A DRIER finish to the 2017 cropping season has resulted in five of the most common lentil varieties finishing with similar yields and results at a National Variety Trial at Willamulka.
Central Ag Solutions agronomist and Pulse SA chair Sam Holmes said there was no significant difference between the main varieties in 2017 unlike 2016, when the growing season delivered exceptional rainfall and a cool finish.
But as a result, in 2017 popular varieties PBA Hurricane XT and PBA Jumbo2 finished on an almost level playing field, with an average yield of 2.73 tonnes a hectare across all varieties.
“Jumbo 2 usually performs the best at Willamulka and in seasons like 2016 it’s often the standout crop – but we didn’t see that with the way this season finished,” Mr Holmes said.
“We had a bit of a hot finish in October where the temperatures rose and shut the crop down a bit quicker.
“Because of that it limited some varieties reaching their top end yield.”
The trial was conducted on Craig Ayles’ Willamulka farm, where trials have been conducted since 1992.
The replicated trial was sown in a wheat-on-wheat paddock on May 11 by SARDI, Clare, and received a total of 150 millimetres of rain for the growing season.
The plot was harvested on November 6, with Hurricane XT recording 2.8t/ha, PBA Blitz recording 2.76t/ha, PBA Flash 2.7t/ha and Jumbo2 2.71t/ha.
Despite Jumbo2 usually being the standout performer, Mr Holmes said most Yorke Peninsula farmers favoured the Hurricane XT variety due to its herbicide options.
“Although the Jumbo2 has high-end yield potential and performs consistently well, Hurricane is still the dominant variety because farmers on the YP use it to control weed issues with its herbicide tolerance,” he said.
Last season, PIRSA reported that a total of 184,700t of lentils were grown on 260,200ha across the state – including 126,000t from 202,000ha on the YP.
There were four other NVT lentil trials on the YP at Minlaton, Maitland, Kadina and Melton.
GOOD SEASON FOR LENTILS, CANOLA
HAVING a lentil National Variety Trial on his Willamulka property has allowed Craig Ayles to see first-hand how different varieties perform in his soils.
He says it is an eye-opener to see new, unnamed varieties being benchmarked against the commonly known varieties and to discover what growing traits and benefits they have.
Trials began on the Ayles family farm in 1992 when Craig’s father Jeff first hosted a pea and bean trial, which in later years progressed to peas and vetch.
The on-property trial is an advantage for Craig, with lentils taking up about 40 per cent of his own cropping operation.
Last season Craig grew a combination of Hurricane XT and Jumbo2 lentils, with the duo averaging 1.8 tonnes a hectare.
His crop was sown on May 11, with sowing rates of about 45 kilograms/ha with 250 millimetre row spacings.
“The Hurricane performed the best for us in the paddock, but we did lose a few to some bad wind at the end of October just before harvest,” Craig said.
“The Jumbo2 was probably a better yield, but they grew more weeds.”
Last season Craig also harvested canola, wheat and oaten hay for export and reported good yields across the farm.
The same wind storm impacted about 5pc of his canola crop, which averaged 1.9t/ha, and recorded variable wheat results with yields ranging from 1.8t/ha to 5.5t/ha.
Ali Kuchel
Journalist at the Stock Journal, passionate about all things farming and equestrian also doubling as a photographer.
Journalist at the Stock Journal, passionate about all things farming and equestrian also doubling as a photographer.
