Interested in Wheat performance in the MRZ of South Australia?
INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS 2024: PROVISIONAL HARVEST RESULTS – May Sown Wheat
2024 SA Bordertown Crop Technology Centre (MRZ)
Sown: 15 May 2024
Harvested: 10 December 2024
Rotation position: 2023 Canola
Soil type: Brown clay
FAR code: FAR MSA II W24-32
The Germplasm Evaluation Network (GEN) is a FAR Australia ‘Industry Innovations’ initiative that tests crop variety performance across FAR Australia’s national network of Crop Technology Centres. GEN sites test variety performance with and without fungicide. FAR Australia provides the control varieties and breeders enter their chosen lines for evaluation.
Key Points:
• A very dry start to the season and 232mm growing season rainfall (GSR – Apr-Oct) resulted grain yields that ranged from 4.37 – 6.03t/ha depending on variety and foliar fungicide input.
• There were significant differences in grain yield due to both variety (p=<0.001) and fungicide management (p=0.044) but there was no interaction between the two, meaning that varieties in general responded similarly to fungicide application with an average response of 0.3t/ha. • The highest yielding variety was the coded spring wheat V15019-88 which was significantly higher yielding than all other varieties except Shotgun (RAC3227) (AH), LRPB Matador (AH) and Genie (AH) which all yielded 5.74 or above with fungicide protection. • High levels (>50% plot infection) of stripe rust (SR) plot infection were present in Genie, Rockstar, and Shotgun (RAC3227) but disease was effectively controlled with a two-spray fungicide program.
• Septoria tritici blotch (STB) was recorded at low levels (less than 10% infection) in V15019-88, Ironbark (V14035-125), Boa (LPB19-8035), and LRPB Major. These varieties had lower levels of stripe rust infection and may have allowed STB to better compete for leaf area, although the severity of STB was very low due to drier conditions.
• Proteins in the trial averaged 10.2% suggesting higher levels of nitrogen could have been applied to achieve higher yields.
• Proteins ranged from 10.7% (Wallaroo) down to 9.7% for the new white spring wheat Shotgun. Screenings averaged 1.9%. Test weights averaged 78.2 kg/hL.