De-risking the seeding program
De-risking the seeding program. Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry early sown crops.
Dry and early sowing of cereal crops is a practice commonly employed across southern Australian cropping regions to combat the increasingly erratic and delayed opening season rainfall. Whilst there has been a large amount of research and development undertaken on dry and early sowing, significant opportunities remain to engage growers in the adoption of strategic management approaches that best suit local grower needs, management preferences, and local climatic and environmental conditions. This project will see 15 prominent Grower Groups partner with 4 Drought Hubs to deliver a program that accelerates the adoption of strategic dry and early sown crop management approaches. Each group will tailor activities to meet the knowledge, experience, and needs of their member bases and local communities. The project will provide a legacy through developed extension networks, resources, information, and learning groups and see practice adoption across 2 million hectares of arable land.
On Eyre Peninsula, trials comparing fertiliser placement, use of long coleoptile varieties etc will be sown at two locations on northern Eyre Peninsula. These will follow on from trials conducted under the SA Drought Hub early sowing project at Cowell and Penong.
2024 Trial Updates
The 2024 season on the upper EP had a very dry start with the first major rainfall event occurring on the 30th of May. Another major rainfall event started on the 18th of June and finished on the 26th of June. This rainfall event consisted of continuous showers. Most upper EP locations received over 15 mm of rainfall by the 26th June.
Two trials were sown on EP for 2024, one at Rudall and another at Elliston both focussing on pre emergent herbicide damage in dry/early sowing conditions. Treatments were decided by the Low Rainfall RD&E Committee. Unfortunately the Elliston trial site was destroyed at emergence by Cape Barren Geese so was re sown at Port Kenny.
Sowing Dates
Rudall: 18 April
Elliston: 22 April (trial abandoned)
Port Kenny: 22 May
Trial Details
Calibre wheat was sown deeper (8 cm) and normal sowing depth (3-4 cm) with herbicide treatments implemented. The herbicide treatments applied were;
- Nil Control
- Trifluralin 1.8 L/ha IBS
- Sakura (118 g/ha) IBS
- Overwatch (1.25 L/ha) IBS
- Prosulfocarb - Boxer Gold 2.5 L/ha IBS
- Mateno Complete Pre-sowing 1 L/ha IBS
- Mateno Complete Post-sowing 1 L/ha EPE
- 8 L/ha and Diuron 300 g IBS
- Trifluralin 1.8 L/ha and Metrabuzin 100 g IBS
All trials were sown with all IBS treatments applied. All plots had plants established following the end of May rainfall event (5-7 mm). Currently EP Rainfall is at Decile 1.
Plant establishment of shallow sown crop (Left), deep sown crop (middle) and the comparison of Zadoks growth stage of crops from the same deep sown plot (Right) at Rudall, 2024.
The seedlings from plots in the Elliston trial were damaged by Cape Barren geese. Therefore, any possible symptoms of phytotoxicity – such as bleaching or necrosis, due to the herbicide treatments could not be determined.
The Port Kenny trial was sown a week before the break to the season. Therefore, plants from both deep and shallow sowing depth have germinated and emerged from the soil uniformly while IBS herbicide treatments move down the soil profile.
The Port Kenny trial site was visited for the Mt Cooper Ag Bureau Sticky Beak Day on October 1. Rebekah Peters (AIR EP) introduced the project and Elijah Luo (SARDI MAC) presented the trial results from the season.
Elijah Luo (SARDI MAC) presenting at the Port Kenny De-Risking the Seeding Program Trial Site on October 1.
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