Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region ......Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region Driving national collaborative grains research, development and

Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region

Driving national collaborative grains research, development and delivery for grower profitability and sustainability

A crop planning guide for 2011

Edited and compiled by:

Graeme Jennings – Jon Lamb CommunicationsPh: (08) 8362 5417 Fax: (08) 8363 1052

Design and Layout:

Peter Hoffmann – Lightning Designs

Disclaimer – GRDC

This publication has been prepared in good faith on the basis of information available at the date of publication. The Grains Research and Development Corporation does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness or currency of the information in this publication nor its usefulness in achieving any purpose.

Readers are responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the content of this publication. The Grains Research and Development Corporation will not be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or

arising by reason of any person using or relying on the information in this publication.

Products may be identified by proprietary or trade names to help readers identify particular types of products but this is not, and is not intended to be, an endorsement or recommendation of any product or manufacturer

referred to. Other products may perform as well or better than those specifically referred to.

Caution: research on unregistered pesticide useAny research with unregistered pesticides or of unregistered products reported in this document does not

constitute a recommendation for that particular use by the authors or the authors’ organisations. All pesticide applications must accord with the currently registered label for that particular pesticide, crop, pest and region.

Re-use of informationInformation in this book may be used provided the author(s) and the Grains Research and Development

Corporation (where it is a contributor) are acknowledged.

ISBN 978-1-921779-24-4

Published March 2011

© Grains Research & Development Corporation

Cover: Main photo: Paul Jones

A GRDC CROP MANAGEMENT PLANNING GUIDE FOR 2011 1

fter one of the wettest summers on record, the 2011 season is one of potential and challenge.

There is huge scope in the available moisture stored in the soil provided the right approaches are taken to issues such as crop nutrition, seeding systems and crop management.

The biggest management challenges include:

• stubble management

• weed management

• nutritional issues

• pest and disease management

All these issues need to be resolved within the financial realities of each farm business and this publication, initiated by the GRDC Southern Panel, is designed to help growers take full advantage of the soil moisture in their cropping systems as a result of the recent La Nina conditions.

‘Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region’ brings together available knowledge on issues facing growers in the coming season and provides a reference framework for decision-making in the current production environment.

The following guidelines contain information designed to help growers identify strategies that will suit their conditions and assist them in obtaining the greatest long-term benefits from the available moisture in the 2011 season. Growers should seek expert local advice before taking any action.

GRDC would like to acknowledge and thank the researchers, agronomic and financial advisers and growers who contributed to this document by providing information or acting as referees. They include Allan Mayfield, Nigel Wilhelm, Rob Sonogan, Hugh Wallwork, Alan McKay, James Hunt, Jack Desbiolles, Chris Preston, Phil O’Callaghan, Jon Midwood, Bill Long, Neil Fettell, Stuart McColl, Rob Norton, Stuart Kearns and their associates and co-contributors.

David Shannon – Chair, GRDC Southern Panel

Meeting the

challenges, grasping the opportunities

A

A GRDC crop management planning guide for 2011

2 A GRDC CROP MANAGEMENT PLANNING GUIDE FOR 2011

Step 1. Work with your accountant and/or financial adviser to establish the true financial health of your business. Once this has been determined work through the following sequence

Step 2. Review personal (family) needs and expectations

Step 3. Review the farm enterprise:• prioritisecapitalneedsagainstotherexpenditureneeds• workoutwhatyoucanaffordtospendonthecropping

program.If financesarelimited,considerfocusingtheavailableresourcesonthebestsoils.

• workwithyouragronomisttoensureyouconsideralltheissuesandoptions

Step 4. Review paddock condition:• identifyandaddressanysoildamageoraccess

problemslikelytoimpacton2011crops• developandactionaweedmanagementprogramfor:

weedsaheadof seedingweedsatseeding

• assesstheriskof pestssuchasmiceorslugsandaddressthethreatif necessary

• assessstubbleloadsbypaddockaheadof seeding• workthroughsowing-timeissuesandoptionswith

youragronomist

Step 5. Measure or test to accurately establish the moisture and nutrient status of each paddock or management zone. Use this information to plan the cropping program taking account of:

• rotationissues[disease,weed,pestandnutritionfactors]

• fertiliserrequirementsandwhatyoucanaffordtospend

• diseasethreatsandpotentialfungicideneeds• WUEimpactsof seedingtime/varietyinteractions• potentialdemandandprices

Workwithyouragronomisttoensurealltheoptionsarecoveredandthatlongandshort-termissuesareaddressed.

Bepreparedtochangeinputsorcroptypesdependingonsoiltestresultsandseedingconditions.

Step 6. Address seeding-time issues including:

• seedquality.Haveseedtestedtoensuregerminationpercentageandvigourareadequate.if qualityisnotadequate,sourceotherseedadjusttheseedingrateif seedqualityislessthanideal

• trashclearanceandseedingaccuracy• placementof seedandfertiliser• efficacyof soil-activatedpost-emergenceherbicides

Step 7. Once crops are up, monitor frequently and regularly for:

• pests• disease• nutritionaldeficiencies

If aproblemisidentifiedandactionrequired,actswiftlyanddecisively.

Step 8. Develop a cash-flow budget that includes the above costs plus the overhead, financing and personal costs necessary for the business to operate through 2011-12 and provision for a financial buffer to cover future tax liabilities. If funds are available, target debt of around 10% of total debt. Use surpluses wisely.

An outline for seasonal decision making


Giventhatmanydistrictshavenothadhighsoilmoisturelevelsaheadof seedingforadecade,thecurrentproductionenvironmentisunfamiliarto

manyfarmers.

Despitethis,thebasicprincipleshavenotchanged.Cropsstillneedadequatenutrition,timingisstillimportant,weeds,pestsanddiseasesneedtobecontrolledandcostscontained.

Goodmanagementisgoodmanagement,whetherconditionsarewetordry.Makinggooddecisionsbasedonmeasurementandwell-researchedfactsanddoingthebasicthingswellwillhelpensurethebestpossibleoutcomes.

Decidingwheretostartisthefirststep.Thetoppriorityistoensurepaddocksarereadytobeseededontimeandanythinglikelytopreventthatneedstobeatthetopof thelist.

Determiningprioritieswillhelpmanagers:

• identifythedecisionstheyneedtomake

• developastrategy

• identifylongandshort-termobjectives

• identifylongandshort-termrisks

• identifycostsandbenefitstoensuretheyarenot‘throwingthebabyoutwiththebathwater’

• plantheworkneededtomakethemostof theavailablemoisture

Informed,realistic,objectivedecision-makingbasedonthebestinformationavailableisneeded.Thisislikelytoinvolveresolvingconflictbetweenwhatismostimportant–possiblyinthelongerterm–andwhatneedstobedoneimmediately.

Identifyingandprioritisingtheissuesalsohasthepotentialtohelpgrowersidentifythebestsolutionstoparticularproblems.

Basedecisionsonsoliddata.Itisimportanttotestandmeasureratherthanguessapaddock’snutrientstatusandmoisturelevel.Measuremoisturelevelsandmoisturedepthtoestablishhowmuchmoistureisavailable.

If gooddecision-makingprocessesleadtoadecisiontocultivatetoaddresssoildamageorburntodealwithhighstubbleburdens,havetheconfidencetoactonthatdecisionwithoutfeelingguilty.

Establish the priorities

Decision issues • Keepsightofthe

basicprinciples

• Researchandmeasuretoestablishthefacts

• Seekexpertadvice

• Makeinformeddecisions

• Actdecisively

• Establishthepriorities

Gooddecisionsarethekeytoeffectiveriskmanagementandthestartingpointforsuchdecisionsisaccurateinformation.

Haveaclearpictureof thetruefinancialpositionof thefarmbusiness,notjustthecashflowwhenmakingmanagementdecisions.

Forbusinesseswithcashinthebankandmoistureinthesoil,nowmaybethetimetotakealittleriskandexploresomeof thecroppingandmanagementoptionsthatyouhaveconsideredinthepast.However,itisveryimportanttoplanandcontroltheuseof theprofitmadein2010andmakesoundexpendituredecisions.

Forthosestillunderfinancialpressure,themessageremainsthesame:• establishaclearandaccurateviewof your

businesssituation• consultwithyouradvisers,includingfinanciers,and• makethebestpossibleuseof theresourcesavailable-

useinputandmanagementresourcesonthebestsoilstomaximisereturnfromeachdollarinvested.

Itisprudent,evenwhenconditionsaregood,tosetasidesomemoneyasareserveandkeepaclosewatchoncosts.Thisisparticularlyimportantinthecurrentsituation,wheremostdistrictsareexperiencingonegoodyearafterarunof poortobadyears.

Optionsforcashavailableforexpenditurecouldincludecatchingupon‘personalcare’issuesbymeetingvalidpersonalneedsandwants,whichhavebeenrelegatedtoalowpriorityduringtherecentlow-incomedroughtyears.

Fromafarmingperspectiveitrepresentsanopportunityto:• re-establishsoilfertilitylevels• re-evaluatethefarmingsystembymakingsure

everythingisinplaceandasgoodasitcanbe• re-establishrotations(includingnew‘breakcrop’

optionssuchaspulsesorcanola).

Whenassessingtheprosandconsof rotationoptions,factorinthefinancialelementsincludingincomespreadanddiversity.Takeaccountof thelonger-termflow-onagronomicbenefitssuchasdiseasebreakandnitrogencontributionthatcanextendoverseveralyears.

Otherbusinessoptionsforuseof surpluscashinclude:• machineryupgrades• puttingafinancialbufferinplace• reducingdebtandtaxmanagement

Decisionsaboutwheretospenddependonthefinancialpositionof thebusiness.Expenditureshouldbelimitedtoareaswherethereisagenuineneed,particularlywhenconsideringhigh-costpurchasessuchasnewmachinery.

Manygrowerswillhavesignificantcarry-forwardlossestobalancelastseason’sincome;whichpresentsanopportunitytoreducedebtatlowtaxrates.However,donotlosesightof thetaximplicationsof 2010-11incomelevelsandretainreservessufficienttomeetfuturelargertaxpayments.

Inthepaddock,growersarefacingincreasedinputcostsduetohigherfuelandfertiliserprices.Thesizeof lastyear’scropsandthesoilmoistureavailablemeanhigherfertiliserrateswillbeneededinthecomingseason.Inputcostsarelikelytobeatleast15%higherthisseason,whichwillincreasefinancialriskexposure.

If additionalmachinerypassesorotherproceduresareneededtosetpaddocksupforseeding,additionalcostswillbeincurred.

Theriskembodiedintheseincreasedcostsisbalancedbythegoodincomesfrom2010cropsinmostdistricts.Theexceptionmaybeinhigh-rainfallareaswheretherewasextensivewaterlogging,floodingandwetharvestconditions.

Growerswithincreasedincomefromlastseasonwillbeabletoapplymorephosphorus–andtraceelementsif needed-tostartrebuildingfertilityreservesafteranextendedperiodof lowerinputs.Thisincreasedexpenditurewillincreasethefinancialrisk,whichwillcompoundtheseasonalrisksinvolvedinproducingacropandgeneratinganincome.

Thegoodsoilmoistureinmanydistrictsisbalancedbytherisks–andagronomicchallenges-posedbyfactorssuchasthe‘greenbridge’of volunteersandweeds.Thesehavethepotentialtouseupvaluablemoistureandnutrientsandsignificantlyincreasethecarry-overof diseasesandinsectsandtheriskof earlyinfectionandinfestationof thecomingseason’scrops.


Make every decision pay

Financial issues • Knowyourtrue

financialsituation• Determineprioritiesandmake

fact-baseddecisions• Establishareserve• Re-evaluatethefarmingsystem• Considerre-building

soilfertility• Provideforfuturetaxpayments• Useanysurpluswisely


Accesstopaddockswasamajorchallengeformuchof thepastseason.Duringthegrowingseason,wetconditionsthatmadeitdifficulttogetmachineryintopaddocks

preventedorlimitedtheapplicationof fungicides,herbicidesandnutrients.Thiscontributedtohighcroplossesinthisyear’swet,high-humidityconditions,particularlyinpulsecropsunderdiseasepressure.

Atharvesttime,thecombinationof wetsoilsandthedrivetogetthecropoff resultedinboggedmachineryandextensivesoildamage.Manygrowersarenowfacingthechallengeof farmingsoilsdamagedbyharvestmachinery.

Someof thatdamage-holesandrutswheremachinerywasboggedthenpulledordugout-isobvious.Rutsresultingfrom‘normal’movementsbyheaders,tractorbinsandtrucksarelessproblematicbutwillstillposeachallengeforaccurateseedplacementcomeseedingtime.However,thesealsoindicatethesoilhasbeencompacted.

Compactionoccurswhenevermachineryisdrivenoverapaddockbuttheeffectisworsewhenthesoiliswet.Compactionreducesfertilitybydecreasingthesoil’sabilitytotakeinandstoremoistureandnutrients.Theresultisreducedplantgrowth,loweramountsof freshorganicmatterreturnedtothesoilandsubsequentreductionsinbiologicalactivityandnutrientrecycling.Compactedsoilsalsocontainlessairandareharderforplantrootstopenetrate.

Conversely,thelackof porespaceduetocompactioncanalsoincreasewaterlogging.

Soilcompactioncanreducecropyieldsby10to15%inAustraliandrylandconditionsandthatdoesnottakeaccountof theaccessproblemsimpactinguponthetimingof seeding,spraysorharvest.

Thecurrentcircumstancespresenttwochallenges:• howtopreparedamagedpaddocksforseedinginafew

weekstime• howtoaddressthecompactionandavoidit

happeningagain

Theimmediatechallengeis‘rutrepair’togetthepaddocksurfacesmoothenoughforseeding.Thisislikelytoinvolvecultivationtobreakupridgesandfillruts.Insome

paddocksitmaybepossibletocultivateonlyparticularlyroughareas,leavingshallowrutsinotherpartsof thepaddocktorepairnaturally.Dothisassoonasconditionsaredryenoughtoensurethemaximumpossibletimefordisturbedareastostabiliseand‘settledown’sothenaturalprocessesfordealingwithcompactioncanbegin.

Goodestablishmentof the2011cropistheover-ridingconsiderationandthereisacaseforcultivatingtheentirepaddocktoensureconditionsareasuniformaspossibleatseeding.

Therearefewshort-termsolutionstosub-surfacesoilcompactionapartfromdeepripping,whichisunlikelytobeapracticaloptioninmostsouthernAustralianconditions.Deeprippingwhensoilistoowetcandomoredamageandmakethesituationworse.

Anyoneconsideringdeeprippingshouldseekexpertadviceonthebestapproachandtiming,includingthemachinerybestsuitedtotheconditionsandmostlikelytoproducethedesiredresults.

Soilsthatcrackastheyswellandshrinkinresponsetochangesinmoisturelevelswilleventuallyself-repair,providedtheyarenotre-compactedbymoretraffic.Compactioninduplexandsandysoilsismoreproblematic.

Cropswithstrong,deeprootsystemsmaypenetratecompactedlayersandhelpopenupsoilsandprovide‘channels’fortherootsof subsequentcropstofollow.Cropswiththistypeof rootsystemincludelupinsandlucerne.

Thecureforcompactionistoavoiditandthewaytoachievethisisthroughcontrolledtrafficfarmingwithallequipment,includingtheheaderandallharvestequipment,confinedtopermanentwheeltracks.Thiseliminatesmachinerycompactionof croppingsoilandestablisheswheeltracksthatmaximisethechanceof gettingmachineryintopaddockswhenevernecessarytospray,spreadfertiliserorharvest.Fuelconsumptionisalsoreducedduetoimprovedtractiononthehardpermanentwheeltracks.

Withtruecontrolledtrafficthecroppingsoilisreservedforcropsandmanagedformaximumyieldandthewheeltracksarereservedforthewheelsof farmmachinery.

Paddock and soil conditions

Soil issues • Prepareforseedingbyrepairing

paddockdamage• Actearlytoallowmaximumtime

forstabilisation• Monitorthisyear’scropsforthe

effectsofcompactionandreviewtheimplicationsofoperatingmachineryoncroppingsoils

• Calculatethetimelinessandothercostsofinabilitytoaccesswetpaddocksandreviewsystemsandprocesses


Don’tlosesightof theimportanceof weedcontrol.

Summerweedsusevaluablemoistureandnitrogen(N)andothernutrientsthatbecomeunavailableto

cropsintheshortterm.If leftuncontrolledtheywillalsoincreasetheamountof surfacetrash,complicateseedingandsetseedthatmayincreasesummerweedissuesinfutureseasons.

Weedsinmostdistrictshaveamplemoisturethisseasonandsowillnotbemoisturestressed,openingthewayformoreeffectiveherbicidecontrol,assumingtherightproductsareappliedusingtherightnozzlesandatadequaterates.Allthreeelements–themosteffectivechemical,goodapplicationtechnologyandusinglabelrates–arecriticaltosuccess.

Controlisbestandmosteconomicalwhenweedsaresmall.Thisseasontwooreventhreesummersprayshavebeenappliedtoachievethenecessarylevelsof summerweedcontrolinsomedistricts.CSIROstudiesestimateanaveragereturnonmoneyinvestedinsummerweedcontrolinsouthernAustraliaat353%-$3.53forevery$1invested-withverylittleriskforthatreturn.

Theprolongedharvestandpaddockaccessproblemsduetosaturatedsoilthissummerhaveseenmanygrowersfacedwithlargeweeds.Usethefulllabelratefortheweedspresentinthepaddockandensureexcellentcoverageandmaximumefficacy.Thismayrequirehighratesof chemicals,soitisimportanttofollowlabeldirectionsandsprayonlywhenconditionsareright.This

Don’t skimp on weed control

Weed issues • Summerweedsusemoisture

andnutrients• A‘greenbridge’ofvolunteers

andweedsincreasespestanddiseaserisks

• Summerweedcontrolpayshighdividends–morethan300%

• Multiplespraysmaybeneededforeffectivesummerweedcontrol

• Don’tskimponrates• Considera‘doubleknock’

combinationimmediatelypriortoseeding


willmaximiseefficacyandminimisetheriskof off-targetdamagetosensitivecropssuchasgrapevines.

Goodsoilmoisturelevels,if maintainedinthetopsoiluntilseeding,willensuregrowersachieveagoodweedkillimmediatelyaheadof seeding.Thiswillbesignificantinaseasoninwhichtheefficacyof soil-activatedpost-emergenceherbicidesislikelytobechallengedbytheamountof organicmatteronthesurfaceof cerealpaddocksinparticular.

Giventhisandthelargerweedseedbanks,thiscouldbetheyearforadoubleknockdownprogram–full-rateglyphosatefollowedbyfull-rateparaquatfivedayslater–totakeoutasmanyweedsaspossibleandminimiseweedcompetitionduringtheestablishmentphase.

Withthelargeseedsetof weeds,especiallygrasses,incropslastyearitisimportanttodoeverythingpossibletomaximisetheefficacyof soilresidualherbicidestocontrolgrassweedsgerminatingincropsduringthegrowingseason.Thelikelihoodof strawandotherorganicmatterremainingonthepaddocksurfaceatseedingmeanscloseattentionmustbepaidtoratesandcoveragewhenusingchemicalssuchastrifluralin,prosulfocarbandmetalochlor.

Trifluralininparticularisboundcloselytostubbleresidue,sohigherratesareneededwherethereisalotof surfacetrash.BoxerGold®islesssusceptibletostubbletieupthantrifluralinbutwillnotbeeffectiveif itcannotreachthesoil.Theefficacyof BoxerGold®willbereducedwheremorethan50%of thepaddocksurfaceiscoveredbystubble.Useof largedropletswillhelpmaximiseefficacywhensprayinginhigh-stubbleconditions.

Themoistureintheenvironmentandthelargeamountof grainleftinpaddocksmeantherewillbeunusuallylargeamountsof volunteercerealspresentaheadof seeding.

Source: Grant Hollaway, Vic. DPI

This‘greenbridge’hasthepotentialtohostpestsanddiseases,allowing‘outof season’populationbuild-upsthatmayleadtoearlyinfectionsorinfestationsthatcantriggerepidemicsof insectsanddiseasesascropsdevelop.Thereisastrongcaseforaknockdownwithparaquatorglyphosatesixweeksaheadof seedingfollowedbyadoubleknockintheweekpriortoseeding.

Withdryconditionsaheadof seedingunlikely,the‘greenbridge’posesalargeandsignificantthreat.Moneyspentoneffectiveweedcontrolaheadof seedingwillminimisein-cropproblemsandbemorecosteffective.Widespreadrustinfection,forexample,increasesthelikelihoodof mutationsoccurringintherustpopulation.Thisplacesresistancegenesincropvarietiesundergreaterpressureandcouldleadtothembreakingdown.Higherrustpopulationsalsoplacegreaterpressureonchemicalcontrols.

Pestsanddiseasesthatbenefitfroma‘greenbridge’include:

• stripe,stemandleaf rust

• virusesincludingwheatstreakmosaic,barleyyellowdwarf,beetwesternyellow,beanleaf roll,powderymildew,rhizoctonia

• diamond-backmoth

• aphidspecies

Theriskof early-seasonattackfromthesepestsanddiseasescanbeminimisedbyeliminatingallsummerandautumnweeds.Theidealisearlycontrol,whichmaximisesmoistureandnutrientbenefitsaswellasbreakingthe‘greenbridge’andminimisesspraycosts.

Disruptionof the‘greenbridge’mechanismrequiresremovalof allgreenvegetationfarenoughaheadof seedingsopestsanddiseasesdiebeforetheycanmoveontoseedlingcrops.Toachievethisallweedsonthepropertyandadjoiningareasneedtobesprayedoutatleastsixweeksaheadof seeding.

Evaporativelossesfromfallowsarerestrictedtothetop20to30cmof soilbutsummerweedsareabletoextractwaterfrommuchdeeperintheprofile.Someresearchsuggestswaterdeeperintheprofilehasgreatervaluebecauseitisoftenaccessedlaterintheseasonwhencropsneedmoisturetofillgrain.

AnationalstudybyresearchersattheformerWeedsCRCfoundthat:

• thelargerthesummerweedbiomassthemorewaterandnutrientswereremoved,resultinginlowersubsequentcropyieldandgrainprotein

• summerweedbiomassof around3t/hadrymatterreducedwheatyieldbyupto40%(1t/haina2.5t/hacrop)andgrainproteinbyanaverageof threeto5%

• Nandothernutrientsaretiedupinsummerweedbiomassandbecomeunavailableuntilitbreaksdownandthenutrientsarereleasedbackintothesoil

If moneyortimeislimited,focusoncontrollingweedsonsoilswiththehighestsoilmoisturecontentandyieldpotentialsuchaslongfallowsorpulsestubbles.Thiswillprovidethegreatestreturnoninvestmentinsummerweedcontrol.

Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov

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Green bridge removal helps delayrust development

Black line shows rust development following a green bridge

Blue line shows rust development with the removal of the green bridge


Heavystubblesinmostpaddocksthisseasonholdhugepotentialasasourceof organicmatter,withflow-onbenefitsincludingimprovedsoilstructure,waterinfiltrationandsoilhealth.

However,highstubbleloadspresentassurfacetrashatseedingtimehavethepotentialtodisruptseedingandimpactoncropestablishment.Largevolumesof surfacetrashwillalsoreducetheefficacyof soil-activatedpre-emergenceherbicides.Themanagementof largeresiduesalsohasnutritionimplicationsbecausenitrogenisrequiredforcerealstubblebreakdown.

Thevolumeof surfaceresiduesinmanypaddocksandthetimeavailableforstubblemanagementmaymeansomegrowerswilldecidetoburn.Theremaybebetterlong-termoptionsbutburningisaquick,simple,cheap,andeffectivewayof reducingsurfacetrash.Thedegreeof benefitwilldependonthetiming,temperatureandthoroughnessof theburn.

Burningstubblewill:

• reduceresiduevolume

• killsomeweedseeds

• lowertheriskof stubble-bornediseasessuchascrownrot,eyespotandyellowleaf spotandreducesomepestproblems,suchassnailsandmice

Negativesof burningstubbleinclude:

• canhaveoff-siteimpacts

• increasinglyfrowneduponbythecommunity

• valuablecarbonandothernutrientsincludingnitrogen,phosphorus,potassiumandsulphurliterallygoupinsmoke.Approximatelyfourkilogramsof nitrogenarelostwitheverytonneof wheatstubbleburnt.

Somenutrientswithinstrawarelosttotheatmospherewhena‘hotburn’isusedtoremovestubblebuta‘oneoff ’burnwillhaveminimaldirectadverseeffectonthesustainabilityof afarmingsystem.

Forexample,agrowerwhohotburnsa7.5t/hastubble(theresidueof a5t/hacrop)wouldneedtoapplyabout30kg/haof singlesuperand87kg/haof muriateof potashtoreplacelostnutrients.

Delayingburninguntilclosertoseeding(whenconditionsaremorelikelytobecoolandpossiblyevendamp)canresultina‘cool’burnthatwillleavesomeresiduetobenefitthesoil.A‘cool’burnwillbelesseffectivethana‘hot’burninreducingweedseedloadsandpestssuchassnails.

Otheroptionsforhandlingthisseason’shighstubbleburdensinclude:

• inter-rowseeding

Stubble - threat and potential

Stubble issues • Explorealltheoptionsand

beflexible• Burningisonlyonestubble

managementoption• Otheroptionsincludeslashingor

usingtheheadertoreducestubblelengthandspreadresidue

• Lookatthewholepictureincludinglonger-termnutrientimplications

• Stubbleonorinthesoilbreaksdownfasterthanstandingstubble

• Thereisnoneedtoremoveallsurfacecover

• Trash‘flow’canbeimprovedbygoodmachineset-upandsimple‘smoothing’devices

• Inter-rowseedingand‘residuemanagers’canimprovetrashflow


• mulchingandspreadingitevenlyoverthesurface

• workingitintothesoil

• cuttingandremovingthestrawforsaleorforon-farmuse

Mulchingstubble,whichinvolvesbreakingthestrawintosmallerpiecesandlayingitonthesoilsurfacecan:

• increasetherateof breakdownandreducetrashflowproblemsatseeding

• slowevaporationandimprovewateravailability,particularlyforcropssownonwiderrowspacings

Cropscanbemulchedusingharrows,apricklechain,adiscchain,aflailmulcher,aStubbleCruncherorTrashCutter.

Anotherquickandsimpleoptionistodroptheheadercombtoneargroundlevelanduseittoreducetheheightof thestandingstubbleandspreadthecutstrawevenlyacrossthepaddockaschaff.Chaff onthepaddocksurfaceiseasiertohandlethanstubbleleftasstraw,willhavelessimpactonsoil-activatedherbicidesandcauselessblockageproblemsatseeding.

TheStubbleCruncherknocksdownandcutsstubble,reducingthelengthof thestraw,andpressingitintothesoilsurface.

TheTrashCutterusescoulterstocutstubbleintoshortpiecesandspreadsitevenlyonthesoilsurface.

Manyno-tilltyneseederscanoperatewellinpaddockswithmorethan4t/haof stubble,givengoodconditions,butmuchseedingequipmentisunabletohandlemorethan3t/haof cerealstubble,evenwithrowspacingof 250to300mm.Thisseasonmanygrowers,evenintraditionallylow-rainfalldistricts,areestimatedtohavesevento10t/haof stubbleintheirpaddocks,sowillneedtoreducetheamountof surfaceresidueaheadof seeding.

ResearchersfromtheUniversityof SouthAustraliahavefoundthattheresidue-handlingcapabilityof no-tilltyneseederscanbemaximisedbyensuring:

• distancefromthesoilsurfacetothefirstobstructiononthetyneshankis1.5timesthestubbleheightorlength

• thereisatleast550mmof cleantyneshank

• theshortesthorizontaldistancebetweenanytwotyneassembliesinanydirectionis1.8totwotimesstubblelength

• straighttyneshankswithasmoothroundcrosssectionof 40to50mmdiameter

• tyneshaveacontinuousprofileorverygradualchangeinshapeandaresetsotheyareverticalorangledslightlybackwards

Otherobservationsinclude:

• Inter-tynespacingneedstobegreaterwhenoperatinginstandingstubbleandattherearof theseederbar,whereeffectiveresiduelevelsaregreaterduetoaggregationof residuebythemachine.

• Manytyneshankshapesdifferfromtheoptimum.Thiscanbeaddressedbyfittingresiduedeflectorsorlow-frictionplasticwrappings.

• Seedbootbracketsfittedontoshanksimpairresidueflowandpromotegreaterclumping.

• Lowspeedanddrystubblesignificantlyimproveresidueflowthroughtyneseeders.

• Inter-rowsowingwillsignificantlyimproveresidue-handlingcapabilityandintherightconditionscanvirtuallyeliminateresidueclumping.

• Wideningrowspacingwillimprovetrashflowthroughseedingequipment.

Effective tyne vertical clearance (H) for commercial tyne (left) and preferred shank design for high residue handling capacity (right). The above rules of thumb were developed from trials conducted in stubble of up to 4-4.5t/ha.

Add-on residue deflector for edge-on tyne (left) and Pig’s TailTM wrapping to improve residue flow (right).

Source: Jack Desbiolles, Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies, UniSA, ‘No-till seeding systems’, 2011 Victorian GRDC Research Update


However,clumpingcanstilloccurevenwithwell-set-upno-tillseeders.

Grazingmaylowertheamountof organicmatterbutstockwilltramplestubbleontothesurface,whichislikelytoworsenresiduehandlingissuesatseedingunlessbreakdownisfastenoughtoreducetheamountof surfacetrashpresentatseeding.

Discseedersarebetterabletohandlesurfacestubblethanmanytyneseeders,especiallyif sowingontheinter-row,butneedtobesetupandoperatedcorrectly,includingattherightspeed.Switchingtoadiscseederpurelyasameansof dealingwiththisseason’sstubbleloadcarriesnoguaranteeof success.

Itisestimatedthat20to49%of harvestresiduewillbedecomposedbyseedingtimethefollowingseasoninaveragesouthernAustralianconditions.InQueensland,wherethereisusuallymoresummerrainfall,thestubblereductionbetweenharvestandseedingis57to84%.Thissuggeststhat,withthehighmoisturelevelsinmanypartsof theSouthernRegionthissummer,therecouldbemuchlessstubblepresentinmanypaddocksatseedingtimethancurrentlyexpected.

‘the key is to be flexible, explore all

the options ’Stubblelyingonthesoilsurfacebreaksdownmorequicklythanstandingstubbleand,providedmoistureandtemperatureconditionsarerightandsufficientnitrogenisavailable,organicmatterincorporatedintothesoilbreaksdownevenfasterthanthatonthesurface.

Incorporationcanincreaseerosionriskandmoistureloss,butgiventhehighstubbleloadsandtherutsinmanypaddocks,earlycultivationtolevelpaddocksandacceleratestubblebreakdownmaybeagoodoption,evenforcommittedno-tillfarmers.

Shallowincorporationof stubbleintothetoptwoorthreecentimetresof soilaheadof seedingisthebestoptionforgrowerswithbigcropresidueswhowanttoretaintheirstubbles,accordingtoSouthernFarmingSystemsCEO,JonMidwood.Thisisbestdonewithspecialisedequipmentwithaccuratedepth-controlmechanismsandrollerstostabilisethesoilsurfaceandmaximisestubble/soilcontact.However,giventhecurrentcircumstances,workingstubbleintothesoilwithadiscploughseveralweeksaheadof seedingappearstobeapracticaloption.

Growerswhoretainallorsomeof theirstubblemaygainsomebenefitfromusinga‘residuemanager’toclearsurfaceresiduesfromaheadof tynesorcoultersduringtheseedingoperation.

Universityof SouthAustraliaresearchershavefoundthatrowcleanersarebestsuitedtowiderrowspacingandnon-stickyconditionsandoperatebestalongstubblerows.Theyneedtobeusedatoptimalspeed,whichvarieswiththesetupandconditions.

Stubbletubes-low-frictionmetalorplasticguardspositionedinfrontof thetyneshankstoimprovestubbleflow-canhelpreducetheriskof trashbuildinguparoundtynes.Forbestresultsstubbletubesshouldberounded,straightandverticalandfittedtotheshoulderof thepointtopreventa‘deadzone’thatwilltrapstubble.

Itisimportant,particularlygivencommunityconcernsaboutburningandindustrypressuretomoveawayfromcultivation,thatdecisionsarereasonedandwellbased,withtheprosandconsof eachoptionweighedupcarefully.

Areasoned,informed,evidence-baseddecision-makingprocessmayresultinagrowerdecidingto:

• inter-rowsowsomepaddocks

• workstubbleresiduesintothesoilinotherpaddocks

• mulchorburninsomeareas

Thereasonsforthesedecisionswillvaryfromgrowertogrowerandlocationtolocation.

Thekeyistobeflexible,explorealltheoptionsonapaddock-by-paddockorzone-by-zonebasisandusetheapproachthatwillprovidethegreatesttotalbenefitineachsituation.Thequickestandeasiestoptionmaynotbethebest.

Itisimportanttostartworkingthroughtheissuesearlysothereissufficienttimetoreachthebestdecisionsandimplementthem.


T hekeytooptimisingyieldsistomakefulluseof allthesoilmoistureavailable.

Theeffectivenessof summerandpre-seedingweedcontrolwillplayacriticalroleindetermininghow

muchmoistureisavailableforthecrop.

Howmuchof thatmoistureisusedtoproducegrainwilllargelybedeterminedatorbeforeseedingtime.

Tomaximisewateruseefficiency(WUE)growersneedtoknowhowmuchsoilmoistureispresentandusethebestavailableinformationtocalculatetheamountlikelytobeavailablefromrainduringthegrowingseason.Toestablishsoilmoisture,takesoilsamplestotheexpectedrootingdepthof thecroptobegrownandusethesetocalculatetheplantavailablewater(PAW)intherootzone.

Forgrowerswithgoodknowledgeof the‘bucketsize’of thesoiltypesthatmakeuptheprofileineachpaddockorzone,asimplepushprobecanprovideaguideastohowmuchwaterisintheprofile.

CalculatetheexpectedtotalmoistureavailablebyaddinganticipatedgrowingseasonrainfallminusevaporationtothesoilPAWfigureandusethistotaltoestimatelikelyyield.TheFrenchSchulzmodelsuggestswheatwillproduce20kg/haof grainforeverymillimetre(mm)of availablegrowing-seasonmoisture;whichisamajor

reasonforcontrollingsummerweeds.Everymillimetreof moistureusedbyweedsispotentially20kg/halesswheatinthebin.Alossof 20mmof availablemoistureoversummerwillreduceyieldpotentialby400kg/ha,whichis$100/haforgrainat$250atonne.

Calculationsforpotentialyieldof threecommoncropsare(kg/ha):

Wheat: (soilwater+growingseasonrainfall–110mm*)x20

Barley: (soilwater+growingseasonrainfall–90mm*)x20

Oilseeds: (soilwater+growingseasonrainfall–110mm*)x12

*=evaporation

Soilnutrienttestresultsandaccuratecalculationof PAWwillprovideabasisforcalculatingfertiliserneedsforacropcapableof usingalltheavailablemoistureandachieving100%WUE.

Modellingcanassistinunderstandingthecomplexrelationshipsbetweensoilwateravailability,waterholdingcapacity,plantingdatesandrates,varietygrowingseasonlength,temperatureinfluenceandnitrogenstatusof soils.YieldProphetisagoodexampleof apowerfulyet

Maximise and match moisture for peak potential

WUE issues • Measuresoilmoisture

andcalculatelikelyPlantAvailableWater(PAW)

• Establishatargetnumberofheadspersquaremetre

• Testseedforgerminationandvigouraheadofseeding

• Useonlygood-qualityseed–buyseedifretainedseedisbelowquality

• Aimforperfecttimingandseedplacementandmonitorseedingdepthtomaximisethechancesofgoodemergence

• Beawareoftheimpactofsomefungicides,herbicidesandfertilisersoncropemergence

• Matchnutritiontotheavailablemoisture


relativelyeasy-to-usemodelthatcanhelpgrowersandadvisersunderstandandexploretheseinteractionsfromwhichlocal‘rulesof thumb’canbedevelopedtoassistdecision-makingprocesses.TheYieldProphetmodelisspecifictosoiltypeandgeographiclocationsogrowersandadviserswillneedtoextrapolatefromthesite-specificoutcomesitproducestomakedecisionsaboutcropsondifferentsoilsandindifferentlocationsintheregion.

Whencalculatingseedingratesitisvitaltotakeaccountof germinationpercentageandseedvigour,anditisimportanttohavethesetestsdoneintheleaduptoseeding.Donotrelyontestsdoneatharvestorwhentheseedwasputintostorage.Storageconditionsimpactongrainqualityanddamp,weather-damagedseedstoredathightemperatureswillrapidlyloseviability.Thewetconditionsduringthe2010-11harvestmeanthereisahighriskthatgerminationandvigourlevelswerelowatharvestandhavefurtherdeterioratedinstorage.Itisimportanttotestseedimmediatelypriortosowingtomakesuregerminationandvigourareadequate.

If testsindicategerminationandvigourratesarelow,makeacriticalassessmentof whetherornottousetheseed.Growerswhochoosetotesttheirownseedshouldworkwiththeiragronomiststomakesuretheyusethecorrectproceduresandaccuratelyandobjectivelyassesstheresults.

Wheatandbarleywithagerminationrateof lessthan80%shouldnotbeusedforseed.Forcanolathecut-off figureis90%.

‘Croptopping’desiccantsprayscanalsoimpactonseedviability,dependingonthetimingandthechemicalused.Grainfromcropsdesiccatedwithglyphosatemust notberetainedforseed.

If thequalityof retainedseedissuspect,considerbuyingseedfromanothersourcewithhighertestedgerminationandvigour.Usingseedcarriedoverfrompreviousseasonsmaybeanoption,dependingonhowlongithasbeeninstorageandthestorageconditions.Inthisinstancetoo,itisimportanttohavegerminationtestsdonetoensureviabilitylevelsareadequate.

Seedsizeisalsoafactorinseedingratecalculations.Thisrequiresmeasurementof the100-seedweight,whichisachievedbycountingoutmultiplesof 100seeds,weighingthesamplecountedoutthendividingtheweightbythenumberof 100seeds[e.g.for500seedsdividethetotalweightby5togetthe100-seedweight].

Vigourisaproductof seedsizeandnutritionalcomposition,sotheemergenceof sampleswithmarginalgerminationpercentagesmaybeimprovedbygradingtheretainedseedandsowingonlythelargerfraction.

Influence of storage temperature and moisture on seed vigour

SOURCE: CSIRO Stored Grain Research Laboratory

100

80

60

40

20

00 60 120 180 240 300 360

Storage time (days)

Temperature = 30ºC

Seed germination (%)

12% moisture content

NB: The figure on the left shows the influence of moisture content on germination of wheat storedat 30ºC and the figure on the right shows the influence of moisture content on germination of wheat stored at 20ºC

13% moisture content14% moisture content15% moisture content

100

80

60

40

20

00 60 120 180 240 300 360

Storage time (days)

Temperature = 20ºC

Seed germination (%)

12% moisture content13% moisture content14% moisture content15% moisture content


Onceyouhavealltherelevantinformation,calculateyourseedingrateusingtheaboveequation.

Theissuesthenbecometiming,seedingdepthandtechnique.

Correctseedingdepth,conditionsandagronomyarecriticalwhensowingweather-damagedseedwithlowvigour.

Theaimmustbetoensurethebestpossiblestartfortheseedling.Thisiscriticalforseedwithlowvigour,butevenwithtop-qualityseedisthefirststeptowardsmaximisingWUE.

Makesureitisaseasyaspossibleforthegerminatingseedtoreachthesurfaceandestablish.Sowingtoodeeply,coldorwetsoil,someseeddressingsandherbicidesandhardsettingsoilcanallreduceseedlingemergence.If theseedissowndeeperthanthelengthof thecoleoptiletheplantcanfailtoemerge.Thisriskincreaseswhenusingseedof lowvigoursoneedstobefront-of-mindforanyonethinkingaboutsowingdeeperthanusualtoavoidmousedamage.

‘the aim must be to ensure the best possible start for

the seedling’Coleoptilelengthisshortenedbyseeddressingscontainingthefungicidesfluquinconazole,flutriafolortriadminolandherbicidessuchastrifluralinorpendimethalin.Growersplanningtouseweather-damagedseedneedtoconsiderverycarefullywhetherornottheyshouldusetheseproducts.Increasingseeddepthcanreducetheriskof damagefromsoil-activepre-emergentherbicidesbutcoleoptilelengththen

becomestheissueoncemore.Oneoptionmaybetouseavarietywithalongercoleoptile.

Assuminggoodgerminationandvigourlevels,andnothreatfromdiggingpestssuchasmice,theidealseedingdepthforcerealsis30to35mmforsemi-dwarf varietiesand50to70mmfortallvarieties.Canolahassmallseedsandisusuallysown12to25mmdeep,dependingonsoilmoisture.Lupinsshouldbesownnodeeperthan30to50mmdependingonsoiltypeandspecies.Otherpulsestoleratesowingatdepthsof 50to80mm.

Avoidfertilisercomingintocontactwithseed,particularlywhenusingthehigherrateslikelytobeneededinmanyareasthisseason.Theseedingsystemsused,thefertiliserappliedandthecropselectedwillalldictatehowcloseseedandfertilisercanbeplaced.Damageislikelytobeworsewithwiderows,minimumsoildisturbanceandwithfertilisersthatarehighinnitrogen,haveahighsaltindexorarehighlyalkaline.Canolaseedlingsareparticularlysensitivetohighconcentrationsof fertilisersotakeparticularcarewithseed/fertiliserseparationwhensowingcanola.

Thebigstubblespresentinmanypaddockshavethepotentialtoadverselyaffectcropemergencethroughblockages.Theymayalsoimpactonseedingdepthandseed-soilcontact.Theyarealsolikelytoreducetheefficacyof pre-emergentsoil-activeherbicides.

Timeof sowingcanalsoimpactonWUE.Formaximumyieldpotential,sowlonger-seasonvarietiesearlierandshorter-seasonvarietieslater.However,sowingsomeshort-seasonvarietiesearlyinsomepaddockscanreducetheriskof cropfailureduetolackof springmoistureandsowinglong-seasonvarietieslatecanhelpoffsetfrostrisk.

Nutrientmanagementisalsoimportant.Foroptimumyieldstheavailablemoistureneedstobematchedwithsufficientandbalancednutritionthroughouttheseasonforthecroptomakefulluseof availablemoisture.Nitrogencanbeappliedduringthegrowingseasonif soilmoisturelevelsaregoodandtheseasonlooksfavourable.

target plant density (pl/m2)

100 seed weight (grams)

x=

x x 10Seeding rate

(kg/ha) germination percentage

establishment percentage


Thewetconditionsduringthe2010-11harvestandintoautumnmakeitdifficulttogetaclearpictureof thenutrientsavailableforthisseason’scrops.

Alotof nitrogen(N)mayhaveleachedoutof therootzone,especiallyinlightersoils,orbeenlostbydenitrificationinfloodedsoils.If thishasoccurred,hasitbeenreplacedbysubsequentmineralisationoversummerandautumn?

Wheretherearehighsoilmoisturelevels,ensureatleast30%of thetotalNrequiredtoachievethetargetyieldisavailableatseeding.Thiswillgivethecropagoodstartandensureyieldpotentialisnotlimitedbypoorearly-seasondevelopment.

Phosphorus(P)islessmobilethanN,butthegoodcropsin2010meantherewerelargeoff-takesof Plastseason.Identifyingyieldpotentialfor2011andusingsoilteststoestablishthePstatusof thesoilgivesasoundbasisforplanning.

Thelargevolumeof organicmatterinpaddocksaddsanotherdimension.Theimpactof thestubbleloadonnutrientavailabilitywillvarydueto:

• theamountof residuepresent

• moisturelevels

• temperature

• thetypeandnumberof soilorganismspresent

• theamountof Navailabletothesoilorganisms

GrainproteinalsohasaneffectonNremoval.Giventhesevariables,theonlywaytobesureof whatnutrientsareavailableistocarryoutdeep-soiltests,particularlyforNandsulphur(S),andusetheresultsfornutritiondecision-makingfor2011crops.

Thesizeof lastyear’scropsandthehighmoistureconditionsmeangrowersneedtolookbeyondNandPtotheotherelementsthatarealsorequiredforplantgrowthandcropdevelopment.TheseincludeS,potassium(K)andthetraceelements,particularlyzinc(Zn),copper(Cu)andmanganese(Mn).TherewasCudeficiencyinsomecropslastseasonandresponsestoKwerereportedinseveraldistrictswherethisnutrienthasneverbeenconsideredanissue.

Whencalculatingfertiliserneedsbasedonlastyear’sfertilitylevelsgrowersneedtotakefullaccountof thenutrientstiedupinthelargestubblesaswellaswhatwasremovedinthegrain.

Thereareaboutthreekilogramsof phosphorusineachtonneof wheatgrainandaboutsevenkilogramsineachtonneof canola.Inmanydistricts,theamountof Premovedingrainandstubblelastseasonwastwotothreetimesthelong-termaverage.Nutrientsorganicallyboundinstubblesmayormaynotbeavailabletothecomingcropdependingontherateof stubblebreakdownandavarietyof biologicalfactors.

Don’t guess on nutrition

Nutrition issues • Testandmeasuremoistureand

nutrientlevels

• Applythestandardprinciples–onlythemoisturelevelshavechanged

• Establisharealisticmoisture-basedtargetyieldandbepreparedtoprovidetheinputsneededtoachieveit

• Expecttoapplyhigherratesoffertiliserthisyear

• UsesoilNtestsasaguidetonitrogenneedsatseeding

• Takeaccountofminornutrientstoo,notjustthe‘bigthree’

• Iffinancesareanissueconcentrateresourcesonthebestpaddocks

• Ifindoubt,considertheriskofnotachievingyieldtargets,notthefertiliserprice


Otherfactorstobeconsideredwhencalculatingfertiliserrequirementsinclude:

• previousrotations

• cropchoice

• targetyields

Ensurecropshavesufficientnutritiontousethewateravailablethisyear.AndthatgoesbeyondN,PandK.Atraceelementdeficiencycanlimityieldjustasdramaticallyasalackof NorP.‘Adequateandbalanced’isthekey.

Soiltestingprovidesthebeststartingpointformanagingcropnutrition.Useatopsoil(0-10cm)testforPandmostothernutrients,adeep-soiltestforNandSandpaycloseattentiontosamplingmethods.

‘the only way to be sure of what

nutrients are available is to

carry out deep-soil tests’

Knowledgeof soilreservesisessentialforcalculationof fertiliserrates.

Tomeetthecrop’sneedsfortargetyieldsapplyonlytheamountof eachnutrientneededtosupplementwhatisalreadyavailablefromthesoil.

Inmostdistrictssoilprofilesarefullof moisturesoyieldpotentialswillbehigh,providedweedcontrolhasbeeneffective.Itisimportantnottosetyieldtargetsunrealisticallyhigh.

Ensurethereisno‘hidden’limitingfactorsuchasatraceelementdeficiencyandthatthecrophasenoughPfor

establishmentanddevelopmentandsufficientNforgoodseedlinggrowth.Subsoillimitationspreventrootaccesstostoredwater.Knowingtheextentandpatternof theselimitationswillassistwithallocatingnutrientstothemostresponsiveareasorpaddocks.

If financesareanissue,riskmanagementprinciplesandcommonsenserequirethattheavailablemanagementresourcesandfertiliserinvestmentsbeconcentratedonthebestpaddocksandmostprofitablecrops.

Neverhasitbeenmoreimportanttoundertakesoilteststodeterminecurrentsoilfertilitylevels,becauseknowledgeof soilreservesisthestartingpointforcalculationof fertiliserrates.

WhenmakingdecisionsaboutPfertiliserusefocusonminimisingtheriskof notachievingbudgetedyieldtargetsratherthanthepriceof fertiliser.ThestrategiesfordeterminingPfertiliserratesarethesameastheyhavebeeninthepast.

WherecashflowandfinancialriskremainkeypressuresanoptionistoreduceproductioncostsbylimitingPratesbutthisisashort-termstrategythatwillminesoilreserves.ThesewillhavetobereplacedatsomestageandapplyingsufficientPtomaintainsoilreservesbyreplacingtheamountof Premovedinthegrainatharvestisaverysoundstrategyfor2011.

Evenmoderatein-furrowfertiliserratescandamagecropssownusingdiscopenersornarrowpointsonwiderowspacings.Withcanola,evenlowin-furrowNrates(around10kgN/ha)canhalveplantpopulationsanddamageisworseif thecropissownintodrysoils.Undertheseconditions,unlessseparatingtheseedandfertiliserbysideordeepbanding,avoidusinghigherratesof Natseedingandtopupwithin-cropNduringthegrowingseason.

AdequatetraceelementnutritionisjustasimportantforvigorousandprofitablecropsandpasturesasmajorelementssuchasNandP.Traceelementscanbesuppliedinfertilisersappliedatseeding,asseeddressingsorasfoliarspraysduringthegrowingseason.

Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Sulphur (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (kg/ha)

Wheat 105 15 18 6(5t/ha,12%protein)

Canola 90 15 20 15(3t/ha,23%protein)

Barley 90 15 23 6(5t/ha,10%protein)

Approximate nutrient removals with major grain crops. Nutrient densities are taken from Reuter & Robinson, 1997.


Whenitcomestocropdisease,preventionisthepreferred,lowest-riskandmostcost-effectiveoption.

Alltheindicatorspointtocereal,pulseandoilseedcropsbeingunderheavytoextremediseasepressurethisseasonduetohigh-moistureconditions,highdiseaselevelslastseason,the‘greenbridge’andhighstubbleloadsinmanypaddocks.

Thediseaseriskisbestaddressedby:

• eliminatingthe‘greenbridge’

• selectingvarietieswithresistancetothediseasesmostlikelytoposethebiggestthreat,wheresuchresistanceisavailable

• appropriatemanagement,includingrotation,socropsarenotsownintoornearstubblesof thesamespecies

• providingappropriatefungicideprotectionatseeding

Itisimportanttonotethepotentialforre-emergenceof diseasessuchastake-all(hay-die)thatarefavouredbyhigher-moistureconditions.

Take-allismostactiveinbetterseasonsandiscapableof causingverylargeyieldlosses.Yieldscanbereducedbyaround20%withoutanyvisiblesymptoms.If cropsarestressedbyhotdrywindsduringspring,rootsystemsblockedbytake-allcancausethecroptohayoff prematurely.

Somesmalltake-allpatcheswerereportedin2010andsomeearlyPreDictaB™samplesindicatetake-allinoculumlevelshaveincreased.Thediseasecouldemergeasasignificantissueinsomepaddocksthisyear,withcereal-on-cerealpaddocksorcerealsongrassypasturesathighestrisk.PreDictaB™canhelpdeterminethediseaserisk.Contactyouragronomisttoseeif testingisjustifiedandif so,takethesoilcoresalongtherowsof thepreviouscerealcrop,whichwillhelpestimatemaximumrisk.

Paddockswithhighlevelsof take-allinoculumshouldbesowntocanolaorpulsesastake-alliseasilycontrolledbygrowingagrass-freebroadleafedcrop.Ayearwithoutgrassof anysortwillsignificantlyreducelevelsof take-allinoculuminthesoil.

Prevention the key to disease control

Disease issues • Diseasepreventionisbetter

thancure

• Minimisetheriskbyeliminatingthe‘greenbridge’

• Establishawiderotation

• Growresistantvarietiesifavailable

• HaveaPreDictaB™testorassaydonetodeterminediseaselevelspresent

• UsedecisionsupporttoolssuchasBlackspotManagerandtheBlacklegRiskAssessor

• Applyappropriatefungicideprotectionatseeding

• Provideadequatecropnutrition

• Buildfoliarfungicidesintothecropmanagementprogramandbereadytosprayifneeded

• Activelymonitorwhatishappeninginthecrop


Thewarm,moistconditionsoversummerandearlyautumnshouldhavereducedinoculumlevelsbuttheremaystillbeaheightenedrisk,if self-sowncerealsandgrassesinthisseason’scroppingpaddocksarenotcontrolled.Take-allinoculumwillincreaseongrassweedsandcerealvolunteerswhensoiltemperaturedropsbelow25°Csoearlyremovalof the‘greenbridge’isessential.Thiswillalsoreducetheincidenceof rhizoctonia,whichishostedbycereals,grassesandbroadleafedweeds.

In-furrowfungicidesandseeddressingscanreducetheriskof yieldlossinpaddockswhentake-allinoculumlevelsarelowtomedium.Delayedsowinginthesepaddockstotheendof theseedingprogramwillalsohelpreducetake-allriskprovidedthepaddockiskepthostfree.

PreDictaB™willalsoidentifytheriskfromothersoil-bornepathogenssuchasPratylenchus nematodes,whichhavealsostartedtoincreaseduetothebettergrowingconditionsinthepasttwoseasons.

Cereal Cyst Nematode (CCN)mayalsobecomeanissuethisseason,withvolunteersfromlastseason’slargecropsof CCN-susceptiblecerealsincreasingtheriskof massivenematodebuildup.AvoidsowingintolerantorsusceptiblevarietiesinpaddocksorzoneswhereCCN-susceptiblecropsweregrownin2010.

Timeof sowingcanalsoimpactondiseaseriskinpulses.In2010,sowingpulsestooearlyincreasedtheneedforfungicideapplicationsandreduceddiseasecontroleffectiveness.

‘the risk of cereal rust diseases is expected to be

higher this season than at any time since the 1970s’

Incereals,however,earlysowingcanenablecropstoavoidmajorimpactfromrhizoctonia.

Theriskof cereal rust diseasesisexpectedtobehigherthisseasonthanatanytimesincethe1970s,soitwillbeimportanttoavoidsowingsusceptible(S)andverysusceptible(VS)varieties,usefungicidesatseeding–particularlytoprotectearly-emergingcropsfromstriperust-andactivelymonitorcropstoensuretimelyapplicationof foliarfungicidesif theyareneeded.

Usethelatestdiseaserankingstoselectwheatvarietieswithresistant(R),moderateresistant(MR)ormoderatelyresistanttomoderatelysusceptible(MR-MS)responsestostripeandstemrustatleast.Selectingvarietieswithdifferentresistancegeneswillreducetheriskof lossesif thereisachangeinpathotype.

Planforin-seasonfoliarsprayswithwheatthisyearand:

• knowwhattoexpectwiththediseaseresponseof eachvarietysown

• monitorregularly,particularlyif usingavarietyknowntobevulnerable

• maintainawarenessof regionalanddistrictrustlevels

• bepreparedtoactinatimelymanner

Withlong-seasonwheatsandtriticales,heavygrazingcanreduceanearlyburdenof striperust.Applyingatankmixof fungicidewithabroadleaf herbicideisalsoacost-effectiveoption.

Stubble-bornediseasessuchasyellow leaf spotinwheatandblacklegincanolaarealsolikelytobeprevalent,particularlyintheabsenceof widerotations.Identifypaddocksathighriskof rootdiseaseandtakeappropriateactionstominimisethoserisks.

Yellow leaf spotdiseasewasprevalentin2010solevelsareexpectedtobehighthisseasonbuttheactuallevelof infectionwillbeinfluencedbyhumiditylevelsandthevarietysown.

Initiallevelsof yellowleaf spotinfectionaredirectlyproportionaltothequantityof infectedstubblepresentsocontrolmeasuresshouldfocusonreducingtheamountof infectedstubble.Othermeasuresthatwillreducetheriskof yellowleaf spotare:

• includingcropsnotsusceptibletothediseaseinthepaddockrotation

• sowingresistantwheatvarieties

• timelyapplicationof fungicideswherechemicalcontroliswarranted.

Septoria tritici blotchmayalsobeanissueinearly-sownsusceptiblecrops.

Barley scald,favouredbyearly-sowncropsandcool,wetconditionsduringwintermonths,islikelytobeanimportantdiseaseof early-sownbarleyduring2011.Tominimisegrainyieldandqualitylossfromscald,sowlateranduseseedand/orearlyapplicationof foliarfungicidestosuppressdiseasedevelopment.

Spot form of net blotch (SFNB)willagainrequireactivemanagementthisseason.Avoidsusceptibleandverysusceptiblecultivarsandavoidsowingintopaddockswithinfectedbarleystubble.Foliarfungicides


appliedbetweenZ31(stemelongation)andZ39(flagleaf emergence)cansuppressdevelopmentof thisdisease.

Leaf rustandpowdery mildew,bothof whichwillbefavouredbythe‘greenbridge’,canbemanagedbyusingseed-appliedfungicides,avoidingsusceptiblecultivarsandmonitoringtoensuretimelyfoliarfungicideapplicationsif needed.

Thelevelsof take-all, crown rotandnematodes maybehigherthisseasonanditisimportanttoconsiderrootdiseaseissueswhenplanningrotationsandpaddockmanagement.

Largeamountsof diseaseinoculumwillbecarriedoveronpulsestubblesthisseason,sopaddockselectionwillbecritical.Aimtosow2011pulsecropsasfaraspossiblefrom2010stubbletominimisethechancesof sporemovementfromstubbletothenewcrop.

Gooddiseasemanagementwillalsobeessentialtoreducethelevelof diseaseriskandpotentiallosses.

‘good disease management will also be essential

to reduce the level of disease risk and potential losses’

Effectivecontrolof chocolate spotinfababeansandbotrytis grey mouldinlentilsstartswithafungicidesprayatpre-canopyclosure.

Theriskof lossesfrom chocolate spotinfababeanscanbeminimisedbykeepingcropdensitybelow24plantsasquaremetre.

BlackspotManagersporereleasepredictionsareavailableonthewebatwww.agric.wa.gov.au/cropdisease

Usingthesepredictionstoschedulesowingof fieldpeastoavoidexposingseedlingcropstopeaksporereleasesisthebasisforminimisingtheriskof lossestothisdisease.

Thecoldwetwinterandspringin2010keptaphidnumbersandassociatedviruses atalowlevelbutthe‘greenbridge’andmildconditionsoversummerhaveincreasedtheriskof aphidsandvirusesin2011.

Ingeneral,whethersowingcereals,pulsesoroilseeds,sticktothebasics.Choosethemostsuitablecropvarietyandsowingtimetominimiseoverallrisk.Inrecentyears

earlysowingwascriticaltosuccesswithpulsesbutwithadequatemoisturepresentearlysowingisnotthebestoptionforallpulsevarietieswherediseaserisksarehigh.

Forpulses,planatleastonefoliarsprayintothemanagementprogram,ensureaccesstoanticipatedfungicideneedswellaheadof whenthechemicalislikelytobeneededandmakesureyoursprayequipmentisreadytogo.Monitorcropscloselyandbepreparedtoactquickly.Complacencyanddelayswithfungaldiseasemanagementcanbecostly.Protectinghealthyfoliageaheadof infectionisfarmoreeffectivethantryingtostoporcureaninfection.

Notethatfungicidesusedunderemergencypermitsin2010cannotbeusedfortheseapplicationsin2011.

Tominimisediseaseriskinpulsecrops:

• Allowabreakof atleastthreeyears(preferablyfour)betweensuccessivelupinandfieldpeacropstoallowdiseasesporenumbersinthesoiltodecline.

• Aimtoseparatethisyear’slupin,fieldpeaorchickpeacropsfromstubbleof thesamecrop.

• Usegood-quality,high-vigourseedthatisfreefromdisease.

• Useafungicideseeddressingthatwillprovidesixtoeightweeksprotectionfromdiseaseandreducelevelsof transmissionof seed-bornepathogens.

• Makestrategicuseof foliarfungicides.

• Sowvarietiesthatareappropriateforthedistrictandhaveadequatediseaseresistance.

• Followtherecommendedsowingdates,ratesandagronomyinformation.

• Inspectcropsregularlyforplantanddiseasedevelopmentandrespondquicklyif diseaseisfound.

• Foliarfungicidesworkmosteffectivelywhenappliedearlyanddiseaselevelsarelow.

Theriskof blackleg in canolawillbehigherin2011anditisimportanttosowcanolaasfaraspossiblefromcanolastubbleof anyageanduseafungicideatseeding.

AnewdecisionsupporttoolcalledtheBlacklegRiskAssessor(BRA)willhelpwithcanolariskmanagementdecisions.Thenewtool,detailedinaGRDCBlacklegRiskAssessorFactSheet(www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-BlacklegRisk),enablesgrowerstodeterminetheirownblacklegriskpaddockbypaddockandadjustfactorssuchasvarietyandpaddockelectiontoreducerisk.

Sclerotinialevelsarealsolikelytobehigherthisseasonthaninrecentyears.Croprotationisthemainmethodof controlforthisdisease.


Goodmanagementandattentiontodetailwillhelpminimisetheriskof lossestopestsinthecomingseason.

Manypestshavebeenfavouredbythehigh-moistureconditionsinmanyareasandthegenerallymildsummerconditionsinmostdistricts.Thedifficultharvestconditionsandtheproliferationof volunteersandweedsthathavebecomea‘greenbridge’formanypestsanddiseasesarealsosignificantfactors.Pestsfavouredbytheseconditionsincludemice,slugs,snailsandaphids.

Crickets, earwigsand lucerne fleamaycausedamageinthecomingseason.Largepopulationsof cricketswerereportedinsomedistrictsinlatesummerandearwigshavealsobeenactive.Theseinsectsarethoughttobefavouredbyhighstubbleloads.Lucernefleawillbenefitfromthehighmoisturelevelspresentinmostpaddocks.

Whilethesepotentialpestscouldcausedamage,itisunlikelytheywillallbeaprobleminthesameareaanditisimportanttodealwiththereality,notthethreat.Asidefromdirectfeedingdamage,pestssuchasaphidscanalsotransmitplantvirusesthatcanbeparticularlydamagingif cropsareinfectedearly.Physicallycheckwhatishappeninginyourpaddocks.If thereisevidencethatoneormorepestsarepresent,activelymonitorthesituationandmeasurethepopulation.Thiswilldeterminewhatcontrolmeasuresneedtobeputinplaceandpossiblywhattosowinthatpaddock.

Itisimportanttoaccuratelyidentifyanypestthatispresentandbeconfidentthatitisorwillbeaproblem.It

isalsoimportanttotakeaccountof theecology.Insectpestscomewithpredatorsanddiseasesanditislikelyanypestpopulationwillbeunderpressurefrom‘beneficials’includingbeetlesandotherinsects.Spidersandpredatorymitescanalsokeeppestpopulationsdownandspidersarealreadynotablyprevalentinsomecroppingregionsthisyear.Thebenefitsof anycontrolmeasurewillbemaximisedif beneficialpopulationsareleftintacttocontinueattackingthepest.

Thehighstubbleloadandthenumberof damagedpaddocksmeanmanygrowerswilluseslashing,rolling,burningandpossiblytillageforstubblemanagementandtoimprovepaddockconditionsothereisscopetoachievesnailcontrolwhilesettingupthepaddockforseeding.

Burningcanreducesnailpopulationsbutmayproveproblematicthisseasonif therearecoolmoistconditionsleadinguptoseeding.Upto40%of thesnailpopulationcansurviveinapaddockwherethereisgreenweedmaterialwhenitisfired.Wheregreenvegetationisdesiccatedaheadof burningthesnailkillcanbeashighas95%.Desiccationcanalsoimprovetheefficacyof physicalcontrolmeasures.

Physicalcontrolsincluderolling,slashingormulching,andcablingorchaining–draggingachain,cableorsimilaracrosspaddockstodislodgesnailsfromstandingstubbleanddamagethem.Allthesemethodsworkbestinhot,dryconditions.

Thesecontrolmeasureswillnoteliminatesnailsandwherepopulationsarelargetheyneedtobeaugmentedbybaiting.

Pest issues • Removethe‘greenbridge’to

minimisepestpressureandassociatedspreadofviruses

• Monitorpaddocksandaccuratelyidentifythepestspresentandthedamagepotentialbeforedecidingonaction

• Acttoavoidorminimiseproblemsaheadofseeding

• Mice,snailandslugcontrolislikelytobedifficultthisseason,sopaycloseattentiontothedetail

• Makesurecontrolmeasureshaveminimalimpactonbeneficialorganisms

Apply good principles and pay attention

to the detail


Thebesttimetobaitiswhensnailsareactiveandthereislittlefoodavailable.Typicallythisissoonafterafallof rainorperiodof coolmoistconditionsinlatesummerorautumn.Twotothreeconsecutivedaysof coolmoistconditionswhenfoodisscarcearerequiredtoachieveahighlevelof mortalityfrombaiting.Theamountof vegetationinmanypaddocks,plusthehighmoisturelevels,volumeof surfacecoverandextendedperiodsof mildtemperaturesmaymeanitwillbedifficulttoachievegoodresultsfrombaitingthisseason.

Whenbaitingitisimportantto:

• applysufficientbaitforthenumberof snailspresentandre-baitif necessary

• baitearlybeforeegg-layingcommences

• spreadbaitwhentwotothreedaysof moistconditionsareforecast

• baitfencelinesthroughouttheseasontoreducethenumberof snailsmovingbackintopaddocks

• monitortreatedareastodeterminewhetherfurtherbaitingisneeded

• usebaitingaspartof anintegratedmanagementstrategy

If highsnailpopulationsarepresentinmaturingcropsharvestequipmentandpracticesmayneedtobemodifiedtominimisesnailcontaminationof theharvestedgrain.

Timingiscriticaltoachievegoodlevelsof control,soon-goingmonitoring,usingrecommendedcountingmethods,isavitalpartof themanagementequation.

Countsshouldbetakenbeforecontroloperationsandsevendaysaftercontroltorecordeffectiveness.

Slugscausesimilardamagetosnailsbutaremoredifficulttocontrolphysicallybecausetheyliveinthesoilandundersurfacecover.Theyalsotendtobenocturnal.Consequently,thereisgreaterrelianceonbaitingforslugcontrol.

Theprinciplesforslugcontrolaresimilartothoseforsnails.

Determinetheslugriskinyourpaddocksbyregularmonitoringusingwetcarpetsquares,hessiansacksortileslaidoverslugpelletsonthesoilsurface.Makeeach‘trap’32cmx32cm(10%of asquaremetre).Checkthetrapsafterafewdaysandcountthenumberof slugsinandaroundeachone.Multiplythecountforeachoneby10toestimatethenumberof slugspersquaremetreinthatlocation.

Morethanoneslugpertrapindicatesasignificantproblem.If therearemorethaneightslugspertraptheproblemissevere.

Giventheconditionsinmanypaddocks,itislikelytobedifficulttogetanaccurateindicationof slugnumbersorachievegoodlevelsof controlwithbaiting.

If conditionsmeanitisunlikelybaitingwillbeeffective,considersowingpaddockswithahistoryof slugorsnailproblemstocropsthatarelesssusceptibletoslugattack.

Slugsandsnailsmaybediscouragedbycultivation,ideallytwoshallowpasseswithadiscfollowedbyrollingtocrushclodsonthesurface.

Micearealsolikelytoposeachallengethisseason,particularlygiventhehighbasepopulationsinmanydistrictsandthemild,high-moistureconditionsoversummer.

Habitatisafactorformiceandreducingstubbleheightbycuttingorrollingwillhelplimitmousepopulationsbyreducingthecoveravailableforthem.However,foodavailabilityisthemajordriverof mousepopulations.

Theamountof unharvestedorspiltgrainremaininginpaddocksafterlastyear’sharvestsuggestsmicecouldcausesignificantproblemsinthecomingseason.

Seedfrompastureandweedsisalsoanimportantfoodsource.

Monitorpaddocksclosely,andwherenecessaryapplyzincphosphidebait.Baitingstraightafterseedingisthemosteffectivetiming.

Giventheimportanceof foodinthemouselifecycle,thestartingpointforanycontrolmeasureistoreducetheamountof graininthepaddockandpreventweedseedset.Grazinghardandearlywithsheepwillreducetheamountof grainleftonthepaddocksurfaceandcultivationwillburyseedmakingitdifficultfortherodentstoaccess.

Effectivesummerweedcontrolwilladdresstheweedseedissueandprovide‘greenbridge’controlbenefits.

Reducingthegrainavailablewillalsoimprovethelikelihoodof achievinggoodbaitcontrol.

Therearethreepotentialdangerperiodsforcropdamage–atseeding,floweringandseedset.Theriskof late-seasondamagewilldependlargelyonwhenmousenumbersdecline.

Beyondthesemanagementmeasurestheonlyoptionisbaiting.Thekeystoachievinggoodlevelsof controlwithbaitingincludereducingotherfoodsources,goodtimingandapplyingsufficientbaitforthepopulationpresent.

Thecarry-overandbuildupof variousotherpestswillbedisruptedbyeliminatingthe‘greenbridge’foranextendedperiodof severalweeks.Thiswillbreakthelifecycleof thepestsanddiseasesthatrelyongreenvegetation.Pestsreliantonthe‘greenbridge’includeaphids,whichover-summeronweedsandvolunteerplants.

Thekeyisclosemonitoringof whatishappeninginthepaddock,withquickandaccurateidentificationof anyapparentproblemandearlyuseof themostappropriatecontrolmeasures.

Strategic Risk Management Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-StrategicRisk 2011 Farm Gross Margin and Enterprise Planning Guide (SA) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FarmGrossMarginGuide2011

Crop Varieties 2011 SA Sowing Guide www.sardi.sa.gov.au/crops/publications/sowing_guides 2011 SA Crop Harvest Report www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-NVT-SACropHarvestReport2011 2011 Victorian Winter Sowing Summary Guide www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-NVT-VicWinterSowingGuide2011 2011 NSW Winter Crop Variety Sowing Guide http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/field/field-crops/ winter-cereals/winter-crop-variety-sowing-guide

Sowing Stubble Management Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-StubbleManagement Retaining Seed Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-RetainingSeed Time of Sowing Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-TimeOfSowingSouth Targeted Nutrition at Sowing Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-TargetedNutrition Crop Placement and Row Spacing Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-CropPlacementSouth Rotations Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-Rotations Water Use Efficiency Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-WaterUseEfficiencySouthWest Canola – Growing Hybrid Canola www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-HybridCanola

Diseases Root Disease Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-RootDisease Crown Rot in Cereals Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-CrownRotCerealsSouth&West Rhizoctonia Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-Rhizoctonia Rust Management Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-RustManagement Fungicide Timing Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-FungicideTiming Green Bridge Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-GreenBridge Blackleg Risk Assessor Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-BlacklegRisk

Pests Mouse Management Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-MouseManagement Integrated Pest Management Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-IntegratedPestManagement Aphids and Viruses in Pulse Crops Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-AphidsandVirusesinPulses Plant Parasitic Nematodes Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-NematodesSouthWest Diamondback Moth in Canola Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-DiamondbackMothSouthWest Wheat Curl Mite Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-WheatCurlMite Plague Locust Control Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-PlagueLocustControl Bash ‘Em, Burn ‘Em, Bait ‘Em booklet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-Snails-BashBurnBait Beneficial Insects: The Back Pocket Guide (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-BPG-BeneficialInsectsSouthWest Snail Identification and Control: The Back Pocket Guide www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-BPG-Snail Slugs in Crops: The Back Pocket Guide www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-BPG-Slug Wheat Rust: The Back Pocket Guide Not Online – copies available from Ground Cover Direct Freephone: 1800 11 00 44 Wheat & Barley Leaf Symptoms: The Back Pocket Guide Not Online – copies available from Ground Cover Direct Freephone 1800 11 00 44

Weeds Managing the Weed Seedbank Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-WeedSeedbank Late Season Herbicide Use Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-LateHerbicideUse Glyphosate Resistance Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-GlyphosateResistance Herbicide Resistance Fact Sheet www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-HerbicideResistance Water Use Efficiency Fact Sheet (southern) www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-WaterUseEfficiencySouthWest

These publications are also available in hard copy from Ground Cover Direct on Freephone 1800 11 00 44 or email: [email protected]

Useful Resources

Documents

Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region ......Making the most of a wet summer in the Southern Region Driving national collaborative grains research, development and