The BCG team are in full harvest swing after a slightly stop-go start to the 2014 program. The two plot harvesters are stripping plots in paddocks across the Wimmera and Mallee and the lab is processing samples steadily with some very interesting results so far.
BCG got to scratch the harvest itch early when, October 30 saw us harvesting the first couple of trials at Kooloonong, beginning with Members’ only canola and barley varieties. These trials compared their establishment and performance, and their suitability to deep sandy Mallee soils.
BCG research trials coordinator Claire Browne said the top four variety were all equal to each other, three of which were roundup ready, and one triazine tolerant variety.
“The barley varieties provided interesting results too finding that a benefit of $47/ha was obtained from growing Hindmarsh as opposed to Compass and La Trobe (default feed) assuming a Hindmarsh (malt) price of $247/t and feed price $230/t.” she said.
Frost research trials at Hopetoun and Lubeck, which are part of a national GRDC funded project at Hopetoun and Lubeck were harvested this week.
Research officer and project manager Kelly Angel said the first of the two trials is investigating the impacts of stubble management practices whilst the second implements skip rows to influence crop architecture.
At the Hopetoun site, the temperature logger at the site reported 301 hours below 2oC (deemed a frost indicator) with the lowest temperature recorded being -5.268 oC on August 4. Lubeck recorded 190 hours below 2oC with the lowest temperature recorded just -3.036 oC, also on August 4.
“After a season where we have experienced so many frosts it will be interesting to see the results, and the differences between the two research sites.” Ms Angel said.
Other research trials harvested include wheat and barley sprouting tolerance trials at the irrigated Wemen site, vetch termination and end-use trials (now in its third year of results) at Birchip, a trial aiming to increase carbon storage on alkaline soils at Birchip, GRDC funded barley agronomy trials at Horsham including PGR, spray-topping and disease/delayed harvest interaction trials.
BCG has also harvested very early sown wheat and wheat varieties/disease interaction trials at Quambatook.
The results from BCG’s 2014 research program will be published in the 2014 BCG Season Research Results compendium, which will be launched at BCG’s Trials Review event on February 20, 2015.
