John Kirkegaard CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra

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1 Canola & its role in Australia s conservation farming revolution John Kirkegaard CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra

2 Why invite an Aussie? An oilseed (canola) is most important non-cereal crop (3 rd most important overall) 95% of canola is direct-seeded Highest adoption of direct seeding worldwide (72-96% area)

3 Talk Outline Australian farming systems and the CA revolution Canola industry history and current production Why grow canola? selected R&D highlights Modern direct-seeded canola trends and challenges

Australian environment, soils and system

4 Australian environment, soils and system Dry (12-20 inch), infertile soils, unsubsidised agriculture CLERMONT GERALDTON Mixed farms (5000 acres) 1 crop/yr (May-Nov) Mean yield 2000 lbs/ac 0 DALBY CONDOBOLIN MOOMBOOLDOOL MERREDIN WAGGA WAGGA 0 ESPERANCE 0 ROSEWORTHY 0 HORSHAM

5 Growing season rain (mm)` Low and variable rainfall (risk management) year running mean Year

6 The cropping year... Climatic risks Heat, drought Frost risk Sowing rain? April May June July Aug Sept Oct Fall Winter Spring

7 Farming system evolution Up to 1980s ley pastures grass/annual legumes (merino sheep for wool) cereals (wheat and barley) Pasture Wheat Barley Burn or remove residues + Repeated cultivation for weeds and seedbed

Farming system evolution the 1990s Since 1990 - Intensification

8 Farming system evolution the 1990s Since Intensification of cropping fewer, larger farms (5000 acres) increased crop area per farm (3.6% pa) less pasture, fewer sheep more crop diversity no-till, stubble retention Pasture Canola Wheat Wheat Lupin Wheat

9 Farming systems evolution the 2000 s The Millenium drought more cereals, less break crops wider rows and stubble retention = herbicide resistant weeds Glyphosate-resistant populations of annual ryegrass

10 Typical farm in 2014: 5000 acres (70:30 crop/pasture)

11 Australian national wheat yield trends Kirkegaard et al., (2013) Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment (online)

12 No-till adoption and use in Australia 100 WA, QLD Extent of Use (2009) % no-till adoption Mallee 62-92% use No-till 73-96% crop area Year GRDC 2010; Llewellyn et al 2011

13 The revolution begins... Convergence of factors in 1970s to form potential for change Natural resource management (political will) Economic drivers (terms of trade) Item Net wheat price per tonne $96 $119 Fuel (gallons) per tonne of wheat Key enabling technologies

Min-till Direct drill No-till Zero till Residue handling harvest and seeding Significant

14 Enabling technologies... Herbicides for weed control 1971 Spray.Seed; 1977 Hoegrass; 1980 Glyphosate Machinery development to reduce tillage/retain residue Min-till Direct drill No-till Zero till Residue handling harvest and seeding Significant grower innovation Broad-leaf rotation crops Lupins in the 1980 s in Western Australia Canola in the 1990s across Australia

Nitrogen Legumes (+20 to 45 lb/acre N) Residues easy for

15 Broadleaf rotation crops (legumes, canola) Disease control (root and stubble borne) Weeds (control of grass weeds) Nitrogen Legumes (+20 to 45 lb/acre N) Residues easy for direct-seeding 20% yield benefit Water and nutrient efficiency

16 Brief history of canola in Australia 1970s small areas of rapeseed (B napus, B campestris) decimated by Blackleg disease (Leptosphaeria maculans) resistant double-low varieties revive Industry area peaked at 5M acres, stabilised at ~3M acres grown for system benefits rather than profit 80% triazine tolerant varieties, all open pollinated concern over yield decline in canola widespread drought limits yield and area sown 2008 new GM hybrid varieties first approved in area grown and yield prospects best for a decade private breeding; 50% hybrid varieties, still 50% TT

17 Canola in Australia - area sown and yield Area sown (million acres) Canadian varieties Blackleg Canola Check Australian varieties TT varieties 0 0 '70 '75 '80 '85 '90 '95 '00 '05 '10 '15 Year GM hybrids Millenium drought Yield (lb/acre) Source: ABARE estimates, Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) industry estimates Insert presentation title

18 Current status 3 rd most valuable grain crop in Australia Gross value: Export value: Wheat ($7.8B), Barley ($1.9B), Canola ($1.1B) Wheat ($5.0B); Barley ($1.5B); Canola ($ 0.8B) ~ Mt (75%) exported annually 0.6 Mt canola crushed annually (Australian capacity 1.1 Mt) 25% of oil is exported, domestic use in food sector meal used in high protein feed in pig, poultry, dairy

19 Why grow canola? - too drought sensitive - too difficult to grow - too variable in yield - too costly - too risky - too susceptible to disease - too many weeds - but is canola profitable?

20 Canola reduces root/foliar diseases in cereals Wheat after Wheat Wheat after Canola

21 Wheat yield response to previous canola 7120 (26 on-farm experiments from )

22 JK PPT Productivity benefits and economics Productivity benefit 20% increase in wheat yield Economics of response 27% increase in 2 - year gross margin 27% due to canola, 63% due to better wheat C - W higher if canola price was 60% > wheat Other systems benefits Yield benefits may persist (2-3 years) Weed management benefits Conservation cropping, input efficiencies Kirkegaard et al (2008) Field Crops Research

23 Yield benefit (mean) is constant not proportional Yield of wheat after canola (t/ha) 10 (a) 1:1.2 line 8 1:1 line Yield of wheat after wheat (t/ha) experiments (b) Yield of wheat after Indian mustard (t/ha) 1:1.2 l Mean 8benefit 720 lbs/acre Independent of wheat yield 6 underestimated when dry 4 2 (Angus et al 2011) Yield of wheat after w

Regional advantage in canola impacts Wheat Yield (lbs/acre) 31003 17802 QUEENSLAND Goondiwindi Moree Walgett Narrabri Gunnedah Trangie NEW SOUTH WALES Condobolin Cootamundra Sydney VICTORIA Wagga

24 Regional advantage in canola impacts Wheat Yield (lbs/acre) QUEENSLAND Goondiwindi Moree Walgett Narrabri Gunnedah Trangie NEW SOUTH WALES Condobolin Cootamundra Sydney VICTORIA Wagga Wagga Junee Canberra Horsham Rutherglen Melbourne Km 8901 Superphosphate New wheat cultivars Fallowing Pasture legume N Better rotations Mechanisation N fertiliser in Sthn. Aust. Canola in Sthn. Aust. Lupin in rotations in WA Semidwarf wheat cultivars Selective grass herbicides Nutrient exhaustion

25 Canola intensification in NSW, lime and N use Canola 0.4 area, lime use and N-fertiliser use Lime in NSW (million tonnes) Lime in NSW (million tonnes) Fertiliser N use (million tonnes) Fertiliser N use (million tonnes) 0.5 Canola area (million ha) Canola area (million ha) 1 Fertiliser Fertiliser N use N use NSW NSW lime lime use use Canola Canola area area

26 Canola intensification and yield decline? Concerned since 1999, poor yields in good seasons Paddock Survey (2000 paddocks ) 10% reduction in yield Census and survey data (high rainfall east)

27 JK PPT Benchmarking yield performance in canola What should my canola have yielded? Simple rules of thumb e.g. yield should be 50% of wheat Water-limited yield based on seasonal rainfall Simple, accessible but less precise Prediction based on crop simulation models Accounts for daily weather, soil, management Requires more data and interpretation

28 JK PPT R atio canola:w heat yield Benchmarking yield in canola Farmers often expect yield to be 50% of wheat? Wheat grain yield (lbs/acre) W h e a t g ra in y ie ld (k g /h a ) Robertson et al (1999)

29 Water-limited yield concept (French and Shultz) In-crop rain (mm) (d) R 2 = lbs/acre/inch Yield (lbs/acre) lbs/acre/inch lbs/acre/inch Seasonal water water supply (inches) (mm) [in-crop rainfall + stored water water left] (f) 6000 Robertson and Kirkegaard (2005)

30 Simulated grain yield (g/m2) Simulation models online - Yield Prophet Based on APSIM canola model - well validated in NSW R 2 = 0.86 Error lbs/acre Observed grain yield (g/m2) Observed grain yield (lbs/acre)

31 Simulated yield vs district yields b) Yield gap worse in better seasons Canola yield (t/ha) simulated yield canola yield Kirkegaard et al. (2006) Aust. J. Ag. Res. 57,

32 Establishing canola in wheat stubble Burn Retain Poor emergence Poor vigour 25% yield loss Causes (allelopathy?)

33 The plastic straw experiment Trial designed to separate physical and chemical effects:

34 Dry Weight (g/m 2 ) Plastic straws and stubble = same effect! LSD Bare Bare+N Fallow Stubble Stubble+N Plastic Treatment

35 I did it without straw just shade seedlings!

36 A grower solved the problem without burning! Burn 3100 lbs/acre Stubble inter-row 3030 lbs/acre Stubble spread 2225 lbs/acre

37 Increased diseases in wet seasons! Blackleg Sclerotinia stem rot Premature death Root rot

38 JK PPT Summary of response to disease control Response to fungicides at 7 sites from Year Sclerotinia control (extra lbs/acre) Blackleg control (extra lbs/acre) ns ns 270 If disease was controlled or absent crops yielded to potential Kirkegaard et al. (2006) Aust. J. Ag. Res. 57,

Wider survey of 132 fields (2004 2006) Dry years, low disease - 75% of crops yielded to potential No evidence of widespread micronutrient or N deficiency Under-performing

39 Wider survey of 132 fields ( ) Dry years, low disease - 75% of crops yielded to potential No evidence of widespread micronutrient or N deficiency Under-performing crops had: - late season heat and water stress on bulky crops - range of subsoil constraints, south of Wagga 60% of fields had root distortions >3.0 Lisson et al (2007) AJEA

Subsoil constraints in canola (2007 2009) Experiments on hard, acid or saline/sodic subsoils Effect of ripping (12 inches with lime or gypsum

40 Subsoil constraints in canola ( ) Experiments on hard, acid or saline/sodic subsoils Effect of ripping (12 inches with lime or gypsum injected No yield responses at 10 of 14 sites Canola relatively (and surprisingly) insensitive (cf barley) No support for expensive interventions

41 Impacts of soil salinity - variable site EM Survey Area: EM38: 45m x 600m every 5m x 1m Sampling Positions 20 each 12 m 2 with 16 plants/m 2 CSIRO. Potential impacts of subsoil constraints on canola productivity in southern NSW

42 Reducing the risk with canola Dual-purpose (grazing canola) making money from the vegetative biomass to offset risk Canola suitability index (CSI) improved decisions on when not to sow canola Yield prophet (web-based simulation) in-season risk management Legume brown-manure cover crops herbicide resistant weeds, water and N

43 Dual-purpose canola graze and grain Canola crops grazed without yield penalty Increase flexibility, profitability and reduce risk Increase animal and crop production from mixed farms Defoliation experiments Grazing experiments Simulation

44 Sow early, stop grazing on time! The twist test OK to start Monitor bud elongation Getting late

45 Grazing intensity 28 July 2008 Grazed Ungrazed 13 November 2008 Both yielded 3.2 t/ha

46 Dual-purpose canola it works! Site Sow Variety Grazing (sheep.day/acre) Canberra 2008 Young 2008 Flower Delay (d) Yield (t/ha) G UG 3 April Winter April Spring * 7 April Winter April Spring Kirkegaard et al (2012) Crop and Pasture Science 63,

47 Profitability, risk and systems benefits If yield penalty is avoided, feed is added value $GM/ha increase of $100 - $400/ha; whole-farm $100/ha Indirect benefits include Canola is a grass weed and cereal disease control option Winter pasture spelling provides lambing feed in late winter Wider sowing and grazing windows for crops Reduced crop height to facilitate swathing and harvest Graze, hay and grain option = increased flexibility, lower risk A decade ago we only grew fine wool Now we produce a range of crops and pastures for forage, silage, hay and grain as well as meat from sheep and cattle

48 Modern canola systems evolution - 1 late cool burn direct seeded narrow tine press-wheels

49 Modern canola systems evolution - 2 stubble retained direct seeded narrow tines press-wheels

50 Modern canola systems evolution - 3 stubble retained direct seeded stubble clearance disc-seeder press-wheels

51 Modern canola system evolution - 4 stubble retained direct seeded inter-row sowing disc-seeder press wheels controlled traffic

52 Modern canola system evolution 4b...and red ones can do it as well!

canola, early-season DH, precision systems New GM

53 New opportunities and challenges... New cropping areas, varieties and systems High rainfall zone; Low rainfall zone; Existing areas; raised beds, dual-purpose, long-season hybrids Juncea canola, early-season DH, precision systems New GM herbicide tolerance gives flexibility Precision on wide rows Herbicide resistant weeds

Many colleagues, farmers and friends... Thank you Email: john.kirkegaard@csiro.

54 Many colleagues, farmers and friends... Thank you Contact Us Phone: or Enquiries@csiro.au Web:

Re-evaluating cover crops in semi-arid cropping in Australia

Re-evaluating cover crops in semi-arid cropping in Australia John Kirkegaard, James Hunt, Jeremy Whish, Mark Peoples, Tony Swan SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FLAGSHIP 1 Introduction and talk outline Background