Grains

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Pip Grant

WHAT WE ARE DOING TO ADDRESS GRAIN PRODUCTION CHALLENGES in THE RIVERINE PLAINS

Riverine Plains research and extension projects cover all aspects of crop production.

This includes nutrition, stubble management, weed and disease control and pest management. We provide grain growers with access to valuable resources to optimise their grain production enterprises. Our goal is to help farmers maximise yields and grain quality so that they can be profitable and sustainable in the long term.

It's important that growers maximise their grain production given the world faces continuing challenges with food security. Scarcity of resources also means that local farmers need to do more with less to continue to supply the global population.

Climate variability also is posing challenges in local grain-producing systems and farmers are adopting new and innovative technologies to improve their efficiency of production. Increases in efficiency are also being driven by rising costs of production, volatile market conditions, lack of access to skilled labour and the potential requirement to measure and reduce greenhouse emissions in the future.

Riverine Plains aims to help our farmer members and the wider farming community plan, prepare for and mitigate against these challenges and risks. We’ll continue to support farmers to use best practice to maximise the production of high-quality grain for supply into global and domestic markets.

Research highlights

Large-plot stubble management trials carried out as part of the Stubble project from 2013–17, showed there were no differences in yield due to stubble management techniques – including burnt, cultivated, no-till stubble retained, mulched, cut for straw and with or without additional nitrogen.
Dry matter measurements from a 2023 irrigated faba bean crop monitored as part of an Irrigated Discussion Group trial, indicate that the nitrogen fixed could save up to $413/ha the following year in nitrogen costs (based on January 2023 pricing).

OUR GRAIN PROJECTS

Our portfolio of grains-related projects help farmers address key production and profitability challenges in the Riverine Plains.

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Hyper profitable crops

This project aims to bridge the gap between current crop yields and their full profitability potential.
Demonstrating ryegrass control strategies

Ryegrass is a major weed of cropping systems in the Riverine Plains. We are working with farmers, researchers and advisors to reduce the risk of herbicide-resistant ryegrass developing, to prevent significant productivity and profitability losses.
Link between cereal stubble, subsurface acidity and crown rot

Good seasons, stubble retention and tight cereal rotations have favoured a build-up of Fusarium crown rot in the Riverine Plains. Crown rot can cause significant yield loss, and we are investigating the potential link between it, subsurface acidity and different stubble management techniques.
De-risking early sown crops

We are using localised demonstration trials to drive adoption of management practices that can improve the success of dry-sowing programs in the Riverine Plains.
Irrigation discussion groups

This project has a focus on farmer-to-farmer learning and the sharing of the latest local research data to maximise irrigated grain production.
Building soil resilience & carbon through plant diversity

This project is identifying ways to build resilient soils and enhance carbon stocks in cropping systems, using a range of species in cover cropping and companion crop plantings.
Assessing soil water storage

The project will assist farmers in improving water and resource use in crops grown on soils with constraints.
Optimising soils and available water to improve drought resilience

This project aims to show how farmers can use legumes, early sowing and nitrogen banking to safeguard the natural capital of soils for environmental and economic sustainability.
Strategies to help with nitrogen decisions

Better matching nitrogen supply with demand, by maintaining soil mineral nitrogen levels at a pre-determined level.
Organic fertiliser sources for crop nutrition

Investigating alternative sources of crop nutrition and their potential benefits to soil fertility and sustainability.