Results

Trial plan

Six replicated trials and two demonstration trials were implemented in the Murray Plains district in 2018 near Sedan at a site with a sandy clay-loam soil. The trial was developed by trial manager Michael Moodie and Murray Plains Farmers, based on committee members’ interactions with local growers, and with input from leading industry researchers. Five replicated trials evaluating the leading commercial varieties of canola, chickpea, field pea, lentils and vetch were implemented along with an unreplicated faba bean demonstration.

A field pea blackspot management trial was also established at the site. This trial compared fungicide products (Aviator® Xpro®, AmistarXtra® and Mancozeb) applied six weeks after sowing or six weeks after sowing and early flowering. These products were compared to a no-spray control and a no-disease control which was implemented by applying chloranil each fortnight. All treatments had P-Pickle T® applied as a seed dressing except for the no-spray treatment, however a no-spray treatment was also included which had P applied as a P-Pickle T® applied as seed dressing.

A replicated pre-emergent herbicide demonstration trial was also established where simazine, diuron, metribuzin, terbuthylazine and isoxaflutole were applied at various rates to lentil, field pea, chickpea and vetch. Each product was also applied by incorporating by sowing or post-sowing, pre-emergent.

Results

• Low growing season rainfall restricted the yields of all break crops at Sedan in 2018
• Canola was the best performing break crop with Pioneer 43Y92 yielding 0.42t/ha
• PBA Twilight field pea was the only pulse variety to yield more than 0.3t/ha.
• A narrow range of yields were achieved across the best performing break crop however the gross margins varied widely from -$119/ha for chickpea to $25/ha for canola. Faba bean was almost a total crop failure due to the dry conditions.

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