Pulses in the Mallee 2016

Jason Brand
Southern Pulse Agronomy/Agriculture Victoria

Take home messages
• Pulses, particularly lentils and chickpeas, were very profitable at Mallee trial sites in 2016.
• When choosing new varieties or changing agronomic treatments it is important to look at long term information rather than individual seasons. Varieties like PBA Jumbo2 lentils have performed well across a range of seasons, indicating yield stability.
• New faba bean lines will offer opportunities for growers in the Mallee with profitable yields (>140% of PBA Samira) produced in both dry (2015) and wet (2016) seasons.
• The new isolate of ascochyta blight discovered at Curyo in 2015 with virulence on previously resistant chickpea varieties can cause complete crop loss in susceptible varieties. Growers are encouraged to closely monitor all chickpeas crops in 2017 and use an ‘early’ preventative fungicide strategy to minimise the risk of disease.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by GRDC, AgVic and SARDI (DAV00150). Thanks to the staff, Jason Ellifson, Mick Brady and Tim Nigussie for maintaining trials and collecting data. Thanks to our grower collaborators at Curyo and Ouyen for the use of land.