Trial in full swing

The 2017 Birchip Cropping Group sowing program is in full swing, with about 80 percent of crop trials in the ground.

The mid-april break was perfectly timed, with the Longerenong research site receiving 52 millimetres on April 20, providing moist and ideal sowing conditions.

A canola phenology trial BCG is running on behalf of NSW Department of Primary Industries is examining how time of sowing influences canola performance in the Wimmera.

The trial, which has been sown at Longerenong, includes two times of sowing with urea rates targeting a decile five and decile nine growing season.

One of the questions this trial is seeking to answer is whether there could be opportunities for early sowing if a break is received, and how different canola varieties compare under this scenario.

The interaction between sowing date and variety choice is related to phenology growth habit, biomass accumulation, grain yield and oil.

In a high frost risk area, early sowing is likely to increase the frost risk.

Emergence counts will be performed on all plots and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI, measurements have been taken.

NDVI measurements are performed using infrared technology, which measures crop greenness, and hence, crop growth.

These measurements are taken throughout the growing season to determine the different growth patterns for crop types.

The Longerenong site exhibits an array of field trials, which range from weed trials to pre-emergent herbicide use in lentils over various stubble management techniques.

Many of these trials will feature at an agronomic crop walk on July 12.

With many trials now emerging, the first assessments BCG will do is emergence counts

“With many trials now emerging, the first assessments BCG will do is emergency counts to determine the plant density”

to determine the plant density, the number of plants in 1m2, which we accounted for when calculating the sowing rate.

Although conditions are conducive for good emergence and early crop vigour, potential reasons for low crop emergence could be due to a lower than expected germination percent, issues with seeding depth – sown too deep, water logging or very low temperatures, which also reduces crop vigour, and pest damage such as that caused by mice.

The 2017 main research site is at Curyo, where sowing was completed on May 12.

After 30mm of rain by April 20, crops were emerging well.

The site, located 26 kilometres north-west of Birchip on the Sunraysia Highway, is hosting 30 trials examining an extensive range of agronomic, farming systems and management strategies.

The Curyo research site will be open for inspection at an annual main field day on September 13.

For more information on BCG’S research program or coming events people can visit www.bcg.org.au or call 5492 2787.