GRAIN growers keen to find out how they can boost their profitability in high rainfall areas are invited to attend field days being held in the Esperance and Albany port zones this month.
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) Australia is organising the field days at Esperance this Friday, September 25 and at Green Range next Wednesday, September 30.
Those attending the Esperance event will have an opportunity to inspect cereal and canola trials conducted as part of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) High Rainfall Zone (HRZ) Farming Systems project, led by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in collaboration with FAR Australia and CSIRO.
FAR Australia managing director Nick Poole said the Esperance cereal trials were investigating whether earlier sowing, combined with ameliorated soils, could allow growers to exploit a "bigger soil bucket".
"If the 'bucket' is bigger, the question is how does that influence agronomy requirements?" Mr Poole said.
"Alternatively, does this combination do nothing but increase costs and reduce yields?"
The Esperance canola trials have been established to explore ways to improve the management of canola in high rainfall zones.
These trials are examining options to improve the harvest index (conversion of biomass into yield) of canola crops, as well as how to optimise nutrition strategies.
At the Green Range field day participants will view trials relating to the HRZ Farming Systems project, as well as research conducted as part of the GRDC's new national Hyper Yielding Crops (HYC) initiative, led by FAR Australia in collaboration with a number of organisations.
"This event is the inaugural field day for the HYC initiative, with additional field days expected to be delivered in other States in spring," Mr Poole said.
"Participants at the Green Range event will view research trials assessing whether early May-sown cereals planted into clayed soils will allow growers to exploit greater yield potential.
"These trials are also investigating the associated agronomy requirements.
"In addition, with a decile one start to the season in the Green Range region, this research will investigate how hard management practices should be pushed if the season's fortunes turn around."
Field day details
p Esperance Downs Research Centre (EDRS) on Friday, September 25, 11am-12 noon.
Attendees will then move on to the Crop Technology Centre (Esperance), 277 Freebairns Road, Gibson, for lunch and an opportunity to view the research trials.
The field day will conclude at 4.30pm.
Crop Technology Centre (Albany), 631 Kojaneerup West Road, Green Range
on Wednesday, September 30, 12.30-4.30pm.
Both events include lunch and will be followed by refreshments and snacks.
Details about the field days can be found on the GRDC website.
For registration enquiries, contact Rachel Hamilton, of FAR Australia, at rachel.hamilton@faraustralia.com.au or via 0428 843 456.
More information about the HYC initiative is available in a GRDC podcast.
The GRDC Hyper Yielding Crops project is led by FAR Australia in collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD); CSIRO; Stirlings to Coast Farmers; the MacKillop Farm Management Group; Brill Ag; the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia; Riverine Plains Inc; TechCrop; the SA Research and Development Institute (SARDI) - the research division of Primary Industries and Regions SA; and Southern Farming Systems.
