QLD growers armed with validated results to make more informed winter cropping decisions

20 October 2022, AU: With the release of the 2023 Queensland Winter Crop Sowing Guide, Northern growers now have access to extensive trial results to help make more informed varietal decisions in preparation for next year’s winter cropping season.

Published by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the guide provides five years’ worth of results from the National Variety Trials (NVT) program, which allows growers to compare the yield performance, disease resistance ratings and grain quality of commercially available grain varieties.

NVT Manager – North, Laurie Fitzgerald says wheat, barley and chickpea results found in the Winter Crop Sowing Guide are completely independent and give growers a good base to compare varieties’ performance and make selections based on what could work the best for their individual circumstances.

“The results show the performance of established varieties that Queensland growers would be familiar with, as well as new and recently released varieties,” he says.

“This publication is a trustworthy document that growers can look at to understand how certain varieties perform in their environment and make decisions that could increase their profitability.

“The 2023 Winter Crop Cowing Guide equips growers with expert knowledge and advice, as well as easy to decipher, validated yield and disease resistance results that allows them to make informed choices and be prepared for the coming winter season.”

Northern Region Panel Chair and Chinchilla grain grower Arthur Gearon, says the sowing guide was a great tool growers can use to get a head start for the coming winter cropping season, providing an opportunity to make variety selections now and secure seed well in advance.

“While the last two seasons have been challenging for Queensland growers, optimism for next year’s winter cropping season is high,” he says.

“Having access to the trial results now can help growers get more prepared for next year and know with confidence that they’ve made variety selections based on independent, validated results that shows how varieties perform in environments that reflect their farming operations.”

Mr Gearon says with more rain predicted next year and experts tipping another high-pressure disease year, especially for stripe rust, it’s more important than ever that growers are considering disease resistance when selecting varieties.

“This sowing guide will give growers the opportunity to get on the front foot with disease management and make selections based on what will fare well if the disease risk remains high into next year,” he says.

“Varietal selection can have a significant impact on crop management, impacting sowing time, disease management, nutrition requirements and herbicide options, so it’s critical that we’re utilising tools like this to ensure what we’re growing on farm can remain profitable in our environments.

“Growers can use the results to reassure themselves that the varieties they’ve planted in the past work well for their environment, but it can also assist them in having more confidence to mix it up and plant something new to chase a better return.”

NVT is the largest co-ordinated field trial network of its kind in the world and is fully administered by GRDC on behalf of Australian grain growers and the Australian Government.

You can download a copy of the NVT Queensland Winter Crop Sowing Guide via GRDC’s website.

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