Grains & Harvest 2019

Grains & Harvest

October 2019 12-page feature

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‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019—PAGE 3

grains and harvest

CLAAS raises bar ith its revolutionary W APS SYNFLOW threshing system and

cutting-edge operating systems, the all-new CLAAS LEXION 7000/8000 series raises the bar for harvesting performance.

CLAAS claims the new series delivers 10 per cent more capacity than its existing 700 range, which is already acknowledged as the world’s most productive and efficient combine harvester.

CLAAS Harvest Centre Echuca dealer principal Brendan Caffery said the 7000/8000 was more productive, more efficient and easier to operate than ever before. ‘‘This is not a new series — it’s effectively a new machine,’’ he said. ‘‘Every aspect has been re-engineered to meet the needs of today’s grain producers — increased efficiency and ease of operation and reduced downtime and operating costs.’’

Launched in 1995 after more than a decade in development, LEXION was the first combine harvester to feature the unique HYBRID threshing and separation system.

The accelerated pre-

Care urged at harvest time ecent rainfall in some D parts of Victoria has prompted the CFA to

CLAAS Harvest Centre Echuca dealer principal Brendan Caffery says the 7000/8000 series is more productive, more efficient and easier to operate. separation system smoothly accelerates crop flow to 20 m/second across all concave areas, meaning 70 per cent of separation occurs before the crop even reaches the twin longitudinal rotors. ‘‘At the time, the HYBRID system was rightly recognised as a breakthrough in harvesting technology,’’ Mr Caffery said.

‘‘It allows LEXION to operate more efficiently and longer in all harvesting conditions and crop types. ‘‘CLAAS is still the only manufacturer to offer both systems in the one machine. ‘‘The new APS SYNFLOW system takes this technology to a whole new level.’’

The first three models in the series — the 7600,

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issue a warning to farmers cutting crops: take care or face potential catastrophe.

The warning comes as damning statistics reveal that CFA responds to more than 200 harvestingrelated fires every year.

CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said machinery fires could be avoided if farmers followed the correct practices. ‘‘The key to avoiding harvester fires is diligence; farmers need to make sure they are thoroughly cleaning their machinery and inspecting it before use,’’ he said. ‘‘Hot and dry days are a particular concern for CFA. ‘‘If it’s a high fire-risk day, our advice is to postpone work you are planning on doing in the paddock. ‘‘During hot weather, harvesting, grinding, welding, slashing or mowing can spark fires quite easily.’’

Mr Warrington also advised against driving vehicles and motorbikes through dry grass. ‘‘The risk is that your car can heat up and ignite the dry grass underneath on those really hot days,’’ he said. ‘‘This is incredibly dangerous and last season we saw cars and machinery sparking quite a few fires. ‘‘High-risk heat days are the most concerning. ‘‘When you’re thinking about your own well-being in the heat, make sure you’re also thinking about the ground around you. ‘‘It should be part of any farmer’s routine to check for straw or grass build-ups in machinery, to maintain their spark arrestors, and to take regular breaks when operating machinery to ensure it doesn’t get too hot. ‘‘Being fire safe on your farm should be part of any fire plan you have.’’

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grains and harvest

Check storage infrastructure rain growers are G encouraged to consider upgrading and

improving their storage infrastructure in advance of this year’s harvest.

Storage expert Chris Warrick said now was the ideal time for growers to ‘‘take a step back’’ and look at where storage could be enhanced. ‘‘Those improvements don’t need to be complicated or expensive — simple tweaks and adjustments can make all the difference in ensuring successful and trouble-free storage of grain from this year’s harvest,’’ he said. ‘‘Ultimately, we should aim for best practice storage management for safer and easier-to-use systems.’’

Mr Warrick, who coordinates the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s Grain Storage Extension Project, has provided growers with straightforward practical advice on what they can do to improve their storage via a GRDC webinar that is also now available through the GRDC’s YouTube channel.

The grain storage upgrades webinar was the third in an ongoing series providing growers with convenient, timely and

Storage expert Chris Warrick says grain storage systems can be inherently hazardous so any measures to increase safety are highly recommended.

Picture: Paul Jones relevant information and advice about all aspects of storing grain on-farm.

In the latest recorded webinar, Mr Warrick — who is also a consultant with Primary Business — states that regular maintenance of storage is essential. ‘‘Make use of the weeks before harvest to fix damaged hatches, repair rust and other damage,

check the seals, and conduct a three-minute halflife pressure test if the silo is gas-tight sealable,’’ he said. ‘‘As part of that pressure test, check the oil levels in the oil relief valves. ‘‘And if you need to replace the valves, consider replacing them with a larger valve that lets more air through.’’

Mr Warrick said although

retro-sealing could be applied to existing storages, the cost of doing so could be high and the success rate low. ‘‘Rather than retrosealing, I would suggest investing the money in additional storages that are gas-tight sealable to the Australian Standard 2628.’’

Adding aeration cooling to existing storages is a

common form of upgrading infrastructure, providing considerable benefits in terms of grain quality and insect pest control.

Mr Warrick said installing one or two small fans per silo for efficient and effective cooling and venting should be considered.

He said a small investment in monitoring equipment was justified given the amount of valuable grain stored onfarm these days.

Mr Warrick said ladders and walkways should also be reviewed. ‘‘It’s important to be able to get to the top of the silo via safe and easy access so you know what’s going on within the grain stored in respect to mould and insects,’’ he said. ‘‘Existing ladders can be improved with a cage, platform and handrails, and a walkway across multiple silos is a safe way to monitor grain. When working at heights, a safety harness is also advisable.’’

Tips to reduce hazards include: ➤ Installing danger signs to advise of overhead powerlines, especially if tip trucks and augers operate nearby. ➤ Installing danger signs

to advise of phosphine fumigation being undertaken. ➤ Removing any obstacles that pose a trip or head-knock hazard. ➤ Blocking off child access to ladders. ➤ Considering guards on augers, belts and conveyors. ➤ Levelling gravel bases under augers to reduce movement. ➤ Installing lighting for safe use of storage at night.

Meanwhile, two more free grain storage webinars, facilitated by Birchip Cropping Group, will be conducted during the coming months: ➤ November 12 — grain protectants. ➤ December 10 — aeration cooling. ➤ For more information about the webinars and to register, visit: http:// storedgrain.com.au/event/ webinar-planning-storage/ or email Amy Harwood at amy.harwood@bcg.org.au or phone 0456 979 561.

More details on all aspects of grain storage can be found on the GRDC’s Stored Grain information hub at: http:// storedgrain.com.au/

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‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019—PAGE 5

grains and harvest

Setting up chaff lining ips from grain growers T and agronomists on how to set up harvesters

for chaff lining are contained in a new publication that can assist others considering adopting this low-cost harvest weed seed control tool.

Chaff lining is a relatively new practice that involves making a simple chute to divert the weed seedbearing chaff fraction (from the sieves) into a narrow chaff line, which is left to rot or mulch while the straw is chopped and spread.

Chaff lines are placed in the same place each year.

A new Grains Research and Development Corporation publication called Tools and Tips: Setting up for Chaff Lining provides advice on the technique, which is being adopted by a number of Australian grain growers.

Planfarm project consultant Peter Newman, who is also an agronomist with the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative and GRDC-

supported industry WeedSmart project, said chaff lining was the cheapest harvest weed seed control tool, both in terms of capital cost and overall cost. ‘‘Controlled-traffic farming systems are good for growers adopting chaff lining, but not essential, and it is sufficient for the harvester to run on the same track each year,’’ Mr Newman said. ‘‘Commercial chutes are now available, and many grain growers make their own.’’

The four stages of harvest weed seed control tool, as applied to chaff lining, that are covered in the GRDC publication include: ➤ Getting weed seeds into the front of the harvester. ➤ Getting weed seeds out of the rotor. ➤ Keeping weed seeds in the chaff fraction. ➤ Delivering weed seeds into the chaff line using a chute.

Mr Newman said the

Drought road train network is extended s a result of VFF A lobbying, VicRoads has announced the

An example of a chaff line chute.

Mr Newman said one of the great things about chaff lining was that growers could build their own chutes, but chutes were also available from commercial manufacturers. ‘‘Growers in different parts of Australia have created a plethora of different chute designs for a range of harvesters.

Descriptions and images for a few of these, as well as commercially available products, are contained in the publication,’’ he said. ➤ The GRDC publication

publication had a particular emphasis on information relating to keeping weed seeds in the chaff fraction and delivering weed seeds into the chaff line. ‘‘To keep weed seeds in the chaff stream leading to the chaff line chute, it is necessary in some harvesters to insert a separator baffle behind the sieve in order to direct the chaff,’’ he said. ‘‘In some cases, inserting a baffle into a harvester can change the wind movement through the machine and can lead to increased grain losses, so it is important to use a tray or drop pan to measure grain losses and ensure they have not increased.’’

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Tools and Tips: Setting up for Chaff Lining is available on the GRDC website at https://grdc.com.au/tools-andtips-setting-up-for-chaff-lining and a GRDC video about the practice can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2m4iynD

{ • • • • •

extension of the Victorian drought road train network to include the Calder Hwy, in time for harvest. ‘‘The VFF and our members have been calling out for measures to make it easier for hay and fodder to reach drought-affected farmers in need,’’ VFF Grains Group president Ashley Fraser said. ‘‘VicRoads should be congratulated for listening and acting quickly,’’ he said. ‘‘This network extension will have a positive impact on those transporting feed and on farmers in urgent need of supplies. ‘‘Given the ongoing dry conditions, facilitating the efficient movement of hay and grain to droughtaffected farmers is critical. ‘‘We look forward to continuing to work with VicRoads to further

increase access for high productivity freight vehicles and improve the efficient movement of food and fibre.’’

Farmers will now be able to apply for a permit to transport hay and feed to drought-affected areas in NSW and Queensland on road trains along the Calder Hwy from Charlton to Mildura.

This builds on the existing drought road train network on the Borung and Henty highways.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is also prioritising drought relief access permits.

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PAGE 6—‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019

grains and harvest

FAR Australia’s Michael Straight, Sue Campbell and Libby Cummins, Yarrawonga farmer Jamie Cummins, GRDC southern panel member and Riverine Plains committee member Fiona Marshall and Kenton Porker from SARDI at the field day.

FAR Australia’s Kat Fuhrmann spoke on the topic of fungal diseases at a field day in Yarrawonga last month.

Learning about crop production

Plains and FAR Riverine Australia held a field day in

Yarrawonga last month which gave farmers the opportunity to see the wide range of research trials being conducted at the site.

More than 50 University of Melbourne agriculture students

from the Dookie campus also attended the September 24 event, learning more about crop production in the area.

FAR Australia’s Kat Fuhrmann spoke first on fungal diseases, including septoria and yellow leaf spot currently present in local cereal crops, and how to best

manage these diseases. She also spoke on an emerging disease in barley, Ramularia leaf spot, describing its identification, current distribution and management.

Barley variety and management trials have featured prominently at the Riverine Research Centre

(where the field day was held) in 2019, and Kenton Porker from South Australian Research and Development Institute spoke about potential barley varieties for the Riverine Plains region, while FAR Australia’s Michael Straight spoke on a Riverine Plains-funded trial featuring 10 different wheat

varieties sown from late March to early April and late April to early May. The day finished with a panel session with Michael Straight, Kenton Porker, Yarrawonga farmer Jamie Cummins and Elders Yarrawonga agronomist Matt Coffey, who all addressed a range of issues relevant to the season.

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‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019—PAGE 7

grains and harvest

Weigh up options upplying quality weighing S equipment and professional service to a wide range of

industry sectors, including agricultural, is the core of what Country Scale & Equipment does for its customers.

From packaged products, process control, retail weighing and labelling all the way up to bulk raw materials, the Shepparton business has the scale and weighing solutions to keep your business up to, and above, quality standards. ‘‘With over 50 years’ combined experience in providing weighing solutions and service, the team at Country Scale & Equipment Shepparton can implement a weighing strategy that will work for you,’’ Country Scale & Equipment general manager Tristan Hardy said.

He said calibration was the key to quality. ‘‘Country Scale & Equipment Shepparton have the test masses and team to do the job,’’ he said. ‘‘From high-grade stainless steel knob masses to one-tonne blocks. ‘‘All masses used are certified to nationally accredited standards.’’

Country Scale & Equipment is licensed to test and verify legal for trade weighing equipment, with the team of technicians being nationally recognised to carry out the work.

Equipment can be serviced on-

Harsh weather has negatively affected winter crop prospects.

Weather hurts crop forecasts

ot and dry conditions on the H east coast have pushed Australia’s 2019-20 winter crop

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If you are looking for datamanagement software which can eliminate handwritten and

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IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

prospects lower again, according to the latest forecasts from Rabobank.

Grain and oilseeds senior analyst with Cheryl Kalisch Gordon said combined with CBOT wheat gaining six per cent MOM, it has supported most Australian wheat prices higher across Australia during the month. ‘‘Our expectation that the market still has more Australian supply downside to recognise, plus the prevailing hand-to-mouth purchasing environment, means we expect upside for basis during October,’’ Ms Kalisch Gordon said. ‘‘Catastrophic frost in Western Australia during the first half of

September, focused on the Esperance port zone, has added another blow to the struggling 2019-20 Australian winter crop. ‘‘Elsewhere, ongoing dry conditions and unseasonably high temperatures have stopped crop development in its tracks.’’

While APW gained five per cent (or close to it) in all other port zones during September, Brisbane was the exception.

APW lost five per cent over the month with good new crop supply from central Queensland playing into calculations.

Ms Kalisch Gordon said globally, wheat prices firmed MOM on the back of reduced supply prospects.

The USDA lowered global 2019-20 wheat production by 2.5 million tonnes in its latest report.

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PAGE 8—‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019

grains and harvest

This 18 m wide x 51 m long grain bunker holds 1700 tonnes of wheat.

Bunkers can help

O

n-farm bunkers can save hours of travel time and are an alternative to increasing silo storage this close to harvest, according to AgCrete’s Glen Morley.

Large quantities of grain coming off the headers can result in numerous trips to receival sites and slow turnaround times, making logistics and transport a juggling act.

Mr Morley, from the Kerang-based business, said he knew of one case when turnaround time for trucks delivering to a

receival site was six hours for a farm only 30 minutes’ drive from the site. ‘‘This meant the header had to stop harvesting for long periods of time, increasing the risk of loss due to bad weather,’’ he said. ‘‘In this case, the grower didn’t have to stop for bad weather or anything else, it was simply because the truck was held up at the receival site. ‘‘With harvest just around the corner it is likely too late for many to increase silo storage capacity, but

growers still have time to implement on-farm bunkers. ‘‘Growers with sufficient on-farm storage don’t need to worry about truck turnaround time and also have more control over the sale of their grain.’’

Mr Morley said growers needed to think about site selection when considering building a bunker on-farm, as this would affect both the ease of use and the ability to maintain grain quality. ‘‘Growers need a site that can easily be accessed by a semi-trailer, and the

Ag-Crete walls and Grainline bunker auger at Southern Stockfeeds at Bridgewater.

orientation and slope of the site needs to be correct to make it easier for loading and ensuring the bunker remains weather-tight,’’ he said. ‘‘You want the bunker to slope away from the prevailing wind, because it makes loading a lot less stressful if the tarp isn’t flying around.’’ ➤ A cost benefit analysis for grain storage can be viewed at: https://storedgrain.com.au/ wp-content/uploads/ 2013/07/GRDC-EconomicsBook-2013_LR_Final.pdf

BUNKER BASICS The main benefits of bunkers, as compared to purpose-built sheds, are: ➤ They are a fraction of the price, and can be installed, moved or sold relatively quickly and easily. ➤ Compared to bags, they hold a lot more and are less susceptible to damage. ➤ Compared to silos, they are about one-sixth of the price, depending on the quality of the silos selected and the storage volume required.

The key points for getting the most out of on-farm bunkers include: ➤ Choose your site wisely

and ensure it is prepared properly. ➤ Set the bunker up properly from the beginning, make sure everything lines up and is put together accurately. ➤ Use a good quality ground liner and tarps. ➤ Make sure machinery and site is clean before use to minimise pests, and no grain is left lying around afterwards near the bunker. ➤ For more information, phone Ag-Crete on 5450 4400 or email: sales@ag-crete.com.au

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‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019—PAGE 9

grains and harvest

Fine tuning can reduce losses ome canola growers S reported boosting their profits by more than $50 000 in

2018 simply by regularly adjusting harvester settings after measuring canola losses from the back of their harvesters.

A new Grains Research and Development Corporation fact sheet outlines the experiences of these growers and contains information about how to improve profits by setting up harvesters correctly, in order to minimise canola falling to the ground.

Planfarm consultant Peter Newman led a GRDC project last harvest aimed at addressing the issue of canola losses from the rear of harvesters and results from his work are contained in this publication. ‘‘An estimated $191 million of canola is lost in this way nationally every year — based on average

Canola fields near Dookie. Growers are urged to set up their harvesters correctly to avoid losses. losses of 150 kilograms per hectare or $75/ha across approximately 2.5 million hectares of this high value crop

grown across Australia every year,’’ he said. ‘‘This estimate is based on measurements made by Western

Australian canola growers and is consistent with what has been found in western Canada where canola harvest losses have been measured extensively. ‘‘WA growers involved with the canola losses project were unaware they were losing grain until they measured actual losses using commercially available drop trays. ‘‘They were then encouraged to adjust their harvester settings and share their findings and dollars saved using the Twitter handle @harvestloss.’’

Mr Newman said one setting at a time should be changed and actual losses measured again after each adjustment to assess impact. ‘‘Harvester settings that influence canola lost include the rotor speed, the gap between the rotor and the concave (separator), the cleaning fan speed, the

openings of the upper sieve and the openings of the lower sieve,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s advisable to measure actual canola losses once or twice a day during harvest, given changing conditions, and to involve the harvester drivers who can pride themselves on aiming to hit the ‘sweet spot’.’’

Mr Newman said all harvesters were capable of achieving minimal losses with the right set up and settings, and the aim was not to produce the lowest losses per hectare, but the lowest cost of harvesting per tonne of grain. ‘‘The ideal is to find the optimum point at which harvest efficiency is high and losses are low — the sweet spot.’’

The project focused on canola losses from the rear of the harvester and did not consider front losses.

The iHSD is installed neatly into a combine harvester, rear of the sieves, and processes the chaff fraction of harvest waste.

Managing weed seeds at harvest time

dealer O’Connors Machinery is encouraging growers to

review their harvest weed seed control as harvest season approaches.

O’Connors sales manager Tom Sheridan said weed seed control was vital and there were a range of strategies to choose from.

He said each strategy had its individual benefits in pre-

emptively managing weed seeds, depending on individual farming systems, locations and scale. ‘‘We’re always looking into future developments and products to assist all farmers in their operations, and right now we’re hearing that weed seed management is front of mind for many broadacre farmers,’’ Mr Sheridan said.

O’Connors is offering three key solutions to weed seed management.

Its premium offering is the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD) which uses mill technology to fully destroy the harvested seed by up to 99 per cent.

It also operates without any loss of stubble or nutrients to the

paddock.

A slightly more cost effective option is the EMAR Chaff Deck, which captures up to 95 per cent of weed seed trash.

The installed deck funnels all trash into the wheel track where seeds decompose among chaff over time or germinate and are controlled by spraying of the wheel tracks.

For an accessible, entry-level tool, the Engineering Chaff Line Chute has a baffle design to maximise weed seed catchment off sieves.

Similar to the EMAR Chaff Deck, the Engineering Chaff Line Chute places seed in a row for collection along the wheel tracks for easy management. ➤ For more information, visit: www.oconnors.com.au

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PAGE 10—‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019

grains and harvest

Make most from crops series of workshops coAordinated

by Agriculture

Victoria across the Wimmera have highlighted the need for farmers to fully understand the most profitable options for their crops, to help them to decide whether to harvest them for grain or hay.

More than 100 farmers attended the four events, which included presentations from Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomists Dale Grey and Dale Boyd and Jumbuk Consulting’s Colin Peace.

Mr Grey said the outlook was for a drier-than-average spring in Victoria, but this did not rule out an average or wet finish.

Mr Grey said Wimmera growers were still ‘‘in the game’’ for growing grain crops in areas with subsoil moisture from summer storms or good winter rain.

This contrasted with parts of north-central Victoria where crops had run out of moisture and farmers were cutting crops for hay.

Mr Grey said crops used about 3 mm of moisture per day in spring.

Mr Peace advised farmers to determine their break-even price when considering cutting a grain crop for hay. ‘‘If you calculate that your profitability from a grain crop will be similar to cutting it for hay, then focus on what your business is most suited to,’’ he said.

While hay prices had fallen recently, Mr Peace said demand for hay would continue.

He said growers should ensure that the grain head was out of the boot for curing, to reduce the hay fire risk and check the node for moisture.

Agriculture Victoria has practical online tools available: ➤ To learn more about the latest forecasts, visit: www. forecasts4profit.com.au ➤ To view subsoil moisture profiles across the state, visit: https://go.vic.gov.au/4BoDdj ➤ To determine the break-even price for grain compared with hay, visit: https://go.vic.gov.au/ 4qs4R1 ➤ To learn about salvaging crops for hay, visit: https:// go.vic.gov.au/wwEbwM

To assist growers with the analysis recommended before committing to buying a truck, the GRDC has produced a Farm Business Fact Sheet on truck ownership.

Picture: Alistair Lawson

Do you need a truck?

o own or not to own a truck?

T That is the question that grain growers often contemplate.

While growers may be tempted to buy their own truck based on convenience, they are advised that any decision around purchasing a truck for transport of grain should consider a multitude of factors including economics, lifestyle and resourcing.

To assist growers with this analysis, Grains Research and Development Corporation has produced a Farm Business Fact Sheet on truck ownership. ‘‘The fact sheet is a useful resource to help growers decide whether they should purchase a truck or use freight contractors,’’ GRDC southern grower relations manager Randall Wilksch said.

‘‘As a grain grower, I know the question around truck ownership can be complex, as so many factors need to be taken into account. ‘‘The new fact sheet provides guidance as to what growers should consider when weighing up the pros and cons of purchasing a truck.’’

The fact sheet details a grower case study and contains a fivestep guide to aid in growers’ decision-making process.

Those five steps are: ➤ Collate a list of the potential uses of a truck. ➤ Estimate the amount of time it will be used and the distance it will travel each year. ➤ Assess the financial costs/ benefits. This will establish if it is economically viable to own a

truck, the type of truck required, and how much it will be used. ➤ Document the cost of employing a freight contractor to complete the listed tasks. ➤ Compare the full cost of purchasing a truck versus using a freight contractor.

The fact sheet includes tables for estimating truck operating expenses for a low, medium and high capital investment, and for calculating total per kilometre loaded cost to compare with freight contracting rates.

The fact sheet also advises that all machinery purchases should fit the whole farm production and labour plan.

■ The fact sheet is available at: https://grdc.com.au/should-i-owna-truck

NOW IN THE GOULBURN VALLEY

DROP DECK SEMI-TRAILER Featuring Freighter’s extra strong gooseneck, the Drop Deck Semi can be specifically engineered to optimise pallet capacity and spacing on both upper and lower decks, depending on your freight requirements.

Pull out ramps are also available to allow machinery to be driven between the lower and upper decks. While hydraulic ramps at the rear are a popular option, together with a beaver-tail rear end.

FLAT TOP SEMI-TRAILER The versatile Freighter Flat Top Semi-Trailer may be purchased as a single trailer, lead, tag, B-double or road train configuration. Available in a range of sizes, including either a 22 pallet or 24 pallet specification.

HUNTER ALUMINIUM B-DOUBLE TIPPER The Hamelex White Hunter Aluminium B-Double tipper combinations are ideal for operations where quick turnaround is a must.

The ability to unload both trailers without uncoupling, either in a jackknife or straight-line position, makes it the perfect solution for dual purpose use. There’s no need to break up the combination and roll the body or slide the suspension on the lead trailer.

SEMI-TIPPER Whether you’re hauling grain, rocks, sand, gravel or waste, all Lusty EMS semi tippers are built to withstand the harshest conditions, only the very best materials and know how are used to create what is regarded as one of the finest quality and toughest semi trailers around.

For more information call: Shane Smith 0457 908 070, Gary Nickson 0427 213 977 or the team at Graham Thomson Motors.

SALES, SERVICE AND SPARE PARTS NOW AVAILABLE AT LMCT 10869

Cnr Doyles and New Dookie Roads, Shepparton P: (03) 5821 3977 E: admin@gtm.com.au www.gtm.com.au

‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019—PAGE 11

grains and harvest

Disease spreads rolonged cool conditions P over recent weeks have favoured the progression of

blackleg upper canopy infection (UCI) in canola crops across south-eastern Australia.

Oilseeds disease expert Steve Marcroft, of Marcroft Grains Pathology, said the incidence of UCI this year had been widespread. ‘‘Infection has been reported in canola crops from South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula right across into Victoria and up through southern NSW,’’ said Dr Marcroft, whose research into canola diseases is through Grains Research and Development Corporation investments. ‘‘While blackleg UCI has become increasingly prevalent over recent years, its presence normally drops away as we move into August and temperatures start to rise. ‘‘But this year the extended cool conditions have favoured the progression of the disease through to the start of flowering.’’

Many growers have been and will be applying fungicides (those used for sclerotinia stem rot control) at around 30 per cent bloom to reduce UCI severity and yield losses.

Field experiments have shown that blackleg UCI – a collective

term that describes infection of flowers, peduncles, pods, upper main stem and branches – can cause yield losses of up to 30 per cent.

The impact on yield varies depending on the timing of infection and plant part infected.

Flower loss from infection of flowers or peduncles is unlikely to directly reduce yield as the plant is able to compensate by producing more flowers.

However, Dr Marcroft said the fungus could grow into the associated branch, which could then affect seed set and grain filling in surrounding pods.

Infection of pods or peduncles after pod formation can result in significant yield loss. ‘‘Yield loss can be due to a reduction in seed size, seeds per pod and/or pods per square metre, and oil content can also be reduced,’’ he said.

While the crown canker blackleg is well understood, the factors contributing to UCI and possible control strategies are currently under investigation through GRDC research investments.

It is now thought that UCI infections are also systemic, causing damage to the plant’s vascular tissue, similar to

traditional blackleg crown infections.

The issue for growers is that external symptoms may appear insignificant, but internal vascular damage may cause significant yield losses. Preliminary results indicate this may be why fungicide applications on crops with few symptoms can still result in economic yield returns.

Dr Marcroft has produced two videos to assist growers with identifying blackleg UCI in canola and controlling the disease.

Growers can determine likely economic yield returns from fungicide application for UCI by using the BlacklegCM app.

Developed with GRDC investment, the app can be downloaded onto tablets (not smartphones) from both the App Store and Google Play.

The BlacklegCM app can indicate potential yield benefits of different control options and is an extension of the GRDC’s Blackleg Management Guide, which is updated twice a year to reflect frequent changes in the blackleg resistance status of canola varieties.

Canola disease resistance ratings are available via the GRDC’s National Variety Trials Portal.

ELMORE FIELD DAYS

FMR Group’s Andrew Schmidt showed off an SP 3000 Vento sprayer to Cobram’s Rocky Perri, John Ventre, Joe Ventre and Tony Ventre at the Elmore Field Days on October 1, 2 and 3.

The Kuhn SDE 3000 seed drill was on display at the field days.

Blackleg upper canopy infection (UCI) in canola.

Visitors could check out the Miller Nitro 7380 sprayer.

PAGE 12—‘Grains Harvest’, October, 2019