Western Australia's unique annual motorbike crop trials tour headed for some northern exposure this year and riders were treated with some of the best riding conditions, trials, technologies and fellowship in its short history.
Three days of sunshine in the northern Wheatbelt was a far cry from the showery, cold conditions of the South West last season, although participants, especially from southern areas, recognised the unfortunate drying trend in the region and the challenges this presented for farmers.
About 40 riders joined the ADAMA Australia 2-Wheel Trial Tour based from Mingenew, before traversing the local area, west to the Greenough region and as far north as Nabawa.
Near Mingenew, tour organiser and ADAMA Australia WA Market development manager Bevan Addison said the group investigated the performance of the company's Ultro herbicide against grass weeds in lupins.
He said Ultro was applied at different timings and with various tank-mix partners in the trial, also to explore expanding its weed control registration.
Several treatments were highly effective and will be considered for extending the herbicide's use.
North of Mingenew, grass control provided by a range of herbicides was compared when using disc and tyne seeding systems, however crop emergence was hindered under the disc system due to the conditions, even where no herbicide was applied.
"The trial was designed to assess crop safety of various herbicides under a disc system, but that couldn't be achieved as the disc seeding failed to get crop established, whereas the traditional knife point press wheel system was fine," Mr Addison said.
Another trial looked at the benefit of incorporating ADAMA Australia's Outflank herbicide into wheat programs, including in mixes with other herbicides, for pre-emergent control of grass and broadleaf weeds.
Growers Peter Horwood and Bob Preston provided a good insight into farming in the Mingenew area over both sandplain and red country.
The tour also included a Mingenew Irwin Group 'Crops & Hops' afternoon event, which highlighted the Bilberry green-on-green and green-on-brown spot spraying system and discussed future opportunities and requirements with herbicide technologies when using these systems, including product labelling.
In the Greenough area, a Pioneer canola variety trial was visited, showcasing new Roundup Ready canola growing systems featuring delayed application of glyphosate.
Discussion there also focused on the challenge of controlling herbicide-tolerant canola volunteers in knockdown situations and in following crops.
Mr Addison said after years of growing triazine-tolerant, imidazolinone-tolerant and Roundup Ready canola in programs, combined with the use of popular knockdown and pre-emergent cropping herbicides, some volunteers were difficult to control and correct herbicide choice was important.
"We want to keep using Roundup Ready systems and glyphosate in general, so the message focused on the importance of rotating your herbicides," he said.
"In the following year, for example, you should be able to control all of your winter weeds without using glyphosate, and so turn to options like paraquat and a range of suitable mixing partners."
Another Roundup Ready and LibertyLink canola site north of Nabawa looked at options and strategies with the use of Tenet post-emergent grass herbicide from ADAMA Australia for improved weed control and potential expanded use in these crops.
This included tank mixes with Tenet for increased efficacy and providing improved residual control of ryegrass.
"The focus is on incorporating multiple herbicide modes of action so we help extend the performance and life of all herbicides involved," Mr Addison said.
The performance of several development herbicides against wild radish in cereal crops was evaluated near Nabawa as well.
They were compared against a number of existing herbicides, including Quadrant, Triathlon, Priority and Colt, and Mr Addison said some of the new herbicide technologies were looking promising.
In between trial visits, riders also enjoyed taking in some amazing terrain and stopovers, from the Eradu sandplain to the Greenough flats and legendary heavy and breakaway country, during which the old Greenough settlement, Ellendale Pool and Coalseam Conservation Park were highlights.
Mental health awareness was another important component of the tour and riders enjoyed a catch-up with northern Wheatbelt grower Bradley Millsteed, who in 2017 commenced #6Bs (blokes, bbq, bonfire, beers, bonding and bullshit), which has staged numerous events across the State.
He said the 2-wheel tour of the northern agricultural region provided a stark contrast to ADAMA Australia's earlier tours mainly through southern and central areas, and was enlightening for many.
"Some of the riders, certainly from areas of the deep south, gained an appreciation of what we have been talking about and what can happen if weeds like radish are not kept under control," Mr Addison said.
Gairdner grower Glenn Calvert was on his KTM 690 Enduro R motorbike for his fourth ADAMA Australia 2-Wheel Trial Tour and he rated this year's event as the best.
He said the green-on-green spot spraying technology was an eye-opener and he did take a strong interest in the management of radish through the region.
"We are still hand picking or spot spraying radish and will continue trying to desperately stay on top of it," Mr Calvert said.
"We did see some successful radish control on farms - they were amazingly clean.
"We were riding through Nabawa and seeing lupin and wheat crops with no radish, so it showed that it is possible to get on top of it."
Hay seasons have hindered Calingiri grower John Young's participation in previous tours, however it's not a factor in the family's program this year and after attending for the first time, he said it was excellent and he would be "back again for sure".
Mr Young was on one of the oldest motorbikes on the tour, a BMW R100 RS that has chalked-up about 40 years, and which he journeyed on from London overland to India in his late 20s.
He said the tour group was well looked-after by the Mingenew community and covered some excellent country.
Mr Young said the canola site featuring Tenet and its use in tank mixes, supporting the focus to rotate grass herbicide use in Roundup Ready growing systems, was one of the trial highlights.
