Bike crop trial tour gears up for spring

The ADAMA WA 2-Wheel Trial Tour is back, with the third instalment this year returning to the State’s Great Southern region.

The unique motorbike crop trials tour attracted an increased number of participants last season, enjoying picturesque riding trails, the latest in crop research, protection and management technologies, with swags and tents for camping.

The fully catered tour is set to start at Broomehill on Wednesday, September 16 and run over three days.

ADAMA WA market development manager Bevan Addison said several crop protection products for release next year would be showcased.

“Over recent years, ADAMA has been conducting trials across the country and developing products specially suited to the Australian environment,” he said. “They have a very good fit for WA agriculture.”

The new novel Group E pre-emergent herbicide, Ultro 900 WG, to be registered for pulse crops, is attracting plenty of attention for its control of annual ryegrass, brome grass, barley grass and self-sown cereals.

“It is highly soluble, so works particularly well in our environment, where patchy rainfall and poor wetting-up of soils can reduce pre-emergent herbicide efficacy,” Mr Addison said.

“With the lack of options for post-emergent control due to resistance, it is vital to get maximum pre-emergent weed control and Ultro provides this.’’

He said the tour would also investigate herbicide tank mixing options for early post-emergent ryegrass control in cereals.

Priority is another product capturing interest as a spike or mixing partner with many broadleaf herbicides for broad-spectrum weed control.

“Priority will have a major fit in place of clopyralid in mixed farming situations, where clopyralid can present issues with soil residue carryover, affecting following pulse grain and pasture crops,’’ Bevan said.

“It also has very good potential in hay cropping, where bromoxynil and clopyralid residues can be detrimental.’’

Crop diseases will come under the spotlight, with a focus on new fungicides for sclerotinia and blackleg in canola, and for net blotch in barley.

“There is a strong industry focus on net blotch due to numerous cases of fungicide resistance being identified,’’ Bevan said.

“Products with multiple modes of action are critical to the long-term sustainability of available fungicides. We will be looking at new products and discussing the systems approach to disease management.’’

With increased grower interest and plantings of pulse crops, this will be another key component of the tour, assessing herbicide options across various crop types and disease management in faba beans.

Mr Addison said the tour would also feature external research and some latest systems including disease predictions modelling and insect monitoring technology, which were becoming more popular with growers.

Growers can register their interest by the end of August by emailing 18004ADAMA@adama.com or visiting adama.com/australia/en/news-and-media/adama/2-wheel-trial-tour-2020.