The Australian Agronomist magazine Summer 2016

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MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 3

FORECASTING RISK

DIGGING DEEP TO DROUGHT PROOF AUSTRALIAN BARLEY

FROM SOIL TO SCREEN

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THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

CONTENTS 4

14

FORECASTING DIGGING RISK DEEP TO DROUGHT PROOF AUSTRALIAN BARLEY

29

44

TOAST TO WINE GRAPES WITH A TOOL TO TACKLE SERIOUS PESTS

NEW PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS STRONG NEW TT CANOLA HYBRIDS INTO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET

32 MANAGING CLIMATE RISKS WITH AGRICLIME

10 RELIABLE BROADSPECTRUM WEED CONTROL IN YOUNG VEGETABLE CROPS

13

46

SYMBIOTIC FARMING

20 JAPANESE CORN DIET UNLOCKS POTENTIAL OF WINNING AUSSIE WAGYU HERD

24 TIMS, BOLLGARD AND THE PIGEON PEA PROBLEM

BREAK CROPS AND BIG PROFITS CAN WE HAVE BOTH?

36

50

THE 17TH AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMY CONFERENCE

TRANSFORM REBIRTH MAKES LIFE EASIER

40 REVOLUTIONISING GLOBAL NEMATODE CONTROL

PO BOX 812 Strathfieldsaye VIC Australia 3551 P: 03 5441 8166 E: info@theaustralianagronomist.com W: www.theaustralianagronomist.com Editorial Lucinda Barty Email: info@theaustralianagronomist.com Phone: 03 5441 8166

Design & Advertising Michael Cook Email: michael@theaustralianagronomist.com Phone: 03 5441 8166

Publisher Paul Banks Email: paul@theaustralianagronomist.com Phone: 03 5441 8166

FORECASTING RISK USING AGRONOMIC MARKERS TO PREDICT AND MANAGE CLIMATE RISKS

BY LUCINDA BARTY

In the wake of a bad season, even the most intuitive of farmers can find themselves re-evaluating their decisions and taking stock of their losses. Farming is, after all, a profession dependent on the seasons. Rain may quench the thirst of parched soils and sunshine gives seedlings the strength to grow. Under the trying circumstances of the opposite scenario, many farmers will not only question their career choice but seek to remedy their farming woes in the form of concessional loans and drought assistance.

A new farmer-focused seasonal forecasting research project to be undertaken by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), however, aims to help farmers navigate and prepare for unforgiving seasons.

In an industry where rain may wash rich soils away completely whilst the suns harsher rays sap the moisture from the leaves of fledgling plants, using particular climate markers to anticipate the failure or success of an upcoming season is nothing new.

The RIRDC project, titled ‘Improved Use of Seasonal Forecasting to Increase Farmer Profitability’ aims to take seasonal forecasting much further by educating farmers on the intricacies of weather patterns, markers and the subsequent on farm decisions that will prove most profitable.

A farmer may know that if their marker of choice hasn’t occurred by a certain date, there is an increased likelihood of a failed season. Similarly, the occurrence of the same marker at the chosen point may be seen as a sign of a good season and higher profits ahead. What a farmer may not be prepared for, however, are the consequences of getting it wrong. By bridging the gap between seasonal climate forecasts and on-farm business decisions, the government funded project aims to improve the productivity and profitability of Australian farmers irrespective of predicted climate conditions.

For RIRDC’s Managing Director, Craig Burns, the project will holds the potential to be a pivotal resource providing real and practical tools to aid Australian farmers in better utilising seasonal climate forecasts.

“Climate is arguably the biggest driver of agricultural production in Australia, particularly as Australia has the most variable climate of any inhabited country,” Mr Burns said.

“While there have been significant improvements in one to ten day weather forecasts, this project addresses seasonal climate forecasts and how farmers should use them. This broader timeframe is important to farmers.

“It’s been shown that an effective way of addressing drought is to equip farmers to understand climate variability and how to use forecasts in business decision making. That’s the main goal of this project.”

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Reluctance to stray from time-tested convictions about what precedes a good or bad season can often stand in the way of farmers taking full advantage of seasonal forecasts. Such forecasts, however, hold infinite potential as a risk management tool with the RIRDC project also dedicating funding and research towards improving the capabilities of Australia’s seasonal forecasting model (POAMA/ACCESS). By analysing and reducing the main errors that negatively impact of the accuracy and quality of seasonal predictions, farmers are more likely to trust and utilise the forecasts produced.

By identifying the critical forecasting information requirements of each primary industry by sector, region, and decisions to be made, tools can be developed to aid farmers in their on-farm decision making. Developing seasonal climate information tailored to individual needs and actively working to improve seasonal climate forecasting skills in agricultural areas will be the main practical outcomes of the project. The culmination, the Australian government’s latest instalment of its ‘R&D for Profit’ program will ultimately be a significant reduction in risk for farmers upon unfavourable seasonal climate outcomes. By getting as many farmers as possible to realise the potential of seasonal climate forecasting and the foresight it can add to their decision making processes, the RIRDC hopes to see a notable increase in the use of the tool. After all, insight into the likelihood of your crop making it to market as top quality grain in a good season or silage hay in a bad one, stands as an unrivalled instrument for risk management.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“The project will hold the potential to be a pivotal resource providing real and practical tools to aid Australian farmers in better utilising seasonal climate forecasts.�

Craig Burns

5

FROM SOIL TO SCREEN HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS TAKING AGRONOMY INTO THE NEXT FRONTIER

BY LUCINDA BARTY

Amidst the shovels, pH kits and test tubes of the modern agronomist’s kit, a new universal yet intangible tool is proving indispensable: social media. By allowing agronomists to stand at a virtual lectern and reach their audience via smartphone, laptop, and even on-board computing systems in their tractor cab, the benefits of agronomic research can now be dispensed immediately to those on the ground. Internet connectivity and a pronounced social presence allows agronomists and farmers alike to take advantage of an increasing array of practical information, research and agricultural innovation. Physical location, in turn, becomes an irrelevant factor in a person’s ability to communicate with and belong to like-minded groups, access up-to-date news, information and the latest in R&D. In an era where many regional and rural newspapers have adopted digital formats and ‘Google’ has become a verb, more and more people are heading online to find the answers and information they seek. 2012 surveys conducted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) revealed approximately half of all grain producers and advisers in NSW had adopted social media use and associated technologies with figures only climbing higher in the interim. The more information an agronomist has available online, the higher their chance of positioning 6

themselves as an authority within their field and an expert in regard to certain topics. Whether networking within your industry or delivering timely information to colleagues, clients and potential clients, the double-edged sword that is social media covers the needs of farmers and agronomists alike.

Far beyond the basic website landing page, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook offer viewers a variety of mediums and formats.

Information becomes simultaneously more palatable, be it in a video demonstration on YouTube or short but intriguing summary on Twitter enticing the reader to learn more about the proposed benefits of new agronomic tactics or findings by following the included links. Agriculturalists and consultants tend to use social media most frequently for activities such as checking weather updates, market information, emails and agricultural news yet accessing technical information and logging information are also popular uses. Each social media channel presents unique ways for the audience to interact and engage with the information and ask questions in real time as well as providing feedback and personal accounts. Social Media, offers its audience an opportunity to converse with those producing the content – whether agronomists, farmers, scientists, researchers or government bodies. Epitomising this notion is #AgChatOz, a

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Social media is about much more than making ‘friends’. Reap the benefits for your business by joining up to the main game players.”

Twitter-enabled initiative which allows anyone interested in the hot topics, policies and future of Australian agriculture to debate issues, discuss ideas and offer advice. An author can invite feedback and discussion on new systems, products, services or research. Unlike the patenting system in which an idea is developed then patented to limit its uses, social media platforms enable research to be built upon by many minds.

WHO TO FOLLOW?

In terms of extension, social media can form the final link between research outcomes and practical information that farmers can use to enrich their own farming practices and the health of their land.

Researchers and agronomists can present their findings in a more palatable format for farmers whilst simultaneously increasing the reach of their research. Research organisations such as the CSIRO, for example, use a multiple platform approach to engage their followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, creating intrigue and interest. In this instance social media takes on an educative role – acting as the link between laboratory and paddock.

• Seed/crop chemical/ fertiliser companies

Whilst connectivity, or lack there-of, is often a limiting factor to social media use, the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) should increase web access. Bringing a sense of connectedness to rural and remote areas where face-to-face contact may be difficult is one of the significant benefits of social media and will only be strengthened through the NBN project.

Smartphone ownership amongst Australian farmers, however, has seen a rapid increase meaning access to the technologies needed for location based and real time updates is becoming the standard.

With social media initiatives amongst agronomists and agronomic research institutes already seeing a significant ascent in Australia, harnessing the potential of cross platform communication could be the key to reaching your target audience. Higher rates of smartphone and tablet ownership amongst farmers means agronomic messages can be dispersed with more ease and success than ever before with information filtering into everyday agricultural practices. Constant access to discussion and debate can similarly take research to the next level by determining its limitations and practical uses – all from locations across not only the nation but the globe. Tweeting and You-tubing may once have been foreign in farming circles but given their success and the possibilities they deliver, scrolling through a newsfeed will soon be level with turning the soil with a spade.

• Growers • Consultants • Advisors • Researchers (ie. GRDC, CSIRO, RIRDC) • Local agricultural/ rural media (ie. The Land, The Weekly Times, The Agronomist)

Twitter: • With 140 character or less per ‘tweet,’ Twitter is the ideal platform for communicating short, concise messages that are quick to read and easily interpreted.

• Communicate with followers quickly and share links to more in depth information.

• Twitter also allows you as a follower, to receive updates on new research outcomes and agronomic innovations when you don’t have the time to read at length - meaning farmers and other agronomists can keep up to date even when out in the field or on the tractor.

Facebook: • Facebook allows for longer messages and more content in each ‘post’.

• With greater control over who can see your posts and profile information, you can select the audience for your messages.

YouTube: • YouTube is a video sharing platform that allows you to broadcast videos. For an agronomist or consultant, this could range from product demonstrations, animated research findings or detailed ‘how-to’ instructional videos.

• Search an unlimited range of topics and share videos or links on other platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

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WHEAT LEAF RUST PATHOTYPE FOUND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WA An eastern Australian wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) pathotype has been identified in Western Australia, which may cause the rust resistance ratings of several wheat varieties to change.

Varieties that may become more susceptible to leaf rust include Mace, which is the most popular wheat variety in WA. Wheat leaf rust can significantly reduce wheat yields on susceptible varieties, given appropriate environmental conditions.

Growers are advised to make careful variety selections and to be aware of the resistance ranking of their chosen varieties for 2016.

The wheat leaf rust pathotype new to WA was submitted to the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP) at the University of Sydney, where it was identified by Professor Robert Park.

He said the pathotype 104 - 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 +Lr37 was identified in samples of leaf-rusted wheat collected from four separate locations in the northern region of the WA grainbelt in late September.

“This pathotype was first detected in South Australia in August 2014, and has since spread throughout much of the eastern Australian grainbelt, and now to WA,” Professor Park said.

“This is only the third example of a wheat rust isolate migrating from eastern Australia to WA in the past 25 years, all being wheat leaf rust, but it is concerning that two of these incursions have occurred in the last two years.”

Professor Park said the pathotype’s impact on wheat varieties grown in WA would be better understood at the end of this year, after the completion of field testing. “In the meantime, the cultivars Arrino, Binnu, Emu Rock, Envoy, Estoc, Grenade CL Plus, Mace, Tammarin Rock, and Zippy should be monitored closely for leaf rust,” he said.

“If rust is detected in these varieties, growers are encouraged to send samples of leaf rust to the University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute for pathotype analysis.”

Rusted plant samples can be mailed in paper envelopes (not plastic wrapping or plastic - lined packages) to the University of Sydney, Australian Cereal Rust Survey, Reply Paid 88076, Narellan, NSW, 2567.

Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) plant pathologist Geoff Thomas said the incursion of the pathotype was concerning, particularly following the 2013 identification of the separate 8

76 - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 +Lr37 pathotype, which had resulted in resistance ratings of varieties including Mace being reclassified.

“Changes in variety classifications highlight the impact of rust incursions and demonstrate the importance of continued vigilance to stop the introduction of pathotypes, and monitoring for early identification of incursions,” he said.

“While it is not known how the wheat leaf rust pathotypes entered WA from the eastern states, people should take precautions when travelling between farms, because rust can be introduced to new locations via clothing and footwear.”

“To minimise the risk of crop damage from rust next season, WA growers need to think carefully about the varieties they plan to retain or source for crop seed.”

“Controlling the ‘green bridge’ and monitoring Summer - Autumn regrowth is imperative to limit carryover of rust into the 2016 growing season.”

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THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

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9

RELIABLE BROADSPECTRUM WEED CONTROL IN YOUNG VEGETABLE CROPS For many years, Crop Care has worked with Australian vegetable growers, their researchers, advisers and suppliers to provide effective pre-emergent herbicides that can be used safely on tender young transplanted and direct-seeded vegetable crops.

This spring, Crop Care has added a reliable pre-emergent herbicide Ramrod Flowable (propachlor) to its herbicide range.

Ramrod (Group K) is a very useful resistance-management option, controlling many annual grasses (up to 1-leaf stage) and certain broadleaf weeds. It is particularly effective against Setaria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Poa and Lolium grass species, and offers residual control for six to eight weeks.

Ramrod is registered for sweetcorn; direct-seeded onions; transplanted broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, reliable broad-spectrum weed control in young vegetable crops cauliflower, chinese cabbage; and beetroot. Current permits cover spinach and silverbeet; shallots and spring onions; leeks and garlic in Tasmania, NSW and SA; all types of lettuce; rocket; and many varieties of leafy brassica vegetables.

Crop Care product development manager Andre Sabeeney said Australian vegetable growers had found a combination of Ramrod and Dacthal 900WG particularly successful in controlling a wide range of weeds in young, direct-seeded and transplanted vegetable crops.

“These products have been used in conjunction for some time, frequently tank-mixed by growers for broad-brush, pre-emergent control of more than 70 broadleaf and annual grass weeds, so Crop Care has added Ramrod to our herbicide range.”

Mr Sabeeney said that for more than 40 years, Dacthal (Group D) has reliably controlled a wide spectrum of broadleaf weeds and annual grasses in a broad range of vegetable crops. “Australian research led to the development of Crop Care’s Dacthal 900WG concentrated wettable granule – providing growers with dust-free, easy handling and lower use rates, but with the same wide weed spectrum and high level of crop safety, able to be sprayed directly over transplants.”He said that until recently, Australian lettuce growers had limited pre-emergent herbicides registered for transplanted crops.

“Dacthal 900WG was included in an HAL national research project over four seasons from 2010 in major Australian lettuceproduction regions, where it showed a high level of safety on transplanted leafy and head varieties of lettuce, and no residue issues when used according to the label.

10

"For more than 40 years, Dacthal (Group D) has reliably controlled a wide spectrum of broadleaf weeds and annual grasses in a broad range of vegetable crops."

Andre Sabeeney

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Use on all types of lettuce was added to the Dacthal 900WG label in 2013. “The current label covers pre-emergent control of more than 60 species of broadleaf weeds and annual grasses in cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asian brassicas; beans, peas; turnips, radish, collard, kale, brassica leafy vegetables; lettuce all varieties; onions, garlic, spring onions, shallots; potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams; carrots; and strawberries.”

“As growers have found, Dacthal 900WG and Ramrod work well together, broadening the weed spectrum in one pre-emergent application, extending the residual period of control, with good crop safety in directseeded and transplanted crops.”

It is particularly effective against Setaria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Poa and Lolium grass species, and offers residual control for six to eight weeks.

“They have different modes of action (Group D and Group K) for managing herbicide resistance. “Both have short residual life (up to 8 weeks), extending the period of weed control without interfering in normal crop rotations, and with no carryover problem to subsequent crops.”

“They also have similar application advice – as a soil surface spray prior to weed or seed emergence; onto a fine, firm seedbed free of clods and trash; within a few days of last tillage and before weeds germinate. Both are activated by soil moisture, requiring rain or overhead irrigation soon after application.”

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BREAK CROPS AND BIG PROFITS – CAN WE HAVE BOTH? While Bolgart grower Trevor Syme is preparing for a good canola harvest in November due to higher expected yields from his first hybrid sowing, it is the valuable weed control the crop provides in successive wheat crops that has him most excited.

Mr Syme said break crops had become vital to integrated weed management and sustained profitability.

“You might lose some money in the first year of planting a break crop, but I guarantee over a full rotation you’ll make more money,” he said.

“We use canola and lupins as our break crops to keep rotations ticking along, with canola going in every five years.”

This year the grower stepped up the fight against ryegrass, wild radish and brome grass after witnessing the decreasing efficacy of selective herbicides.

“I had been growing open pollinated triazine tolerant varieties and retaining the seed, but with yields of 1.0-1.4 tonnes per hectare and grass selectives [herbicides] not working well anymore, I needed to try something different.

“This year I planted my first canola hybrid - 600ha of Hyola 525RT. I went for the RT because of the wild radish burden. It gives us the triazine option to target broadleaf and grass weeds and Roundup gives us the two-way hit.”

For the wheat crop he planted 1000ha of Mace, 400ha of Magenta and 24ha of Trojan to bulk up for next year.

Mr Syme said Mace was a staple variety and Trojan will be replacing Magenta soon.

“Trojan is well suited to earlier seeding like Magenta and it typically flowers 6-10 days later than Mace, making it suitable for seeding a week earlier so I can target higher yields through a longer season.”

He also planted 600ha of lupins, 750 ha of barley and 170 ha of cereal rye.

Trevor, his wife Renae, and daughters Kiera and Jaymi, farm 4000 hectare “Waddi Park”, midway between Bolgart and Goomalling, 130km northeast of Perth.

They crop 3600ha of the land in a five-year rotation of lupins/ wheat/canola/wheat/barley, adhering to no-till practices with full stubble retention and controlled traffic.

Mr Syme is no stranger to innovation, being awarded the GRDC Australian Grain Grower of the year in 2013 for his work improving yields on the sandy soils plagued with non-wetting constraints through clay spreading, delving and spading.

Along with break crops and rotating herbicide groups, his IWM program includes pre and post-emergent timing and prevention of seed set using brown manuring and crop topping, along with harvest weed seed control such as narrow windrow burning.

“Windrow burning works best in canola because of the high heat that the oil produces. It’s not so good with cereals because if everything catches fire it can leave paddocks bare and prone to erosion.”

However, this year he is moving to a chaff deck, which places weed seeds onto tramlines which are the most hostile part of the paddock as they have become very hard.

Doing this will “retain 100 per cent crop residue to improve soil health.”

On the weather front, Mr Syme said they had to sow the crops dry in late-April but rainfall had been good, if infrequent.

“We like to start sowing around April 20 and finish by the end of May, and we start whether it’s wet or dry. More often than not its dry and this year was no exception.

“We had an opening rain of 32mm on May 16, then nothing for four weeks until 38mm, then nothing again until 75mm in late July.

It’s been good rainfall but too far between drinks.”

Trevor Syme in his crop of Hyola 525RT at Bolgart, WA. 12

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

NEW COSMIC-RAY TECHNOLOGY HELPS MAP SOIL MOISTURE Victorian agriculture scientists can now use new cosmic-ray technology to help map soil moisture thanks to the installation of a new large-area soil moisture sensor in Victoria.

CSIRO manages a network of cosmic-ray sensors (known as CosmOz) located in key locations around Australia with the latest sensor installed by the Bureau of Meteorology on the Department of Economic Development, Jobs Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) research farm at Hamilton.

DEDJTR and Bureau of Meteorology scientists will use the CosmOz data to better understand and map soil moisture, an important factor for agriculture, fire danger, flooding and weather forecasting.

DEDJTR Soil Research Scientist Dr Malcolm McCaskill said information from the CosmOz sensor will help producers to better determine the amount of stored soil water on their farms allowing them to make better on farm decisions.

amount of water in the soil, within a 300 metre radius of the sensor and to depths up to 90cm."

"The equipment communicates with a web server hourly via a satellite phone link and the data is then made available through the CosmOz Data web service."

"When combined with other technologies such as satellites and computer models, this new technology will help growers to better predict the amount of water stored in their soil allowing them to make better decisions with longer lead times, such as timing the sale of stock precisely at the end of the pasture growing season."

Dr McCaskill said the new sensor complements other soil moisture measurements undertaken nearby, which include conventional soil samples, hand-held probes and electronic sensors that record at various depths through the root zone.

"Stored water is important for finishing grain crops and in the sheep industry stored water provides for the spring peak of pasture growth," Dr McCaskill said.

"The cosmic-ray sensor provides an alternative source of data for calibrating soil water balances and satellite soil moisture to help estimate stored water in the soil more accurately," Dr McCaskill said.

"The CosmOz sensor takes advantage of naturally occurring cosmic rays, which interact with water molecules in the soil. The number of neutrons detected over a period of time is related to the

"This is a major leap forward over conventional on-ground soil moisture sensing technology that can only measure soil moisture content within a small area."

FLANKER WHEAT ‘PARALLELS’ SUNTOP IN PARKES DEMONSTRATION New wheat variety Flanker is establishing itself at Parkes this season, with a farmer demo showing promising signs.

Mr Macaulay said along with barley, he relied on main season milling grade wheat to produce the bulk of the winter crop income.

Scott Macaulay, farm manager at family cropping and sheep operation Parkvale Pastoral Company, planted four hectares of Flanker alongside 45 ha of retained Suntop seed on May 20 to gauge their performance in the main season window.

“We like protein and quality in our wheats for the milling market, which is usually the nearby Manildra Group. The last few years have been a bit tight, with screenings at 5-10 per cent, but our onsite storage gives us a few options.”

Mr Macaulay said while yield would not be known until the header goes in, he was impressed with the new variety from planting to maturity.

After harvest, they can store up to 2500t of grain in silos and use an independent broker to handle their grain sale.

“When we harvest later this month we’ll know for sure, but they’ve been matching each other most of the year and looking to go over 4t/ha depending on screenings, test weights and the finish,” he said.

“I was impressed with Flanker’s ability to parallel itself with an established variety like Suntop. We’ll grow more of it next year.”

Both crops received the same amount of fertiliser, chemical and in-crop rain of 250mm.

Mr Macaulay said his interest spiked after seeing Flanker out-yield Suntop in last year’s GRDC NVT at Goonumbla - the nearest trial site to Parkes.

He farms the 1300 ha property with father Neil, running 1900 fine wool merino ewes and cropping 660 ha - 260 ha of wheat, 220 ha of barley, 120 ha of lupins and 60 ha of triticale.

“We like to check the protein and quality first then market in arrears, and the onsite silos improve our marketing options.”

The grower said long season wheat also had its place due to its dual-purpose function.

“We like the long season varieties in the sense of the graze and grain affect. You aim to sow them in the early to mid April period, hopefully getting that grazing effect six weeks after sowing.

Then we can take them off for grain at harvest.”

He said their cropping and sheep setup helped buffer them against fluctuating commodity prices and gave them the flexibility to sell in the meat, wool and grain markets.

“The ratio can change depending on what the accrued meat protein, wool or grain markets are doing. You’ve got the option of doing what you like.”

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DIGGING DEEP TO DROUGHT PROOF AUSTRALIAN BARLEY IN A WORLD FIRST, RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND HAVE IDENTIFIED A KEY GENE IN BARLEY THAT ENABLES THE PLANT TO ACCESS WATER STORED DEEP IN THE SOIL DURING DROUGHTS. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation’s Dr Lee Hickey said the gene promoted narrow root growth, which allowed the plant to grow roots that penetrate down to water stored deep within the soil.

“Even before the harvesters hit the paddock, the lack of rain caused by the current El Nino has stripped around half a billion dollars in yield from the wheat industry and looks set to also have a major impact on the barley industry,” she said.

“This may be one of the most exciting research findings to ever come out of my lab,” he said.

“While barley crops on the Australian east coast enter the critical grain filling period, there appears to be no relief in sight as the next few months are forecast to be drier than average.”

“PhD student Hannah Robinson has undertaken the first study of its kind that aims to connect root architecture to yield in barley. Her findings will impact everything from predicting yield to modelling.

“Even in a drought, there is water deep underground and to be able to breed plants with the type of root system to access this water means growers can maintain barley yields in drought conditions.”

A former medical student turned plant scientist, Ms Robinson has identified the gene across the barley and wheat species.

“Our latest findings demonstrate that the gene for narrow root growth provides a significant yield advantage throughout Queensland and New South Wales,” Ms Robinson said.

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Australia is the 8th largest barley producer worldwide, producing around 7.5 million tonnes of barley annually.

Most barley in Australia is used for animal feed and beer production, but in North Africa and Southwest Asia, barley is a main staple food.

“Worldwide, the largest limitation on barley production is water,” said Ms Robinson.

“Dry seasons mean lower yield and less profit for farmers. The effect is more severe in droughts and El Nino weather events.”

Ms Robinson’s barley research has been undertaken with support from a Grains Research Development Corporation scholarship.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Her findings will impact everything from predicting yield to modelling.”

Dr Hickey

Dr Lee Hickey (right) with agronomist Paul McIntosh from Landmark (left)

PhD student Hannah Robinson 15

THE AW HOWARD MEMORIAL TRUST SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN PASTURE RESEARCH

BY LUCINDA BARTY

In modern-day Australia, a robust and strong pasture takes much more than seeds, soil and sunshine to grow – it requires the research and development of dedicated teams across the nation and the globe. Over fifty years on from its creation, the AW Howard Memorial Trust continues to support such research and extension through a series of grants, scholarships and awards, encouraging and promoting research and investigation in the fields of natural science and social science. With a particular focus for each grant, the trust enables the development, management and use of pastures to remain at the forefront of scientific enquiry.

2015 AW HOWARD MEDAL RECIPIENT: BOB REID. With a lifetime dedicated to the collection, characterisation and conservation of valuable forage plant varieties, this year’s awardee, Bob Reid, was recognised for his tireless work in the field of pasture research. Using the genetic resources available to him, Reid has developed many new pasture plants in collaboration with Robert Dent.

With a record to rival that of pioneer botanists, Reid has undertaken 25 plant collecting missions in more than 20 countries for both the CSIRO and Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries. His vast travels and research underpinned the development of 14 pasture plant cultivars (including 8 tropical legumes and 6 temperate legumes and grasses). A further 12 pasture plant cultivars have subsequently been commercialised via Tasglobal Seeds. A man highly worthy of the AW Howard title, Bob Reid’s work will inevitably continue on in pastures sown throughout Australia and the world.

Amos William Howard, the trust’s namesake, found subterranean clover growing on his Mount Barker, SA, farm, in 1889. Recognising the clovers great potential as a sown pasture, he pioneered the selling of its seed of which more than 20 million hectares are now planted across Australia. In this spirit, the notfor-profit association seeks to continue Howard’s entrepreneurial drive, providing travel grants, research fellowships and scholarships to support post-graduate students and researchers in attending conferences and study tours as well as subsidising their study expenses.

Biennially, the trust presents significant study awards of up to $20,000 each as well as the AW Howard Medal in honour of individuals who have made eminent contributions to national and international development, management and use of native and/or introduced pastures to the benefit of Australia.

Amos William Howard, the trust’s namesake, found subterranean clover growing on his Mount Barker, SA, farm, in 1889.

Prof. Bob Reid with The Howard Medal

16

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

STOPPING HULL ROT FROM DESTROYING ALMOND CROPS As an almond grower, and chair of the Almond Board of Australia, Neale Bennett is in as good a position as any to judge the impact of hull rot on his industry. Mr Bennett, who farms in the Sunraysia region near Mildura, says the damage caused by the disease cannot be understated.

“Hull rot is an enormous issue, causing problems with nuts sticking to trees and costing growers a lot in crop left on the tree,” he explains.

Hull rot is caused by the toxin-producing fungi, Rhizopus spp., which cause almond hulls, nuts and kernels to go black and stick to the tree, meaning they don’t dislodge at harvest time, as Bayer CropScience Development Manager for Horticulture and Summer Crops, Shane Trainer explains.

“It is costly in that it reduces quality and yield and diseased almonds remain in the tree, but it’s also costly in that growers may have to do a second tree shake or have staff physically knock the nuts off the trees to avoid issues with disease and pest carryover,” he says.

However, Bayer CropScience has been getting good results with its Luna® Sensation fungicide product, a combination of chemistry as Mr Trainer explains. Effective chemistry along with the management of nutrients and water can help control hull rot.

“Luna Sensation is a co-formulation between the active ingredient fluopyram, which is Group 7 chemistry with an SDHI mode of action, which is new for the almond industry, and the Group 11 chemistry active ingredient, trifloxystrobin.”

“They actually have quite a complementary effect with each other, increasing their ability to suppress rhizopus, which is the main causal organism for hull rot in Australia.”

“We’ve been developing Luna Sensation for about 8 years now and have recorded good results in getting more healthy nuts off the tree,” Mr Trainer says.

While significant work has taken place to get Luna Sensation to the marketplace for growers, Bayer CropScience Business Development Manager for Horticulture, Hugh Armstrong, says the research is ongoing.

“We want growers to get the best value out of the product, so we’re actually reinvesting in some serious in-field trial work again this year.”

“We’ve also opened dialogue with researchers in California to learn a bit more about how they’re dealing with almond diseases.”

“They’ve actually got a lot more products registered for key almond diseases than we have, so their commercial experience is very valuable,” Hugh says.

The high value of almonds makes control of hull rot an essential part of on-farm management, and the role of R&D companies in creating solutions is not lost on growers such as Neale Bennett.

“R&D is very important on the chemical control side, because it is an ongoing problem and we need to be able to tackle this if we want to keep farming successfully,” Mr Bennett concludes.

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QUINOA – NEW TRIALS TO DETERMINE: ‘BIG HYPE OR HIGH PROFIT?’

BY LUCINDA BARTY

Perhaps best known as the latest fodder of ‘hipsters’ across the globe, quinoa has in fact been providing sustenance for thousands of years. With demand on the increase, quinoa production is not just feeding the health conscious hordes but channelling profits into the pockets of growers. What potential does this popular crop hold in Australia? A three year national trial of the crop across five Australian states seeks to answer this.

Originally derived from South America, quinoa has a history dating back almost 3000 - 4000 years as a staple food of the Inca civilisation. Despite almost becoming extinct following Spanish colonisation, the rise in popularity of the new pantry staple (which is pronounced keen-wah) over the past decade has led to vast increases in production across South America, Europe and Asia.

Given its widespread success in other countries and the high demand for the seed only continuing to intensify, trialling the growth, yield and profitability of quinoa in Australia stands as a logical next step.

In a new project to be funded by Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and co-funded and led by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), field trials will take place to test the sustainability of quinoa as a regular crop in Australia.

Field trials are to be planted in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia with hopes already high for the ‘superfood’ crop. Research gathered during the trials, according to project leader Richard Snowball, will evaluate how well quinoa adapts to Australian conditions and the suitability of growing it for profit.

“Early indications suggest quinoa could be a highly profitable crop, given it’s not a very difficult crop to grow, particularly when grown under irrigation in warmer environments.”

Mr Snowball 18

“In Southern climates quinoa could be an ideal crop for wheat, canola and barley growers, as the growing process is similar.

By adding quinoa to the mix of crops, it could take the pressure off rotations that are at risk of disease and weeds.”

Building on three years of prior research at DAFWA’s Kununurra Research Facility, the latest trials will add to already very promising results. According to facility manager Mark Warmington, the future of quinoa production in Australia looks optimistic.

“Early trials under irrigation have revealed a typical crop produces a yield of between 2-3 tonnes per hectare.”

“When you factor that in to the current price of quinoa, of between $1400-4000 per tonne or more and the high consumer demand, the future for the crop and grower’s profitability looks bright.”

Quinoa’s future in Australia is as bright, perhaps, as the vibrant red flowers the quinoa plant bears which produce the seeds harvested once pollinated. When uncooked, the small seeds range in colour from white to red and black depending on variety with black quinoa fetching the highest prices internationally. As part of the Chenopodium or goosefoot species of plants, quinoa is often mislabelled a grain when it is in fact a seed.

The seed itself, at present, is not readily available in Australia, yet Senior Program Manager for Plant Industries, Dr John

de Majnik believes it is definitely a crop to watch.

“When it comes to diversifying into new commodities, farmers want to know they are investing in a growth or high value industry,” Dr de Majnik said.

As with any farming venture, Dr de Majinik reiterated the importance of farmers planning ahead and assessing whether quinoa could complement their operation.

With early Australian trial data already showing positive results, and demand growing both locally and globally, taking the tentative first steps into new cropping territory could hold huge rewards. Just how sustainable those rewards may be, however, will be further revealed at the conclusion of the RIRDC/ DAFWA trial.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Early trials under irrigation have revealed a typical crop produces a yield of between 2-3 tonnes per hectare.”

Dr de Majnik

19

JAPANESE CORN DIET UNLOCKS POTENTIAL OF WINNING AUSSIE WAGYU HERD When it comes to feeding highly prized cattle, the world’s biggest Wagyu producer, Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), takes a leaf out of Japan’s book.

He said the Japanese feeding method ensured the highest quality and consistency.”

Since adding Wagyu to its business in 1996, the company has followed the traditional Japanese method of finishing Wagyu on a corn inclusion diet for up to 500 days, citing better marbling and overall consistency

“A ration of corn and other feed commodities is attractive due to the control and consistency it provides. It improves marbling and conditioning and the company relies on us to produce a large number of bulls consistently and we can’t afford any hiccups.

We can’t afford to falter on genetic gain.”

Most of the herd, which also includes Angus and Brahman, is grass-fed due to sheer numbers - it can reach over 500,000 head at times.

Last summer they planted 340 hectares of corn, and with average yields of 43 tonnes per hectare, it provided the property with over 14,000t of silage.

AACo’s husbandry and feed regime is clearly working, winning gold at this year’s Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards with a cut of grain-fed strip loin from its Master Kobe Wagyu brand.

“Every time we put a corn crop in we aim for 40t/ha, so that was a good result given the warm conditions we get around here.”

Master Kobe also won gold at the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards in July, and in May the brand won grand champion at the World Wagyu Conference.

Master Kobe is sourced from cattle bred on AACo’s Wylarah and Glentana Stations.

Chris Hardie, manager of Wylarah farm at Surat in Queensland, said they will produce 3200 fullblood Wagyu this year, climbing to 4000 next year. There is 8000 cattle on-farm currently.

“Our focus is to continue the full blood breeding of the Westholme Wagyu herd to produce bulls for the existing AACo commercial herds, and to raise feeder steers to 300kg for the Master Kobe brand using Japanese methods for feed and growth,” he said.

Mr Hardie said while the property’s primary focus was breeding and feeding, it crops 5000ha of dryland country and 560ha of flood irrigated country to produce feed for internal use.

“We grow all our own crops here so that we are not relying purely on pastures, which can be affected by weather.”

“Our primary feed basis here is corn silage due to the energy and starch it provides, but the ration is typically a blend of corn silage, hay, steam flake grains (barley, wheat, sorghum) and protein pellets.”

20

The 2014-15 sowing consisted primarily of dual-purpose variety PAC 727, while this year they are trying PAC 624, along with another variety, to compare hybrids.

“This season we have 120 hectares planted and will work towards 4000-5000t of silage.”

Mr Hardie said when selecting a crop, they are primarily looking for “yield for water, followed by standability and a variety that fits the 115-117 CRM window.”

He said another reason why the Japanese-style corn silage diet works well is water use efficiency.

“Corn works so well in this area because we get a large volume of feed off a small area and it provides a great drought mitigation tool.”

All of the corn is irrigated, as the Balonne River flows through the property and water can be harvested, and silage pits have been built to maintain continuity of feed supply throughout the year and in dry times.

At 30,300ha, Wylarah is one of AACo’s 21 breeding, feeding, finishing or backgrounding properties which span a total of 7 million hectares across Queensland and the Northern Territory.

With the herd numbers and knowledge behind it, the company hopes to continue to produce high quality meat to be marketed around the globe.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

AUSSIE BEEF IN NUMBERS AACo • 21 properties over 7 million hectares across Queensland and the Northern Territory, equating to about 1 per cent of Australia's land mass • This year will turn off about 51,000 head of Wagyu and Wagyu-cross cattle into the Wagyu brands • 40,000 head of Wagyu cattle on feed in company-owned and external feedlots.

• AACo is the world's largest Wagyu beef producer • 15,000 hectares of dryland cropping and 2605 hectares of irrigation • Established in 1824, it is the oldest continuously operating company in Australia • Herd numbers have reached over 500,000 Wylarah, Surat • 560ha irrigated cropping, 5000ha dryland cropping • Capacity of 10,000 head, 8000 at this time of year • Aim for corn silage yields of 40t/ha each season • Wylarah will produce 3200 fullblood Wagyu this year, climbing to 4000 next year

Chris Hardie

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STRAWBERRY GROWERS PICKING THE BEST IDEAS A group of strawberry producers from Queensland's Pumicestone region has united to encourage innovative thinking among fellow growers and shape the future of the strawberry industry.

John Allen, strawberry producer from Oaklands Farms at Beerwah, said that the farm visits were both an insightful and inspirational exercise.

The 16 growers took to the road last week on an educational bus trip, visiting vegetable producers across southern Queensland in Kalbar, Stanthorpe and Gatton.

"Everything is changing – I will now go home and look at my farm business and how it can change in order to stay in the game," he said.

Jointly coordinated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association (QSGA), the trip was organised for producers to explore what innovative vegetable growers are doing, with the hope of sparking new ideas for strawberries.

DAF is currently working on a project to look at innovative ways of addressing issues faced by strawberry growers including the implementation of new technology.

"We wanted the producers to develop new connections with the vegetable industry, see how others are adopting new technologies to address challenges and encourage them to think outside the box," DAF development horticulturist Suzette Argent said.

"It was fantastic to see farmers exploring new ideas, talking collaboratively about the future of their farms and discussing how they can adapt to change," Suzette said.

A highlight from the tour was learning how small farms within the vegetable sector are working together for the greater good of their industry.

"Our visit to Kalfresh Pack House in the Fassifern Valley was a great example of growers banding together to stay viable," Suzette said. Uniting multiple growers under a common brand, Kalfresh is considered one of Queensland's leading vegetable production companies, run by growers for growers.

"It also demonstrated the market power that can be achieved when working together and the potential to set standards for the industry as a whole, rather than an individual shed."

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLAN YOUR WINTER FEED Spring storm rains have been a boom for some but can lead us into a false sense of security. The improved soil moisture is definitely most welcome and will result in reasonable pasture growth. However this growth is later than normal and, consequently, our total summer pasture growth will be lower than expected, leading to reduced pasture carryover for winter next year.

maximise your feed production – and this is where the old saying "fail to plan, plan to fail" is so true.

Also in many cases, you will see paddocks that have lost their "improved pasture grass base" and reverted back to a predominately native summer grass base. While this can be positive, if we are fortunate enough to get good rains in the autumn the summer grasses will provide very little extra feed for the winter period.

These calculations are not easy but there are some good tools available and agronomists and livestock officers at the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services can help you.

An additional concern is that some of the weather models are predicting the El Nino phenomenon is likely to affect us well into next year. This doesn't mean we won't get rain but it is likely to be storm rain, so we need to be ready to take advantage of the rainfall, particularly where winter forage crops are planned.

We do have a bit of breathing space at present so this is the time to assess the situation critically so that you can be prepared to 22

Firstly assess your pastures for yield and their composition. Then do a few predictions of pasture growth under different weather scenarios and enter these into a feed budget to give you an idea of the bulk of feed you are likely to have going into winter.

By assessing and calculating a feed budget now, you can look at your stock categories and numbers to see if manipulating them will give you a better outcome. For example, weaning and/or selling earlier than normal may ease the high cost of feeding in winter. Another proposition may be to consider options for winter forage crops early.

Now is the time to think of all these issues. If left until next year you will be pushed into making decisions quickly and with little thought. Better and more profitable decisions are usually made with planning and when you aren't under stress.

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TIMS, BOLLGARD AND THE PIGEON PEA PROBLEM JOHN BARBER, CONSULTANT, ST. GEORGE, QUEENSLAND

Introduction Since 1996 the Australian cotton industry has benefited from the availability of genetically modified cotton which, with the resistance management strategy adopted by growers, has been completely resistant to attack by Helicoverpa larvae. Initially that resistance was provided by one gene (Ingard), then in 2004 by two genes (Bollgard 11) and in 2016 there will be three genes (Bollgard 3).

The resistance management strategy was devised by the Transgenic and Insecticide Management Strategy Committee, or TIMS, which was formed in 1995 to give advice on both resistance management for Ingard and the developing problem of pyrethroid resistance. It was TIMS, with advice from the entomologists, which determined the insecticide use patterns which were the basis of the very successful insecticide resistance management strategies for non Bollgard cotton.

The strategies varied slightly from year to year as input was received from growers, consultants and scientists and successfully steered the industry’s insecticide use through the difficult years of non Bollgard before the availability of specific larvacides like Affirm and Steward. The strategies were voluntary, but the advice was heeded because it was both scientifically sound and gave the best outcomes for growers.

Today the primary purpose of TIMS, namely to recommend resistance management strategies, has not changed, although the focus these days is on Bollgard, not non Bollgard. The scientists still give the technical advice, but the TIMS committee, composed of representatives of industry organisations which have commercial interests in the Australian cotton industry, such as Monsanto, makes recommendations.

Any recommendation of TIMS must be science based, but unlike the strict recommendations needed to counter pyrethroid resistance, there are several options for Bollgard resistance management.

An part of the Bollgard Resistance Management Strategy is the refuge, which is an alternate host crop for Helicoverpa, and for the majority of growers that refuge has been pigeon peas, planted at 5% of the Bollgard area. It is the preferred refuge of TIMS. Unsprayed non Bollgard cotton at10% of the Bollgard area, and sprayed non Bollgard (100%) refuges are also offered in the Strategy but they are certainly not recommended. The latter means that the area of cotton on the farm is 50% sprayed non Bollgard and 50% Bollgard.

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Nevertheless Bollgard resistance management is not well served by the pigeon pea refuge according to the definition of a refuge given by both TIMS and Monsanto. There is evidence accumulating year after year that the pigeon pea refuge is not doing its job across the whole industry, yet this problem is not acknowledged by TIMS. I suggest that the success of the Strategy to date must therefore have been due largely to its other components, in particular pupae busting, or cultivation, which is widely practised.

The option of a 5% pigeon pea refuge for Bollgard 11 and the proposed option of a 2.5% pigeon pea refuge for Bollgard 3 have uncertain effects on Bollgard resistance management, but both enhance the commercial gains of the organisations which benefit most when the maximum area of Bollgard is planted.

The Australian cotton grower is not on that list.

The 10% unsprayed non Bollgard and 100% sprayed non Bollgard refuges are the most effective for resistance management because they flower at the same time and for the same duration as the Bollgard. They also give the most commercial gain to the cotton grower.

The cost of lifestyle Every cotton farmer grows Bollgard because it has improved his lifestyle. Before Bollgard we often sprayed larvae 10 times in a season, in good years perhaps 7 times, in bad years up to 15 times.

Bollgard changed that. It has been so successful that it has reduced populations of Helicoverpa armigera to the point where it is a minor pest of non Bollgard crops.

Non Bollgard cotton, that is cotton having only the Roundup Ready technology, as distinct from conventional cotton which has neither Roundup tolerance nor the Bollgard genes, can now be grown year after year with only 3 to 5 insecticide sprays. When egg lays are infrequent and late season larval numbers are low the damage caused by the larvae can often be managed by the growth regulator, mepiquat chloride (Pix), rather than an insecticide.

Late season Pix usage is a very common practice across all cotton types.

If the non Bollgard is grown with a strong IPM focus and if neighbours and their consultants take the same approach it is also usually possible to avoid the need to use additional sprays for sucking pests, including for whiteflys.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

Since the release of the variety 74BRF the yield of Bollgard has been slightly higher than that of the main non Bollgard variety, 71RRF. Some growers used to say that this yield difference covered the extra cost of producing Bollgard, which in recent years has exceeded $200 ha. It has been the cost of lifestyle.

The season 2014/15 and the new non Bollgard variety, 75RRF, have proven this notion is no longer reasonable. In what looks to have been a remarkable year for most of the industry, yields at St George of 12.5 to 15 bales/ha (5 to 6 bales/ac) were commonplace. It was mostly 74BRF. The first field of 75RRF when ginned yielded 6.15 bales/ac with a turnout of 43%. The field was not uniform. A large portion must have yielded around 6.5 bales/ ac. The cost of lifestyle has increased dramatically.

The best refuge It is emphasised with bold red type in a recent Spotlight magazine (Summer 2014/15), which is the magazine of the CRDC, that “The effectiveness of pigeon pea is dependant on the presence of the plant’s buds, flowers and pods”. Yet most cotton crops in the NSW/Qld border region were well into the boll filling stage in late January and there was hardly a pigeon pea flower to be seen.

Soon after, in early February when we applied our third and final aerial spray, Steward (Indoxacarb), to our sprayed crop of 75RRF there were small to medium grubs in an unsprayed cotton refuge, but none that I could find in pigeon peas. So why are pigeon peas the preferred refuge? Why are they even an option?

I am aware that some pigeon pea crops in some regions have carried grubs, but pigeon pea crops which I and some scientists inspected at St George in early March, 2015, were totally undamaged. Pigeon peas are not a reliable Helicoverpa host for all regions and therefore they are an unsuitable refuge.

Unsprayed non Bollgard cotton and 50% sprayed cotton are by far the best refuges. They flower at exactly the same time as the Bollgard, are attractive to Helicoverpa, have no special requirements for weed control, and make money. In other words they are scientifically very sound and also deliver the best outcomes to growers.

The non Bollgard unsprayed refuges at St. George have yielded 10 to 12.5 bales/ha in 2014/15. If anyone thinks they were sprayed with a larvacide to achieve those yields I can say definitely not.

They carried grubs and there was a bird’s nest and chicks in one.

Why deny the obvious? The unsprayed refuges have been yielding up to 10 bales/ha for at least the last three seasons.

Nineteen years of Bollgard and pupae busting must have significantly reduced the numbers of Helicoverpa armigera which are completing their life cycles in the cotton growing regions, and from a scientific point of view, this was expected.

Why would you not grow unsprayed 75RRF as your refuge, be absolutely sure that the best resistance management is practised on your farm and budget for about 8.75 bales/ha? Remember, it need not be totally unsprayed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spraying sucking pest insecticides or the plant growth regulator, mepiquat chloride, as required, on the unsprayed cotton refuge.

By placing the refuge right in the middle of a Bollgard field, instead of anywhere up to 2 km away, as has been most customary, it will allow the easiest possible movement of beneficial insects and spiders between the refuge and the Bollgard. Even better, the refuge could be placed in 24m strips, the minimum width allowable, throughout the Bollgard.

This pattern would be beneficial to both the Bollgard and the non Bollgard and simple to manage. There should not be any temptation for a grower to spray a larvacide on the refuge, a claim I sometimes hear, because it would be impractical and unnecessary to achieve a yield budget of 8.75 bales/ha.

Having said that, it would be scientifically correct to spray a larvacide on a so called unsprayed non Bollgard cotton refuge once or twice in a season, provided the Bollgard was also sprayed at the same time. It would be more than correct, it would be desirable, because it would offer an alternate chemistry for resistance control, just as rotating herbicides limits the advance of resistance in weed control.

25

This option has never been offered by TIMS. I believe it is a missed opportunity. There are insecticides with very good activity on both larvae and sucking pests and the cost of spraying them on Bollgard could easily be justified.

Even though the season was largely responsible for the record yields of 2014/15, is everybody doing everything else as well as possible? I don’t think so. Is there enough water to grow more cotton? Definitely not.

Bollgard 3 Resistance Management Strategy

Would it not be best to continue the existing strategy which has been so successful, and test for resistance to the third gene under commercial conditions, at least for a few years?

The Bollgard 3 Resistance Management Strategy which is proposed by TIMS was discussed at the Bollgard 3 field days late in the 2014/15 season. I think it is biased to the commercial interests on TIMS and takes insufficient account of science. There are better strategy options which will give better resistance management and also better outcomes for growers, both in the short and long terms.

Under the present refuge and pupae busting requirements there has not been a single failure in the field, due to resistance, in over 18 years (Spotlight, Spring 2013, pp 18, 19). Pupae busting must have been a major cause of that result because it has been the only aspect of the Bollgard 11 Resistance Management Strategy which has been reliably adhered to.

All irrigation cotton farmers keep fields weed free by cultivation, not by spraying a herbicide. It is all part of seedbed preparation.

Every cultivation, whether shallow or deep, adds to the pupae busting effect.

The background resistance of the third Bollgard gene is much higher than expected even though it has never been exposed to Helicoverpa in a commercial crop. About one in every 20 Helicoverpa armigera moths is already resistant to the third gene (Spotlight, Summer 2012/13), compared to a maximum one in 50 for the second gene after 10 years in the field (The Australian Cottongrower, Dec – Jan, 2012/13).

Nevertheless the TIMS committee believes that the third gene in Bollgard 3 will decrease the amounts of resistance management precautions which are needed. The refuge requirements will be halved, while pupae busting will not be required if the crop is defoliated in March.

By decreasing the size of the refuge it is expected that more Bollgard will be grown. Yet this is an unrealistic objective. Why should growers wish to grow another 2.5% Bollgard when they have seen the yield potentials of 74BRF and 75RRF exceeding 15 bales/ha. Would it not be better to aim for those potentials every year on an area which can be well farmed?

26

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“It should be obvious that a cotton farming system using both Bollgard and non Bollgard provides a win/ win situation for both resistance management and profit. It should be openly discussed in industry forums.”

John Barber

The future There is absolutely no way that non Bollgard cotton will ever attract the numbers of grubs and therefore incur the same costs that it did in the pre Bollgard days. That is because the majority of growers will continue growing the maximum area of Bollgard which will continue reducing the total Helicoverpa armigera population. Even if a majority of growers planted a 10% unsprayed refuge about 90% of the cotton area would still be Bollgard, so the Bollgard effect would continue.

In 2014/15 at St George 75RRF has yielded up to 6.5 bales/ac with a turnout of 43%. If it does that at St. George it will do so everywhere. The only way to find the cost of production of 75RRF in any area is to try it. It is essential to have a complete IPM approach. That includes good ground preparation, no insecticide seed dressing and a maximum planting rate of 10 seeds/m so that 6 to 8 can be established.

All insects in both Bollgard and non Bollgard can normally be managed using only paraffinic oil, Transform, Agrimec and Steward. There is never any circumstance in any type of cotton production when pyrethroids and organophosphates should be used just because they are cheap.

It should be obvious that a cotton farming system using both Bollgard and non Bollgard provides a win/win situation for both resistance management and profit. It should be openly discussed in industry forums.

In Table 1, I suggest that an extra 20 bales 100 ha can be grown using unsprayed cotton compared to pigeon peas with the present refuge sizes and that this falls to 10 bales 100 ha under the proposed changes to refuge sizes.

some non Bollgard will depend on how ready each is to move outside his comfort zone and the value each places on a full Bollgard lifestyle. If full Bollgard is chosen even when it is shown repeatedly to be less profitable than other options then I will have to revise my definition of lifestyle.

In my opinion there is no place for pigeon peas on a cotton farm.

If we can grow one and two gene Bollgard for 18 years without a resistance failure and without a refuge which is as effective as it could be then Bollgard 3 is being introduced for a commercial reason, not a scientific one.

Table 1. Bales produced 100 ha of cultivation with existing and proposed refuges. Calculations assume a conservative yield of 8.75 bales/ha (3.5 bales/ac) for unsprayed non Bollgard and 13.75 bales ha (5.5 bales/ac) for Bollgard and sprayed non Bollgard cotton.

Refuge and area (ha)

Bollgard area (ha)

Total bales

5% pigeon peas, 4.76

95.24

1309.55

10% unsprayed, 9.09

90.91

1329.55

2.5% pigeon peas, 2.44

97.56

1341.45

5% unsprayed, 4.76

95.24

1351.20

50% sprayed, 50

50

1375.00

The potential production from 50/50 could be up to 65 bales 100 ha better than the present Bollgard/pigeon peas option and 33 bales 100 ha better than the proposed Bollgard 3 pigeon peas option.

If we continue without some industry recommendation to move away from full Bollgard then any change will only be driven by money. The number of growers who choose to grow

27

DIGGING IN FOR 283 YEARS OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS Five trials, located at Hamilton, Horsham, Rutherglen and Walpeup, span an amazing 283 years.

One trial just celebrated a centenary, with another hitting the a 100th birthday milestone next year.

The research focus of the different trials varies considerably. In the high rainfall zone scientists are investigating long term impacts of permanently top dressing different rates of fertilisers in pastures on acid soils while further north in the Mallee, they are also looking at how different rotation and tillage management affects wheat yields in low rainfall/alkaline soils.

Department of Economic Development Jobs Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) Senior Soil Scientist Roger Armstrong, who is the custodian for two trials in the Wimmera, said long term research played an important role in both productivity and sustainability.

“The major point is these trials allow us to assess the effect of a range of agricultural management practices on a range of variables, which can’t be found on short term trials. For example, we can’t detect short term impacts in areas such as changes in soil carbon and soil acidity. The trials are aiming to see what potential long term effects farm management practices could have on productivity as well as sustainability of the soil resource.

“To make an analogy - If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day for a year it might not harm you straight away but if you keep doing it over 10 years is highly likely to do long term damage (including death).

It is similar in soil, by the time you detect some issues, it is too late to rectify them.”

SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE DIFFERENT TRIALS INCLUDE: At Hamilton a major finding was a gap of low phosphorus (P) application rates that had no benefits to pasture composition.

Above a threshold (8 kg/ha/year) perennial ryegrass, phalaris and sub clover were able to persist, whereas no P application led to a high proportion of native perennial grasses that have stability benefits.

At the 17-year-old SCRIME trial at Longerenong in the Wimmera, tillage practice was found not to affect wheat yields and researchers also found that using a green manure and Lucerne rotation could significantly increase soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. They observed that including a fallow in the rotation resulted in reduced soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks in the longer term.

The LR1 trial at Longerenong could be Australia’s (and maybe the world’s) oldest cropping rotation trial. Here grain yields of wheat of nearly 1 t/ha were recorded in 2013 in one rotation treatment that has been sown to continuous wheat with no added N fertiliser since 1916.

A key finding for the 100-year-old Rutherglen trial was that the soil changed from close to neutral to highly acidic over the past 50 years, through N leaching and product removal. Although the pH and aluminium levels in the soil are currently at levels which we would expect to be marginal for pasture production, the continual cycling of organic carbon under the permanent pastures is helping to maintain a productive pasture system.

At Walpeup, in the Mallee, soil carbon stocks have increased in a pasture/wheat rotation, which in turn has greater C stocks than the pasture-fallow-wheat, which was in turn greater than in the fallowwheat rotation.

28

The trials at a glance • Hamilton - Long Term Phosphate Experiment established in 1977 to compare pasture responses to phosphorus under grazing with those under much cheaper, cut trials. The experiment evolved into a long term monitoring site for assessing slow; gradual processes such as acidification and changes in organic carbon.

• Horsham - Longerenong Rotation No.1 (LR1) established in 1916 to investigate the suitability of various cropping rotations on soil fertility within the Wimmera.

• Sustainable Cropping Rotations in Mediterranean Environments (SCRIME) established in 1998 to assess the long-term effect of rotation (with pasture and grain legumes) and tillage practice on crop productivity, soil quality, carbon and nutrient stocks and pest and disease loads in medium rainfall Wimmera farming systems.

• Rutherglen - Permanent Top Dressing Experiment established in 1914 to identify the long term effects of fertiliser application on pasture and animal production. This trial involves set treatments of P applied every second year.

• Walpeup - Long term comparison of rotation and fallow management practices in the Victorian Mallee (MC14) established in 1985 at Walpeup in north-western Victoria to compare the long term effects of rotation and fallow management on wheat production in low rainfall Mallee environments.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

TOAST TO WINE GRAPES WITH A TOOL TO TACKLE SERIOUS PESTS An exciting product provides a new tool for the wine grape industry to help control mealybugs and suppress thrips and scale.

The insecticide Movento® for use in table grapes is now registered and has been extended to wine grapes.

Movento is the only Group 23 chemistry product available in Australia, and is totally different to anything else that’s been used in vineyards before.

The latest application timing for use of Movento in export wine grapes is EL 18, according to the AWRI 'dog book'.

For quick and easy access to the most up to date information download the Bayer Cropscience product manual app. Now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

TECHNOLOGY GIVES NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PULSE CROP HEALTH Agronomist Ash Wallace is using remote sensing tools to try to pick up plant disorder signatures before visual symptoms appear just like people, crops tend to experience early symptoms before they show visual signs of sickness.

But trying to pick up on these early signs of a plant’s state of health has not been easy with the human eye.

Regional Research Agronomist Ashley Wallace is taking technology used in scientific research to pulse paddocks to try to pick up plant disorder signatures, including disease, before we start to see visual symptoms.

Pulses are an important part of many cropping rotations; adding nitrogen and providing weed and disease breaks, but managing diseases in the pulses themselves can be costly – regularly as high as $30-40 ha” Mr Wallace said.

Diseases are estimated to cost the pulse industry about $74 million annually, so there are great benefits from being able to detect a disease quickly and effectively. “We are using remote sensing tools developed for scientific purposes to see if it is possible to identify diseases early.”

“People may be more familiar with tools that measure crop ‘greenness’, or more specifically NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) such as Cropcircle or Greenseeker.”

“In some cases these tools have been used to determine if a crop needs nitrogen and our equipment works in a similar way; picking up light that is reflected from the crop. Where our work differs is that we are looking for the light signatures of disease in pulse crops,” Mr Wallace said.

“This will not only help us to pinpoint areas of disease within a paddock, but also find it before traditional visual symptoms emerge.”

“The aim is to enable croppers to not only locate the disease as early as possible but also enable proactive, site-specific management, adding another tool to the precision-ag kitbag.”

“This information may allow growers to alter their spraying strategy, potentially cutting fungicide costs and disease losses,” Mr Wallace said.

This initiative is part of the Regional Research Agronomy (RRA) Program in collaboration with Southern Pulse Agronomy, as well as pathologists and spatial science researchers within the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). The RRA program in funded by DEDJTR and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) as part of their broader $60 million Bilateral Research Agreement.

29

FIELD CHAMBERS HELP UNLOCK IMPACT OF FROST TO CROPS Research agronomists are turning to technology to potentially answer one of modern cropping’s most vexing questions – just how much damage has frost caused?

In recent seasons, crops at various stages of growth have been hit by frost but understanding the true impact of these freezing conditions is often not immediately apparent.

DEDJTR SCIENTIST DR JAMES NUTTALL

Agronomists from Department of Economic Development Jobs Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) have begun assessing the potential of in-paddock frost damage and are investigating if remote sensing tools hold the key for early detection of crop damage.

They are part of the Regional Research Agronomist (RRA) program, which translates relevant national grains research to regional development in the southern region and is funded by the DEDJTR and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) as part of their $60 million Bilateral Research Agreement.

RRA program leader Dr James Nuttall said frost posed a significant threat to production with wheat damage estimated to cause at least $120 million in losses annually in Australia.

“If remote sensing technologies can be used to rapidly determine frost damage, it will assist farmers with in-season crop management decisions,” he said.

This spring Dr Nuttall and his team have installed special ‘Frost-out’ chambers in commercial wheat paddocks across the Wimmera to protect small areas of crop from potential frost damage.

“These chambers should provide an unaffected reference to help us determine absolute impact of frost on yield.

“At Kewell, north of Horsham, they’ve recorded crop canopy temperatures dipping to minus two degrees Celsius twice. Temperatures remained below zero degrees for four to five hours,” he said.

30

“Growers want to know how badly their crop has been affected when hit by frost and to have an evidence-based means of deciding whether to hold the crop for grain or selectively cut it for feed” Dr Nuttall said.

“Our RRA frost work also includes remote sensing of the crop canopy using a range of sensors to see if we can pickup an early signature of frost damage."

“This development activity will support the broader national research on determining the potential uses of remote sensing to in-season management of crops to frost,” he said.

The Victorian work complements the significant national multi-agency research effort being undertaken to assess the behaviour of frost in the landscape and determine the potential for breeding for frost resistance.

“A more recent focus for the national program is modelling to manage frost and also to provide growers with decision support tools such as remote sensing for in-season management of frost affected crops,” Dr Nuttall said.

“The current RRA frost development will provide additional information to support these programs.

RRA frost will also help engage growers through regionally specific, paddock-scaled development work on options for managing frost impact on crop production” Dr Nuttall said.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Growers want to know how badly their crop has been affected when hit by frost and to have an evidence-based means of deciding whether to hold the crop for grain or selectively cut it for feed.” Dr Nuttall 31

MANAGING CLIMATE RISKS WITH AGRICLIME

32

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

In times of drought, investment in inputs such as crop chemicals may yield as little as the parched soils they are applied upon.

AgriClime, a cash-back offer for enrolled growers, is about helping shoulder the risk of investing in crop-chemical technology in the face of variable weather patterns. As part of the CerealSmart program that supports cereal producers to manage risk and optimise production, AgriClime is an initiative of Syngenta and enables the development of better partnerships with customers.

AgriClime was first launched in 2014/15 with a group of Wimmera and Brookton growers taking part in the pilot program. Following on from the success of the inaugural program, the AgriClime Program will run again in 2016, with Syngenta currently calling for expressions of interest to participate.

Eligible cereal growers receive a portion of their investment in Syngenta technology as cash-back if rainfall does not meet a threshold level over the elected period of offer during the season.

Enrolment is free of charge; however the grower must meet eligibility requirements. To be eligible growers must spend at least $40 per hectare on select Syngenta products across a minimum of 300 hectares.

Upon enrolling in the AgriClime Program, the grower can select their program start date, elected period, and probability of triggering the rainfall threshold during that period. After listing their paddock crop protection plan for each paddock enrolled, the potential cash-back value will be shown.

At the end of the elected period, if recorded rainfall is below the elected threshold, a notification from AgriClime will be sent with details about receiving a percentage cash-back on purchases.

To provide an example of how AgriClime works, a grower enrols 300 hectares on a 50 day AgriClime program period and selected a 20% probability of triggering the rainfall threshold of 20.81m provided for their paddock location.

At the end of the 50 day program period, the grower has only received 20mm, since it was less than the rainfall threshold; the grower received a cash-back of $1,826. The cash-back value can vary depending on the amount of hectares enrolled, amount of product bought, elected period and rainfall threshold probability.

“Growers can see that they’re being supported for investing in brands not actives.”

Kelvin Hepworth, a grower from Donald who participated in the 2014 pilot, championed the benefits AgriClime gives over the support offered by other crop protection companies, as it shows that Syngenta is willing to “have a crack” and help share the risk of the season.

“2014 was a lot drier than expected so to get some reward for backing Syngenta is great, and our Boxer Gold worked really well so that is a win-win,” Kelvin said.

“I think it is a model that could make growers switch to Syngenta products for the extra security that you don’t get from other companies.”

Another Donald grower, Michael Whelan, said he is pleased to be able to share some of the risk that comes from climate.

“It’s great that Syngenta is sharing climate risk with the end user and shows that they understand the customer and the circumstances that they operate in.”

Syngenta Senior Territory Sales Manager - Wimmera/ Western District, Neville Marra, said growers has been overwhelmingly positive.

“One commented that Syngenta must have full confidence in their products to make such an offer, while another said it’s great to be supported by a big company that understands the risks of farming.”

The AgriClime pilot was also rolled out to growers near Brookton in Western Australia. David Stead, Principal Consultant - Anasazi Agronomy, said to his growers AgriClime made a lot of sense.

“Growers can see that they’re being supported for investing in brands not actives,” David said. “They see Syngenta as coming along for the ride.”

Growers also like that they can spread the minimum spend across the products, so that they can tailor to the needs of different parts of their farm. The reassurance of cash back on product inputs in the instance of drought provides a simple yet effective means of risk management for any farm with enrollments in the program open in early 2016. Incorporated into a comprehensive farm management strategy, initiatives such as AgriClime is more than peace of mind – it’s putting money back into the growers pocket at times when they may need it most.

33

FALLOW WEED CONTROL OPTION AIDS RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT With herbicide resistance becoming an increasing concern, growers are being urged to look at alternatives to glyphosate for fallow weed control.

One option proving to be effective for wheat growers in the northern cropping regions is the Group H residual herbicide, Balance®.

Traditionally used for broadleaf weed control in chickpeas and sugarcane, many agronomists are now recommending Balance for use in fallow.

Cogan Agronomy Services agricultural consultant Brad Cogan, Moree, said he now had several clients in the area using Balance for summer fallow weed control with excellent results.

Brad has been recommending the herbicide since it was registered for use in fallow in 2013 and said it was becoming increasingly popular as herbicide resistance escalated.

He said Balance, from Bayer CropScience, had been particularly good for controlling fleabane and a range of broadleaf weeds and summer grasses. It provides some control of glyphosateresistant feather top Rhodes grass and satisfactory control of barnyard grass. Weed control results vary depending upon seasonal conditions.

“I have clients in the Moree district operating a predominant summer/winter crop rotation. We use Balance in the summer fallow going through to either a winter crop or another summer crop,” Brad said.

He said growers had to be conscious of the plantback periods when using Balance, but they could potentially reduce their knockdowns by as many as two sprays by using the herbicide, making it a very cost-effective option and, thus, reducing the resistance pressure on Group M herbicides (glyphosate).

“I strongly believe that if you’re using a product and getting good results, particularly on hard-to-kill weeds, then it’s a worthwhile investment.’’

“The price of Balance has come down significantly since it first hit the market and I don’t believe it’s expensive, especially not for the results growers are achieving.”

Brad said he had also trialled using Balance with a WeedSeeker spot sprayer, targeting grasses and mixing it with other products on pre-emergent chickpeas or in summer fallow.

He said the initial results were quite pleasing and he would continue the trial.

“The big thing is that growers are adding another herbicide group to their rotation, which is so important in resistance management.’’

“The way we’re going with herbicide resistance, if we don’t rotate our herbicide groups, then we will be in more trouble than we are now.”

Penagcon agronomist Hugh Urquhart, Narrabri, said he had been recommending Balance to clients to tackle fleabane and in summer fallow.

“We’ve also used it after sorghum on paddocks that are going to be long fallowed through to durum, bread wheat or chickpeas.”

Hugh said Balance offered a longer residual and hence longer control of those particular weed species.

“It provides us with reliable weed control and complements Flame® (herbicide), but gives you the needed broadleaf weed control that Flame doesn’t provide.”

“We’re starting to find that we are getting some glyphosateresistant populations of milk thistle, so we’re looking at Balance as another tool in controlling those populations and reducing the dependence on glyphosate,” Hugh said.

“It’s UV stable and doesn’t require rainfall immediately in order to get a result.”

“We noticed we’re getting added grass weed control and pretty good control of fleabane – as good as you’ll get with such a difficult weed. Grass weeds are historically very difficult to control.”

34

“It’s a great option, but you do need to be mindful of what you’re cropping the following year, particularly faba beans in this area, but most of my clients would be using it in a chickpea/wheat type rotation or fallow into dryland cotton.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

WEEDS CAN’T RESIST. When it comes to rapid control of hard to kill weeds, you can’t go past Alliance. What’s more, by combining group Q and L chemistry, Alliance provides a new option in managing resistant weeds.

• • • •

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Alliance in action Capeweed Control

100

14 DAA

90

35 DAA

% Control

% Control

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Patterson’s Curse Control 8 DAA 30 DAA

80 70 60 50 Spray.Seed 3L

Spray.Seed 2.5L

Spray.Seed 2L

Spray.Seed 1.5L

Nuquat 3L

Alliance 2.5L

Alliance 2L

Spray.Seed 3.2L

Spray.Seed 2.6L

Spray.Seed 1.85L

Spray.Seed 1.4L

Alliance 2.8L

Alliance 2L

Alliance 1.5L

Nuquat 1.4L

Nuquat 1L

Nuquat 750mL

Source: NUWA-05-280-01-H19, 4 leaf stage

Alliance 1.5L

40

Source: Trial ID: MS ALLIANCE-KD-09, Location: Currawarna

Alliance is a registered trademark of Nufarm Australia. Spray.Seed is a registered trademark of Syngenta.

35

THE 17TH AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMY CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 2015 - HOBART, TASMANIA

BY LUCINDA BARTY

Serving as a meeting point for the greatest minds in agronomy, the 17th Australian Agronomy Conference brought with it 350 of Australia’s leading scientists and agriculturalists with a focus on building productive, diverse and sustainable landscapes. Held by the Australian Society of Agronomy from September 20th to 24th in Hobart, Tasmania, conference week encompassed an array of lecture sessions and field trips along with socializing and celebration worthy of the tireless effort of each within the field. Managing seasonal variability and creating more sustainable farming systems were also key focuses of the conference, made only more poignant, perhaps, given the hot, dry outlook for the near future of Australian farming.

Following along these lines, crop adaptation, climate change and emissions management right through to crop phenology and nutrient use efficiency, were discussed in detail within each concurrent session of the conference.

The role of extension was yet another prominent topic explored, taking research from lab to field and turning journal articles into more palatable, user-friendly tools for agriculturalists to use.

“Though the obstacles to improving agricultural productivity may vary according to context, the approach that must be taken is global,’ says Kropff.

Innovation stood at the forefront of proceedings with the position of seasonal forecasting and scientific modeling fortified in their positions as indispensable tools for managing the risks and uncertainty of the Australian climate. Yet, with a promising abundance of young agronomists and students present at the conference, uptake of such tools and technologies appears a logical and likely next step amongst the upcoming generation of digital natives.

The Young Agronomist of the Year Award, which recognizes such talented and dedicated young agronomists in Australia, was presented jointly to Rohan Brill, a research and development agronomist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Louise Flohr, an agricultural consultant with Agrilink SA. Australian Society of Agronomy President, Professor Holger Meinke, said the award recognizes excellence in research and/or the application of science related to agronomy by an agronomist aged under 36 years.

“According to all predictions, the world must take a great step forward to meet the challenges of raising productivity, reducing resource use, adapting to climate change and creating a fairer and healthier food system.”

“The award is made on the basis of the young agronomists contribution to research, teaching and education, their publication record and relevance of other communications to both the scientific and non-scientific community,” he said.

Little time was wasted before launching straight into the midst of research, debate and discussion. Professor Martin Kropff, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, Mexico, delivered the keynote address on the first day of the conference. Speaking on the role of agronomy in feeding the world’s burgeoning population, Professor Kropff reiterated the need for agricultural innovation given limited resources and a possible population of 11 billion by 2100.

36

“Their passion is ensuring farmers have valued advice on the latest research developments and both have introduced innovative ideas for effective communication.”

Further presentation of awards included the CM Donald Medal presented to Prof. Graeme Blair for his long career in research on sulfur application and development of the KCI-40 sulfur test. The Howard medal, awarded in recognition of individuals who have made eminent contributions to national and international development, management and use of native and introduced pastures was awarded to Prof. Bob Reid.

“Each individual innovation represents only an incremental improvement, but in combination with others and in the right context, they can become transformative,” said professor Kropff of the work of agronomists across the globe.

Whilst the sharing of knowledge and the topics discussed form the basis of each event, networking is a valuable activity of each conference as is the presentation and recognition of leading agronomists via awards. The conference dinner was an opportunity to mix with Agronomy’s best and brightest whilst overlooking the glittering lights of Hobart from the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Just as the art of MONA aims to tell the viewer a story, the Australian Agronomy Conference seeks to tell the ‘story’ of agronomy –turning the facts and figures into tales of practical success. With its attendees from across the globe and focus placed on global food security, the 17th Australian Agronomy Conference is just the beginning of the Agronomic successes to come.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

From Left. Mike McLaughlan, Ryan Walker, Sean Mason, Sarah Noack

Skye Gabb - CSIRO/UNE - Grant recipient

Penny Roberts-Craig - Grant recipient

From Left. Emmanuel Chakwiziva, Alexandre Michel, Lucinda Barty, Bounthong Bouahom, Van Touch, Watson Matamwa

Graeme Blair - 2015 CM Donald Medal winner 37

ADVERTISE IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST TODAY!

AUDIENCE The print edition of The Australian Agronomist will be mailed out to a very extensive database of agronomist and consultants, as well as distributed through newsagents in key industry areas. The online edition will be made freely available to all.

ING CAST FOR ISK R

AIDS RE WEED CONTRO E MANA OPTION CON ANAGE FORCASTING SISTAN EED FAL L OPTIO GEME E MLOW WEED CE M NT W W TANC N ORISK FROM EMENT AIDS RESISTANCONTROL OPTION ANAG SO FALLS RESIS FROM SOIL TO SCRE IL CE MANAGEM ID EN ENT A TO SCREEN

DISTRIBUTION Mailed direct to agronomists, consultants, field consultants, resellers and agribusiness leaders.

For all advertising inquiries, please contact: Michael Cook at info@theaustralianagronomist.com or phone 03 5441 8166 if you would like to discuss further.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST

MAGA ZIN

MAGAZIN E

MAGAZINE

FORC ASTI RISK NG SOIL MF NLO FRO RA EEL WW TO SCAIDS N FORCAS IO RESISEED CO T OGP NFA T LLO LTIN TANC NTRO RIS O K E R W L M T

E

ZINE MAGA

The Australian Agronomist is a new quarterly publication for agronomists, consultants, field consultants, and research scientists across all primary industry sectors.

Available in print and online editions, this quality publication presents vital content, information and research in a format designed to engage its readership.

FRO M TO SC SOIL REEN

RESEARCH HAS PROVEN THAT ON FARM DECISIONS ARE MADE BY AGRONOMIST AND CONSULTANTS

THE MORE CONTRIBUTIONS, THE BETTER The launch of The Australian Agronomist heralds the arrival of a new, high quality quarterly publication directed towards agronomists, agronomy as a profession, and all the issues relating to this important science.

This independent magazine engages a readership of agronomists, consultants and research scientists working in the agriculture sector, with broad ranging content that is interesting, relevant and up to date.

It is equally relevant to agronomists and consultants working or specialising in all primary industry sectors, including broadacre, horticulture, viticulture, pasture and meat, milk and fibre production.

Content is diverse and include articles and features covering R&D developments and updates, soil science, pest and disease management, technology and equipment, resistance management, product launches and updates, interviews with leading agronomists, opinion pieces from industry leaders, current affairs and both local and world issues relating to farming, agronomy and agribusiness.

Please send your submission to Lucinda Barty at info@theaustralianagronomist.com or phone 03 5441 8166 if you would like to discuss further.

38

• Do you have an opinion about a certain topic or issue?

• Would you like to share the outcomes and results of a R&D project?

• Have you launched a new product that delivers on an unmet need?

• Do you know an expert whose experience is worth sharing?

There is scope and opportunity for agronomists, consultants, industry bodies, research entities and corporates to contribute content.

You are invited to submit articles, press releases, or research summaries for editorial consideration.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

DRIVE TO SHARE PEST KNOWLEDGE YIELDS A NEW RELATIONSHIP Adama Australia has announced a partnership with cesar® in line with Adama's strategy to deliver innovative digital solutions and create simplicity in agriculture.

"Adama is currently developing technology platforms which will help share knowledge with the market," said Adama's Digital Innovation Manager, Alex Mills.

cesar®, a Melbourne based science, technology and research organisation, will assist Adama in the development of a new knowledge sharing platform that promises to be a practical, reliable and innovative solution for the sharing of agricultural knowledge.

"Our partnership with cesar® will help deliver highly valued knowledge, particularly within the context of insect pests."

Dr Paul Umina, Director at cesar®, said that, "cesar® has a team of experts that specialise in developing and delivering services and tools for insect pest management in Australasian agriculture based on best available science."

He emphasised, "cesar® is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Australian agriculture and is excited to assist Adama in gaining a deeper understanding of market issues as they arise."

Dr Umina said that cesar® was thrilled to utilise Adama's market presence to get closer to both the agronomists and farmers to help better understand the issues they are facing and in turn provide more relevant solutions for the market.

Mr Mills believes that the wider industry benefit from this partnership will be a more sustained approach to pest management generated from the sharing of knowledge from cesar® and Adama.

This partnership, along with other Adama activities, is centered on the company's strategy to create simplicity in agriculture.

DRILLING AHEAD Jerilderie rice farmers have highlighted the benefits of drill sowing rice in the Riverina region of NSW. David and Rick Bryce of Kobar Farming Company Pty Ltd, farming 1300 ha 20km South West of Jerilderie, have had outstanding yields from drill sown rice in the 2015 season, resulting in a water use efficiency of over one tonne of rice per mL. The brothers, who have drill sown rice twice before, decided to drill sow again to maximise their water use efficiency and reduce weeds. Drill sowing also allowed them to minimise their risk if water allocations were not favourable, giving the option to cut off water before large financial outlays were made for the production of the crop.

Troy Mauger visited the crop throughout the growing season.

“There was no weed pressure at all and the paddock layout and water delivery system allowed quick flushing which was ideal for delayed permanent water.”

“I didn’t want to go to delayed permanent water as drill sowing was part of a rotational system to minimise herbicide use and reduce weed seed build up for future rice crops” “Next year it will be a flooded crop and I don’t want any barnyard issues.” David added. Harvest began on 19th April 2015 with the rice being delivered between 19% and 22% moisture. Yield was 12.6 t/ha Reiziq and 12.7 t/ha Opus.

In the 2015 season 31 ha and was sown to Reiziq yielding 12.6 t/ha and 23 ha was sown to Opus yielding 12.7 t/ha, using a total of 11.5 mL/ha.

Sowing preparation started in autumn 2014, included installing a bankless channel, burning stubble and levelling bays to create a firm seed bed. A knockdown spray was applied three weeks before sowing. The crop was sown on eight inch row spacings using a disc seeder.

This was the first time the Bryce’s had used a disc seeder.

“We were after an even germination and seed depth”, David said.

The rice was flushed three times before permanent water was applied in the first week of December. Panicle Initiation (PI) occurred between the 5 January and 7 January, after which water levels were raised to 30cm. Murray Valley Rice Extension Officer

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REVOLUTIONISING GLOBAL NEMATODE CONTROL A highly effective nematicide featuring simplified application options and unmatched user safety, “NIMITZ is the nematicide that growers across Australia have been waiting for,” says Luke Collins, Market Manager – Horticulture – for Adama. “The launch of NIMITZ has been eagerly anticipated by many after several years of trials here in Australia have demonstrated its unique handling benefits and its effectiveness in controlling plantparasitic nematodes.”

Australia is the third country globally to receive registration approval. NIMITZ is now approved for use in Queensland in cucurbits (including cucumbers, watermelons, rockmelons and squash), and fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, capsicums, chillies, okra and eggplants).

“Registration for use in these crops in other states is planned after the first year of working closely with Adama Innovation Centre Partners and growers to ensure that NIMITZ delivers as expected” says Mr Collins.

The active ingredient in NIMITZ has a unique mode of action – no other nematicide in the world currently has this same mode of action or classification - and is a new paradigm for nematode control on these high value crops.

NIMITZ eliminates many of the stringent use requirements of existing nematicides including fumigant management plans, extended re-entry intervals (REI) and restrictive buffer zones.

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“In contrast to other older nematicides, NIMITZ simplifies nematode management by significantly improving user safety and lessening complex handling practices” says Mr Collins. “NIMITZ is used at low application rates, has a very short REI and requires minimal personal protective equipment”. According to Mr Collins, NIMITZ’s unique features exemplify Adama’s commitment to bringing simplicity to agriculture.

Adama Australia CEO Darrin Hines points out that the registration of NIMITZ is the first unique active ingredient to be delivered by Adama since rebranding from Farmoz to Adama Australia in July 2014. “The launch of Adama has been more than a name change. Our first year as Adama has been the culmination of several years of development and planning our new business strategy to deliver on our promise to our distribution partners and growers alike.

The exciting news is that there is even greater value for us to deliver in the next 12 months including innovative digital solutions, another new active ingredient and several unique products.”

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

Revolutionising global nematode control Nematodes are among the most destructive and problematic pests for growers worldwide, causing yield loss of more than $100 billion annually.

Since 2007, more than 1,000 field trials and hundreds of regulatory studies have been conducted in 23 countries to demonstrate the effectiveness and unique handling benefits of NIMITZ. This research consistently shows nematode control, with NIMITZ as effective as, or better than, the commercial standards.

“As the first new chemical nematicide to be developed in more than 20 years, NIMITZ will fill an industry-wide demand for highly effective nematode control as other chemistry is phased out,” says Andrew Horsfield, General Manager – Technical Development – for Adama Australia.

“NIMITZ is a ‘true’ nematicide, which delivers irreversible nematicidal activity immediately following an application. Within one hour of contact, nematodes cease feeding and quickly become paralysed. Within 24 to 48 hours, pest mortality occurs rather than the temporary ‘freezing’ or nematostatic activity, as seen with organophosphate and carbamate nematicides”.

“NIMITZ provides a truly effective alternative that is safe and easy to apply, and can be incorporated into an existing nematode management strategy that includes cultural and biological practices with little or no disruption to important soil microfauna and microflora including earthworms and key biological control agents such as parasitic fungi and predatory nematodes.”

“In contrast to other older nematicides, NIMITZ simplifies nematode management by significantly improving user safety and lessening complex handling practices.”

Luke Collins Product application, future registrations NIMITZ application options include simple injection via drip-irrigation, and broadcast or banded spray application with mechanical incorporation, meaning for most growers the operations can be carried out with no requirement for additional application equipment and without the need for input from an external contractor.

Adama reports that the process for MRLs has been initiated for the export of produce from the crops on the current NIMITZ label.

Adama expects to obtain further registrations of NIMITZ in more countries and an extended list of approved uses in susceptible crops. Work in Australia is continuing with the aim to include leafy vegetables, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, turf and even has potential in cereals, cotton, tree crops and vines.

41

BIOFUMIGANTS BACK IN FAVOUR

BY LUCINDA BARTY

The term ‘biofumigation’ may sound just as intense, if not more so, than the harshest of chemicals, yet this natural method of crop management has been used successfully throughout the history of agriculture. In the haste to treat all manner of crop ailments and diseases, a ‘soil-up’ approach is often overlooked in favor of a ‘crop-down’, topical method of attack. The application of chemicals to kill pests and quell disease may be effective above the dirt, but sub-soil pests can remain hidden and out of reach, ready to strike growing plants. Biofumigation, involves the use of specialised cover crops and is an all-natural way to protect and nurture farming soil and suppress weeds, fungal pathogens and insects. With new trials showing even more promise, this timetested method is set to make a big comeback.

With the help of a NRM South public benefit grant last year, farmer James Allwright from Ellendale established a biofumigant trial on his poppy fields from his own resources and with the support of Derwent Catchment NRM Committee and Serve-Ag set to work on this innovative venture in poppy growing.

Modern biofumigant plant varieties used as a rotation in vegetable crops such as potatoes are known to produce multiple benefits such as improved soil health, reducing the incidence and severity of soil borne diseases and pests, reducing weed infestation and increasing the following cash crop yield. Suppression of soil pests 42

and pathogens occurs as a direct result of biocidal toxicity and an indirect result of changes caused to the soil microbe and fauna population. Weed control can also be attributed to the release of isothiocynates (ICTs) from the breakdown of Glucosinolate containing plants which burn weed seedlings before they have a chance to emerge.

For farming father and son Jim and Ning Allwright, investigating whether the technique would work in poppies was a worthwhile pursuit. A trial was set up to plant a number of biofumigant varieties as a rotation prior to the planting of the Allwright’s 2014 poppy crop.

The biofumigants trialled were Caliente 199 (Mustard), Nemat (Rocket), Doublet (Radish) and Caliente/Nemat Blend. These varieties were established in trial plots under a centre pivot paddock. A control plot was left fallow. Once grown, mulching the biofumigant crop into the ground forms the vital step in the fight against soil-bourne inflictions. High biomass plants, and particularly roots, provide all of the traditional benefits of traditional green-manure crops with the added benefit of soil microbial regulation and pathogen suppression.

Preliminary trial harvest data shows a significant effect due to the biofumigant treatments, but the next step will be to examine the data from TPI Enterprises which will show the commercially

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

“Biofumigant crops function as break crops, disrupting the life-cycle of pests and diseases whilst also suppressing weeds and improving nutrient cycling.” harvested yield and assay results. In commenting on the trial harvest data, Jim Allwright said “Damaging winds in early September after the poppy crop was sown blew out the control area and subsequently this area didn’t receive the weed control that the biofumigant areas received. Therefore, the crop that did establish on the control area was at a significant disadvantage.”

On the other hand, Jim said, “It could be argued that the biofumigant treatment areas helped to significantly protect the soil from the damaging winds we had.”

Serve-Ag Technical Agronomist, Julie Finnigan, also noted that there was lodging of the poppies after significant rainfall events and that the Caliente treatment was the most affected. Julie noted that, “The preliminary results are likely to be somewhat misrepresentative, as we could not harvest the lodged poppies”.

“The same rainfall events may affect the commercial harvest yield and assay data due to reduced alkaloid levels resulting from the rain”, she said.

When managed effectively, improvement in overall soil health and subsequent reduction in input costs will result. Following on from the biofumigation process, the next crop is likely to reap the rewards of better nutrient cycling and in- turn the robust early growth and improved vigour needed to out compete any remaining weeds.

Whilst a wealth of information exists on the biofumigation process, there are key components of the process that must be enacted for success. In order to retain biocidal ICTs in the soil, crops must be finely macerated before being ploughed over and the soil surface then sealed prior to re-sowing via rain, irrigation or rolling. With the host of benefits biofumigant crops boast, planting one crop brings with it soil pathogen and pest protection, better growth and healthier soil for many crops to come.

Essentially, biofumigant crops function as break crops, disrupting the life-cycle of pests and diseases whilst also suppressing weeds and improving nutrient cycling. Benefits, as in the case of the Allwright family farm, are dependent on the local climate and soil conditions, biofumigant type used and the how the crop is managed.

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NEW PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS STRONG NEW TT CANOLA HYBRIDS INTO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET Upon discovering a winning formula, it is only natural to seek to venture into further possibilities. Following on from the successful development of their winter canola crops, Seed Force is doing just that - launching into the spring canola market with the release of SF Turbine TT canola. In a first for the company which had championed the use of winter canola crops in the past, the spring variety is a welcome addition to popular winter varieties such as SF Sensation, SF Brazzil and SF Edimax CL. Whilst SF Turbine TT is a completely new type of product for Seed Force, the breeding program which gave rise to the variety is not new to Australia. ‘Canola Breeders’ pioneered Triazine Tolerant Hybrid (TT), releasing the world’s first TT hybrid canola cultivars and worked towards the creation of new hybrids such as SF Turbine TT. Access to the genetic material and research base of the company and its larger parent NPZ Lemke, in Germany, appeared all but lost to the Australian market when Canola Breeders closed in 2013.

However, a landmark agreement between Seed Force and the German owned NPZ Lemke, ratified in May 2015, means the Canola Breeders germplasm can once again be accessed

by Australian plant breeders. The genetic developments and patented breeding program of the European hybrid producer are now licensed to three companies - one of which is Seed Force in Australia.

Seed Force’s Broadacre Business Manager David Leah is no stranger to the NPZ material, as he was the Sales and Technical Lead at Canola Breeders from 2009 until its closure. David brings to Seed Force an in-depth understanding and familiarity with the NPZ breeding and trial program.

Aside from offering Australian farmers the best canola varieties for all environmental conditions, the licensing of NPZ Lemke genetics to Seed Force means the unique MSL hybrid system can also be used. All of the NPZ TT hybrids are developed in this way, with this being a more flexible system allowing for more rapid development of new hybrid varieties.

Left to right in signing agreement at NPZ Lemke, Holtsee Germany, Warwick Green, Dr Frank Grosse, Mike Gout, David Leah.

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In 2014 Seed Force’s spring canola crop trials were conducted in conjunction with NPZ. David Leah and Mike Gout of Seed Force inspected trials across the country with Professor Wallace Cowling of NPZ. This involved the selection of those spring canola cultivars that performed best across a variety of Australian conditions. This ensures that any varieties which successfully pass the trial stage will adapt well and perform in Australian climates.

In 2015, Seed Force has entered new canola varieties into 46 National Variety Trials (NVT) across the country putting these new varieties up against competitor varieties with solid results in those regions of best suitability.

SF Turbine TT is best suited to the 4/5 or early-mid maturity growing regions of Australia. It has excellent establishment and vigour, is of medium crop height and is delivering consistent 10% yield advantages over Open Pollinated varieties.

An increased supply of new Triazine Tolerant hybrids that are bred and tested in Australia provides the perfect insurance against spring seasons that are often unpredictable and harsh.

“The main goal for Seed Force is to provide the market with the best varieties for varying regions of the Australian crop zones.

Advancement towards this goal has gained momentum with the genetics and breeding systems of NPZ Lemke. 2016 holds more promise for the partnership, as more Triazine Tolerant canola hybrids find their way into the NVT trials with a greater range of maturities and better disease resistance” said Mr Leah.

“I would recommend that Australia’s strong agronomy and advisory sector review the latest regional NVT data to assess the suitability of this exciting new hybrid for their client’s program in 2016.”

David Leah in SF Turbine plot in replicated breeders trials at York WA.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

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SYMBIOTIC FARMING HARNESSING THE POWER OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS

BY LUCINDA BARTY

In an age where consumers want to know more and more of how their food travels from farm to table, the symbiotic farming process is growing in popularity – and profit. When fish bi-products can feed herbs, ducks nurture rice and the products of both can later be harvested and sold, symbiotic farming is a venture of minimal waste and minimal environmental impact. Similarly, the space required is minute compared to that of many other farmmanagement models. With Australians growing increasingly aware of the need for more sustainable agricultural methods and food production processes, the conservation of limited resources such as viable land, water and fertilisers has become a far higher social priority. Low space requirements and potential for intensification with little environmental implications makes symbiotic farming an efficient choice in the face of such concerns and growing demand for sustainably produced food products.

Green Camel, an integrated fish and crop production system based in Western Sydney, is one such enterprise already turning profit in Australia. In response to the increasing pressures of excessive demand and unsustainable supply in the organic food and aquaculture sectors, Green Camel created an integrated aquaculture-horticulture system. Smaller, intensified farms, according to the Australian Productivity Commission, tend to be operated along the fringes of major metropolitan and regional

46

centres, a trend perpetuated further by the positioning of Green Camel. Glass-housed and futuristic in appearance, the system operates as a semi-closed biosphere in which the conditions are consistent and the season is always a good one.

In spite of the degree of control a consistent climate may provide, the impetus to try such methods appears largely reliant on the strength of a belief a farmer holds in themselves and their proposed business. In a 2011 study published in the journal Rural Society, an underlying tension between environmentally sustainable practices and those which are socially sustainable in terms of generating a livelihood and community cohesion was revealed. The most recent drought that plagued the nation provides a prime example of an instance where farmers must put ‘survival’ and maintaining the function of their farm over investment in new technologies and ventures into the unknown.

For sustainable farming enterprises such as Green Camel, however, such investment in cutting edge technology and vastly different farming practices ensures the facility is not left to the mercy of he climate in seasons to come.

Partnered by The University of Sydney, the farm uses no pesticides with the aim being to manage the nutrient cycle wherever possible by converting the waste products of one

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

process into nutrient-dense feedstuff for another. Minimising wastage, in this instance, provides both an environmental gain, and a vast saving on input costs. A Moving Gulley System (MGS) is used to great effect with a canopy of herbs suspended above a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) housing good quality barramundi. Whilst the facility operates on a commercial scale, maximising the efficiency of production per litre of water and square meter, the farm is not only compact but highly productive.

Per year, more than 130,000 kg of fresh leafy greens are grown within the 4320sqm space – all within mere kilometres of Sydney’s bustling CBD. Socially conscious consumers are also more likely to be satisfied with the growing process, low environmental footprint and chemical-free qualities of a symbiotically grown product.

With social phenomenon’s such as the ‘paddock to plate’ movement increasing in momentum over the past decade, knowing the origins of one’s food has never been more important.

Knowing what fungicides, pesticides or inorganic fertilisers have been used or not used during the journey from soil to bowl, likewise, has taken on new meanings with the choices a consumer makes acting as a self-statement. Demonstrating this principle is the increased popularity of free-range chicken, pork, eggs and other meats in spite off the associated price premiums such products attract. By incorporating not only physical but social

demands into their business models, symbiotic and other similar farms can gain also from advertising the ‘virtues’ of their products.

In Australia in particular, the use of symbiotic farming appears promising yet the full benefits remain to be seen until more facilities such as Green Camel are set in place. With a milder Winter and harsher Summer than many comparative European countries, systems incorporating a green house allow for predictable and consistent growing conditions whilst minimising climate related risks. Open air systems, however, prove a more realistic and practical option for already established farms and could be as simple as the introduction of fish or ducks to irrigated paddocks. The rise of ethical consumerism movements in Australia has resulted in an increased demand for food that is locally produced and has a lowered environmental footprint, traits which are achievable for the majority of primary producers when free from the constraints of drought and other climate extremes. In making any large changes to the farming process the assistance of an agronomist is of great benefit – yet in the case of symbiotic farming, farmers and consultants alike will gain knowledge with the rollout of each symbiotic complex across the nation.

47

A CLEAN FALLOW PADDOCK AT BREEZA, NSW After a successful launch into the fallow and winter cereal market this year, Stinger Herbicide is impressing agronomists across the northern cropping region. Local territory manager Emma Twine says that “Stinger was widely used in summer fallows to control those more difficult to control weeds like vetch and offered an ideal tank mix partner with glyphosate to control volunteer chickpeas and fababeans after the 2014 harvest.

Several consultants in my area have commented on the excellent knockdown when chasing volunteer legumes, bindweed, pigweed, thistles and other weeds, and the residual provided by the aminopyralid component was keeping the fallows a lot cleaner through Autumn leading up to planting the winter cereal crop.”

Further north and Territory Manager Kevin Melmeth explains that “Stinger has found a great fit in the fallow and winter cereal market, but due to plantback concerns of the metsulfuron component to Sorghum, many growers were turning to FallowBoss Tordon to keep their fallow land clean. Having three strong active ingredients including aminopyralid, FallowBoss gave quick brownout and extended residual control of many fallow weeds last summer. It has been particularly excellent at controlling fleabane on The Darling Downs.”

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Both Stinger and FallowBoss require some rotational management planning to ensure a tolerant crop is grown in that paddock after application. Advisors are well aware of this and see the residual control offered by either the metsulfuron and/or aminopyralid components as being key benefits of the products.

“Growers want to keep their paddocks clean for as long possible to retain the soil moisture and nutrients for the following crop” says Ms Twine.

“Stinger and FallowBoss are excellent products to choose this coming summer fallow season to be able to achieve this.”

Both products are widely compatible with other fallow inputs allowing growers and their consultants the flexibility to create a tank mix that suits their situation.

THE AUSTRALIAN AGRONOMIST SUMMER

HIGHER 15KG RATE OF SUSCON MAXI INTEL APPROVED REGISTRATION of suSCon maxi Intel this season provided Australian cane growers with an improved grub control formulation to protect sugarcane crop for 3 years against greyback, negatoria, consobrina and Bundaberg canegrub damage; and for 4 years against southern one-year and Childers canegrub damage. A higher rate of 15 kg of suSCon maxi Intel per hectare has recently been added to the label, for use where heavy greyback canegrub pressure is expected, especially for continued control in second-ratoon crops.

The registered label rate of 10-15 kg is now similar to the recommended rate of its predecessor suSCon Maxi. Crop Care technical consultant Glen Tucker said suSCon maxi Intel was a particularly valuable tool for central and northern canegrowers combating widespread and serious damage caused by greyback canegrubs.

“This was the species targeted in our central and northern trials conducted in co-operation with SRA (formerly BSES)

“suSCon maxi Intel provided significant reduction in greyback canegrub numbers in sugarcane in the plant, first and secondratoon crops when applied into the furrow of conventionally-planted cane at drill fill-in.” “suSCon maxi Intel granules provided a more prolonged, steady release of imidacloprid into surrounding soil; a higher retention of imidacloprid within the granule during the early stages of release; and a higher concentration of imidacloprid in surrounding soil in the third year after application.”

“Control of greyback canegrubs with suSCon Maxi Intel at 10 and 15 kg/ha resulted in increases in sugarcane yield in plant, first and second ratoon cane crops.”

Mr Tucker said that when the APVMA submission for registering suSCon Maxi Intel was prepared, available trial data did not support the need for a rate range, and a rate of 10 kg/ha only was included for the control of greyback canegrub.

“However Crop Care left the possibility open for a higher rate range If further supporting data came to hand from ongoing trials.”

Mr Tucker said additional data had become available from two ongoing Mackay-district trials. Higher 15 kg rate of suSCon maxi Intel approved Intelligent Technology “This data indicated that a rate range of 10-15 kg/ha was justified in some circumstances for 3-year control of greyback canegrub.

“There was significant difference in greyback canegrub control with the two different rates of suSCon Maxi Intel of 10 and 15 kg/ha, particularly in a combined analysis of second ratoon crops.”

“So the label now recommends that suSCon Maxi Intel should be applied at 10 to 15 kg/ha for greyback canegrub control, using the higher rate where heavy canegrub pressure is expected and especially for control in second ratoon crops.”

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49

TRANSFORM REBIRTH MAKES LIFE EASIER Since launch Transform™ has proved to be very effective in the control of Mirids while at the same time not flaring silverleaf whitefly or mites. Many users also reported that by using Transform to control mirids and aphids, they had the added benefit of suppressing whitefly and therefore avoiding costly sprays later in the season.

Scott Armstrong is a cotton grower from St George in Queensland, he and his family have been growing cotton at their Cooinda property for 42 years. Scott grows half their cotton area to Bollgard® cotton and in the past has used a variety of chemicals to control sucking pests. Whilst all of them gave good control of the pests, Scott found they were also very hard on beneficial insects. This didn’t sit well with Scott: “On our farm we’re pretty big on beneficials and letting them do what they do naturally, just them doing that saves us a lot of expense at the end of the season.”

Scott has found that although these hard chemistries take care of the pests early in the season, problems with secondary pests means more spray applications are required later on.

After spending the last five or six years trying a variety of different ways to maintain beneficials, a chat with his agronomist in the off-season led Scott to try Transform insecticide.

“When we sprayed, mirid numbers were just on threshold and rapidly increasing.”

“Transform has done a remarkable job. We’ve got very good control of mirids, and even now - two weeks later - we still have very low numbers, well below threshold. The most exciting thing is that we’ve got just a fantastic population of beneficials there which is helping keep all the other pests under control and well below threshold.”

“The numbers of whiteflies and mites and other late season pests we see at this time of the year are still very low, and with the good levels of beneficials preserved in these fields, we expect these will keep those pests in check. That’s something we haven’t seen from other products we’ve been using in recent years.”

“I’ve found Transform just as effective or even slightly more effective on the target pest, but it’s certainly a much softer chemistry and we’re getting much higher numbers of beneficials following the application than we have using other chemistries.”

“If you can preserve your populations of beneficials they are going to do a very effective job for the right price.”

50

This season, Dow AgroSciences will be introducing a new formulation of Transform Insecticide. John Gilmour Horticulture business manager at Dow AgroSciences Australia says that the most common question he’s received since the decision to switch to the new formulation is why fix what isn’t broken? John says that “the switch from an SC (Suspension Concentrate) to WDG (Water Dispersible Granule) is primarily for stability as SC’s can settle in the drum, which with a 20L drum can be difficult to shake out. We want to do everything we can to make like easier for growers and resellers and the WDG offers a few key advantages that will do that.”

The WDG formulation has approximately twice the loading of active ingredient, so one of the benefits of moving to the WDG formulation is that we get the same results from half the rate.

For example the rate for mirids was previously 200-300 mL/ ha with the liquid formulation, whilst with the WDG formulation it will be 100-150 g/ha. This means that packaging, transport and storage will be halved.

The important thing is that whilst making life a bit easier, the new formulation of Transform doesn’t lose any of its other benefits.

The WDG formulation has been commercial-in-use for the last 3 years in the USA and in demonstration plots here in Australia this year. In every situation it has proven to be as effective as the SC formulation and the crop safety has been maintained with no evidence of crop damage in the USA or Australia. There are no changes to the current compatibilities, the new formulation does not alter the need for surfactants, and the new formulation mixes easily and completely. So Transform will still be soft on beneficials and tough on sucking pests and offer great control of mirids whilst suppressing silverleaf whitefly.

Due to the increased concentration of active in the WDG a 5 kg pack will treat 50 ha of cotton infested with green mirids at the 100 g/ha rate. For end user convenience, the label use rates of Transform WDG were “rounded-up” which means the value offered by the granule will be slightly better than the liquid, as 100 g of the WDG will deliver 4.2% more active ingredient than is delivered by 200 mL of the SC formulation.

The intention is to launch the WDG formulation in December for use in Q1 of 2016. Limited stocks of the liquid formulation of Transform will be available at a reduced price, from early November 2015. Once this stock has gone the 20L pack will be discontinued.

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