The Southern Australia Durum Growers Association has been successful in receiving a Grant from SAGIT to undertake the project
“Agronomic evaluation of durum’s for crown rot resistance.”

A 3 year project has been successfully approved which will undertake trial plots through field trials with one being located in the Turretfield area in the Lower North and the second in the South East at Bordertown.

The trials will compare varieties and breeding lines without crown rot infection and with infection induced by level(s) of crown rot inoculum applied at sowing. The effects of sowing dates and/or seeding rates on disease pressure will also be explored.

The trials will be sown and managed by Rob Wheeler and his team from SARDI in the north and the South East trial will be sown and managed by the University of Adelaide Durum Breeding program.

The design and planning of the trials, preparation of inoculum, plot and plant assessments and trial analysis will be made by Marg Evans, Greg Naglis with assistance from Hugh Wallwork (SARDI).

Farmers will have the opportunity to view the trials at the annual crop walk field days.

The Durum growers are very grateful to SAGIT for the funding that they make available to undertake valuable trials such as this one.

 L to R: Members of SARDI & University of Adelaiade overseeing the project = Hugh Wallwork, Marg Evans, Jason Able, Rob Wheeler

Farmers and industry representatives at the Mid North Crop Walk in September 2015.

Ensure to lock in the dates in your Diaries for 2016 Crop Walks
Northern – 7th September
Southern – 12th October