THE idea was sound, given 95 per cent of Stirlings to Coast Farmers (SCF) group members are mixed enterprise businesses.
That was two years ago when Royalties for Regions-funded trials started on growing dual-purpose, long-season wheat varieties suitable for the South Coast environment.
This year the SCF group will start its third year of the long-season dual-purpose wheat trials, using farmer equipment, trials and plots.
The aim is to find wheat varieties suited to planting before Anzac Day that match or improve the profits of main season lines.
It’s hoped that long-season wheat varieties will be a useful approach for utilising summer rainfall and early-sowing opportunities.
The grazing component will be a bonus for mixed farmers in this region.
The conflict with canola sowing is obvious but SCF trials co-ordinator Nathan Dovey expects such an early wheat planting will represent only 10 to 20 per cent of a grower’s planned cereal program.
“This year has started out dry but it’s feasible to plant a paddock or two of long-season wheat in and around your canola program,” Mr Dovey said.
“The idea is for long-season wheats to flower at the same time as conventional spring varieties, despite being sown earlier.
“The longer vegetative period is ideal for grazing, so we’ll be measuring the benefits from grazing, as well as the value of the varieties as a pure seed crop in different trials.”
Previous trials have identified DS Pascal as a good fit with a sowing window from mid-April to early May.
“It’s a long-spring wheat,” Mr Dovey said.
“It’s an APW variety, high-yielding, has strong powdery mildew resistance and an industry-leading sprouting tolerance, which is important in the South Coast.”
Plot trials, this year, will include experimental lines from DOW Agrosciences, Australian Grain Technologies and LongReach Plant Breeders.
The lines are better suited to WA conditions – a priority given previous trial work with Eastern States winter-type varieties were not yielding as well in WA.
“Our results have shown no significant yield advantage from the long-season wheats compared to spring lines such as Trojan or Scepter when sown mid-April or later,” Mr Dovey said.
“Our focus in 2018 has been to target an early April sowing date, plus try the new experimental lines.
“We also plan to continue measuring the benefits from the grain-and-graze system.
“Basically, we’re searching for varieties that are either long spring types or fast-maturing winter types, such as Longsword, from AGT.”
Mr Dovey stressed the trials were not aimed at providing a main wheat variety.
“We’re aiming to discover varieties that can get the program started earlier and not waste early sowing conditions when moisture is present,” he said.
“There is a logistical benefit from starting seeding earlier which should lead to more hectares planted in the optimal sowing window.
“It also will be another tool in the toolbox to play the season with the bonus of grain-graze, if required, and as a rotational benefit.
“In all our trials, diversity is the key and it’s our broad aim to find more profitable systems because of resistance issues with herbicides and fungicides.”
