Access to independent and locally relevant performance data on commercially available varieties is fundamental when planning crop choices. The National Variety Trials (NVT) program provides that data.
Since its inception in 2005, it has guided grain growers and advisors with consistent, timely and accurate information on commercial varieties.
While this has helped accelerate superior variety adoption, importantly, it has also ensured that growers avoid unsuitable varieties and farming systems’ profitability is optimised.
For the past two decades, the NVT program’s goal has been to independently test varieties on growers’ paddocks in a way that is easily comparable and that reflects regional conditions.
This testing includes grain yields, disease and pest responses, and grain quality traits for wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas, faba beans, field peas, lentils, lupins, oats and sorghum.
GRDC has built the NVT brand to be a trusted source of variety performance information for growers across the country. It has become an institution in the grains industry with results that are now a staple in the grain production calendar.
Each season following harvest, and prior to planting, tens of thousands of growers across the country access NVT results to ensure they are choosing the best cultivar for their environment.
Growers contribute to the success of the NVT program. Whether this is through using NVT information, providing advice via NVT Advisory Committees (NACs), or by generously hosting the trials – some for two decades.
We want to recognise and celebrate these contributions so in NVT’s 20th year, GRDC has launched an honour roll of grower hosts.
Celebrating 20 years of a program in a 24 page magazine is a challenge. The stories in the GroundCover™ Supplement – Celebrating 20 years of NVT are a snapshot of the people, programs and organisations that have contributed to the NVT’s success.
Enjoy reflecting on the past 20 years of NVT and I look forward to building the next 20 with you.
Read the Supplement or keep an eye on GroundCover to learn more about:
- The people behind the program
- How the largest coordinated field trial network of its kind in the world is helping breeders develop new varieties
- NVT Advisory Committees.