematology)

Centre for Crop Health

Institute for Agriculture and the Environment

University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Qld

07 4631 1239

[email protected]

Resources GRDC Update Paper: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/chickpeas,-wheat-and-pratylenchus-thornei-build-up-and-decline-in-the-farming-system.-chickpeas-a-combination-of-susceptibility-and-moderate-tolerance

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