Managing micronutrient deficiencies in cropping systems of eastern Australia
This project will address these increasing concerns and speculation in a three pronged approach for all six micronutrients named in the tender (Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, Fe) for all cropping regions in Australia except for those in WA. This project will liaise closely with a separate bid being prepared by Dr Ross Brennan of DAFWA to address issues in WA specifically, should that bid be successful. This project will produce clear guidelines for management of micronutrient disorders for the major crops in the southern and northern regions of GRDC based on existing knowledge which has been objectively tested for its relevance to modern cropping systems and modernised for current technologies and economic circumstances where necessary.
IPNI-2014-AUS-020
2014 Annual Interpretive Summary
As a consequence of a scoping study undertaken by IPNI in 2013, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) commissioned a national program to investigate the current gaps in knowledge of micronutrient (i.e., B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn) management for grain crops. Current micronutrient management packages were developed from research undertaken 20 to 40 years ago in a vastly different farming system. IPNI is part of a steering committee that has commissioned four experiments on wheat in 2014 (Zn and Cu in New South Wales, Mn in South Australia), to investigate source, rate and timing of application. Soil, tissue and grain testing will be undertaken, along with yield and grain quality assessments. The results of these experiments have not yet been collated (January 2015).
The project will archive the experimental results through the Online Farm Trials database, as well as publishing the data in technical and scientific journals. A key deliverable from the project is the revision of current micronutrient best practice guides, and a series of fact sheets on the target micronutrients, using key information for the latter from current IPNI publications adapted to Australian conditions.