• Selecting mid-fast hybrid varieties with flexible phenology in the Wimmera is a good risk management option, which also has yield potential when seasonal conditions are favourable.
• Fast hybrids have performed well but avoid the temptation to plant these early if an early break eventuates.
• Selecting slow developing varieties comes with added risk of requiring a germinating rain in the first week of April or earlier.
• The best return on investment in nitrogen comes with application to hybrids that flower at the optimum time for the environment.

• Multiple machinery pass trafficking decreased crop yields for at least four years on a Loxton deep sand.
• Single pass machinery trafficking did not result in yield decreases at Loxton and rarely at any of the other trafficking soil types in this project.
• Most soils in the south-eastern Australian Low rainfall zone are not likely to remediate from compaction naturally.

• Winter wheats sown early can match but not exceed yields of locally adapted spring wheats sown in their optimal window (eg. Scepter sown late April-early May).
• It is only advantageous to sow winter wheats early if they are replacing paddocks that would otherwise be sown too late, or used for dual purpose.
• In a very dry growing season sowing earlier than late April reduced yields when stored soil water was present after a long fallow.

• Lentils were better at establishing and reaching target plant densities than canola.
• Canola was considerably more responsive to converting increasing sowing densities into yield than lentils.
• Seeder type had no consistent effect on establishment and yield.
• The differences in yield response to plant numbers suggests that it is more critical to get it right in canola than lentils.

• Statice seedbanks reduced with targeted management options in three years, providing no new seeds are allowed to set.
• Crop competition and crop-topping to prevent seed set can help to control statice.
• Statice can be hard to control, so good farm biosecurity is important to prevent the introduction of statice. This includes controlling statice in non-crops areas, such as laneways and fence-lines.

• Capital value improvement of $61,000 by using the stripper front.
• The cost per rotor hour of the machine increased as the capital cost went up and the number of hours decreased.
• There was a 24% reduction in fuel usage and a 16% reduction in labour costs.
• Harvest was completed on average two to three days faster with a stripper front.

• March to April sown winter wheats performed comparably to main season spring wheats. Optimal time of sowing for winter wheats was late March to mid April.
• Early sowing may present opportunities to increase overall farm profitability by spreading the sowing window without excessive risk of frost and heat.
• Longsword (RAC2341) failed to perform at both sites due to unexplained sterility.

• Growers should check the grain weight, germination of retained seed and calibrate accordingly to achieve consistent plant establishment from season to season.
• Correct seeder calibration amounted to a 0.3t/ha yield or $60/ha gain.
• If phosphorus (P) soil reserves are low, consider increasing P fertiliser rates to achieve optimal yields.

• Rainfall over the summer fallow period will cause nutrient leaching from stubbles.
• Stubble crop type determines initial value of stubble and what may be leached due to rainfall.
• It is important to consider other loss pathways such as microbial breakdown and volatilisation as well as leaching when calculating stubble nutrient value following the summer fallow period.

• ‘Compass type’ varieties with good early vigour, combined with a prostrate growth habit are the best competitors (Compass, Fathom, Scope CL, RGT Planet).
• ‘Hindmarsh type’ and ‘Urambie type’ varieties with very slow early vigour are poor competitors (Hindmarsh, Spartacus CL, Urambie).
• In the presence of grass weeds there was an average of 0.9t/ha yield loss across all barley varieties.
• Three years of data has reinforced that certain varieties can be used as a non-herbicide option for grass weed control.

• Cereal stubble contributes only a small percentage of the nitrogen requirement for a following cereal crop (2 to 11% of N from 2014 wheat stubble was taken up by 2015 and 2016 crops).
• Urea fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency of the 2014 wheat crop was 35%.
• The 2015 drought reduced the influence of stubble management treatments on nitrogen cycling, yield and carry over effects on microbial activity.

• When the maximum rate of nitrogen (N) was applied, La Trobe achieved malt grade and the greatest profitability.
• Fathom was the most N efficient variety, converting the most supplied nitrogen to grain, whereas Compass and Commander were the least responsive.
• The highest rate of N (120kg N/ha) was the most profitable for all varieties in a Decile 10 growing season

• Grazed crops showed no effects from grazing in 2016 – an excellent season producing high early biomass. Crops recovered and yielded very well.
• Trojan and LRPB Arrow were the best dual purpose wheat varieties.
• Fathom, Spartacus and Rosalind were the best dual purpose barley varieties.

• Compass, Commander, Scope CL and Fathom were the varieties most affected by lodging when harvest was delayed in a very high yielding environment.
• Spartacus CL and Oxford had better head retention than Fathom and Westminster which were the poorest.
• Delaying harvest by three and a half weeks incurred a 2t/ha yield loss. In an 8t/ha crop this equates to one per cent of yield per day lost on average (based on 2016 data).

• Current knowledge about the effects of gibberellic acid application to oats is limited.
• In 2016 gibberellic acid had no impact on biomass or feed quality of oats.
• Exceptional growing conditions and a mild winter may have reduced effects of gibberellic acid.

• Compass, Fathom and Scope CL were good competitors with weeds, which is consistent with previous years’ findings.
• Hindmarsh and Spartacus CL are poor weed competitors.
• The advantage of sowing earlier in order to increase crop competition failed to improve the competitiveness of La Trobe given the high spring rainfall.

• Nitrogen applied to crops that have hayed off can contribute to crop biomass and yield in the subsequent season.
• When haying off is severe, a nitrogen (N) balance based on paddock history may be inaccurate.
• Conservative N management delivered the best economic returns over the two years of the trial.

• Light interception at midday was significantly higher under east-west sowing compared with north-south.
• It is plausible that sowing direction may influence weed seed set.
• To establish a competitive crop against weeds and maximise yields, growers should aim for the narrowest row spacing to suit their system.

• Reducing stubble loads can reduce the severity and duration of frost events under certain conditions. However, under the situation of multiple and severe frost events the influence of stubble is less defined and stubble reduction does not reduce risk.
• In the Mallee, most stubble management practices carried out prior to seeding to increase stubble incorporation or breakdown (cultivation, slashing) did not reduce stubble loads enough to reduce frost severity and duration.
• In the Wimmera, reducing stubble loads did not consistently reduce frost severity or duration possibly due to a combined effect of greater canopy closure with higher yield potential (2014) and higher stubble break down with low stubble levels (2015).
• Stubble management in frost prone areas is not about complete removal of stubble, but reducing it to a level that minimises your risk.

• In 2016, a Decile 10 season, stubble load had no effect on soil mineral nitrogen or soil water.
• The presence of stubble resulted in higher soil mineral nitrogen over the summer fallow period.
• Wheat yields were higher following peas or fallow than they were after wheat or canola in 2016.

• At Warmur and Kalkee, Bannister was the highest yielding milling oat and Brusher the highest yielding hay oat variety in 2016 – an excellent season.
• Application of fungicides to oats did not create hay or yield benefits in the Wimmera in 2016.
• Choice of oat variety and management should be made according to the intended end-use traits – versatility if conditions change, disease resistance, ability to control problem weeds and likelihood of making premium markets.

• At Warmur and Kalkee, Bannister was the highest yielding milling oat and Brusher the highest yielding hay oat variety in 2016 – an excellent season.
• Application of fungicides to oats did not create hay or yield benefits in the Wimmera in 2016.
• Choice of oat variety and management should be made according to the intended end-use traits – versatility if conditions change, disease resistance, ability to control problem weeds and likelihood of making premium markets.

• Metribuzin added to Precept® gave good control of all weeds.
• Affinity Force® did not perform to the standard expected.

• Compass and La Trobe have the greatest likelihood of severe lodging as yield environment increases; Fathom, GrangeR and Commander are least likely.
• The taller the crop, the more likely yield loss will occur with increasing rainfall; taller varieties (Schooner, Compass, Flagship and Scope CL) are the most susceptible to head loss.
• Grain quality and the viability of the seed (low falling numbers) is severely reduced in barley with greater exposure to wet weather.
• In lower yielding environments, choose a variety based on its yield performance, rather than its resistance to the effects of delayed harvest.

• Highest yields in 2015 came from early sown (9 April) spring cultivars (with 8mm of irrigation for emergence).
• Winter wheats Wedgetail and RAC2341, sown 9 April, yielded more than Scout sown in the normal sowing window (8 May).
• Reducing plant density in early sown slow-developing wheats did not influence yield in either the presence or absence of weeds but did result in greater weed growth.

• In a drier season, early-mid maturing Mace wheat provided better feed and grain value than mid-late maturing Trojan.
• Make variety choice based on the stored soil moisture, the potential time of sowing and the seasonal outlook.
• Variety differences exist between Mace and Trojan and their response to grazing.

• Velocity®, Precept® and Affinity® are the best options for elongating amsinckia.
• There is a wider range of effective herbicides to control amsinckia when they are small and actively growing than when they are elongating.
• Trifluralin is very effective for controlling amsinckia, but weeds can still persist in the crop row where the trifluralin has not been applied.

• It is no longer a question of whether ryegrass will become resistant; it is when! 
• Double knock was the most effective treatment for managing this ryegrass population  (98% control).
• Alternative crop options should be integrated into the rotation to manage weeds and reduce the reliance of glyphosate. 
• High water rates, spraying closer to evening and no later than 7-10 days after the initial knockdown are essential when using Paraquat.

• Milling oat varieties Mitika, Bannister, Dunnart and Yallara yielded highest, closely followed by breeding line WA02Q302-9.
• Yallara and new variety WA02Q302-9 had the greatest dual purpose value, incurring little yield penalty after grazing.

• In a dry season, there was a small grain yield benefit (90kg/ha) for wheat that followed terminated vetch and field peas (1.5-2.4t/ha of biomass), compared with fallow and terminated medic.
• Soil water benefits from fallow and legume termination don’t occur with dry spring finishes.
• Using soil tests to measure nitrogen mineralisation helps you to properly evaluate the benefit of a legume crop or pasture in a rotation.

1. Yields were increased by 0.4t/ha (15%) in barley and 0.2t/ha (10%) in wheat at Horsham in 2014 by sowing east/west. Sowing direction did not alter grain quality. 
2. Varietal characteristics (maturity, height and growth habit) were not found to influence the yield response.
3. Similar findings have been found in NSW, in the presence of weeds, and WA, with or without weeds.

• Only 31 per cent of the applied urea nitrogen (N) was taken up by the wheat crop in 2014. This low fertiliser use efficiency may be partly related to the season; unused N in the soil can benefit the following crop.
• In a decile 1 season, different stubble retention practices had no effect on microbial biomass and N supply potential (avg. 58kg N/ha).
• Labelling a wheat crop with 15N allows researchers to quantify the fertiliser use efficiency and trace the N from stubble to the subsequent crop.

•  Yields were significantly higher under narrow row spacing, but sowing direction had no influence on yield.
• Weeds had a significant effect on yield, but the scale of yield penalty (t/ha yield loss) did  not alter with row spacing or sowing direction in 2015.
• Weeds established faster where row spacings were wider, however by late tillering, all treatments had similar weed numbers and biomass levels.

1. When sub-soil water is present, growing high value canola and legume break crops can be profitable in the Mallee.
2. Where brome grass seed bank populations are high, break crop sequences of longer than two years are necessary to decrease numbers, and keep them down.
3. The application of CLF herbicide chemistry is effective in reducing brome grass populations, but herbicide resistance will develop quickly if they are used repeatedly in the same paddock.

1. Winter wheat cultivars Wedgetail and Rosella sown on 1 April were higher yielding than LRPB Scout sown on 6 May.
2. Reducing plant density to 50 plants/ m² did not reduce the ability of winter wheats to compete with a simulated weed population (tame oats) when sown on 1 April
3. Winter wheat sown early produced more dry matter for grazing than spring wheats sown in May.

1. Populations of fumitory are now exhibiting resistance to commonly used broadleaf herbicides, including Clearfield®.
2. Avoid cultivation which promotes the germination of fumitory.
3. In this trial, Precept®, Velocity® + MCPA LVE and Affinity Force® + MCPA Amine, were most effective in controlling fumitory. On-duty® and other Group B herbicides were amongst the worst performers.

• Forage barley variety Moby has vigorous early growth and matures quickly, and should be grazed sufficiently early to enable recovery for a second grazing.
• Spring wheat variety Bolac maintained yield when sown early and grazed in 2014.  
• Winter wheat variety Wedgetail can be sown very early (March-early April) in low rainfall areas to utilise early rainfall, and widen both the sowing and flowering window of crops.

1. In dry conditions there is no yield penalty when delaying harvest.
2. Harvest of Skipper, La Trobe and Compass should be prioritised as they are more susceptible to head loss. 
3. To minimise risk associated with delaying harvest consider sowing only manageable areas of susceptible varieties.

1. The application of nitrogen increased grain yield by 0.5t/ ha, but there was no benefit from additional sulphur. At this site, money was better spent on nitrogen than on sulphur.
2. Grain protein was very low (7-10% protein) which is becoming an issue on sandy country despite adequate nutrition.
3. The timing of nitrogen and sulphur applications made no difference to crop yield or quality. Consequently, growers could reduce production and financial risk by delaying some applications and adjusting rates to the seasons.

1. In 2014 – a dry season with limited growth and yield at the trial site – Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) were not economically viable or worthwhile.
2. PGR use in a tough season may pose more risk than benefit to cereal crops; their use should be gauged on seasonal outlooks.
3. In 2014, reduction in plant height was greatest with a PGR applied either as a single late, or a split application, not an early application.
4. The combination of a fungicide such as Amistar Xtra with a PGR such as Moddus Evo, appears to increase the effect of the PGR on plant growth.

• Barley is more susceptible to sprouting than wheat, which may require more rainfall (>50mm) for sprouting to occur.
• Protection against sprouting (seed dormancy) reduces following maturity; all varieties will become more susceptible the longer they are left standing in the paddock.
• Grain quality diminishes with delayed  harvest and multiple rainfall events.

1. Yields were increased by 0.4t/ha (15%) in barley and 0.2t/ha (10%) in wheat at Horsham in 2014 by sowing east/west. Sowing direction did not alter grain quality. 
2. Varietal characteristics (maturity, height and growth habit) were not found to influence the yield response.
3. Similar findings have been found in NSW, in the presence of weeds, and WA, with or without weeds.

1. Velocity®, Igran®, Precept® and Lexone® provided the most effective statice control in barley.
2. The use of, or addition, of Group G herbicides failed to improve control.
3. Group C herbicides had varied results. Products containing terbutryn and metribuzin achieved a high level of control, but products containing  diuron and bromoxynil did not.

1. Grazing crops early and/or lightly will generally not affect grain yields.
2. Plant recovery is supported by having more green material remaining after grazing; the more the merrier!
3. Early sown winter wheat can produce more biomass earlier in the season than spring wheat varieties.

1. When vetch is establised in March and is terminated 'early' (three to four months later, in June, July), soil water will be conserved for the subsequent wheat crop; the risk of haying off due to high nitrogen will be lower than if the vetch were terminated 'later' (August, September),
2. Vetch biomass production of approximately 2t/ha is unlikely to cause a subsequent wheat crop to hay off given dry seasonal conditions. 
3. Residual nitrogen from vetch brown manure can carry over for two years and influence cereal crop growth, but the conservation of soil water is more critical in seasons of Decile 2 or lower. 

1. When vetch is establised in March and is terminated 'early' (three to four months later, in June, July), soil water will be conserved for the subsequent wheat crop; the risk of haying off due to high nitrogen will be lower than if the vetch were terminated 'later' (August, September),
2. Vetch biomass production of approximately 2t/ha is unlikely to cause a subsequent wheat crop to hay off given dry seasonal conditions. 
3. Residual nitrogen from vetch brown manure can carry over for two years and influence cereal crop growth, but the conservation of soil water is more critical in seasons of Decile 2 or lower. 

1. When vetch is establised in March and is terminated 'early' (three to four months later, in June, July), soil water will be conserved for the subsequent wheat crop; the risk of haying off due to high nitrogen will be lower than if the vetch were terminated 'later' (August, September),
2. Vetch biomass production of approximately 2t/ha is unlikely to cause a subsequent wheat crop to hay off given dry seasonal conditions. 
3. Residual nitrogen from vetch brown manure can carry over for two years and influence cereal crop growth, but the conservation of soil water is more critical in seasons of Decile 2 or lower. 

1. In 2014, an estimated 61 per cent of the seed bank germinated throughout the season, enabling a rapid reduction of the wild radish population and having a positive effect on grain yield. However, due to the long dormancy of the seed (six to eight years), 100 per cent control would be needed to eradicate the entire seed bank.
2. Approximately 30 per cent of the seed bank germinated as a result of summer rainfall; best practice is to make the most of seasons that deliver a summer break to get a good knockdown.
3. Aim to control 100 per cent of seed set by using multiple cultural, chemical and mechanical practices to eradicate the seed bank and stop resistance development.

An extremely highl level of barley yellow dwarf disease was recorded in Victorian cereal crops in 2013; 40-70 per cent infection.

A high number of aphids flying into crops from neighbouring vegetation reduced the effectiveness of the insecticides.

Regular crop monitoring is essential to maximise yield while minimising the effects of aphids and BYD spread.