Shorter-season cereal and canola varieties have been the clear winners in BCG variety trials in 2014.
Despite the difficult season which produced a number of frosts and delivered below average growing season rainfall, BCG’s 2014 variety trials have again generated some useful results for growers in the Wimmera and Mallee.
With BCG variety trials managed to best practice so as to maximise yield, and trials strategically sown at a range of sites across the Wimmera and Mallee, growers can get a good feel for how crop varieties are likely to perform in their paddocks.
As BCG variety trials are harvested, yield and quality results are made available to members within 48 hours. This enables growers to make timely decisions about what seed to keep and what seed to order for the following season.
As well as wheat, barley and canola yield and quality comparisons, BCG also examines how varieties perform at different sowing times and how they respond to disease.
Early results from this year’s wheat variety trials have shown that Mace is still a solid performer in both the Wimmera and Mallee. Keeping in mind that the sort season has favoured shorter season varieties, Mace, along with other early to mid maturing varieties, were the best yielders at most sites.
Meanwhile, from the 18 barley varieties compared, early to mid maturing varieties again topped the yields with Hindmarsh, Fathom and Compass the best in the Mallee and Fathom, Commander and Skipper yielding best at BCG’s Horsham site.
This year, at Horsham, Commander again exerted its dominance over the once popular Gairdner, out yielding it by 0.9t/ha.
Given the season, canola yields mirrored farmer experiences – generally being disappointing. The best performers were again early maturing varieties, among them Clearfield, Roundup Ready and Triazine Tolerant lines. Oil quality was good given the dry finish.
When considering variety results, it is important to only consider growing a new variety if it has specific advantages for the farming system and long-term performance to justify changing.
The full results from BCG’s 2014 variety research trials will be published in the 2014 BCG Season Research Results compendium which will be released and distributed to members in February next year.
