Dr James Hunt has attended approximately ten BCG Main Field Days.
First, as a tertiary student in 2001, then as a BCG employee and most recently as a researcher.
“I have missed a few over the years though, most notably the two soggiest ones: the flood in 2010 and ‘the mud’ in 2016,” Mr Hunt explained.
This year, rain, hail or shine, he will be at BGC’s Main Field Day on 12 September to lead the discussion on the GRDC-funded Managing Early Sown Wheat (MESW) project.
The benefits of early sown wheat could be considered a moot subject in 2018 as growers across the region were forced to reconsider their sowing program as rainfall during April and May was lacking.
But results from trials – which have been irrigated at four different timings to simulate an autumn break – when real-world sowing conditions were dry, means growers are well-positioned to make more informed variety selections in 2019.
“Sowing earlier winter cultivars in seasons when there is an opportunity could be really positive for the profitability of Mallee farms, particularly those with livestock,” Dr Hunt said.
“Early sown winter wheats provide a great source of winter feed for sheep that takes pressure off pasture paddocks,” he added.
Another benefit is the reduced pressure on the main-season sowing window (late-April to mid-May). When every other crop in the rotation needs to be sown to achieve yield potential, sowing wheat early also means less will be planted too late.
Dr Hunt points out that seven years of research with BCG has shown that early sown winter wheats can yield as well as faster spring wheats sown later.
“However, the system is far from perfect,” he said. “A cultivar really suited to the Mallee is yet to become available, although we think there are some in the pipeline.”
The research is raising a range of questions: how early we can push winter cultivars?; what will an early drought do to them?; how much soil moisture is required to establish crops this early?
Dr Hunt said the MESW research aims to answer these questions and provide reliable packages of management for growers in the Mallee to use.
“This year has provided good data on that with an extremely dry autumn,” he said.
Dr Hunt, who is also a BCG Research committee member, has overseen the project since it was launched two years ago. There are ten trial sites across grain growing regions of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
To see how particular cultivars are performing and find out which one will suit your system, come to the BCG Main Field Day on Wednesday 12 September. Entry is free for members or $50 for non-members. For more information, contact BCG on 03 54922 787 or [email protected].
