TAKE HOME MESSAGES
- Compass was the only variety to achieve Malt 1 (assuming Malt accreditation), at both BCG sites, in the dry finish.
- Compass, Hindmarsh, Fathom and La Trobe are varieties best suited to the Mallee and Wimmera. Compass and La Trobe, if granted Malt accreditation, are the obvious choices for the added premium.
- Currently, Malt accredited varieties are well behind feed varieties or those pending accreditation, in terms of yield. For those varieties to be more profitable, there would need to be in excess of $130/t premium for Malt over Feed: growers should aim for yield.
BACKGROUND
With more barley varieties being released each year, growers need to consider a range of agronomic factors when choosing a new variety. It is important to understand how the new variety will address the shortcomings of any current variety being grown. Yield, disease resistance, nitrogen responsiveness, weed competition, herbicide tolerance, grain quality, susceptibility to head loss, sprouting and lodging are all important factors to consider ( ‘Appendix 4: barley variety specifications’ pp 220 ). Delivery site access and marketability can also affect the suitability and profitability of varieties.
As part of the GRDC-funded ‘Southern region barley agronomy’ project, barley varieties were compared for their productivity and agronomic fit for the Wimmera and Mallee.
AIM
To compare the performance of new and current barley varieties in the Wimmera and Mallee.
TRIAL DETAILS
Table 1. Barley trial details at Kooloonong and Horsham.
Pests, weeds and diseases were controlled to best management practice.
METHOD
Replicated trials were established at Horsham and Kooloonong using a complete randomised block trial design, with four replicates. Assessments included establishment counts, NDVI (measure of ‘canopy greenness’) and grain yield and quality parameters.
RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
Mallee
In 2014, conditions at Kooloonong were different from those in most parts of the Mallee, with a full soil water profile prior to sowing. The site received 181mm of rain between November 2013 and April 2014. The trial was sown into a chickpea stubble and 15mm of rain fell five days after sowing, enabling good emergence across all varieties. Despite the dry finish to the year, the varieties finished off well in this yielding environment. Towards the latter half of the season, it became evident that there was a slight variability in crop height, (wave like appearance) across all varieties. This could be attributable to compaction or root disease. Results should be treated with some caution, unless looking at multiple seasons and cross-site comparisons.
In terms of grain yield, there was little separating the top yielding varieties. Hindmarsh, Fathom, Compass and La Trobe all yielded similarly (Figure 1). Scope CL was the lowest yielding variety, being 0.4-0.6t/ha lower than all varieties except Gairdner.
*Indicates if there was a segregation for Malt 2, Gairdner would have achieved this grade, however, is classed as Feed, due to no segregation at nearby sites.**Indicates that had Compass been an accredited Malt variety, it would have achieved Malt 1.
To further support the findings of this trial, NVT data (2012-2014) shows Compass, Hindmarsh, Fathom and La Trobe not only yielded well in 2014 (average across seven sites), but have been consistently good performers over the last three years (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Mallee NVT barley grain yield (% of site mean) comparing 2014 to long term averages (2012-2014) across 17 varieties at Birchip, Hopetoun, Manangatang, Murrayville, Rainbow, Ultima and Walpeup.
Wimmera
The trial at Horsham was sown into a vetch stubble and received only 100mm of rainfall prior to sowing (Nov-April). Growing season rainfall was below average, with a tough finish to the season. Nevertheless, varieties yielded quite well for the area.
The top four yielding varieties were Fathom, Commander, Skipper and Compass. The lowest yielding varieties were Westminster, Gairdner and GrangeR, significantly lower than the top performing varieties.
Figure 3. Mean yield of barley varieties at Horsham in 2014 (P<0.001, LSD=0.4, CV=7.2%).
Varieties were penalised in terms of grain quality, which may have been influenced by the dry finish or possibly the severe frost events which occurred throughout the season. All Malt varieties were downgraded to Feed due to low retention or because delivery sites were not taking Malt 2 and 3. Similar to results at the Kooloonong site, Fathom and Compass were the only varieties in the trial that had excellent grain quality (within Malt specifications). Test weight was within Malt/Feed grade specifications across all varieties. Protein was slightly high (greater than maximum protein) in Bass, GrangeR, Gairdner and Westminster Malt varieties and screenings were significantly higher (due to small grain) in sister varieties Hindmarsh and La Trobe.
Table 3. Grain quality and receival site grade (based on grain quality) at Horsham (refer to pp. 20)
*If there was a segregation for Malt 2 or 3, these varieties would have achieved this grade, however they were classed as Feed as there was no segregation at nearby sites. **If Compass been an accredited as a Malt variety, it would have achieved Malt 1.
The findings from this trial are supported by NVT data (2012-2014) which shows Compass, Fathom and Skipper yielded well in 2014 (average across three sites) and have been consistent performers over the last three years (average 2012-2014). Bass, a mid-late season variety, has also yielded well over a number of years, but there are limited segregation options in Victoria.
Figure 4. Wimmera NVT barley grain yield (% of site mean), comparing 2014 to long-term averages (2012-2014) across 21 varieties at Horsham, Kaniva, Brim and Minyip. Note: Minyip 2014 data was not used.
COMMERCIAL PRACTICE
Compass, Fathom, La Trobe, Hindmarsh and Skipper have been standout performers (in BCG trials and the NVTs) over a number of years. Compass has proven adaptability in both the Mallee and Wimmera, and is a higher yielding replacement for Commander and Gairdner in the Wimmera, and Hindmarsh in the Mallee.
Compass has a good disease package and is also resistant to cereal cyst nematode (CCN), making it an excellent alternative to susceptible varieties Gairdner and Scope CL. If Compass was to achieve malting classification, it would have been the most profitable variety at both BCG sites, (excellent grain quality in Malt grade). Compass is available commercially as a high yielding feed variety in 2015. However, the target for Malt accreditation is not until 2016.
Hindmarsh and its sister line La Trobe are a similar option for a high yielding variety in both regions, but La Trobe has a slightly better disease package than Hindmarsh. The benefit of growing La Trobe over Hindmarsh will be further realised if it can achieve Malt accreditation in 2015, giving it a slightly higher premium. These varieties, however, are not favoured in weedy paddocks due to their lack of competitiveness (erect growth habit), resulting in added management costs. Intergrain is also trialling new Clearfield (imidazolinone tolerant) varieties that possess similar traits (growth habit, yield, disease package) to Hindmarsh and La Trobe. These varieties are still undergoing evaluation and are predicted to be a few years from becoming commercially available.
Fathom, a short season variety, continues to be an excellent yielding Feed variety. It has excellent grain quality, a good disease package and good weed competition. It has proven its fit in the Mallee and also the Wimmera, though it would be hard to go past a Malt equivalent.
When planning barley rotations for the following year, growers should address whether their current variety is still delivering maximum benefits and profits to their particular farming system. For example, although Scope CL has been a great tool for managing grass weeds, the cost of using Intervix®, combined with its inability to yield as well as other varieties, means it will never be as profitable as its higher yielding counterparts. It should only be used as part of an integrated weed management (IWM) strategy. Gairdner, whilst a good Malt variety in a ‘tough’ finish, has been falling behind in terms of yield over a number of years, as new varieties appear on the market. This has resulted in a decline in national volumes and segregations. The variety is predicted to be phased out in one to two years ( 2015 Barley variety sowing guide for WA ).
The unpredictability of seasons makes looking at one year’s data risky. This year was a good example, with a dry finish and frost events occurring throughout the year. Different finishes to the season can favour one variety over another, reiterating the importance of looking at varietal performance over a two to three year period. Choosing to grow a new variety should also only be considered if it has specific advantages (in terms of disease package, Malt grade, adaptability, resistance to delayed harvest) over current variety choices. Delivery site access and marketability can also change the suitability and profitability of varieties. Growers are somewhat restricted in which variety to grow until there is wide enough interest and adoption to warrant segregation at receival sites. Growing one of these top performing varieties that has a fit in the market, and ensuring best management (nutrition, weed, disease and insect control) will result in achieving the highest profitability.
ON-FARM PROFITABILITY
Malt or feed? Currently, Malt accredited varieties are consistently lower yielding than feed varieties or those pending accreditation. Thus, regardless of whether Compass achieves Malt accreditation or not, it is very hard to go past it as a reliable barley variety given its high yields and agronomic advantages. With Hindmarsh and La Trobe achieving similar yields, should La Trobe achieve Malt accreditation this year, there will be obvious benefits from growing this variety over Hindmarsh (if looking for a similar replacement). However, comparison of these varieties on-farm is required, to truly grasp the financial gains across a particular business: different factors are going to have an effect on on-farm profitability.
Key areas for consideration are:
- consistent yield and grain quality (adaptability to different seasons)
- Malt versus Feed quality
- segregations of Malt at the closest receival site, (if no segregation nearby, the cost of freight needs to be considered)
- weed management: additional costs if growing a Clearfield variety or a less competitive variety
- tolerance to delayed harvest (head loss and lodging) and grain damage through pre-harvest sprouting
- susceptibility to disease and associated additional control costs.
REFERENCES
GRDC NVT Victorian Winter Crop Summary, 2014
GRDC Barley variety sowing guide for Western Australia, 2015
GRDC, National Variety Trial, 2014
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This trial was funded by the GRDC through the ‘Southern region barley agronomy’ project (DAN00173)
