The Liebe Group team has been busy over the past few months designing the 2021 Main Trial Site that is being hosted on Harry, Jane and Matthew Hyde's property at Dalwallinu.
Working alongside valued industry partners and research organisations, the site will be host to more than 20 trials covering topics of weed and disease management, plant nutrition, soil amelioration, cereals, canola, pulses and more.
With the recent rainfall, the program is in full swing with many trials already in the ground.
Trial: The opportunity cost of herbicide residue effects across various crop types (IMI residue trial) - Liebe Group:
This trial was conceptualised by the Liebe Group Research and Development Committee in April 2020.
Following a consultation period with Liebe Group partners to design comprehensive trial outcomes, the site was pegged out and sprayed in September.
The trial includes 11 herbicide treatments that are known to have residual effects on successive year's crops.
Active ingredients including Imazamox, Imazapyr, Imazapic, Metsulfuron, Sulfosulfuron and Clopyralid were sprayed out across a matrix that includes Cl tolerant and non-Cl tolerant varieties of wheat, barley and canola as well as lupins.
This trial aims to compare the yield penalty from planting the Cl tolerant varieties and the yield penalty from planting the non-Cl tolerant variety into a herbicide residue.
The results will provide insight into assessing the risk potentials when sowing into herbicide residues.
Trial: Capturing early sowing opportunities with long season wheat varieties and the impact of nitrogen rates and placement -CSBP:
CSBP implemented its trial on April 8.
This timing was an advantageous decision as the site then received 28 millimetres of rainfall over the following weekend due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
The trial includes three wheat varieties Illabo, Denison and Rockstar.
The opportunity to utilise stored summer moisture by sowing early in the season can reduce the reliance on a traditional May break to get crops established.
However traditional spring wheat varieties that are sown early develop too quickly in the season exposing the flowering crop to the risk of frost.
This frost risk or yield penalty may outweigh the benefits of early sowing and what the extra soil moisture provides.
The introduction of new long spring and winter wheat varieties allow for early sowing with the more typical crop development stages falling ideally outside of the frost window and before late heat stress.
Showcase of site in 2021:
These trials will be available to be viewed at two annual events, the Post Seeding Field Walk on Wednesday, July 21 and the Spring Field Day on Thursday, September 9.
The trials will also be reported on in the Liebe Group Research and Development book that is published at the end of the season for members.
- To find out more or for any queries, contact the Liebe Group on 9661 1907.
