THE popular ADAMA WA Two-Wheel Trial Tour is back, with the third instalment this year returning to the Great Southern region.
The unique motorbike crop trials tour attracted more participants last season, who enjoyed picturesque riding trails, the latest in crop research, protection and management technologies - complete with swags and tents for some camping and merriment.
The fully catered three-day tour is set to kick-off at Broomehill on Wednesday, September 16.
ADAMA WA market development manager Bevan Addison said several new crop protection products due for release from the company next year would be showcased during the trials tour.
"Over recent years, ADAMA has been conducting trials across the country and developing products specially-suited to the Australian environment - and they have a very good fit for WA agriculture,'' Mr Addison said.
The new, novel Group E pre-emergent herbicide Ultro 900 WG, which will be registered for use in pulse crops, is already attracting plenty of attention for its strong control of annual ryegrass, brome grass, barley grass and self-sown cereals.
"It is highly soluble, so works particularly well in our environment, where patchy rainfall and poor wetting-up of soils can reduce pre-emergent herbicide efficacy,'' he said.
"With the lack of options for post-emergent control due to resistance, it is vital to get maximum pre-emergent weed control and Ultro provides this.''
Mr Addison said the tour would also investigate herbicide tank mixing options for early post-emergent ryegrass control in cereals.
Priority is another new product from ADAMA capturing interest as a spike or mixing partner with many broadleaf herbicides for broad-spectrum weed control.
"Priority will have a major fit in place of clopyralid in mixed farming situations, where clopyralid can present issues with soil residue carryover, affecting following pulse grain and pasture crops,'' he said.
"It also has very good potential in hay cropping, where bromoxynil and clopyralid residues can be detrimental.''
Crop diseases will come under the spotlight during the tour as well, with a focus on new fungicides for sclerotinia and blackleg in canola and for net blotch in barley.
"There is a strong industry focus on net blotch due to numerous cases of fungicide resistance being identified,'' Mr Addison said.
"Products with multiple modes of action are critical to the long-term sustainability of available fungicides.
"We will be looking at new products and discussing the systems approach to disease management.''
With increased grower interest and plantings of pulse crops, this will be another key component of the tour, assessing herbicide options across various crop types and disease management in faba beans.
Mr Addison said the tour would also feature external research and some latest systems including disease predictions modelling and insect monitoring technology, which were becoming more popular with growers.
In addition to all the trials, he said, importantly, the opportunity to share ideas, stories, common loves of agriculture and plenty of fun with other motorbike and rural enthusiasts was one of the most powerful aspects of the trials tour.
Limited places are available and growers interested in joining the tour can register their interest by the end of August by emailing 18004ADAMA@adama.com or visiting adama.com/australia/en/ news-and-media/adama/ 2-wheel-trial-tour-2020
