Winter Wheat Agronomy for Grain Growers in the Western Region

Climate data for South-western Australia from the last 20 years shows that April to October rainfall is decreasing and October to April rainfall is increasing (CSIRO, 2018). In addition, year to year variability is increasing. This is, in part, driving a growing interest in winter wheats that suit West Australian grain production conditions. Growers are keen to make use of early season soil moisture available from the increasing summer rainfall received and would like to be more flexible in responding to the changing climate. Growers also see it as a tool to reduce frost risk and for mixed enterprise growers, a source of livestock feed.

Growers participating in the 2021 National Grower Network meetings were keen to better understand the agronomic management changes required to grow a winter wheat as opposed to more commonly grown spring wheat. This included a better understanding of time of sowing (how early can you go?) and sowing rates, nitrogen timing and the different pest and weed management strategies that may be required when sowing a crop early. Previous research investigated some of the above elements in trials based in NSW in 2014 and 2015. Results in winter wheat trials showed that treatments with later top-dressed nitrogen applications yielded higher than treatments where nitrogen was applied at sowing and forage yield was higher in treatments with higher plant numbers. Aphids and subsequent barley yellow dwarf virus infection were also an issue for the earlier sown winter wheats. As such specific crop protection strategies may be required for longer season crops.

There is the identified opportunity to validate some of this previous research in the Western Region.