Research, development and extension
The project was involved in a wide range of regional priority-aligned project activities in collaboration with grower groups and/or other research projects. Access to trial reports and focus areas for the project's research, development and extension are summarised below.
Trial reports
All trial and demonstration reports on these and other activities can be found at the GRDC Online Farm Trials website.
Click on 'Search', scroll down to 'Related Programs' and scroll down further to 'Regional Research Agronomy' and tick the box. At the top of the Search list click the green 'Go' button to view the list of trials from the project.
Pest and disease surveillance and management
With the team of agronomists dispersed across the regions, capacity to undertake pest and disease surveillance was significantly increased. The project contribution included:
- over 500 reports of pests and diseases , including collection of samples for resistance testing and area freedom surveillance for exotic pests and diseases.
- oat disease survey of Kwinana West port zone in 2018 complementing and supporting work undertaken by the National Hay Agronomy project's pathology surveillance program
- surveys conducted with growers and consultants to review existing crop protection decision support tools to inform future investment
- a multifaceted approach to sclerotinia management in season through petal testing, apps, remote sclerote monitoring for apothecia and spray trials.
Publications
- 2019 GRDC Grains Research Updates: Validating the SclerotiniaCM App For Managing Sclerotinia In Canola
- Was there an economic return from fungicide application for management of spot type net blotch in Muntadgin in 2017?
Managing snails and other invertebrates
A range of snail management activities were conducted including:
- Monitoring using time-lapse cameras to correlate snail activity and lifecycles to local weather conditions. This work added value to other projects being carried out by DPIRD research scientist Svetlana Micic, Stirlings to Coast Farmers and SEPWA, resulting in improved timing and efficacy of bait application.
- Monitoring data were also used to investigate the behaviour of other pests, in particular slaters and vegetable beetles.
Publications
- Will anything repel conical snails?
- Time snail baiting to coincide with maximum snail movement and before snails lay eggs
- Stirling to Coast Farmers' Snail Management Guide for WA Farmers
- 2018 GRDC Research Updates: Image analysis of slugs and snails in broadacre agriculture
Investigating soil-borne and root diseases
Research and surveillance activities investigating soil-borne diseases included:
- an extensive root disease survey across the Kwinana East port zone to characterise soil borne disease risk in the eastern wheatbelt
- crown rot management following different variety and nutrition strategies
- using break crops to manage root lesion nematodes.
Publications
- 2018 GRDC Research Updates: Characterising soil-borne disease risk in the eastern wheatbelt and national significance of major diseases
- 2019 Grains Research Updates paper: The effect of variety and regional nutrition strategies on crown rot severity in Merredin
- 'Can a change in nitrogen reduce plant parasitic nematodes (Pratylenchus quasitereoides) in Western Australian wheat crops'. In:10th Australasian Soilborne Diseases Symposium, page 11
- 2020 GRDC Research Updates:"Give me a break!” – Options for paddocks infested with both root lesion nematodes and Rhizoctonia solani AG8