Millicent fungicide trial shows Asteroid yield success

In the Field Applied Research Australia Provisional Harvest Yield Results report of May sown barley varieties, the Millicent site assessed the performance of twelve spring barley varieties and one winter variety against two FAR control varieties, RGT Planet (malt) and Rosalind (feed) with varying treatments of fungicide.

The trial found a significant response to fungicide, which averaged 0.64t/ha across all varieties, as a result of net form of net blotch, leaf rust and scald infection depending on variety.

The untreated yield response for the Asteroid variety was 8.37t/ha, while the full treatment of Prosaro 0.30 L/ha in early September followed with Aviator 0.50 L/ha in early October showed the high yielding response.

The crop was sown with 100 kg MAP with a herbicide treatment of TriflurX 3 L/ha and Spreadwet 0.2 L/ha two days prior to sowing - it was then followed with a Broadside 1.4 L/ha on August 15.

Nitrogen was applied on July 26, at a rate of 50kg/ha and followed with 100kg/ha on September 19.

Trace elements and crop protection were also applied.

FAR Australia managing director Nick Poole said 2023 was a good year for barley in the region.

"Exceeding 9t/ha is an exceptionally good yield for barley," he said.

"Some of it is down to season, but that particular variety is extremely interesting."

A yield of 10.16 tonne a hectare was achieved in the newly released AGF seeds cultivar Longford with full fungicide protection according to the Hyper Yielding Crops: Provisional Yield Results report release by Field Applied Research Australia.

The trail site was sown on May 11 with 100 kilograms of MAP, while a herbicide of TriflurX 3 litres /ha and Spreadwet 0.2L/ha were done on May 9.

Three red feed winter wheats Longford - AGF4818, RGT Cesario, AGTW005 and the APW white wheat Stockade were managed with three levels of fungicide, untreated, a single flag leaf spray and full protection.

The single flag leaf spray was applied in early September known as one unit of fungicide, while the full protection application consisted of four units of fungicide.

The mix consisted of Flutriafol-coated MAP in furrow at sowing (500 gram ai/L at 200millilitres/ha), Prosaro 300mL/ha in early September, FAR F1-19 (750mL/ha) in early October and Opus 500mL/ha in late October.

With no fungicide treatment the Longford yielded 9.53t/ha, while with the single treatment it reached 9.69.

RGT Cesario yielded 9.46t/ha with four applications, while 8.21t/ha was reached from a single application and 7.34t/ha if left untreated.

FAR's managing director Nick Poole said Cesario was very stripe rust susceptible and gave a response to one fungicide, but it gave a much better response to four fungicides.

"There is a strong indication a farmer would produce similar results on their own farm," he said.

"As RGT Cesario is very stripe rust susceptible, it was far less affected by weather patterns between 2022 and 2023.

"It will give you could responses because it's very stripe rust susceptible."

APW white wheat, Stockade, was the only cultivar to give no significant response in yield to the fungicide application, although there was a trend for higher yield under full protection.

Stockade produced 8.68t/ha untreated, 8.62t/ha with one treatment and 8.97t/ha with four treatments.

FAR's managing director Nick Poole said Stockade a suffered primarily from a wet weather disease called Septoria tritici blotch.

"Although it was there at the start of spring, conditions through that September period, effectively reduced the infection in the upper canopy because it didn't have the wet weather to splash the infection up to the upper leaves," he said.

He said the trial would be viable if it was replicated with the same seasonal conditions in a commercial setting.

"The additional money that you made from four units of fungicide in RGT Cesario, over the untreated crop was $500," he said.