A NEW, four-year project is set to examine the yield potential of different varieties grown under various agronomic packages as part of a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment into hyper-yielding cereal crops.
Following on from the success of Hyper Yielding Cereals (HYC) project in Tasmania, the Hyper Yielding Crops project has recently commenced on a national scale, with GRDC Centre of Excellence trial sites established in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
Riverine Plains Inc project officer, Kate Coffey, said a Centre of Excellence had been established at Wallendbeen near Cootamundra in southern NSW, with the research site chosen because it had a water-limited yield potential of 10 tonnes/hectare for cereals and 5t/ha for canola.
“Riverine Plains Inc has also worked alongside lead organization, FAR Australia, to establish three focus farm sites in southern NSW in support of the Wallendbeen Centre, with a canola site established at Gerogery and wheat sites established at Culcairn and Howlong” she said.
Grower involvement is a major focus of the project, and Riverine Plains Innovation Groups are being established to link local growers with the focus farm paddock trials at Gerogery, Culcairn and Howlong.
The 2020 focus-farm paddock trials will look at nitrogen and fungicides, while future focus-farm paddock trials will be based on ideas arising from the local Innovation Groups, as well as from growers visiting the Centre of Excellence.
“We are hoping to conduct small-group discussion field days at the farm paddock trial sites during September, 2020, however this will depend on COVID-19 restrictions during spring,” Ms Coffey said.
Riverine Plains Inc are also seeking 10 paddocks from across the region to be nominated for the 2020 Hyper Yielding Crop Awards.
The Award will benchmark agronomic aspects of individual wheat crops, with participating growers to receive an agronomic benchmarking report comparing that paddock to all others entered, both regionally and nationally.
The project combines the expertise of several farming groups, including Riverine Plains Inc, with FAR Australia, SARDI, Brill Ag, CSIRO, DPIRD, TechCrop and CeRDI.
“This project will ultimately provide an opportunity to unlock yield potentials by providing a greater understanding of the possible constraints and the agronomic practices required to achieve potential yields in a given season.” Ms Coffey said.
Riverine Plains Inc are currently taking expressions of interest from growers interested in joining the Innovation Group, as well as from those farmers interested in being involved in the Hyper Yielding Crop Awards.
Source: Riverine Plains Inc, riverineplains.org.au
Contact Riverine Plains Inc project officer Kate Coffey, 03 5744 1713, or email [email protected]
Riverine Plains Inc is an independent farming systems group specialising in farmer driven research and extension across north-east Victoria and southern NSW.
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