The Victorian grains industry is well prepared for the 2021 winter cropping season, informed about potential challenges and equipped with the latest research findings, new knowledge and advice.

Information to support the State’s growers through this year and into the future has been delivered at the State’s premier grains research, development and extension (RD&E) forum.

Around 180 advisers, growers, researchers and industry personnel attended GRDC's Grains Research Update at Bendigo, which also attracted 300 registrations for the online live stream service.

GRDC Grower Relations Manager – South, Tom Blake, said after the limitations of face-to-face events last year imposed by the pandemic, it was refreshing for industry personnel to network in-person and speak with leading researchers, and provide direct feedback to GRDC about its investment agenda.

“The Bendigo Update was an important platform for extending critical information to the State’s growers and advisers ahead of sowing this season’s crops,” Mr Blake said.

“Among the top line messages, delivered at the Update from a line-up of industry experts, was the need for growers to eliminate the ‘green bridge’ of weeds and volunteer cereals that summer rainfall events have promoted in some regions.

“By removing the green bridge growers can better manage pests and diseases to reduce the risk to yields.”

Other key messages delivered to attendees at the Bendigo Update included:

• Stripe rust in wheat is likely to be an important disease in 2021, especially where summer rain has supported disease carryover. Field experiments have found the new StripeRustWM App to be a useful tool to support in-crop fungicide decisions;
• Severe blackleg crown canker occurs when canola plants are infected during early seedling growth. Prior to sowing, use the BlacklegCM decision support tool to identify high risk paddocks and explore management strategies to reduce yield loss;
• Growers and advisers are encouraged to use PestFacts south eastern to remain informed about invertebrate pests and beneficials in broadacre crops and pastures during the winter cropping season in Victoria;
• More efficient use of glyphosate, combined with effective weed management strategies, is required to combat increasing glyphosate resistance in annual ryegrass;
• New registrations for Group G herbicides are expanding the ways these herbicides can be used;
• Responses to subsoil amelioration with organic materials appear to be soil-type specific, requiring an assessment of both subsoil and topsoil soil properties, including dispersion;
• Stocks of soil organic carbon have declined in many Australian agricultural systems, including in dryland grains production;
• An assessment of current ‘rules of thumb’ for predicting nitrogen fertiliser requirements in southern region cropping systems has identified the need to update current assumptions;
• For commonly grown faba bean varieties, sowing in April optimises grain yield in all rainfall zones across varying seasons;
• Without a disease management plan that incorporates varietal resistance, paddock rotation, good agronomy practices and fungicides, grain yield losses of greater than 90 per cent can be experienced in pulse crops;
• Vetch has the ability and potential to fit into modern farming rotations in most areas, particularly in mixed farming systems where growers are looking for a versatile break option;
• A new DNA soil testing service has been developed to measure Group E and F rhizobia numbers in soil to assist growers in identifying the need to inoculate field pea, faba bean, lentil and vetch crops;
• By 2022, GRDC’s National Phenology Initiative will deliver a tool for growers and advisers that will be able to predict optimal sowing dates for different cultivars across Australia at the point of release.

More information is contained in the update papers delivered at this year’s Grains Research Updates. Recordings from sessions that were live streamed at the Bendigo Update will be available via GRDC's website.