New Lentil Varieties Take Centre Stage at Lock Trial Site
23 September 2024, AU: Elders’ agronomy team on the Eyre Peninsula hosted local growers for a crop walk at Lock trial site last week.
This marks the second year a crop walk event has been held at the Lock trial site, which researches the performance of different crop varieties across variable conditions on the Eyre Peninsula.
Lentils have gained rapid popularity in the area, which has guided the planting of 13 different varieties at the site, each exhibiting different herbicide traits, plant and disease characteristics.
Elders Streaky Bay agronomist Bella Heron, who undertook inoculant work at the site, highlighted the reasoning for the growing shift towards lentils.
“The current climate in livestock farming has prompted farmers to explore alternative ways to fix nitrogen,” she said.
“Lentils are particularly attractive, due to the high value of legumes, making them an appealing addition to wheat and cereal rotations.”
Elders Cummins agronomist Jonno Forrest was heavily involved in the site planning and said it has already become a valuable resource for local growers.
“We have observed considerable differences at the site, specifically when it comes to pre-emergent IBS (incorporated by sowing) and early post-emergent weed control in wheat,” Jonno said.
“As part of this trial we compare the gross margin results for each subsequent year and what continues to perform despite challenging seasonal conditions including lower rainfall.
“The tangible differences between new and old products have been noticeable, some of which are yet to reach the market. It is invaluable for us to have the chance to evaluate these products before they become commercially available.”
Jonno also emphasised the importance of collaboration through a new partnership with key supplier DKSH.
“The saying ‘many hands make light work’ rings true here. Bringing in fresh perspectives fosters ongoing learning and enhances our program’s effectiveness, ultimately benefiting our clients,” he said.
Elders State Technical Services Manager Lyndon May noted some of the key insights gathered this year.
“Despite the dry conditions, we’ve observed effective timings and application of pre-emergent herbicides, alongside our focus on lentils and crop establishment,” he said.
“While we receive reliable rainfall at the Lock site, variability across the Eyre Peninsula necessitates our continued pre-emergent work in both heavy and sandy soils to assess efficacy in diverse environments.”
Testing emerging varieties in low to medium rainfall conditions is crucial, so growers can have confidence before including them in their own cropping systems.
“We aim to understand how adaptable these new lentil varieties are, providing local farmers with insights they can apply in their own backyard,” Lyndon said.
“A large focus for us is to keep adapting and evolving to climate variability and researching ways to help farmers remain sustainable and profitable with a reliable pulse such as lentils in the rotation.”
David Fleming, Elders area manager for the region, provided insight into the value of crop walk events for local growers and the community.
“Our agronomists continually test systems and new products to uncover innovative and improved practices for local farmers,” he said.
“As we enter the second year of the trial site, we continue to gain agronomic insights, exploring new lentil varieties and assessing new products. This all contributes to the sound agronomic advice we can provide growers to maximise their yield and profitability.”
Thank you to our valued supplier partners who we work with to bring global technology to local regions and for making these trial activities possible.
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