Location: Kooloonong
Crops: canola, wheat, barley, lupins, lentils, chickpeas, vetch
Annual rainfall: 320mm
Soil type: light sands through to sandy loams and heavier flats
On Alistair Murdoch’s Kooloonong farm, variety selection decisions are based on much more than yield and quality potential alone.
Alistair, who farms with his parents Gordon and Geraldine and wife Simone, said the attributes and constraints particular to their property and system were fully considered before deciding which crops and varieties to grow.
“Weeds, resistance, soil fertility, disease management and our rotation all come into it,” he said.
On the Murdoch farm, a typical rotation includes a pulse, canola (triazine tolerant and Clearfield) and then three cereals (including Clearfield varieties).
To keep the system simple, only two wheat and two barley varieties are sown each year; in 2013, Mace and Kord wheat and Hindmarsh and Scope barley.
“I don’t see a fit for any more than two varieties, as cereals account for only about 60 per cent of the area we crop,” Alistair said.
The seasonal conditions and outlook also play a part in variety selection. Last year’s dry summer, and the potential for plantback issues, meant more Kord wheat was sown than initially planned.
Of the barley, Alistair said Hindmarsh was still favoured for its capacity to yield well in Mallee environments with dry finishes. But, Scope also had a place, particularly where brome grass is an issue.
“It tends to be more competitive than Hindmarsh and will establish better on our lighter soils,” he said. “And because it produces more biomass (than Hindmarsh), it helps with soil health and wind erosion.”
Canola varieties generally comprise one Clearfield and one TT variety – last season 44Y84 and Stingray.
“They tend to establish better on our sands than the open pollinated varieties,” Alistair said.
Canola varieties also play an important role in the herbicideresistance prevention strategy.
“We’re aware that if we push the Clearfield system too hard it won’t work for too long,” Alistair said.
“I’ve moved towards using more TT varieties so we’re only exposing paddocks to a Group B herbicide one in every five years – usually the last year in our break phase so there are only a small number of weeds to clean up.”
While disease prevention is also a consideration when selecting varieties, Alistair said many could be managed agronomically.
“We have a liquid seeding system so we can apply flutriafol in-furrow and we usually apply a preventative foliar spray,” he said.
Alistair admits that finding a pulse that suits all soil types on the farm remains a challenge. It is for this reason he has adopted a variable rate sowing system.
“Experience has shown us that some legumes will not perform on some soil types. Our system allows us to sow crops according to zones (e.g. vetch on flats and lupins on hills) so we can make something out of every soil type.”
Because of the farm’s varying soils, Alistair said every paddock was managed slightly differently.
“Variety selection is part of this,” he said.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
2013 CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME | THE YEAR THAT WAS 2013 – FARMING FOR TOMORROW | 2013 RESEARCH SITES | 2013 SITE DESCRIPTIONS | BCG RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING SOIL TEST RESULTS | 2013 GRAIN PRICES | 2013 BOARD, STAFF AND COMMITTEE | ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS | CEREAL GROWTH STAGE CHART | DISCLAIMER
