Long coleoptile durum wheat experiment – Riverina 2023

Abstract

Key findings • With adequate soil moisture, sowing durum wheat earlier in the season (22 May) at either 4 cm (0.48 t/ha benefit) or 12 cm deep (1.64 t/ha benefit) produced the highest yield compared with a later sowing (21 June). • With earlier sowing, when there is not enough soil moisture at 4 cm, and the option to sow deeper at 12 cm into moisture is taken, equivalent yield can be achieved even though establishment was reduced. • Deeper sowing at 12 cm must be done earlier in the season as delaying by 4 weeks resulted in reduced yield compared with shallower sowing at 4 cm. • DBA AuroraA was the best performing durum variety with the highest grain yield at both sowing depths and sowing dates. The long coleoptile durum lines did not demonstrate any advantage over the commercial durum varieties in this experiment. • The effects of fusarium crown rot (FCR) on yield were reduced with earlier sowing with 8% (0.30 t/ha) yield loss when sown on 22 May and 16% (0.45 t/ha) yield loss when sowing was delayed until 21 June. Earlier sowing, even if it requires an increase in sowing depth to 12 cm appears to be a useful strategy to minimise yield loss from FCR in higher risk paddocks.