• Authors:
    • Healy, K.
    • Reichstein, I.
    • Murray, B.
  • Source: 9th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection -- New Chemicals and Food Residues PS3-2-6324
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: The National Residue Survey (NRS) is an operational unit of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. NRS has managed and operated residue testing programs (including meat products and grains) for over 40 years. The NRS Grains Residue Testing Program is fully industry funded via a 0.015% ad valorem levy on grain growers. This Residue Testing Program complements that undertaken by grain marketers/handlers from grower receivals to bulk storage. Noting that NRS does not have a regulatory role, the Grains Program is viewed as providing independent verification of the residue status of Australian grain at the point of out-turn for export and for receival at grain processors such as flour mills. The Grains Program covers wheat, barley, oat, sorghum, canola, field pea, chickpea and lupin. By 2007, it is expected to extend to all tradeable grains including lentil, soybean, maize, triticale, sunflower, mung bean and faba/broad bean. Each year, the Grains Program is independently reviewed and a prospective monitoring plan circulated to the Grains Council of Australia and State affiliates, and peak grain industry bodies for endorsement. The Grains Program monitoring plan specifies that approximately 5,500 grain samples are collected per annum from export shipments and containers, flour mills, feedmills, feedlots and maltsters. About 4,000 samples are collected from export shipments where every hatch of every ship from every Australian grain export terminal is sampled during loading. The monitoring plan stipulates that samples be sent to an accredited proficiency-tested laboratory and residue testing results reported to the grain marketer/handler within 14 days of sample collection. Grain samples are subjected to a chemical screen covering a range of insecticides, fungicides and environmental contaminants. These residue testing results are reported against Australian MRLs established by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.
  • Authors:
    • Wojciak, H.
    • Adamiak, J.
    • Rychcik, B.
  • Source: Plant, Soil and Environment
  • Volume: 52
  • Issue: Special Issue
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted during 1992-2004 on Luvisols (formed from silty light loam) at the Experimental Station at Bacyny to investigate the response of the most important plants cultivated in Poland to monocultural cultivation. Twelve plant species were cultivated in crop rotations: (A) potato-oats-flax-winter rye-faba bean-winter triticale; (B) sugarbeet-maize-spring barley-pea-winter rape-winter wheat, and (C) each of the species in monocultures. The organic matter content in the soil plough layer (0-250 mm) in 1992, 1998 and 2004 is presented. Fractionation of humus was carried out with the Duchaufour and Jacquin method. Under the conditions of the crop rotations, organic matter content slightly increased; similar tendencies were observed in most monoculture fields. The lowest content of organic C was recorded under the conditions of continuous cultivation of pea, maize and faba bean. Humins and humus compounds (extraction II and III) had a dominant share among the determined fractions. Humic acids prevailed over fulvic acids in the crop rotation cultivations and in the most monoculture fields. However, the prevalence of fulvic acids was found under the conditions of continuous cultivation of sugarbeet, potato and winter rye.
  • Authors:
    • Harker, K. N.
    • Beckie, H. J.
    • Blackshaw, R. E.
    • Upadhyay, B. M.
    • Smith, E. G.
    • Clayton, G. W.
  • Source: Canadian Journal of Plant Science
  • Volume: 86
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Integrated weed management (IWM) systems that combine seeding date, seeding rate, herbicide rate, and timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application were assessed for their economic performance in the Dark Brown and Black soil zones. A barley-field pea IWM system in the Black soil zone at Lacombe, Alberta, and a wheat-canola IWM system in the Dark Brown soil zone at Lethbridge, Alberta, and Scott, Saskatchewan, were used to assess contributions of seeding date (April or May), seeding rate (recommended or 150% of recommended), fertilizer timing (fall or spring), and in-crop herbicide rate (50% or 100% of recommended). The factorial set of treatments was applied in 4 consecutive years at each site. For barley-field pea production, the highest contribution margin (CM) (returns over variable production costs) was earned with 50% of the recommended herbicide rate, spring application of N fertilizer, seeding barley later at the high seeding rate, and seeding field pea early at the recommended seeding rate. This IWM system had a CM benefit of at least $51 ha(-1) compared with current common practices. The wheat-canola system results were site specific. At Lethbridge, it was more profitable to use 50% of recommended herbicide rates and to seed both crops early, with an early seeding date being very important for canola. The CM of this IWM system was $48 ha(-1) higher than current common practices. At Scott, the wheat-canola system was more profitable with spring fertilizer application, 50% of the recommended herbicide rate, and an early seeding date for canola. The best IWM system had a CM $15 to $75 ha-1 higher, depending on the year, than common practices. Our results confirmed the economic merits of using IWM practices for cereal-oilseed and cereal-pulse cropping systems in these regions of western Canada.
  • Authors:
    • Di, H. J.
    • Stewart, A.
    • Condron, L. M.
    • Stark, C.
    • O'Callaghan, M.
  • Source: New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Farming practices can have significant effects on important soil processes, including nitrogen (N) dynamics and nitrate leaching. A lysimeter experiment was conducted to determine differences in N leaching resulting from past and current crop management practices. Intact monolith lysimeters (50cm diam. x 70cm deep) were taken from sites of the same soil type that had either been under long-term organic or conventional crop management. These were then managed according to established organic and conventional practices over 2% years using the same crop rotation (barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize (Zea mays L.), rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera) plus a lupin green manure (Lupinus angustifolius L.)) and two fertiliser regimes, resulting in four treatments based on soil management history and current fertilisation strategy. Dry matter yield of each crop was determined after harvest and leachates were collected after significant rainfall events and analysed for total mineral N concentrations. Mineral fertilisation had a clear positive effect on yields of the first crop, whereas there were no considerable differences between treatments for the last crop owing to a significant positive effect of green manure incorporation on yields. Although there was a trend of lower mineral N leaching from organically fertilised soils (organic management: 24.2 kg N ha(-1); conventional management: 28.6), differences in N losses were not statistically significant between treatments. This shows that under the experimental conditions, leaching losses and crop yields were more strongly influenced by crop rotation and green manuring than by the presence or absence of mineral fertilisation. Overall, the study highlights the benefits of including a green manure in the crop rotation of any farming system.
  • Authors:
    • Duchovskiene, L.
    • Starkute, R.
    • Zalatorius, V.
  • Source: Straipsnis leidinyje: Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: In 2003-05 in Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture, in trial field for ecologically grown vegetables, plant availability for green manure and its influence on ecologically grown onions yield were evaluated. Investigated plants included: barley; barley with undersown clover; summer wheat, peas and oats; and rape. Control treatment was black fallow. The biomass of plants for green manure leaves in the soil was evaluated under different amounts of organic matter. The highest amount of green matter (43.2 t/ha) was from peas and oats; summer wheat showed 32.5 t/ha; barely with undersown clover, 30.2 t/ha; and the lowest was from barely and rape (24.5 and 27.0 t/ha, respectively). There were no significant differences in the number of Thrips tabaci between treatments. Green manure from peas and oats increase onion yield by 3.1%; green manure from summer wheat by 5.7%; and green manure from barely with undersown clover by 7.3%. The lowest impact for onion yield has had green manure from barely and rape. The highest number of weeds (191 unit/m 2) was found in onions grown after barely with undersown clover, while the lowest number of 29 unit/m 2 was in onions grown after peas and oats.
  • Authors:
    • Roostalu, H.
    • Astover, A.
    • Vasiliev, N.
    • Matveev, E.
  • Source: Agronomy Research
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: For analysing agronomic efficiency and economic criteria, the results of variety comparison tests of cereals, performed in Estonia during twenty years, national statistics and the data of the survey of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for 2000-2003 were summarised. Farms whose grain production contributed more than 75% to total output were selected for analysis. At present only -40-50% of the real yield potential of cereals is realised. In case of oilseed rape the utilisation of the yield potential is 60-65%. Among the cereals, the largest share is accounted for by barley with 25-43% and wheat with 15-29%. During four years (2000-2003), total inputs increased 21%. Total inputs were the highest in large farms. As an average for 2000-2003 FADN grain producers were profitable in all size groups but consideration of total labour costs indicates that small grain farms were unprofitable. Average farm family income was 1,376 EEK ha(-1). There is a non-linear relationship between farm size and economic indicators. Farm family income increases up to similar to 400 ha. The increase is most significant in the size range 40-200 ha where the increase in farm size by one hectare increases profit by 7.6 EEK ha(-1). Further increase will decelerate profit and the most efficient use of labour occurs in this size range as well. Cost benefit is the highest for farm size ranging from similar to 150 to 400 ha. Profit decreases with the increase in one annual work unit by 508 EEK ha(-1) and production becomes unprofitable in case a grain farm employs more than 2.6 workers per 100 ha.
  • Authors:
    • Kazakevicius, Z.
    • Treciokas, K.
    • Velicka, R.
  • Source: Vagos
  • Issue: 70
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted in Lithuania, from 1999 to 2004, to select crop rotations and forecrops that are most suitable for winter rape cultivation under the present farming conditions. Highest yields of winter rape were found in rotations where rape grew after black fallow (3.17 t/ha) and after a vetch-oat mixture (2.89 t/ha). Winter barley and perennial grasses of the first cut, as well as winter wheat, were also reliable forecrops for winter rape in regular rotations when rape was sown directly into the stubble. Clover should, first of all, be used as forecrop for winter rape. When perennial grasses were followed by winter rape and then by wheat, the yield of the latter was higher compared to those grown in clover fields. The presence of weeds among winter wheat and barley in the following year was influenced by the biological characteristics of winter rape, the applied herbicides (butisane) and the forecrops used for rape. A strong correlation was found between winter wheat and barley yield and airdry mass of the weeds found in the crops. Evaluation of total additional yield of all 3 crops (winter rape, winter wheat and spring barley) and their value in crop rotation established that additional yield of the highest value was received in the rotation BF-WR-WW-SB=557.47 Lt/ha. Productive perennial grasses as forecrops and low costs of their growing determined the higher energy efficiency of the rotations. Black fallow was not detrimental, as the observed decrease of metabolizable energy was not essential.
  • Authors:
    • Bolland, M. D. A.
    • Brennan, R. F.
  • Source: Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
  • Volume: 46
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Zinc (Zn) oxide is the most widely used fertiliser for the predominantly acidic to neutral soils of southwestern Australia. For these soils, the residual value of Zn oxide has been determined for wheat and lupin, but not for barley, oats, canola and triticale, which are also grown in the region. Just after termination of a long-term (17 year) field experiment that measured the residual value of Zn oxide for wheat, soil samples were collected from selected plots to use in 2 glasshouse experiments. The field experiment was on previously unfertilised, newly cleared duplex soil (sand with much lateritic ironstone gravel over clay) and before the experiment started DTPA extractable Zn for the top 10 cm of soil was 17 years for triticale. The 1.0 kg Zn/ha treatment remained fully effective for all crop species. As determined from projected estimates of the data, the time taken for Zn concentrations in young mature growth to reach critical values, the residual value of the 0.5 and 1.0 kg Zn/ ha treatments were least for wheat, barley and oats, were greater for lupin and canola, and greatest for triticale. There were a total of 7 wheat crops and 10 pasture years during the 17 years of the field experiment. For the 0.5 and 1.0 kg Zn/ha treatment applied in the field in 1983, 30 - 34% of the applied Zn was removed in grain of the 7 wheat crops grown before soil samples were collected to do the glasshouse experiments. The pasture was grazed by sheep and it was estimated that 16 - 24% of the Zn applied in 1983 may have been removed in wool and meat. Removal of Zn in grain and animal products therefore decreased the residual value of the Zn oxide fertiliser.
  • Authors:
    • Dellow, J. J.
    • Schipp, A.
    • Haskins, B.
    • Brooke, G.
  • Source: Weed control in winter crops 2006
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: This publication provides a guide to chemical weed control during different growth stages of fallow, wheat, barley, oats, rye, triticale, rape, safflower, lentil, linseed, lupin, chickpea, faba bean and field pea in New South Wales, Australia. Recommended timing of herbicide application is given. Sensitivity of winter crop cultivars to herbicides is outlined. Information is also included on crop rotation, use of surfactants and oils, water quality for herbicide application, spray equipment clean-up, herbicide spray drift, compatibility of winter crop herbicides and insecticides, and common retail prices of chemicals used on winter crops.
  • Authors:
    • Age Pedersen, C.
  • Source: Review of agricultural experiments 2006. Trials and research in the agronomy sector. Oversigt over Landsfors<o>gene 2006. Fors<o>g og unders<o>gelser i de land<o>konomiske foreninger.
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: The organization and aims of the 'Landsforsgene', the collective name for the body that coordinates agricultural experiments in Denmark, are described. The growing season 2005-2006 in Denmark was characterized by long periods of severe drought in summer that resulted in lower crop yields, although the economic effect was mitigated to some extent by higher prices. Separate sections of the review deal with winter barley, winter rye, triticale, winter wheat, spring barley, oats, spring wheat, various seed crops, field seeds, winter rape, manures and calcium treatments, growing techniques, organic farming, potatoes, sugar beet, grass and green fodder crops, maize, plant breeding, general information on experimental design and aims, and a list of authors.