Take home messages

• The final yields and gross margins in 2017 of wheat and barley were strongly influenced by key weather events.
• Delayed sowing of wheat by nearly three weeks at one site significantly improved establishment and average yields by 1.5t/ha by avoiding a 56mm rainfall event a day after sowing.
• Minimum temperatures at Westmere on four consecutive days of 0°C or less, during flowering and grain fill at the beginning of November, affected the yield and quality of both barley and wheat.
• In 2017, the additional cost of the fully managed strategy in the early sown wheat trials did not provide an improvement in financial return on average.
• Wheat varieties, LRPB Trojan, LRPB Beaufort and Longsword all gave significantly (p<0.05) greater yields at both trial sites under the fully managed strategy.
• RGT Planet was the highest yielding barley variety overall (p<0.05) at the Inverleigh site and in the early sown trial at Westmere.
• Fully managed input treatments yielded significantly (p<0.05) higher than standard input treatments in all Southern Farming Systems (SFS) barley variety trials in 2017.

Background

With limited wheat and barley varieties suited to the high rainfall zone (HRZ), it is important that there are agronomy packages available that suit each variety to maximise production and profitability. In the 2017 season, SFS created a new system of running variety trials, and now creates tailored agronomic packages for varieties with different levels of input management across existing and upcoming wheat and barley varieties, that are grown in the HRZ, including Tasmania. These trials, along with other GRDC projects such as DAN0017 Barley Agronomy, are helping to build a strong database of knowledge for targeted variety management, which will give advisers and growers confidence to try new varieties as they come to the table.

To determine input levels for the agronomy packages, pre-set yield targets were created for standard and fully managed input treatments:

• barley trials were aiming for 9t/ha yields in fully managed input treatments, and 6t/ha for standard input treatments
• in the wheat trials, 10t/ha was the target for fully managed treatments, and 7t/ha was the target for standard input treatments.

Once yields were determined, inputs such as fertiliser, fungicide and plant growth regulators (PGRs) were altered accordingly. Treatments that received higher inputs were pushing for maximum yield potential, while standard management input decisions were based on the likelihood of receiving an economic return.

This paper utilises the data from these management trials in 2017 with some references to SFS and GRDC NVT trial results from the Western districts in 2016.

Wheat trials

Trial setup

In the 2017 season, SFS ran a number of wheat variety management trials consisting of both existing and upcoming varieties that are suited to the HRZ. The trials were repeated at two times of sowing (TOS) at SFS sites across the Western district. Trials varied in design, depending on entries, either split plot factorial which included two different levels of management or randomised complete block with a single management level.

Table 1. SFS wheat variety TOS dates.

Table 2. Complete list of wheat varieties tested.

Nitrogen management

The previous crop at both the Westmere and Inverleigh sites was faba beans which were brown manured at late flowering. Available nitrogen (N) at sowing in the top 60cm at Inverleigh was 188kg N per hectare, and 80kg N per hectare at the Westmere site. Nitrogen (N) applications were applied at GS31 with a further application post GS32 for fully managed input treatments.

Varietal performance

SQP Revenue followed on its strong performance at the Westmere site in 2016 by being the top yielding variety in the early sown Westmere trial in 2017 under both management strategies, with an overall yield of 8.35t/ha. It was, however, not significantly (p<0.05) higher yielding at this site in 2017, under the standard management, or 2016 than RGT Accroc or ADV 11.9419 under the full management and 2016. Only four varieties in the fully managed strategy gave a significant (p<0.05) yield improvement over the standard approach — LRPB Trojan, LRPB Beaufort, Longsword and LRPB Kittyhawk.

Table 3. Wheat variety yield results TOS 1 Inverleigh and Westmere, including 2016 results from Westmere.

*Treatments with same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05

Results for the early sown trial at Inverleigh were affected by significant soil wash from a 56mm rain event one day after sowing, but RGT Accroc still yielded 9.55t/ha under the fully managed strategy and only 0.25t/ha less under the standard management. DS Pascal yielded considerably better at the Inverleigh site, which may suggest it was adversely affected by the frost at Westmere. Only four varieties in the fully managed strategy gave a significant (p<0.05) yield improvement over the standard approach — LRPB Trojan, Beaufort, Longsword and Zircon. Interestingly, the three varieties LRPB Trojan, Beaufort and Longsword were the only varieties in the fully managed strategy that gave a significant (p<0.05) yield improvement over the standard approach at both sites suggesting something in the additional inputs was producing additional yield.

Table 4. Wheat variety yield results TOS 1 Inverleigh and Westmere, including 2016 results from Westmere.

*Treatments with same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05

Table 5. Wheat variety yield results TOS 2 Inverleigh and Westmere 2017.

*Treatments with same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05

TOS effect

Earlier sowing time showed improvements in some varieties at the Westmere site due to flowering and grain fill being less impacted by frost events. At the Inverleigh site, large rain events prior to sowing meant that the earlier sown varieties experienced severe soil wash, resulting in a stronger yield performance in the later sown trial.

Fully managed and standard input results

Yield and protein

Where the two management strategies were used, fully managed input treatments yielded significantly (p<0.05) higher than standard input treatments in all trials in 2017. On average, proteins were higher in fully managed input treatments across all varieties, however as there was some spread of yield between fully managed and standard treatments, it seems that extra N that was applied to fully managed input treatments post GS32 has increased protein.

Table 6. Yield performance of fully managed and standard management trials when all varieties are combined.

*Treatments followed by same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05
Economic breakdown of fully managed and standard inputs

The input cost/ha for standard input treatments was $559, while input cost/ha for fully managed input treatments was $700. These prices include an identical herbicide regime, but different fertiliser, fungicide and PGR rates. A contract price for machinery was included per application.

Table 7. Economic breakdown ($/ha) of fully managed and standard inputs Inverleigh wheat trials.

Given these values and prices for feed and milling wheat per tonne from 2017, the extra yield per hectare required to cover the added cost of fully managed input treatments can be calculated. These costs have been outlined in Table 8.

Table 8. Yield required to cover cost of fully managed inputs per hectare.

When variety and input effects are combined, results show that economic benefits between fully managed and standard inputs are variety specific, however on average, the best returns were gained from the standard level of inputs.

Barley trials

Trial setup

In the 2017 season, SFS ran four barley variety trials consisting of nine existing and upcoming varieties that are suited to the HRZ. The trials were repeated at two TOS at the Westmere and Inverleigh trial sites, in the Western districts. Trials were a split plot design, and each variety was tested with two different levels of management as outlined earlier.

Table 9. SFS barley variety trial sowing dates.

Table 10. Varieties tested in fully managed and low management variety trials.

Nitrogen management

The previous crop at Westmere was faba beans that was brown manured, while at Inverleigh the previous crop was oaten hay. Available N in the top 60cm at Inverleigh was 121kg N per hectare and coincidentally, the same at the Westmere site. Nitrogen applications were split into two different timings — mid tiller and GS31. Fully managed input treatments received 20% of their total N requirement at mid tiller, and the remaining 80% at GS31. Treatments under the standard input program received 30% of their N requirement at mid tiller, and the remaining 70% at GS31.

Varietal performance

High yields were achieved, despite the Westmere trials being impacted by frost events in early November. Some varieties at Inverleigh achieved malting quality, but would currently be binned as F1 due to these varieties still awaiting malt-accredited status, apart from Westminster which achieved a malt grade in the early TOS.

RGT Planet was a standout variety in 2017, yielding the highest at Inverleigh across both TOS, and in the early TOS at Westmere. Rosalind was also consistent and yielded the greatest in the second TOS at Westmere. The early maturing characteristic of Rosalind allowed it to complete most of its grain fill before November frost events, meaning it had a heavier test weight at this TOS compared to all other varieties.

These results are consistent with NVT results in 2016, with RGT Planet and Rosalind holding the highest NVT site mean % at Inverleigh and RGT Planet at Streatham. Results from Streatham in 2017 have not been included as they will be part of the frosted report.

Table 11. Variety yield results Inverleigh and Westmere (combining both management strategies) including 2016 results from Westmere.

*Treatments with same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05

TOS effect

At Westmere, the average yield of all varieties sown at the earlier sowing time was 0.4t/ha greater than when sown two weeks later, when management levels were combined. The results from Westmere follow on from data gained in the 2016 SFS variety trials at that site, where the earlier TOS averaged 1t/ha more yield on average. This result is also supported by a further TOS barley trial that was run at the Westmere site as a part of the GRDC Barley Agronomy Project (DAN000173), which achieved a significant result of 1.1t/ha more from early May sowing compared to mid-May in 2017.

Fully managed and standard input results

Yield and protein

Fully managed input treatments yielded significantly (p<0.05) higher than standard input treatments in all barley trials in 2017.

Fully managed inputs were shown to significantly increase test weights in later sown trials and significantly increased protein across all trials (refer Table 8). Although proteins did increase with higher inputs, they did not indicate that excess N was utilised for grain protein rather than yield. With new feed barley varieties possessing strong yield potentials, there is merit in pushing N applications to achieve greater yields, rather than limiting N to contain protein within malting specifications. For further discussion on this topic, please refer to the SFS report ’Barley-Malt or Feed’ available in the resources section.

Table 12. Yield, test weight and protein performance of fully managed and standard management levels Inverleigh.

*Treatments followed by same letter do not significantly differ when p=0.05
Economic breakdown of fully managed and standard inputs

The input cost for standard input treatments was $405/ha, while input cost for fully managed input treatments was $510/ha. These prices include an identical herbicide regime, but different fertiliser, fungicide and PGR rates. A contract price for machinery was included per application.

Table 13. Economic breakdown of fully managed and standard input treatments Inverleigh ($/ha)

Given these values, and prices for feed and malt barley per tonne from 2017, the extra yield per hectare required to cover the added cost of fully managed input treatments can be calculated - Table 10 below illustrates this.

Table 14. Yield required to cover cost of high inputs per hectare.

When variety and input effects are combined, results show that economic benefits between fully managed and standard inputs are variety specific.

The varieties that achieved the strongest economic benefits between fully managed and standard input treatments were Rosalind, Bottler, Westminster and Alestar across the Inverleigh site. An example of this is given in Figure 1, where Rosalind achieved an average yield of 1.2t/ha more with fully managed inputs in the earlier sown trial, resulting in an increase of $129 per hectare.

Figure 1. Rosalind margin in early sown trial Inverleigh.

Useful resources

Barley - Should I grow malt or feed?

Acknowledgements

SFS would like to acknowledge the GRDC for its investment into the Barley Agronomy Project (DAN00173) trials referenced in this report, and the contributing breeders for co-funding the SFS trials. We would also like to thank our host growers - the Hamilton family of Inverleigh, the McCrow family of Westmere, and the Herrmann family of Tarrington.

Contact details

Jon Midwood
Southern Farming Systems
23 High St, Inverleigh, VIC
jmidwood@sfs.org.au

Claudia Gebert
Southern Farming Systems
23 High St, Inverleigh, VIC
cgebert@sfs.orga.au