An innovative project is underway in the wheat belt of southern NSW which aims to help farmers adopt broadleaf species in crop sequences to improve grain production and profitability.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), along with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, is one of the key research partners in the five-year project, worth almost $2.9 million, which has been funded by the Grain Research and Development Corporation and led by CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra.

The project has engaged seven grower groups including in:

• Low rainfall areas - Central West Farming Systems, NSW, and Birchip Cropping Group, Victoria; 
• Medium rainfall areas - FarmLink, NSW, and Riverine Plains, Victoria; 
• High rainfall areas - Southern Farming Systems, Victoria, and MacKillop Farm Management Group, South Australia;
• A grower group in irrigation areas - Irrigated Cropping Forum, Victoria.

NSW DPI Research Scientist based at Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Dr Guangdi Li, said this year a number of large-paddock scale trials were established on farm and several "white peg‟ trials were established for the detailed study. 

“Each of the grower groups is responsible for co-ordinating large-scale studies to compare crop performance with and without broadleaf species, while researchers concentrate on the benefits of break crops on nitrogen nutrition, disease break and weeds aspects,” he said. 

“From next growing season, while keeping measurements for the next one or two years for the existed trial sites, more trials will be established across all regions.” 

Dr Li said the project aimed to quantify the rotational benefits of broadleaf crops or pastures for the subsequent cereal crops.

“It also aims to identify whether profitable broadleaf cropping sequence are available as alternatives to continuous cereal cropping and to provide guidelines for grain-growers and their advisers on when and where to include what break crops to achieve the best outcome,” he said.

“A further endeavour is to increase the diversity of species grown in cropping sequences.” 

Dr Li said most grain-growers recognise they should be including broadleaf species in their cropping program to reduce disease incidence for cereals, control weeds, and to improve soil nitrogen fertility. 

However, he said, the area sown to pulse legume crops or canola has dramatically declined in the past 8-10 years. 

“Much of the focus seems to be on the financial returns from the broadleaf phase in isolation from its potential beneficial impacts on the systems in a long term,” Dr Li said. 

“We expect the outcome of the project, which concludes in June 2015, to be an increased frequency of inclusion of broadleaf species in the farming systems of the southern region to improve the stability of grain production and system profitability.”

Photo available from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

Media contact: Sarah Chester (02) 6036 2110 or 0417 207 669