THE value of on-farm trials was never more evident than at last week's Northern Agri Group spring field day walk at Binnu.
More than 100 farmers attended the annual event, including keynote speaker, Esperance farmer David Cox and an eastern Wheatbelt farmer, who made an informal contribution telling local farmers to "go for it", when discussing the merits of wider row spacings.
In the wash-up, it was clearly evident farmers would seriously evaluate wider row spacings, particularly in canola and trial mouldboard ploughing.
A story for another day was the general murmur of agreement that canola will take over as the main break crop in the northern Wheatbelt with lupins out of favour.
One of the impressive paddock trials, on Ben Cripps' east Ogilvie property, focused on assessing the new Roundup Ready canola hybrid Pioneer 43Y23, to measure the effect of wide row planting at 60cm (24in) compared to 15cm (12in).
Another trial involved three commercial varieties sown on 30cm (12in) spacings and at varying seeding rates of 1.5kg/ha, 2kg/ha and 2.5kg/ha.
The aim was to evaluate whether meaningful cost reductions could be achieved on low rates and at the same time compare the benefits of 60cm spacings in terms of drought-proofing the crop and achieving better weed control.
Year-to-date rainfall recorded on the trial site was 147mm, which inadvertently provided an ideal trial for a low rainfall environment, in terms of drought-proofing the canola.
Inspections of the canola trials showed distinctly more growth in the 60cm-spaced crops sown at 1.5kg/ha compared against the 30cm-spaced crops and with better weed control.
According to Mr Cripps, canola plants sown on wide rows will outyield the rest of the trials.
"They have been better all year and following the dry June, plant counts were about double the narrower row-spaced trials with no blueing."
He also said sowing on wider-spacings could achieve lower cost establishment while achieving better weed control.
"The ball park figure for sowing at half or better than the recommended rate is about $45/ha at 1.5kg/ha," Mr Cripps said.
"Hybrid seed is expensive to buy so if we can satisfy ourselves we won't get a yield penalty sowing at low rates, it might be the way to go.
"The other benefits of wider row spacings are, of course, better weed management from less soil disturbance and more effective inter-row spraying as the chemical is not caught on plant foliage as much as on narrow rows, where there is more shading.
"And with less competition, there should, theoretically, be more moisture for the canola plants."
But the "elephant in the room" is wild radish.
"So far it looks like we have a good kill of radish but our strategy is to maintain a lot of pressure on the weed seed bank," Mr Cripps said.
"We are looking to use every tool in the book, including a chaff cart at harvest to pick up between 90 and 95 per cent of survivors.
"We won't get rid of the weeds completely but if we can get back to one spray in wheat and canola instead of two or three that will see a big impact on cost savings for chemicals and less promotion of resistance issues through less spraying.
"I think as chemical costs have risen, more focus has been given to using them more effectively and of course, you always learn things in hindsight.
"The key is not to forget the lessons."
The trial will continue for at least two years to assess if there are any yield penalties in wetter years.
In discussions at the trial site, it was generally agreed more research was needed to explore the benefits of wide-row canola.
"It definitely is a drought-proofing crop in a year like this one," one farmer said. "And canola is taking over up here as a break crop."
It was revealed Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) trials in 2004 concluded wider-row canola was lower yielding than narrower row-spaced canola.
"But new varieties have come on the scene since then and agronomic practices have changed markedly so it should be back on DAFWA's research agenda," another farmer said.
Next year Mr Cripps said trials would extend to comparisons between plantings on light land and loamy soil.
An eastern Wheatbelt farmer at the trial site spoke of establishing canola on 75cm (30in) rows along with barley with wheat established on 15 inches (37.5cm).
"Last year we got a result and it gave us something in a very bad year.
"I'd say go for it."
