Farmers’ Newsletter No 174, Summer 2006–07

For other issues see here

Each of the files listed below is in PDF format. You will need a minimum of Acrobat version 6 to open them. To access the file click on the PDF symbol to the left of the description. Depending on how your browser is configured the file will either open directly in the browser window or download to your computer.

To prevent the file from opening in the browser window, right-click (Windows OS) or option-click (Mac OS) and use the options to save the file to a location on your hard drive.

AGRONOMY & CROP PROTECTION

Permanent beds on rice farms (421 K)

High yields of wheat were achieved in 2005 on both raised beds and flat layouts – in a year without rainfall induced waterlogging in winter or spring
Rice yields on both raised beds and flat treatments were excellent during an exceptional rice growing season
Rice yield from the bed systems is as high as that from conventional flat systems where rice is grown using permanent flooded conditions and deep water is applied during the early microspore stage

Split nitrogen is best option (420 K)

Split nitrogen application continues to show an advantage over a total pre-flood nitrogen application
A minimum application of 90 kg N/ha pre-flood is required in fields of low nitrogen status to sustain growth for a good grain yield
In bays undergoing mid-season drainage, nitrogen topdressing just prior to re-irrigation should be considered
Nitrogen uptake at panicle initiation in mid-season drained bays is different to that in conventionally managed bays, thus new calibrations are necessary to assess the nitrogen status at panicle initiation in drained bays

NIR for precision management (183 K)

This project investigated combining the precision of the NIR tissue test with the sampling ease of remote sensing
NDVI images are useful in providing guidance for where to take samples from rice crops for analysis using the NIR tissue test but should not be used to predict nitrogen uptake and fertiliser application rates
The data from two seasons use of the Hyperion satellite sensor are encouraging, however many more samples over several years are needed to obtain robust calibrations

MANAGE RICE updates (154 K)

Stink bugs in rice (164 K)

Stink bugs in rice crops can affect grain quality, and at high densities can reduce yields
A recent survey found seven stink bug species in NSW rice crops, although the population densities of pest species were very low
Farmers are strongly encouraged to monitor their rice crops for stink bugs as seasonal variation may have an impact on the numbers of the bugs

RICE FARM ECOSYSTEMS

Wildlife conservation on rice farms (179 K)

Patches of remnant vegetation provide important habitat for much of the existing wildlife on rice farms
Planting trees, shrubs and other native plants in cleared areas increases species richness in agricultural landscapes
This project aims to promote wildlife biodiversity on rice farms through revegetation and monitoring programs

Grey teal movement in rice & beyond (212 K)

Small transmitters were attached to 26 grey teal Anas gracilis in the rice growing areas and in the Lake Eyre Basin to track bird movement by satellite
Several birds were tracked for more than a year and up to 879 days
One individual travelled 978 km in 40 hours while another maintained speeds of 99 km/h for more than three hours
One individual travelled a total of 9725 km in 16 months
Individual movement responses varied markedly as birds moved between natural wetlands, the agricultural infrastructure and regions

EXTENDING TECHNOLOGY

Australian rice growing publication (245 K)

The production of a comprehensive reference book for rice growing in south eastern Australia has been funded through the RIRDC Rice R&D Committee
The book is based on the experience and knowledge of researchers and growers, and has been produced by the combined effort of 75 people working with and within the rice industry

IREC linking research & extension (165 K)

Over five years, IREC has managed, coordinated and implemented a range of projects and activities to promote new technologies for rice-based farming systems, through the IREC Farmers’ Newsletter, field days, farm competitions, rice industry meetings and discussion groups, and regular planning and review of irrigation farming R&D

Extension program for better farming systems (235 K)

Last season’s yields were 14% above average, but yields for the last two years were 6% lower than average because of the severe cold damage in the 2005 harvest season
Water productivity was 11% above average last season, but 7% lower over the last two years
An economic evaluation of Ricecheck was conducted finding the benefit of the program from 1986–2002 was $64 million at $3.5 million per year, with a benefit:cost ratio of 18:1

VARIETAL IMPROVEMENT & PURE SEED MAINTENANCE

Testing yield potential (296 K)

The favourable rice growing conditions of the 2005–06 season allowed good expression of genes associated with yield potential in the lines being developed and tested in the rice breeding program
Reiziq performed well commercially and in trials, however its long-term average yield is similar to Amaroo
Seed of a new type of Quest (Quest_CT19) will be available through the pure seed scheme for the 2007–08 crop
A new medium grain YRM69 combines mid-season maturity, increased cold tolerance and high yield potential, but milling quality needs further evaluation

Cold tolerance development (199 K)

Complex rice crossing programs were performed with the aim of producing progeny with cold tolerance and strong agronomic and quality characteristics
Additional sources of cold tolerance are being sought and may eliminate the need for deep water at the early microspore stage, paving the way for aerobic rice culture and reducing water requirements for rice culture

Molecular markers for cold tolerance (151 K)

Cold temperatures during the rice growing season can result in significant yield loss and significant income loss to the industry
The deep water required on the rice field throughout the cold sensitive early microspore stage of pollen development, would not be necessary with cold tolerant rice
The use of molecular markers to identify the genetics behind cold tolerance are being investigated
The current methods used to investigate cold tolerance rely on selecting the appropriate time to expose crops to cold, which can be difficult

New biotechnology for rice breeding (180 K)

The technique of isolated microspore culture is streamlining the time required to produce true breeding rice plants
The breeding program is aimed at producing high yielding, cold tolerant rice varieties that will reduce low temperature yield losses

Genetics of cooking quality (275 K)

Understanding the precise role of various starch synthesis genes and establishing detection tools for these genes will provide valuable genetic information to rice breeders to predict the precise quality traits and to identify different rice varieties by DNA finger printing.

REGULARS

Chairman’s foreword (113 K)

RIRDC Rice R&D Committee (164 K)

home

sponsoring IREC