Technical Bulletin – 30 August 2017

• Monitoring, seed germination and emergence remain the top priorities for most growers across western Victoria.
• Growers are assessing plant densities of any emerged crops, particularly canola, and adjusting their yield potential expectations.
• After watering germination test areas, some Wimmera growers have elected to re-sow some canola paddocks because less than 5plants/m² could be found.
• With some rain on the forecast this weekend, growers are taking a positive and prepared approach to potential next steps for crop management, particularly regarding inputs for nutrition, pest and weed control.
• Lamb prices are expected to remain strong through spring.

• Stubble burning used as a last resort to allow for sowing.
• Canola crops are being sown or are already emerging in some regions.
• Slug and snail management continuing.
• Mice in localised areas requiring management.
• Crop nutrition budgets are being developed from soil test results and yield expectations.

• Seedling survival seems dependent on soil type with the most vigorous crops being sown before the ANZAC day rain and into sandy soil types.
• Early frost damage is being observed.
• Growers at Horsham and BCG researchers have observed slug activity in the Wimmera.
• Based on the late start and low rainfall to date, growers are reviewing their nitrogen strategies on a paddock-by-paddock basis.

2022 has been the season that keeps on giving, even though we are now in 2023. Wheat harvest has presented challenges with grain quality for some, and it was thought timely to talk a bit about what is going on, and while not a lot can be done in terms of this harvest, there are some considerations leading into sowing of next seasons crops and learnings to take from what has happened this year. Steven Simpfendorfer of NSW DPI has been kind enough to share some insights on fusarium head blight (FHB) and white grain disorder (WGD) via a communication piece that was distributed to northern NSW and QLD networks.