issue 174, january february 2025
This page shows the articles in issue 174, january february 2025 of GroundCover. As articles are developed and published online, the list below will grow until all articles are available.
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Award-winning crop takes topsy-turvy seasonal conditions in its stride
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 28 Mar 2025Minhamite grower Tim Whitehead has won a GRDC Hyper Yielding Crops initiative award for his 2023 barley crop. He attributes the success to luck, paddock history and raised beds
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Brainstorming with other growers a path to progress
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 27 Mar 2025Minhamite grower Tim Whitehead has won a GRDC Hyper Yielding Crops initiative award for his 2023 barley crop. He attributes the success to luck, paddock history and raised beds
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Rustproofing cereals to protect harvests
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 26 Mar 2025Wheat diseases cost Australian cereal growers about $1 billion a year. Stripe rust is the second-largest contributor. However, it would be far greater without existing control strategies and the research behind them.
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Integrated approach to pests on-farm
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 25 Mar 2025To ensure pest control strategies are effective, it is crucial to diversify the approach taken and reduce reliance on any single chemical. Integrated pest management (IPM) offers an integrated solution by incorporating a variety of non-chemical control methods, mitigating the potential impacts of changes in pesticide availability while still effectively managing pest populations.
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Eyes on exotic pests
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 24 Mar 2025Despite Australia’s stringent pre-border and border controls, exotic pests still pose a threat. Early detection of these pests is vital in preventing outbreaks that could disrupt the grains industry and other agricultural sectors.
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Legumes may push a system closer to yield potential
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 23 Mar 2025In high-yielding environments, adding more nitrogen fertiliser may not be enough to maximise returns in cereals and oilseeds. Instead, a legume phase offers the opportunity to boost the yield potential of subsequent crops gained through soil amelioration investments, improved agronomic practices and better genetics.
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Farming systems trials go paddock-scale
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 22 Mar 2025The Southern New South Wales farming systems project has extended small-plot experiments at Condobolin, Greenethorpe, Wagga Wagga, and Urana until 2027. Enhanced research components, co-invested by GRDC, CSIRO, and NSW DPIRD, aim to optimize rain-to-grain conversion. In 2024, new rotations at Wagga Wagga were introduced to study slow-release fertilizers and greenhouse gas emission reduction. The 'Diverse Farms' initiative, added in 2024, extends small-plot results to paddock-scale trials across six farms, focusing on soil nitrogen, weeds, diseases, yields, and profit. Grassroots Agronomy consultants lead this initiative. Keep an eye out for paddock walks over the next three years for insights from researchers and growers.
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Diversity is a defence against weeds
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 21 Mar 2025A diverse crop sequence can cost-effectively help reduce the annual ryegrass population. From 2014 to 2017, CSIRO's research at Temora, NSW, funded by GRDC, compared three farming systems' effects on the annual ryegrass seedbank. The initial ryegrass population was 1864 plants per square meter. System 1 used a conservative canola-wheat-wheat sequence, System 2 an aggressive canola-wheat-wheat sequence, and System 3 a diverse vetch-canola-wheat-barley sequence. System 3 significantly reduced ryegrass to 204 plants per square meter and yielded better results, with barley outperforming other crops. This study highlights barley's competitiveness in weed suppression and its resilience in dry conditions.
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Hardy barley proves its worth in rotation trials
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 20 Mar 2025Long-term farming systems experiments support barley as a profitable inclusion in canola and wheat rotations
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Time to reflect as growers weigh up mostly positive harvest results
Issue 174, January-February 2025 - 19 Mar 2025Grain growers from across Australia report on how the season is progressing as they gear up for harvest. The growers are Mitch Miolini, Mitch Henderson, Lachie Seears, Andrew Freeth and Tim Gersbach.