This is a summary of the SANTFA Journals, to view the FULL content please click the 
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SANTFA 2008 Journal |
Autumn Edition Month: May Vol: 5 No: 5 |
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 Application Technology | |||||||||
| Title: Coarse droplets OK for herbicide application | Author: Graeme Jennings | ||||||||
| Growers using recommended pressures and adequate water volumes can expect to achieve good control of all weed targets, including small, fine-leafed weeds like annual ryegrass when using nozzles producing larger droplet sizes. | |||||||||
| Growers can use larger droplets to apply herbicides without reducing the level of weed control. And these larger droplets can be generated using many nozzles provided they are operated at the recommended pressure. These findings, from trials carried out over the past two years by Nufarm and Syngenta, clearly indicate growers can confidently move away from using fine droplet... | |||||||||
| Weed Control | |||||||||
| Title: Toasting Marchmallows | Author: Michael Bennet | ||||||||
| As Marshmallow (Malva parviflora) becomes a more troublesome weed in no-till situations, farmers are searching for reliable control methods. Trial results of various herbicides used at different timings to control Marshmallow at Minnipa are discussed. | |||||||||
| Why do the trial | |||||||||
| Marshmallow (Malva parviflora) is a weed that has grown in importance with the increased adoption of no-till. Marshmallow can grow into an extremely hardy weed that, if left unchecked, will develop a strong, deep taproot. Once it reaches this advanced stage it requires robust rates of herbicides or a reversion to cultivation for effective control. Marshmallow is extremely opportunistic and takes a... | |||||||||
| Sharing Employees | |||||||||
| Title: Sharing employees on-farm | Author: Leighton Pearce, SANTFA | ||||||||
| With careful planning and review, two farming families successfully share one farmhand between the two businesses on a rotating basis. | |||||||||
| The idea that Mallee farmers Mark Hampel and John Gladigau could share the one employee was born in February 2004. It was not until July of that year that the system was implemented, with the joint employment of Gaven Thorne. At a meeting with John, Mark and Gaven earlier this year it was clear they had developed a strong friendship over the years they had worked together. The gatherin... | |||||||||
| Row Spacing | |||||||||
| Title: Effect of row spacing on water use and yield of faba beans | Author: Sam Kleemann & Gurjeet Gill, University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus | ||||||||
| Trials exploring the effect of wide row spacing on faba beans are discussed in relation to crop water use and yield. If farmers know how and when rows can be effectively widened it may provide opportunities to safely apply non-selective herbicides with shields to the inter-row to control some herbicide resistant ryegrass. | |||||||||
| Introduction | |||||||||
| Herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass is a major issue confronting growers of the southern Australian wheat-belt and is resulting in a re-evaluation of the way in which weeds are managed. One approach being explored with the arrival of GPS guidance farming is the cultivation of crops on wide-rows to allow shielded spraying of troublesome weeds between crop rows. Previous research has sho... | |||||||||
| Inter-row sowing | |||||||||
| Title: Multiple benefits from inter-row sowing and CTF | Author: Mike Roberts CRC | ||||||||
| Cutting edge Wimmera farmer Rob Ruwoldt discusses why he inter-row sows and how he set up his machinery to achieve best results with a controlled traffic approach. | |||||||||
| According to Wimmera farmer Rob Ruwoldt, the best part of inter-row sowing is that ‘it looks really, really cool - nobody knows you’ve planted your crop!’ Rob’s sense of humour is obvious, and his long experience in no-till and more recently acquired expertise in inter-row sowing and controlled traffic farming (CTF) stand out as well. Based at Horsham, Rob farms with his son... | |||||||||
| Soil sampling | |||||||||
| Title: The art of soil sampling in modern farming systems | Author: Wayne Pluske, Nutrient Managment Systems | ||||||||
| Soil sampling techniques have historically been based on the assumption that soil nutrients and other soil characteristics are evenly distributed across the paddock and through the top 10 centimetres of the soil and can therefore be measured in randomly collected samples. This assumption is now questioned for minimal tillage or zero-till systems where soil mixing is reduced. The lack of mixing can be accentuated by wider row spacings and controlled traffic systems, especially when nutrients are banded nutrients in concentrated lines on top of previous years’ workings. Some of the key points from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) funded project ‘Review of nutrient management issues in the Western Australian grain industry’ by Wen Chen, Richard Bell, Bill Bowden, Ross Brennan and Bill Porter are discussed below. | |||||||||
| Nutrients with limited mobility in soils, such as phosphorus, can remain for some time in the band of soil where the fertiliser was applied. Nutrients in such bands are either absorbed by succeeding crops, converted into less soluble forms or recycled into the soil organic fractions. Despite these transitions, the nutrient concentration of the band is likely to remain high for some ti... | |||||||||