Cropping, tillage and pastures feb 2015 (low res)

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ountry News Co Reaching Australia ’s richest agricultural region

Cropping, tillage & pastures

20 February

2015

Soil preparation that hits the spot

— page 3

Warning on weather forecasts — page 4 | Elmore tillage and cropping demonstration day program — page 6 New approach in knocking down weeds — page 12

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PAGE 2—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

How Long

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Gross margin results on irrigated wheat at Finley were the highest since benchmarking began in the area and surprised farm consultant John Lacy. Picture: Cathy Walker

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is simply not enough water to allow farmers to target high yields in every paddock after allocating water for rice and corn. Instead of analysing last season’s Finley Discussion Group’s irrigated wheat records from top to lowest yield, they were analysed as irrigation systems. I was surprised by the results. The 1.5-2 Ml/ha two-spring irrigation system yielded 6.2 tonne/ha which was 3 tonne/ha higher than the group’s average dryland yield of 3.2 tonne/ha. The dryland gross margin/ha of $549/ha was subtracted from the irrigated gross margin (GM) to ensure the GM/Ml was only attributed to the irrigation water. The GM/Ml for the two spring irrigation system was a very high $372/Ml which is the highest GM I have seen and highest since the discussion groups started benchmarking. The next highest GM/Ml was the grazing grain system which only yielded 4.3 tonne/ ha but with income from sheep added, the GM/Ml was $270. Although the spray irrigation system had

the highest target yield of 7.1 tonne/ha the system yielded 6.2 tonne/ha. The spring water use was fourth highest at 2.1 Ml/ha and the GM/Ml was $242 — still a good return on water. The >2 Ml/ha flood system which yielded 6.4 tonne/ha and used 2.8 Ml/ha was not far behind the spray system at $206/Ml. The once popular one-spring irrigation system <1.5 Ml/ha yielded 4.2 tonne/ha and had the lowest return of $96/Ml. This was similar to the pre-irrigation and spring irrigation system at $102/Ml, understandably low as the pre-irrigation water was excess to the high rainfall which fell from April to June. The no-irrigation system, which was commonly a wheat after rice fallow rotation, yielded 2.9 tonne/ha which was a good yield because most crops were in the lower dryland rainfall zone of the district (dryland yield 2.7 tonne/ha) and the overall wateruse efficiency 15.5 kg/mm was one of the highest. The results will be presented at the GRDC Farm Business Update at Finley on March 14. — John Lacy, agricultural consultant, Finley

‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 3

cropping, tillage & pastures

It digs and does it well he end of one harvest is the T start of the next: the residue from a harvest can contribute

significantly to the success of future crops, but it needs to be worked in evenly so decomposition gets a good start. This mixture of rotting vegetable matter, moisture and earth creates optimum conditions for Mother Nature to prepare the soil and make it ready for the next crop, which is where the Terradisc compact disc harrow by Po ¨ttinger comes in. Po ¨ttinger has reassessed this soil preparation all-rounder with the introduction of the 1001 series which, compared with the previous model, has been completely redesigned and technically updated. A major change to the Terradisc is the new Twin-Arm-System that features two concave discs mounted on a single wide clamping bracket. This design offers terrific trash clearance and guarantees the highest stability thanks to the large dimensions of the bracket. As a result the angle of slant of the disc remains absolutely constant and is not pushed to the side even in heavy soils. What this all means to those on the tractor is that it digs, and digs well. In addition, the thickness of the discs has been increased by 50 per cent to 6 mm, while the diameter of each disc has been increased to 580 mm. To cater for the larger discs the disc bearings have been upgraded and offer the highest level of convenience

The Po¨ttinger Terradisc will be on display at the Elmore cropping and tillage demonstration day on Wednesday, March 11. thanks to being totally maintenance-free. The bearings on the disc arms are mounted on bolts and feature a large-diameter twin-race tapered bearing with labyrinth seal (six-fold seal) for the best protection. The labyrinth seal is also shielded mechanically by a plate cover to protect against long-fibred harvest trash or bale twine left in the field. All in all, that adds up to an enormous increase in service life of up to 45 per cent. Another feature of the Po ¨ttinger Terradisc is the depth adjustment on the outermost discs which, when set, results in tidy merging and no ridging between runs. A light edging disc that can be shifted from side to side and levelling tines with tangential 14 mm-thick tines are also available as an option. ➤ See www.poettinger.com.au for more information.

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PAGE 4—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

Forecasting is not yet infallible ewly completed N research by a South Australian Nuffield

scholar says that weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate in recent years, but farmers should not take predictions literally. In his paper Weather Forecasting & Business Management Systems, Robin Schaefer, who shares a collaborative farming venture at Loxton in South Australia, says five-day and seven-day forecasts in Australia have increased in accuracy by 45 per cent during the past 30 years, while the three-day forecast has increased in accuracy by 27 per cent to become 97 per cent accurate. Mr Schaefer, who undertook his Nuffield scholarship study with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation, says forecasting technology and methods have come a long way with the advent of more sophisticated technology like satellite forecasting, but

farmers should still be wary of the impact of oversubscribing to forecast data. ‘‘Given the uncertain nature of weather forecasts, the riskiest thing anyone could do is to take a weather forecast literally,’’ Mr Schaefer said. ‘‘In the media we see stories of farmers who followed a forecast of a drought literally, made a dramatic business decision, such as deciding not to sow any crop at all or totally de-stocking, which proved to be the correct decision and resulted in a dramatic escape from its effects. ‘‘For every one of these stories, there are many more where a dramatic decision proved to be incorrect, resulting in huge losses. As weather forecasts continue to become more accurate farmers will begin to increase their reliance on them. However, this could increase the risk to the business, especially when

the forecast will inevitably be wrong.’’ The paper looks at an array of decision-making tools available to farmers in Australia and beyond, including popular services like Climate Kelpie, and forecasting technology and research overseas. While Australia is said to have seen rapid improvements in recent years, decisionsupport tools from Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, among other countries, which he visited as part of his scholarshipsupported study tour, offer lessons in how local services could enhance their offerings to farmers. Mr Schaefer concludes that weather forecasting has plenty more progress to make, both in longer-term, seasonal forecasting, as well as more localised predictions via micrometeorology, to help farmers make the most of decisions informed by weather. ‘‘The weather is an

‘‘Given the uncertain nature of weather forecasts, the riskiest thing anyone could do is to take a weather forecast literally.’’ — Robin Schaefer essential part of planning daily operations and in the longer term can mean the difference between a profitable and unprofitable year. As a farmer I am also a weather forecaster; I refer to as much information as possible, from as many sources as I have available, then use this information to influence my decisionmaking,’’ he said. ‘‘Research needs to be targeted at seasonal

forecasting. Investigations for this report have confirmed there is plenty of scope to continue to improve seasonal forecasting. To achieve this, researchers need to think outside the square, to be bold and innovative. ‘‘On the opposite end of the scale to seasonal forecasting is the emerging science of micro meteorology. ‘‘Currently any

micrometeorology data that is collected is not normally available to farmers,’’ Mr Schaefer said. ‘‘As technology improves, with the advent of on-farm instrumentation and communications systems and satellite-derived, instantly retrievable information, it will become possible to map microclimate variations. This will be at time scales that are useful for input into businesses.’’

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 5

cropping, tillage & pastures

Tillage covered Deere dealer John Haeusler’s Bendigo will

have two seed drills out in the dirt to show what they can do at the Elmore tillage day: the John Deere 1590 seed drill and the the 1890 no-till drill with a 1910 air cart. Salesman Alistair Cheesman said the 1590 was designed to work in all types of tillage situations from clean-till to no-till. ‘‘The single-disk design works exceedingly well in heavy residue,’’ Mr Cheesman said. Depth, gauged at the point the furrow is created, is accurate and ‘‘unsurpassed’’. Accurate depth control leads to improved germination, emergence, yield and profits. The 18-inch disk blades are mounted at a sevendegree angle for aggressive action in high-trash fields. Up to 200 kg of downpressure provides consistent down-force in rough fields. Patented active hydraulics maintain that penetration force consistently by allowing hydraulic cylinders to extend or retract in

The John Deere 1590 seed drill comes in two box styles (above, left and right) that will be shown at the Elmore tillage day. response to changing terrain. Once the no-till paddocks are done, the 1590 can go straight into well-prepped seedbeds. The 1590 comes in two box styles: the plain grain box that is suitable for the customer who wants to drill legumes such as soybeans, which typically do not require fertilisation, and the combination grain/fertiliser box suited to the customer who desires to drill cereals and grasses that require fertilisation. The 1890 no-till drill is a durable, minimal soil disturbance air-seeding tool available in 9.15 m to 18.30 m working widths and

can seed into no-till, minimum-till, reduced and conservation tillage systems. Mr Cheesman said its key benefits included minimal moisture disturbance, the crop emerged uniformly and seed placement accuracy resulted in a great crop stand to optimise yields. The 1910 Commodity Air Cart is designed to allow farmers to apply bulk seed or fertiliser and seed accurately while minimising the time needed to stop for refilling, and is compatible with the entire John Deere air seeding line-up: the 1830 Flex Air Hoe Drill, 1835 Separate Fertiliser Placement Air Hoe Drill, 1890 No-till Air Disk Drill,

The 1910 Commodity Air Cart is compatible with the entire John Deere air seeding line-up, including the 1890 shown here. 1895 Separate Fertiliser Placement No-till Air Drill, 1870 Air Hoe Drill, as well as competitive seeding tools.

‘‘A wide variety of sizes allows a smaller size to be used in a smaller operation requiring more than a central fill seeding or dry

application system, while a larger size can seed more acres per day with fewer stops to refill,’’ Mr Cheesman said.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST LED TO SARDI LUCERNE. It’s not by chance that SARDI lucernes out-survive and out-yield other varieties under Australian conditions. SARDI varieties have evolved from decades of local breeding and field testing to produce cultivars that are highly adapted to the Australian environment and farming practices. For a more highly evolved lucerne, choose SARDI lucerne from Heritage Seeds.

SARDI lucerne is available from your local Heritage Seeds retailer. Discover more, visit heritageseeds.com.au or freecall 1800 007 333. www.heritageseeds.com.au

PAGE 6—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

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bringing their tillage, boomspray and sowing equipment to the popular demonstration day to be held at the Elmore Events Centre on Wednesday, March 11, from 9.30 am. With at least 18 tillage machines, five different boomsprays and 10 sowing machines already entered, the 2015 demonstration day will be a ‘‘must attend’’ opportunity for farmers, grain growers and cropping operators from the rural districts of north central Victoria and the southern Riverina. Elmore Field Days president Frank Harney said the objective of the specialised equipment and technology event was to assist cropping and cultivation-based farmers to evaluate their forward capital investment plans for tillage, sowing and spraying equipment for the following cropping season. ‘‘With such a comprehensive entry of machines, the morning session is devoted to tillage machines and the afternoon session will feature boomsprays and sowing machines,’’ Mr Harney said. ‘‘In short there is plenty to see with the emphasis on the working demonstrations in the field with each machine allocated time for an explanation of its features and its role in a cropping enterprise, followed by a test run of the equipment.’’ The demonstration day at the Elmore Events Centre is a bi-annual event and is typically well supported by farmers and equipment manufacturers, their local dealers and distributors. Participating exhibitors will also be available to give working demonstrations of their equipment to interested farmers on request. At the conclusion each machine will also be on display for inspection and further discussions. Event entry is free to the public. A barbecue lunch and refreshments will be available throughout the day. ➤ For more information phone the Elmore Field Days office on 5432 6176 or visit www. elmorefielddays.com.au

The tillage demonstrations raise lots of dust so a pair of sunnies is a good idea for everyone who plans to take a close look at what the equipment can achieve. Picture: Jayme Lowndes

List of exhibitors: TILLAGE at Claas Harvest Centre Echuca K-Line Speed Tiller, Echuca CIH Sales & Service Lely 600 XLH, Echuca Rural Gladiator 6 Row, Kuhn Farm Machinery Optimer + 6003 + SH, Kuhn Farm Machinery Terradisc 3001, Pottinger Australia Lemken Rubin 9/300, William Adams Lenken Rubin 12/400 Kua, William Adams Zirkon 10/300 Power Harrow, William Adams Lemken Heliodor 8/400, William Adams Lemken Krystal 9/300, William Adams Trailing Model Plow, Yeomans Plow Co Rehabilitator Plough with ‘Wix’ Seed Box, Fix Engineering Simba 3M, PFG Australia Great Plains Turbo-Max, PFG Australia LUNCH BOOMSPRAYS Amazone UX3200 Boom Spray Static, Claas Harvest Centre Echuca Hardi 6000lt Sprayer, Echuca CIH Sales and Service Atlantique Sprayer, Kuhn Farm Machinery Cropland Sprayer, O’Connors Farm Machinery Case IH Patriot SP Sprayer, O’Connors Farm Machinery SOWING Seed Hawk SH 810-30 and Arion 640-50, Claas Harvest Centre Echuca Spartan 607, PFG Australia CX8105 Morris Seed Drill, Echuca Rural Duncan Renovator AS 5000, Echuca Rural John Deere 1890 and 1910, Haeusler’s Echuca SDE 3000, Kuhn Farm Machinery Demo Tillage Bar – Aus Plow, O’Connors Farm Machinery Demo Tillage Bar – AF Gason, O’Connors Farm Machinery Aitchison Seedmatic, PFG Australia Claas Axion 830 Tractor and Amzone Cirrus 6003.2C disc planter, Claas Harvest Centre Echuca OTHER Axis H EMC W 50.1, Kuhn Farm Machinery STATIC DISPLAYS Farm Tender Agmaster Elmore Lockington Rochester Community Bank Amazone Catros CA3001 Disc

‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 7

Elmore tillage & cropping demonstration day

Class Harvest Centre at Echuca will demonstrate a range of its products at next month’s Elmore tillage and cropping demonstration day, including the Seedhawk 30 series airseeder, pictured above in travel mode and above right in work mode.

Compact, precise he Seed Hawk 30 delivers the T same precise seed and fertiliser placement as the

company’s larger models but in a more compact operating width of six or eight metres. CLAAS Harvest Centre Echuca’s principal Brendan Caffery said: ‘‘They are proving very popular on smaller operations that want the same precision as a larger machine but in a compact size, only three metres transportation width. ‘‘They are also ideal for contractors who need to cover larger distances as quickly as possible.’’ Seed Hawk’s patented ‘seed openers’ place seed and fertiliser in separate bands. Depth control is achieved via the trailing press wheel, which

independently tracks ground contours and then packs and seals the furrow for faster, more uniform emergence. Each opener is pulled into its operating position by a hydraulic ram with adjustable ‘break-out’ pressure, which can be adjusted from the cabin. Once the trip pressure has been reached, the opener gently glides up and over any obstacle before re-engaging the soil. The simple design of the openers delivers precise seed depth, even over uneven ground, high trash conditions or at higher operating speeds. The end result is faster, more uniform emergence and enhanced root development.

The 4000-litre seed tank and metering system delivers precise and reliable distribution of all types of seed and fertiliser. It can sow at rates from 150 kg/ ha for rice to 2 kg/ha for canola and it only takes a few minutes to change over the metering drum. Mr Caffery said CLAAS Harvest Centre Echuca would have several machines at work at the Elmore tillage and cropping day: ➤ Seedhawk 30 series airseeder; ➤ Claas Arion 630C tractor 155 hp; ➤ Claas Arion 640 tractor 177 hp; ➤ Claas Arion 830 tractor 235 hp; ➤ Amazone Cirrus seeder; ➤ Amazone Catros compact disc cultivator; and ➤ Amazone UX3200 Trailing Spray.

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PAGE 8—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

Elmore tillage & cropping day

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On display at Elmore

. . . Agmaster is the Western Australia-based manufacturer and distributor of Harrington no-till seeding systems, presswheels and rotary harrows. The company’s Victorian representative Dan Bolwell says as market leader in the industry and through its continuous improvement program, Agmaster is dedicated to innovation, producing quality products and providing value for money. ‘‘We will be displaying our full range of points, boots, press wheels and rotary harrows in our display trailer at Elmore,’’ Mr Bolwell said. Pictured are Agmaster no-till seeding kits, presswheels and harrows combination set up on a Morris Concept 2000.

New rye-grass, more milk ood growing G conditions for pastures in 2014 and the

introduction of a new annual rye-grass variety called Aston have helped push up Daniel Portwine’s milk production. Mr Portwine said Aston was able to take advantage of the season. The cows on his Echuca dairy farm milked about two litres/cow/day more over the spring period than they did the previous year. It was a pleasing result and one that didn’t take a lot of extra work to feed the 300-strong dairy herd. In the second week of March Daniel sowed Aston Italian rye-grass, a fastgrowing tetraploid variety introduced by Heritage Seeds. Eight weeks later he was able to give Aston a light grazing, which he said was probably a couple of weeks quicker than would normally be the case for other varieties he has grown. ‘‘We have about 60 paddocks on our farm for rotating stock. The Aston established well, it was quick to the first grazing and then it grew on,’’ he said. ‘‘Winter production was good. The grazing interval only crept up to 30 days maximum over winter and then it went down to every 14 days in the spring. ‘‘It produced good quality pasture; the cows milked very well off it. We milked more cows than the previous year and we didn’t

Daniel Portwine is pictured with Landmark Echuca’s agronomist Kyle Schulz and the Aston Italian ryegrass. have to feed any more hay out over winter, so we figured it was growing really well. ‘‘By spring it was growing too fast for the cows, so we were able to lock up seven hectares and cut hay, which hasn’t happened for a few years. ‘‘And it pushed on really well. It didn’t stop growing until December and that’s only because we cut the water off. If water wasn’t $120/Ml I probably would have watered it again and let it keep growing.’’ Mr Portwine said he sowed Aston into clean paddocks and because this rye-grass grew so strongly,

there weren’t really any weed issues. Half the paddocks were worked up to level the ground out, and half were direct drilled. He said the direct drilled paddocks had better trafficability during winter. There was 100 kg/ha of DAP applied at sowing; there was a urea application in the middle of winter; and another 100 kg of DAP was spread out in the middle of September. Mr Portwine said his 2014 fertiliser usage was less than previous years. He watered twice in March to get the grass established and twice in spring to finish off.

‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 9

Elmore tillage & cropping demonstration day

Stay in command with Case ew spray technology N incorporated in the Case IH AIM Command

PRO spray system on Patriot self-propelled sprayers provides unprecedented application control and accuracy in a wide range of conditions, maximising the return of investment for growers in crops and chemicals. The machine is one of several that will be displayed by O’Connors Farm Machinery, Shepparton, at the Elmore tillage and cropping demonstration day on March 11. O’Connors will also highlight stubble management tools from Muddyriver Agricultural. Case IH product manager Pete McCann said managing the droplet size and pressure when spraying was key to delivering improved pest control, leading to higher profits through higher crop yield. Since its first production in 1998, AIM Command has built a reputation for its comprehensive impact on chemical spray quality, drift management, standard and variable rate applications and operator convenience.

‘‘The most important advantage of AIM Command is the ability to control the pressure in the boom independent of the chassis speed. This gives the operator the advantage of being able to balance coverage and drift for their particular field conditions on the fly, saving time, increasing acres per day, and maximising yield potential like no other system in the marketplace today,’’ Mr McCann said. ‘‘The AIM Command PRO has all the same advantages as AIM Command, with new technology adding a number of benefits. ‘‘What puts the AIM Command PRO in a class of its own is its ability to maintain constant pressure for a consistent droplet size.’’ The individual nozzle control minimises skips, preventing over-application and crop damage. As the nozzles pass over previously applied or unapplied areas, each individual nozzle turns on or off as needed for the application specified, making it easier for growers to balance coverage versus burn in long point rows or around pivots or obstacles. The AIM Command PRO

The Case Patriot self-propelled sprayer will save users money with its pinpoint accuracy, dealers say. also has a new ‘‘turn compensation’’. This feature allows individual nozzles to match the rate for that nozzle’s speed through the field relative to its

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PAGE 10—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

Elmore tillage & cropping demonstration day

The Rehabilitator plough is made near Daylesford and will be on active duty at the Elmore tillage and cropping demonstration day.

Plough is perfect fix for poor soil eet Mike Fix of Fix M Engineering and you go straight to the source

when it comes to making ploughs. ‘‘The Rehabilitator plough is made by us in Musk, near Daylesford,’’ Mr Fix said. Machines start at a working width of 1.5 m to 4 m for three-point linkage.

Trailing machines start at 3 m to 6 m. ‘‘The tines are designed along the parabolic principle with sharp chisel points, not unlike a wood chisel,’’ Mr Fix said. ‘‘This allows the tines to penetrate the soil in the hardest conditions and use substantially less power

compared to any other tine we know of.’’ The lift of the soil starts about 40 cm ahead of the point, so more lift is achieved at the point — resulting in more air space being created. Mr Fix said the tusk rollers completed the job,

and effectively did two jobs at the same time. ‘‘The main thing to remember is that beneficial biology can not live without air, damaging biology such as soil borne-diseases cannot live with air. ‘‘All other deep tillage systems will need another run with a different

implement such as disc harrow to achieve the tilth we achieve in one run.’’ A seed box can also be attached to the Rehabilitator so that cover or green manure crops can be sown at the same time. With coulter discs fitted, pasture can be aerated without tearing it up.

‘‘We can fast change the rear cultivating roller to a pasture roller, punching narrow holes in the surface,’’ Mr Fix said. ‘‘We have witnessed virtually non or poor productive land turn around over winter and produce the best crops the following season.’’

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 11

Elmore tillage & cropping day

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Baldan CRI28 Offset Disc A JCB spreader that has low hours is among machinery sought via the Farm Tender website. apart from the contractor listings. ‘‘We are trying to build a mindset with our clients that if it is something you’re looking to sell, then list it; and if you’re trying to find something, list that too,’’ Farm Tender’s Matt Henke said. ‘‘A lot of our sales are word-of-mouth and don’t actually get listed on the website, as we speak to so many farmers and also keep our ear to the ground.

‘‘We go to many of the field days and events to sign up new members and meet our existing clients. ‘‘We will be at the Elmore tillage day on March 11 at the Elmore Events Centre where people can see all the new options available for the sowing season. ‘‘If anyone has questions or needs help in using the site, they can contact any of our staff members.’’ ➤ See www.farmtender.com.au

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PAGE 12—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

Using new ways to fight weeds armer Neil Vallance is F tackling the growing herbicide resistance

Neil Vallance is trying a more sophisticated approach to weed control.

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problem by implementing new integrated weed management technology. Mr Vallance said high levels of herbicide-resistant weeds in Victoria’s Western Districts, brought on by an over-reliance on Group A chemicals, meant landholders had to find innovative ways to combat weeds. ‘‘We’ve seen increasing resistance to Select through seed testing, with levels up to 30 per cent,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s not about relying on one herbicide; it’s about using a range of everything.’’ He said a new addition to the farm, Roundup-Triazine (RT) hybrid canola, provided a tool for control on a wide range of weeds including rye-grass and wild radish. According to developers Pacific Seeds and Monsanto, it combines the broad-spectrum knockdown control of Roundup Ready with the residual activity of triazine herbicides. ‘‘RT provides the option of

TT and RR if you need it, so that’s where its strength lies. It’s going to find a place in the herbicide resistance model,’’ Mr Vallance said. He runs 3900 ha mixedfarming enterprise Braebrook with his wife Helen, brothers Max and Graeme, and their wives Jane and Rachel. Their Lake Bolac operation consists of 2500 ha of cropping — mainly canola, wheat, barley and oats — and 3000 sheep consisting of Merino and Coopworth ewes, and a piggery of 450 Landracecross sows. Last year they grew open pollinated triazine-tolerant (OP TT) varieties Thumper TT and Wahoo ATR, Roundup Ready (RR) Cargill Victory and Hyola 525RT. They began sowing canola late in April at a rate of 3 kg/ha to provide some defence against slugs. ‘‘In general, GM hybrid canola shows improved early vigour and higher yields here compared to conventional varieties, and it gets cold quickly in this area which brings out the

slugs, so we need as much ground cover as quickly as we can.’’ Zinc MAP sulphur was applied at 90 kg/ha plus 200 kg urea, with 80 kg at sowing and the balance topdressed in July. All the canola received 3 litres/ha of trifluralin preemergent, with Roundup Ready herbicide and Atrazine applied onto the RT technology. All RT was direct headed about December 18. Mr Vallance said the family’s 2014 winter crop season was the driest in almost a decade, with rainfall reaching 373 mm; well short of their annual 525 mm average. ‘‘Rainfall was down last season by about 150 mm, and we haven’t had a season that bad since 2006.’’ Despite this, their newest addition of integrated weed management technology yielded 1.8 tonne/ha. ‘‘It was still a top result given the poor season.’’

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 13

PAGE 14—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

Monola in demand orthern Victorian N growers are responding to strong

demand for Monola, the healthy oil alternative, with increased plantings and record harvests this season. More than 10 000 metric tonnes of Monola seed was received by GrainCorp Oils at Numurkah this summer, as growers switched to the specialty canola crop to collect healthy premiums of up to $95/tonne on top of the market price. Monola was developed by global seed company Nuseed during the past decade and there are now four varieties available to growers. GrainCorp Oils trader Andrew Tout said the Numurkah facility had been crushing Monola oil since 2005 and demand was continuing to outstrip supply. ‘‘There is strong demand for Monola oil from buyers both locally and internationally as food producers and restaurants switch away from cotton oil and palm oil,’’ Mr Tout said.

‘‘Monola oil has proven health benefits and carries the National Heart Foundation tick of approval. ‘‘It contains less than seven per cent saturated fat, compared with other traditional frying oils which range from 26 per cent to 51 per cent saturated fat.’’ The majority of the Monola oil is used in ‘‘quick serve’’ restaurants across Australia. Mr Tout said GrainCorp Oils processed Monola oil at Numurkah and at Millicent in South Australia, before transporting it to Melbourne for secondary refining and packaging. ‘‘Now that we have received most of the 2014 Monola harvest, we will be crushing seed every month to ensure we can consistently provide fresh oil all year to our customers,’’ he said. For growers, the strong demand for healthy oil has also meant healthy premiums. Currently, growers are receiving a premium of $95/tonne for triazinetolerant Monola varieties or

Mark Rovers was pleased with how his Nuseed Monola 314TT crop turned around this spring, after a wet autumn. He supplies his Monola to GrainCorp Oils at Numurkah, which received a record 10 000 tonnes of the oilseed this summer. $65/tonne for Roundup Ready Monola varieties. Mark Rovers has been growing Monola on his property at Congupna for three years. This year he harvested 70 ha of Monola. ‘‘The first year was successful, thanks to a reasonable season, but the second year was a disaster because of frost,’’ Mr Rovers said. ‘‘Last year looked like it would be a disaster too, because it was a very wet autumn and the crops were stressed early in the season, but it recovered very well and yielded better than some of the paddocks of canola.’’ Mr Rovers averaged

2.5 tonne/ha from his Monola 314TT crop, slightly lower than his TT canola, which was irrigated during the spring and averaged about 3 tonne/ha. ‘‘The Monola didn’t grow very tall, but it had a lot of heads and I was pleasantly surprised with the end result,’’ he said. ‘‘Our agronomist, Tim Anderson from Advanced Ag, says that Monola doesn’t yield quite as well as canola and it seems to be true, but the new varieties are certainly catching up. ‘‘Even so, if it had been given a fair go against canola on reasonable ground, I think the yield

difference would have been smaller.’’ Mr Rovers is a former dairy farmer who managed a 360 ha cropping program in 2014 and will crop more than 500 ha in 2015. ‘‘Monola is just like any other crop. At the end of the day, you’ve got to have the weather with you,’’ he said. He said Monola grew the same way as other canola varieties, with the same fertiliser program, weed, fungicide and pest control requirements during the season. ‘‘We don’t have any trouble selling it,’’ he said. ‘‘In fact, Monola seems to be able to make just as

much money for the farm as canola.’’ Monola is sold on a closed loop system, giving growers the reassurance of secure marketing. This season, growers have a choice of two triazine-tolerant Monola varieties from Nuseed: the early to mid-maturing Monola 314TT or the new mid-maturing Monola 515TT. Nuseed is also offering two Roundup Ready Monola varieties: the new hybrid Monola G11 or Monola 513GT. ➤ For more information, visit the Nuseed website at www.nuseed.com/au

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 15

cropping, tillage & pastures

Caution urged G

rain storage and handling involves some of the most hazardous activities in the grains industry, however experts say these dangers can be avoided by getting the right systems in place. According to the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership, fatalities and serious injuries are happening too often in the grains industry. It is urging growers to review their grain handling and storage systems in a bid to reduce the number of related fatalities and serious injuries on Australian farms. Storage specialist Peter Botta warned that working alone was a key risk factor. ‘‘There are risks in being a sole operator, and when you are working in a potentially hazardous environment like grain storage it’s crucial that someone knows where you are at all times. Have a second person on the site, or at least tell someone where you are going to be,’’ he said. Mr Botta also has some important safety reminders for working at heights, with chemicals and with augers. ‘‘The ultimate aim in grain storage is to remove all hazards from the workplace, and where this can’t be done, to find a way to control the risk,’’ he said. ‘‘Silos that don’t have ladders are likely to lead to risky behaviour. ‘‘The simple advice is: don’t buy silos without one.’’ Mr Botta said it was crucial that growers used chemicals correctly to retain the right to use them and to protect themselves from harm. ‘‘This means using the correct gas mask

when applying phosphine, and only using it in pressure tested, gas-tight storages so it doesn’t leak into work spaces,’’ he said. ‘‘Growers in the eastern states now have limited access to the chemical disinfectant (insecticide) dichlorvos due to the potential for exposure . . . and concerns as to the health effects. ‘‘If the industry wants to retain the right to use important fumigants such as phosphine, it’s vital that growers do the right thing and use this chemical safely and appropriately.’’ Mr Botta also reminded growers that augers have guards for a reason. ‘‘Augers are involved in too many farm incidents,’’ he said. ‘‘Most involve crush injuries or amputation of fingers, hands, arms and feet caused by limbs being caught in unguarded auger flights. ‘‘WorkCover NSW has produced an industry standard for guarding the flight intake that will allow free flow of all grains, and all new augers should now include this improved guarding system. There is a guide available from Farmsafe Australia on how to retrofit a guard to older augers. ‘‘Finally, develop a work health and safety plan for your business,’’ Mr Botta said. ‘‘This will help to ensure staff are adequately trained to safely use equipment, and you have a plan of action in the event that an incident occurs, including your emergency phone numbers and having a first aid kit on hand.’’

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PAGE 16—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

Meeting demands he K-Line Speedtiller is T a highly effective disctilling machine, ideal for

soil conditioning in the presence of high levels of crop residue. The Speedtiller is manufactured in Cowra, NSW and the research and development team at K-Line Agriculture designed it to withstand Australia’s demanding working conditions. The Speedtiller has found a niche in strategic tillage systems as a one-pass tillage tool. The combination of the adjustable rubbertorsioned jump arm system with disc undercut and the effective action of the levelling crumbler roller makes the Speedtiller ideal for stubble incorporation and seedbed preparation. After several years of stubble build-up on top of the soil, there can be an increase in diseases such as crown rot. This can be carried over from season to season in standing stubbles. By incorporating stubble you can mix these stubbles into the soil, allowing them to break down and break the disease cycle. Incorporating the stubble then builds up humus levels in the soil profile. This stubble then feeds the microbes in the soil,

Knight comes to rescue pasture ate season rye-grass L quality has become paramount for Katandra

Farmers have found the Speedtiller excellent as a one-pass tool to re-fit paddocks. increasing soil organic matter and allowing for much-needed microbial activity. This leads to healthier soils, and eventually less reliance on outsourced nitrogen. Stubble tends to break down much faster when incorporated down to 10 cm deep. With today’s crops becoming increasingly higher yielding, we are getting more stubble to deal with. Herbicide resistance is becoming an increasing issue, especially with more summer rains. A lot of

farming districts have used a strategic tillage program to help eradicate summer weeds and lessen the reliance on chemicals. This in turn gives the chemicals a longer life cycle before weeds become resistant to them. In recent years we have seen earlier finishing crops suffer severe frost damage due to late frosts. Crops that have been grown in tilled soil have proved far less susceptible to frosting. The soil is more exposed to sunlight, resulting in warmer soil temperatures.

After years of direct drilling some country has become rutted with wheel tracks and farmers have found the Speedtiller excellent as a one-pass tool to re-fit paddocks (level it, make it ship-shape, get it ready to crop) to go back into a direct drilling program. This is seen as strategic tillage. ➤ Call Echuca CIH Sales and Service on 5482 1733 or meet the team at the Elmore cropping and tillage demonstration day on Wednesday, March 11.

West dairy farmer Nick Andrews. Mr Andrews and his wife Jane along with young son Josh milk a 300-cow Holstein and Jersey mixed herd on 129 ha and have recently completed a twoyear Focus Farm project with Murray Dairy. Early in his dairy farming career Mr Andrews tended to select the cheapest ryegrass for sowing each year, however he started to notice the missed opportunities late in spring. ‘‘I was finding the cows’ milk production would crash in spring as the pastures were maturing and going to head,’’ he said. After speaking with Mark Palmer of Stephen Pasture Seeds, Mr Andrews decided to try Knight Italian ryegrass for the first time because of its robust winter production and late heading date of plus 19 days compared to Nui. ‘‘Winter growth has always been a factor in my grasses but I also wanted late-season quality, and Knight is doing both for me,’’ Mr Andrews said. Mr Palmer said Knight’s late-season maturity and

low aftermath heading characteristics provided farmers with the opportunity to be less dependent on supplementary feed concentrates depending on pasture management without dropping production during mid to late spring. The extra growth in late spring has re-affirmed Mr Andrews’ decision to move away from cheaper earlierflowering varieties. ‘‘The cheaper earlierflowering rye-grasses are tempting at sowing time, but given Knight’s fast establishment and lateseason production and quality it is by far better value for money with the opportunities it creates late in the season,’’ he said. The increase in homegrown feed bodes well for Mr and Mrs Andrews, who have just completed building a new double-up rapid exit dairy and have increased their herd size from 180 cows a little over 18 months ago to the 300 cows they are milking today. ➤ For more information about Knight Italian ryegrass contact your local advisor or Stephen Pasture Seeds on (03) 5335 8055.

At Duncan Ag we know that not all things are created equal – and that to get the best result often requires a specialised solution. With over ten seeder models, complete with a range of options or the ability to customise any of our machines, we have a seeder to suit – no matter what your requirements. THIS MONTHS FEATURED MODELS MODELS:

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 17

cropping, tillage & pastures

Canola has its challenges anola has been making C positive impacts on farm profitability in recent years but the cost of weed management has been climbing. The availability of a wide range of herbicide-resistant canola varieties, including triazine-tolerant (TT), Roundup Ready (RR), Clearfield Production System (imidazolinone-tolerant) and dual RRTT, has not kept a lid on weed management costs. To reduce the reliance on herbicides and retard the spread of resistance, the farmer’s challenge is to find which canola varieties are able to out-compete weeds. Researchers at the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation at Charles Sturt University and NSW DPI in Wagga Wagga have focused on weed management, comparing the competitive ability of canola varieties against weeds. Lead researcher professor Deirdre Lemerle said the Australian study looked at the competitive ability of 16 canola genotypes against annual rye-grass and volunteer wheat over two

contrasting seasons, without using herbicides. ‘‘When a crop plays a central role in its own weed management there can be many great benefits,’’’ Mrs Lemerle said. ‘‘Sowing the most competitive variety can reduce herbicide dependence and costs without any yield penalty. This is an important nonchemical tactic to use against herbicide resistant weeds.’’ The study showed a wide variation in the ability of current canola varieties to compete in the presence of weeds. Under the same weed pressure some varieties experienced a 50 per cent yield loss while others did not lose any yield. ‘‘The most competitive cultivars reduced weed biomass at flowering by a huge 50 per cent, significantly reducing the amount of weed seed added to the seed bank,’’ Mrs Lemerle said. ‘‘As expected, the suppression of weed growth was strongly tied to crop biomass and early crop

vigour. AV-Garnet, hybrid Hyola-50, and the Clearfield hybrids, Hyola-571CL, 45Y77 and 46Y78, were higher yielding and more competitive than the triazinetolerant cultivars.’’ Speedy emergence, early vigour, rapid ground cover and height are all important characteristics of competitive crops, because varieties with these traits can rapidly own the space in the field and ultimately squeeze out weeds. Other competitive traits can include sufficient large, thin leaves to effectively shade weeds, sufficient pod height to over-top neighbouring weeds (without unduly lowering harvest index), combined photosynthetic area (leaves and pods) sufficient to shade weeds at all stages of the growth cycle, high allelopathy and a rapidly established root system to uptake nutrients (N, P, K) and water. ➤ For more information on managing herbicideresistant weeds, visit the WeedSmart website at www.weedsmart.org.au

Charles Sturt University senior research scientist David Luckett examines the competitive ability of different canola varieties.

A strongly competitive canola crop can suppress weed biomass at flowering by 50 per cent.

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PAGE 18—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

cropping, tillage & pastures

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Networks (RCSNs) have been detailed in a new publication. From The Ground Up: Southern Region is the first annual report of the southern networks which were established in 2012 to provide advice to the GRDC Southern Regional Panel. Panel chair Keith Pengilley said the report outlined issues identified by the RCSNs for the 2013-14 investment cycle and the actions taken by the GRDC in response to each priority issue. ‘‘For 2013-14, the southern RCSNs identified 36 priority issues that the networks believed required investment in research, development and extension,’’ Mr Pengilley said. ‘‘Of these, 17 issues were addressed directly by new investments in the GRDC’s 2014-15 investment plan, and 16 have been addressed within broader or ongoing GRDC investments. The remaining three issues are acknowledged as important but more information is required before they are investment-ready.’’ Among the issues identified by the RCSNs for the 2013-14 investment cycle and which were subsequently addressed by GRDC investments were: subsoil constraints in the high rainfall zone; management of invertebrate pests in retained stubble farming systems; improving production on sandy soils in the low rainfall zone; more

break crop options; and increased inclusion of legumes in farming systems. Other issues included correct crop sequences for irrigated double cropping; management of soils under irrigation; and management of emerging weed issues and management of foliar diseases in high potential canola crops in the high rainfall zone. The four networks covering the low rainfall, medium rainfall, high rainfall and irrigation cropping zones comprise a broad network of 42 growers, advisers and other grains industry representatives to support the panel and help inform the GRDC’s investments in grains research, development and extension. ➤ From The Ground Up: Southern Region can be viewed at the GRDC website, and more information about the RCSN initiative and contact details for facilitators can also be found there.

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‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015—PAGE 19

cropping, tillage & pastures

Marketing gets best results hile planning for the 2015 W cropping program is in full swing, Pulse Australia is urging

growers to consider their pulse marketing plan at the start of the season, rather than the end, for the best decision-making and results. Pulse Australia industry development manager Mary Raynes said a pulse marketing plan started before a single seed was sown. A plan should contain: ➤ The pulse, and the best variety type to be grown; ➤ The marketer(s) to engage; ➤ Timing and schedule of delivery over the season; ➤ Requirement for a forward contract; ➤ Delivery point and quality

required for that product; ➤ Ability to achieve the quality grade expected; and ➤ Fall-back position if the quality grade cannot be achieved. ‘‘Global pulse markets are driven by factors each season in the major pulse-growing countries, including Australia, Canada, France and the UK. The varieties planted, the environmental conditions and exchange rates will affect the prices — if there’s an oversupply of one commodity the price could potentially drop while demand and price could increase on another commodity,’’ she said. Being aware and informed of the market trends means growers can make the best choices for their

situation. For example, during the past two seasons lentil and faba bean prices have increased towards and post-harvest, however this is coincidental, and it’s not always likely to occur. In these instances the prices have been driven upwards due to a combination of the drought in northern Australia along with international factors. It’s important to keep abreast of these kinds of fluctuations in prices, so that growers can sell their product at the optimal time. Ms Raynes said engaging a pulse marketer could help growers get the best returns by developing answers to the following questions: ➤ Who is your target customer?

Knowing your customer helps to direct efforts and costs towards what’s actually important to them, so you can receive the best financial return. ➤ Who is your competitor? Consider domestic and international competitors and what can be done to deliver a better proposal to the customer. ➤ When is the best time to sell your product? Does it make sense to build extra storage on-farm to sell at the highest price point? Alternatively, are there costeffective local storage options? ➤ What is your desired customers’ quality specification? Quality is one of the best ways to set yourself apart from competitors. What farm practices

should be put in place to ensure quality specifications are met? Ms Raynes encouraged growers to build relationships with their grain marketer to understand global trends and advise growers on the best-selling options. Growers will benefit from knowing which varieties will be in demand, timing of the sale to meet a gap in supply, and the commodities’ quality specifications to target to get the best return. ‘‘For example, certain premium or niche products with limited markets can only realistically be grown through a relationship with a marketer who can identify the market to ensure the product can be sold,’’ Ms Raynes said.

Double chemical hit effective on brome grass in crops leading researcher in weed A management is recommending that

agronomists take advantage of all the available tools to help farmers tackle brome grass in this season’s crops. Brome grass has become a serious problem in the southern wheat belt during the past decade as crop rotations have tightened and reduced tillage has been widely adopted. University of Adelaide Associate Professor of Weed Management Dr Chris Preston said the registration

of Sentry herbicide for preemergence control of brome grass gave farmers and their advisers a new opportunity to tackle the weed. ‘‘With this new registration, I believe farmers have a great opportunity to maximise brome grass control this season, with a pre-sowing application of Sentry and a post-emergence spray of Intercept a few weeks later,’’ he said. ‘‘Closer to harvest, employ other tactics like windrow burning and

chaff carts to reduce the seed set of brome grass.’’ Crop Care Sentry and Intercept are both imidazolinone herbicides and classified as Group B herbicides for resistance management purposes. Sentry is registered in imidazolinone-tolerant canola and single gene wheat, and for preemergent use in imidazolinonetolerant canola. Intercept is registered as a post-emergent herbicide in imidazolinone-tolerant canola. Dr Preston said while using these

two Group B herbicides in sequence in the same crop would seem controversial, he reassured agronomists and farmers that it would make best use of the available chemistry without greatly increasing the risk of herbicide resistance. ‘‘Using these two herbicides in sequence will control the staggered germinations of brome grass in one crop and reduce the seed bank,’’ he said. ‘‘This provides less selection pressure for herbicide resistance than when successive generations

of weeds are sprayed with the same chemistry two years or more in a row.’’ He said farmers could no longer rely on other Group B herbicides such as Atlantis (mesosulfuronmethyl) and Crusader (pyroxsulam) in cereal crops because they were showing evidence of resistance to brome grass. He cautioned that even though Imidazolinone herbicides like Sentry were still working on brome grass now, resistance would emerge if they were used too often.

PAGE 20—‘Cropping, Tillage and Pastures’, February, 2015

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