Looking over the fence and at trials results can be useful when making decisions on your own property. When making variety decisions however, a longer term outlook needs to be considered which includes looking at performance over multiple years and in a range of seasonal conditions.
Being one of the wettest years on record the yield results for 2016 will be higher than average so looking at a varieties performance over last five years will be important to gain a more realistic indication of its yields.
While yield is still ‘King’, the paddock’s history, nutrition and weed burden should also have a baring on variety choice. Ask yourself where the paddock is now and where you would like it to be, and consider things like sustainability, crop sequences and the current and future financial position of the farm business.
All varieties have their own benefits and limitations that need to be understood and managed accordingly.
Remember, changing varieties requires a financial outlay and a return on investment should be calculated to determine if the change is financially viable or not. Genetically a variety may have the best characteristics and manageability however, environment plays a major role in its ultimate performance.
Variety choices can also be a useful tool for managing risk, particularly when frost, drought and disease pressure are of concern. While not being the definitive tool in insuring cash flow, variety selection can help increase the flowering window, thus lessening the businesses overall susceptibility to environmental risk factors. Because of this, variety decisions can have an effect on whole farm profitability.
When considering changing varieties there are a few questions you need to consider:
- Why am I changing varieties? Am I only responding to the most recent season and could my issues be fixed by changing management practices that necessitate at a smaller financial outlay?
- What have the long-term results been and have these been satisfactory?
- Will I be able to sow the variety within its optimum sowing window?
- Do I have a good mixture of varieties to assist in risk mitigation?
- Are my soil characteristics favorable for growth?
- What market am I targeting and is there a premium? And is that market easily accessible?
- Does the variety have a disease resistance package suited to the proposed growing environment?
- Will I want to graze or sow early if the opportunity is available?
The NVT and BCG variety results give growers an opportunity to assess varieties in different conditions and soil types with preliminary BCG variety results made available to members within 48 hours of harvest to allow for thorough and timely decision-making.
So far, yield results from 2016 variety trials have been extraordinary with canola at the Mallee site yielding 3t/ha and barley in the Wimmera and Mallee showing impressive yields of 8.6t/ha and 7.6t/ha, respectively. Meanwhile, the wheat results from the main research site at Warmur were between 3.9 to 5.3t/ha.
To become a BCG member log on at www.bcg.org.au or phone the office on (03) 5492 2787.
A full analysis of barley, wheat and canola variety performance in the Wimmera and Mallee in 2016 will be published in the 2016 BCG Season Research Results compendium and the results presented at BCG’s Trials Review Day at Birchip on February 17.
