NGN Milling Oats Agronomy for Southern NSW

⁠⁠⁠Description:

Southern NSW cropping systems are dominated by wheat and barley as the choice options for winter cereals crops. The established crops are known to be reliable and adaptable to certain cropping rotations. Although, one constraint that has been put forward by local growers is the susceptibility to frosts. Many wheat and barley crops were decimated by frosts in 2024, with growers at the local NGN forums asking for research into the potential of milling oats to provide an alternative cereal.

The investment will use in field experiments to quantify the advantage milling oats have in a southern NSW cropping system to mitigate frost risks. The experiment will be conducted annually to determine the optimum sowing date and frost stress threshold for modern milling oat cultivars. It will monitor cropping establishment, plant productivity, and phenology variances following industry standard protocols. Frost stress thresholds and optimum sowing dates will be determined with approved methods allowing better grower confidence. Experiment treatments should be communicated and approved by local growers and advisors to maintain relevance to the region and adoption potential.

The proposed investment would utilise both small plot trials, larger paddock scale trial strips and case studies to investigate several agronomic options such as:

• Time of sowing opportunities. Multiple sowing dates to identify the optimum planting date and frost stress threshold for milling oats in the local region
• Sowing depth. Can oats take advantage of soil moisture at depth (>5 cm), planting depths that wheat and barley struggle to germinate from.
• Sowing rates. Do modern cultivars require higher seeding rates to achieve full yield potential?
• Disease tolerance. Productivity of oats with varying degrees of background disease levels (crown rot)
• Nutrition management to optimise protein levels. Test and capture soil critical values corresponding to grain protein. Establish experiments at fields with varying background nitrogen status to test extremities of critical values.
• Economic analysis to quantify benefit of this approach.

Outcome:

By May 2028 the investment would have completed at least six field days and grower meetings. The treatments results and key learnings will be disseminated to the local growers annually, with expectations of >200 attendees across the three years.

Outputs

Output 1.

Title:By May 2028 an agronomy update for milling oats in Southern NSW will be developed utilising small plot trials, farmer machinery scale trials and farmer case studies.

Description: A series of field experiments including small plot trials including variable sowing dates to evaluate frost tolerance and ideal sowing window in southern NSW. Also, the investment will include larger field case studies and strip trials on commercial farms to greater understanding of the application the oat agronomic options have in a farming system. The expectation is for one or two small scale plot trials and a minimum of 4 larger experiments per season. The location of the field experiments to be approved by GRDC, and the local growers to ensure research relevance. Methodology will be outlined in the annual plan prior to planting every season, with evidence treatment selections were communicated and approved by the local grower and advisors in the region. Protocols will contain establishment values, plant productivity (biomass and yield), plant phenology and grain nutrition and quality results. Soil nutrition and disease loads are expected to be measured prior to sowing at all experiment sites. The successful organisation will collate and analyse the data for homogeneity and uploaded into the GRDC online farm trails database annually. The proposed investment is expected but not limited to investigate several agronomic options such as: * Time of sowing opportunities. Local data to extrapolate frost tolerance and optimum sowing dates, regarding grain yields and grain weight.

* Sowing depth. Planting deeper to take advantage of subsoil moisture (this option will be reliant on localised conditions at time of sowing.

* Sowing rates. What is the ideal sowing rate to achieve optimum yield of modern milling oat cultivars?

* Disease management options. Measure the tolerance threshold of oats to perform against varying crown rot levels in southern NSW.

* Nutritional requirements - particularly nitrogen – to optimise grain quality.

* Agronomic levers to pull to ensure grain weight and quality is maintained for the milling market.

Output 2.

Title: By May 2028 extension of project results delivered to growers in Southern NSW.

Description: Adoption of improved agronomic practices is crucial for the success of the investment. A series of extension activities must be used to disseminate key findings to growers and advisors. The activities allow for communication of key research findings, and to correctly align experimental goals with grower preferences. The successful organisation is expected to:

- Extend results and observations to farmer groups in Southern NSW and Northern VIC across the life of the project. One field day per year for every small plot experimental site. Dissemination of the larger case studies and strip trials to be conducted either at the field day or at local grower meetings.

- Provide a final technical report to GRDC outlining findings from the experimental sites. The report will also include findings from the case studies and strip trials conducted in commercial grain systems.

- provide context (information) for the development of one Ground Cover article

- Provide key findings in an accessible location for the Southern NSW region (booklet, web based etc.) encompassing the agronomy and, economics options explored as a part of this project.