How early can sowing start?

Is March 20 too early to start sowing? Researchers at Birchip Cropping Group, BCG, intend to find out after they sowed the first Wimmera trial crop at Kalkee last week.

The BCG site is one of about 25 involved in a range of trials across the Wimmera and Mallee this year.

This is the first of four ‘time of sowing’ trials as part of a GRDC ‘Development of crop management packages for early sown, slow developing wheats in the southern region’ project.

BCG research and extension officer Genevieve Clarke said the project comprised four sowing times, with about two weeks between each.

“The research is looking at how growers could benefit from an early break by sowing what are known as winter wheats, slower developing wheats to the more commonly grown spring wheats,” she said.

There are two trials being sown as part of the project.

The first is looking at pre-release and newly released winter wheat varieties including Longsword, DS Bennett and Illabo. This trial is being irrigated with 10 millimetres of water to achieve emergence.

The second trial is looking at different amounts of irrigation applied at sowing – 10mm, 25mm and 50mm – to investigate how much of a ‘breaking’ rain is enough to establish winter wheats early and have them survive through to when later rain arrives.

“BCG staff will be visiting the site regularly to undertake assessments throughout the season,” Ms Clarke said.

This is the third year this work is being carried out in the Wimmera, with trials at Rupanyup in 2018 and Longerenong, 2017.

The research has attracted considerable attention with questions around soil-moisture requirements and variety performance across different seasons being answered.

As part of the wider project there are 10 trial sites across grain-growing regions of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

BCG is managing the same trial at a 2019 BCG main site eight kilometres west of Birchip.

Growers will have the opportunity to visit the early-sown wheat trial at the BCG Main Field Day on September 11.

More information about the field day and results of this trial will appear on BCG’S website www.bcg.org.au as the season progresses.

– Jemma Pearl, BCG project officer