SA Crop Technology Centre evaluates high rainfall cereals

A new research site, the SA Crop Technology Centre, near Millicent, aims to make it possible by identifying high yielding, long season germplasm from Australia and overseas, as well as the agronomy and new technology to help enhance yields.

The four-hectare site is the first of its kind on mainland Australia targeting 350-millimetre to 500mm growing season rainfall areas.

More than 900 wheat and barley plots were sown in mid-April at the SE site dedicated to germplasm screening, input strategies, disease management and lodging control.

Landmark is the principal funder of the SA Crop Technology Centre, in conjunction with the Mackillop Farm Management Group, SARDI and FAR Australia.

It is a pilot program funded for one year but FAR Australia managing director Nick Poole hopes the results will garner support from a wider range of funding sources in future years.

Mr Poole, who is managing the site with the FAR team and SARDI, says it is an extension of the GRDC-funded hyper yielding cereals project in Tas that began in 2015.

“We have had some very encouraging results (in Tas) based on overseas feed germplasm, with research plots yielding between 13t/ha and 17 t/ha under irrigation,” he said.

“Some of the results have really surprised us and while these yields are clearly not realistic targets for commercial crops on the mainland, we should be able to target 10t/ha in the longer growing regions of the south.”

A contingent from SA, including Landmark agronomist James Heffernan and SA Crop Technology Centre site hosts Chris and James Gilbertson, attended the Tas field day last year. They were keen to replicate the research in the SE of SA.

Mr Poole says breeding companies have understandably focused their efforts on the main cereal growing areas but believes it is important to find new varieties to perform in seasons that can extend from April to November-December.

“Is there anything out there from Australian or overseas breeders that might have been rejected for the main Australian wheatbelt which may suit a longer season, more disease-prone environment?” he said.

“Can we find germplasm which can go in in mid-April, gives us more waterlogging tolerance, but by the end of the season translates into crops that stand, aren’t full of disease and which achieve a reasonable yield?”

A field day will be held at the site in late October.

A two tonne a hectare yield lift is possible in high rainfall areas simply by finding high performing germplasm and matching it with good agronomic practises, according to Landmark agronomist James Heffernan.

“The rainfall and soil types associated with the cropping areas of the SA high rainfall zone give us the opportunity to grow higher yielding crops, but we are not overcoming the yield gap” he said.

“We are seeing in the good years in the good paddocks 10t/ha being achieved, but the concern is the average yields continue to be 5-6t/ha when it could be 7-8t/ha.”

Mr Heffernan, who is a driving force behind the SA Crop Technology Centre, hopes the results will feed back to the breeding companies, helping them identify the cultivars valuable for these areas and pinpoint the germplasm to access from overseas.

Landmark also sees it as a valuable training resource for its agronomists.

“The company identified FAR Australia and Nick Poole as a leading knowledge provider and having the level of expertise to increase (cereal) cropping yields across the high rainfall zones,” he said.

The management of two high yielding varieties – RGT Planet barley and RGT Accroc wheat – is also being examined in more detail at the site, including new seed dressings and fungicide treatments.

A weather station has also been established to test disease prediction computer software.

“It is the first time in the region so many agronomic practices are all being tested in the one location in the one year,” Mr Heffernan said.