Australia
August 5, 2013

The Regional Cropping Solutions Network (RCSN) established by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in the southern cropping region is having a significant impact on the identification of crop production issues and development of innovative investments to address these.

Slugs and snails, herbicide resistant weeds, crop diseases and nitrogen management are among the productivity constraints targeted for additional GRDC funding as a result of the RCSN’s activities.

GRDC Southern Regional Grower Services Manager, Andrew Rice, says the network of 42 growers, farming systems groups representatives, consultants and other grains industry stakeholders has been responsible for an enhanced appreciation of local cropping issues as well as the creation of new GRDC-funded projects to find solutions.

At the GRDC Regional Cropping Solutions Network combined meeting are low rainfall zone group facilitator Nigel Wilhelm (back left), from the SA Research and Development Institute; high rainfall zone co-facilitator Trent Potter of Struan (SA); GRDC Southern Regional Grower Services Manager Andrew Rice of Parkes (NSW); HRZ co-facilitator Jen Lillecrapp (front left) of Naracoorte (SA); and medium rainfall zone group co-facilitators Felicity Pritchard and Stephanie Warren, both of Horsham (Victoria).

“Comprising four groups that are representative of the southern cropping region’s high rainfall, irrigation, medium rainfall and low rainfall zones, the network feeds intelligence from across the region on crop production issues through the GRDC’s Southern Regional Panel,” Mr Rice said.

“The network has been playing an influential role in the GRDC’s thrust to fast-track funding for research, development and extension (RD&E) projects aimed at improving grain growers’ productivity, profitability and sustainability. A number of ‘fast-track’ projects have been completed, others are underway and more are planned to start this year.”

RCSN members met in Melbourne recently to discuss cropping issues in their respective production zones and the status of RD&E projects resulting from their recommendations.

Snails and slugs were high on the list of priorities as they remain a considerable impediment to crop production in the high and medium rainfall zones in the southern cropping region. In addition to significant ongoing GRDC-funded research into the problem, fast-track projects are underway as a direct result of identification of specific issues by GRDC’s RCSN in the south.

Mr Rice said an HRZ group-recommended fast-track project had been established to evaluate management strategies (cultural controls and baiting) to effectively control slugs. The project, being run through Southern Farming Systems with support from IPM Technologies, is already underway and has involved monitoring at 10 sites in Western Victoria and trials on three of these sites.

“The project aims to provide valuable information that will contribute to improved slug identification and monitoring practices and the implementation of effective management strategies,” Mr Rice said.

Through the Yorke Peninsula Alkaline Soils Group in South Australia, a snail bait distribution trial will be conducted with the support of the SA Research and Development Institute. It will involve comparing the use of different spreaders and different baits and will provide data on bait loss to inform growers and advisers on the most effective baiting measures. The impetus for this trial came from the MRZ group.

An emerging problem in the LRZ is that of herbicide resistance in ryegrass and sowthistle in southern NSW. Mr Rice said a fast track project involving a targeted survey to assess resistance under different farming systems had been completed. Results of the survey are currently being analysed and will be extended, ready for application in 2014.

Eyespot, a lower stem fungal disease in wheat, has also been addressed with fast-track funding. About 20,000 hectares in SA’s Mid North is sprayed annually to manage the disease, which can be devastating. A project was conducted in 2012 to assess control measures.

In the irrigation zone, proposed fast-track projects are focused on unlocking the significant potential of two break crops in irrigated farm systems: faba bean and canola. Faba beans are considered to have the greatest potential of the pulse crop options in southern irrigation areas, according to Mr Rice.

“However current areas are well below potential. Canola is a mainstay of dryland farming systems in the southern region. Obtaining full value in irrigated systems requires a different approach to crop agronomy, and for this reason projects with a specific emphasis on irrigated production are planned.”

The four groups within the southern RCSN discussed during their recent combined meeting other cropping issues that they have identified as priorities in their respective zones.

Other priority issues in the irrigation zone include the need for variety-specific agronomy packages for irrigated cereal crops, correct crop sequencing for double cropping under irrigation, and development of a better understanding of how soils work under irrigation.

In the MRZ, priority issues include capacity building for young farmers and consultants, yellow leaf spot and other agronomic issues associated with retained stubble farming systems, the need for reduced reliance on fungicides, and glyphosate resistance.

Other issues of priority in the HRZ include herbicide resistance, longer season wheat varieties for early sowing, optimum time of sowing given the risk of frost and heat stress, nitrogen management, and agronomic packages to increase canola yields.

Priority issues in the LRZ include the need for ‘less risk’ break crop options to manage pests, weeds and disease following cereal crops, nitrogen management and poorly integrated livestock and cropping enterprises.

Mr Rice said while the GRDC was already addressing many of these issues through existing and proposed investments in RD&E, it was important that members of the RCSN maintained a close watch on regional cropping constraints.

“This will ensure that meeting the needs of growers’ remained to the fore and additional projects could be activated where and when necessary.”

 

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: August 5, 2013