Southern Farming Systems has made a start to sowing its extensive trials program at its Inverleigh Trial Site, just two days before the unofficial Anzac Day start to sowing for many growers in the south-west.
The SFS team has sown canola and wheat variety trials. National Variety Trials are again part of the program and will be a priority this week, with the sowing of long-season wheats at Hamilton and canola at Inverleigh. Faba bean trials are also on the plan for an April sowing.
More than 100 different trials will be sown on the main SFS trial sites at Inverleigh, Westmere, Lake Bolac, Hamilton and at various satellite sites, thanks to the co-operation of farmers.
Trials include a mix of independent research, contracted company and industry partnership projects. Two SFS projects will venture into their third year, including the stubble project and the soil acidity and liming projects.
Weather will play a large part in how many trials will go in during this last week of April, with intermittent showers forecast all week.
Rainfall amounts have varied considerably across the district this month. April totals to date include Hamilton 41mm, Westmere 53mm, Lismore 78mm and Ballan 86mm. The overwhelming view is that it is a fantastic start to sowing. Rumblings of an El Nino prediction have been put on the backburner for now.
Successful April sowing doesn’t come without careful planning of the trial areas, including selection of sites where annual ryegrass populations are low. Soil testing has been carried out and the stubble has been managed.
SFS and many growers made the most of ideal weather over the Easter break to put a match to their stubbles. This season, increased soil moisture from last spring and heavy stubbles have raised concerns about the numbers of slugs that have had perfect conditions to thrive and multiply.
The successful burns will certainly reduce some of this burden, however a baiting program will still be essential to ensure successful crop establishment.
