Chickpea and lentil offer a lot of potential across WA as alternate break crops to the more common options of canola and lupin. In addition to providing good gross margins, incorporating high-value pulses into rotation can improve soil nitrogen and provide a disease break for cereal crops. Over the past 20 years use of these crops has declined substantially in WA, however, recent good prices and newer cultivars with improved resistance to ascochyta blight and/or with herbicide resistance has renewed interest in these crops. The increasing occurrence of liming as part of farming practice has also broadened the potential growing area in WA for these acid intolerant crops. Agronomic packages for these newer varieties are still being developed within WA. This CSIRO project focussed on the impact time and depth of sowing in lentil and chickpea have on plant emergence and establishment as well as yield in the low to medium rainfall areas. 
Trials for sowing date and depth of pulses were sown at Merredin and Dandaragan in April and May. Trials were fully replicated (n = 4) with split plot designs. 

Effective nodulation of legumes is important to maximise the amount of nitrogen fixed by the legume; however, lupins are not usually treated with inoculant due to the presence of native inoculant in the soil. It is unclear if this native inoculant is as effective as newer types of inoculant, and the objective of this project is to evaluate TagTeam on the nodulation and grain yield of lupin and chickpea on a sandplain soil. At this trial there was no yield benefit in applying an inoculant on lupin seed. Although there was a noticeable improvement in crop establishment and nodulation when doing so (from a 2.9 rating to a 3.9 nodulation rating), it did not translate to yield. It is possible that this is because the frequency of lupins grown in this environment has been high, and therefore enough numbers of rhizobia are present in the soil to achieve suitable nodulation. The dry finish to the season may have also influenced the final yield. 

The yield potential of canola has been shown to be related to biomass production, and the objective of this trial is to evaluate the amount and timing of N application on hybrid canola to maximise biomass production and grain yield in our region. 
A randomised complete block design experiment was conducted at ‘Kayanaba’, Dandaragan in 2019 to assess various rates and timing of application of nitrogen on Hybrid canola. The soil type was a strong sandy loam soil with 23 mg/kg of N in the top 90cm prior to seeding, and a pH of 6.7 in the 0-10cm and 4.6 in the 30-50cm soil depth. The site was previously sown to barley in 2018.  
The site was sown dry on the 5th of May 2019 using knifepoints and press wheels to achieve a sowing depth of 2cm. 

The yield potential of canola has been shown to be related to biomass production, and the objective of this trial is to evaluate the amount and timing of N application on hybrid canola to maximise biomass production and grain yield in our region.
A randomised complete block design experiment was conducted at ‘Kayanaba’, Dandaragan in 2019 to assess various rates and timing of application of nitrogen on Hybrid canola. The soil type was a strong sandy loam soil with 23 mg/kg of N in the top 90 cm prior to seeding, and a pH of 6.7 in the 0-10 cm and 4.6 in the 30-50 cm soil depth. The site was previously sown to barley in 2018.
The site was sown dry on the 5th of May 2019 using knifepoints and press wheels to achieve a sowing depth of 2 cm.

The use of two break crops in a row as a double break crop sequence has been successfully used to increase the grain yield of successive wheat crops in South Eastern Australia, and this study has tested this approach in the WA wheatbelt region. 
Four demonstration sites were established in 2017 near Bencubbin, Corrigin, Miling, and Calingiri. These sites were established in paddocks with a history of root diseases or weed populations that a single break crop could not address, and which were sown to a break crop, pasture, or fallow in 2016. In 2017, a range of break crop options were grown on small plots and with the remaining paddock area sown to canola or wheat. All sites were sown to wheat in 2018. 

The use of two break crops in a row as a double break crop sequence has been successfully used to increase the grain yield of successive wheat crops in South Eastern Australia, and this study has tested this approach in the WA wheatbelt region.
Four demonstration sites were established in 2017 near Bencubbin, Corrigin, Miling, and Calingiri. These sites were established in paddocks with a history of root diseases or weed populations that a single break crop could not address, and which were sown to a break crop, pasture, or fallow in 2016. In 2017, plots of up to 2 hectares in size were established using grower equipment for a range of break crop options that the grower identified as options to integrate into their farming system. The remaining area of the paddock was sown to either wheat or canola depending on grower’s paddock plan. All sites were sown to wheat in 2018.

Managing wheat nutrient inputs for both yield and protein is an ongoing challenge with seasonal rainfall variability, management practices and other factors continually increasing yield potential. Traditional approaches to N management may be leaving crops short – evidenced by disappointing grain protein levels in recent seasons. Growers may be forgoing profit by playing the season late and not addressing crop demand early when yield potential is critically set.
Summit Fertilizers compared a number of strategies to increase nitrogen application rates to match site conditions for yield potential. Applying various N rates at multiple combinations of timing splits provides a range of contrasts to assess impact on yield, grain quality and profitability.

The purpose of the canola NVT trials at Dandaragan is to provide growers and their advisors with independent information on the performance of newly released varieties of canola relative to the current commercial varieties grown in the area. The intention is to have two years of data available on the NVT website at the time each new variety is made available for commercial production. The 2016 trial was located in Dandaragan on brown grey sand to yellow brown sand at depth.

The purpose of the canola NVT trials at Dandaragan is to provide growers and their advisors with independent information on the performance of newly released varieties of canola relative to the current commercial varieties grown in the area. The intention is to have two years of data available on the NVT website at the time each new variety is made available for commercial production. The 2016 trial was located in Dandaragan on brown grey sand to yellow brown sand at depth.

The purpose of the oat NVT trials at Dandaragan is to provide growers and their advisors with independent information on the performance of newly released varieties of canola relative to the current commercial varieties grown in the area. The intention is to have two years of data available on the NVT website at the time each new variety is made available for commercial production.The 2016 trial was located in Dandaragan on brown grey sand to yellow brown sand at depth.