LOCAL research for local conditions - that's the catch cry of western border region grain growers, and the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has heard and responded.
Andrew Earle, Bullawarrie, Mungindi, NSW, says the research investment made following a tour of the GRDC northern panel last year has resulted in nutrient application, plant population and National Variety Trials (NVT) which are set to yield valuable local data.
"With the increased stubble load that comes with zero-till and the increasing issue of crown rot, we are now more than ever, looking for viable rotations," Mr Earle said.
"Chickpeas have been around for quite a while and they are performing very well for us, but we are also looking for another rotation crop."
He said yield-limiting root lesion nematodes were an issue in the district which had prompted grower trials of canola, with limited success.
"Here at Bullawarrie, canola yielded about 1.1 tonnes a hectare, while chickpeas yielded 2.7t/ha," he said.
"The other considerations are that they are worth similar amounts of money and the canola takes a lot out of the soil, as opposed to the chickpea that puts a lot back, including nitrogen.
"Unless you have a nematode problem, at this stage it seems the legumes are the better rotation."
Mr Earle welcomed the funding support and interest shown by the GRDC northern panel in tackling problems specific to the western cropping districts. In 2010, the panel visited the Earle's property as part of its annual spring tour.
"The trials came about because a number of growers were disappointed with the lack of research into some of the issues we believe are more relevant here than further east," he said.
He said western growers were now more confident their GRDC levies were directly benefiting their operations and the long-term sustainability of cropping in their region.
"We identified some issues we could research quite easily and put some figures to, including fertiliser strip trials and plant populations.
"We are keen to look at nitrogen application in this more marginal environment."
With the help of Stuart Pilcher, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) agronomist based at St George, the Mungindi Cropping Group research trials were up and running quickly for the 2011 winter crop season.
Mr Earle said nitrogen management in the marginal cropping environment was subject to local conditions which makes research results from further east redundant for his district.
"We are looking at various types of nitrogen application and rates. The other big issue for us is plant population because we normally get a hard finish and find that the lower populations are still quite successful.
"We often moisture-seek to establish on time and can end up with a very low population, but crops are reasonably successful.
"We want to put some figures on how low we should accept as a population."
Mr Earle said this year's results were surprising and demonstrated that, at higher planting rates of 50 kilograms per hectare, the yield was reduced. He said this differed to conventional scientific wisdom.
"There is still a lot for the group to learn as the results are analysed."
With National Variety Trials also established on Bullawarrie, growers were looking forward to relevant and local data that hasn't been available to them before.
Field days, farm walks and trial plot inspections have been well supported by local growers and Mr Earle said they are keen to guide future research.
"The aim of the group is to include everyone in this district and farming environment to bring out the relevant issues and research them.
"This is a growing farming area; when I first started farming the local grain depot was receiving 100,000 to 150,000t of grain and now is receiving more than 300,000t, with a lot of new country coming into production."
Like many other growers in the district, Mr Earle had moved his focus from wool to grain production over the past two decades within a family partnership that has been operating in the district since 1890.
"Twenty years ago when I left Marcus Oldham College, we had about 700ha of cropping country and have expanded that area to 16,000ha, including land purchases and some lease country."
Crops are predominantly wheat with rotations including barley, an increasing area of chickpeas and dryland cotton for the first time this year.
Kyabra chickpeas are the preferred variety, despite the need to apply fungicide to control disease pressure, but Mr Earle was looking forward to seeing the NVT results.
He said four good years have pushed the farm average to a pleasing 2.8t/ha and nitrogen management had emerged as an issue.
"Previously, the district averaged 1.8-2t/ha in the long-term, but we have employed new technologies including tramlining and zero-till to push the averages up."
Mr Earle said vulnerability to herbicide resistance threatened these gains as the system relied on storage summer rainfall and chemical weed control.
"If we had to go back to conventional farming, the fallow efficiency wouldn't be as good and yields would drop.
"While it's not an issue yet, we have it in mind when trying to control difficult weeds such as fleabane."
For now, however, Mr Earle was enjoying rising yields and welcomed new research to maintain this rising plane of knowledge specific to his district.
For more information, visit www.grdc.com.auSee the video: queenslandcountrylife.com 
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