Southern Farming Systems (SFS) continues to deliver practical, regionally relevant research through its Variety by Management (VxM) trial program, providing growers in south‑west Victoria with clear insights into how crop varieties respond under differing management strategies.

Following the conclusion of the National Variety Trials (NVT) pathology program, SFS has focused on evaluating wheat and barley varieties under contrasting fungicide regimes. By comparing nil fungicide treatments with a full fungicide program, the VxM trials allow growers to assess the inherent disease packages of both emerging and established varieties under local conditions.

The 2024 trials produced noteworthy results despite generally low disease pressure due to below‑average rainfall during the growing season. In winter wheat, significant differences were observed in disease incidence and leaf area affected between treated and untreated plots, while spring wheat showed minimal response. Barley trials, however, recorded clear and significant differences in disease severity, with measurable impacts on yield outcomes.

Building on this work, the 2025 VxM program continued the fungicide comparisons in wheat while expanding the barley trials to include a time of sowing variable. With dry starts experienced in both 2024 and 2025, this addition aimed to assess the yield and disease implications of sowing before or after the autumn break, helping growers make more informed decisions in challenging seasonal conditions.

Canola trials in 2025 also focused on time of sowing, comparing mid‑to‑late April and mid‑to‑late May establishment, following approximately 20 mm of rainfall at the Streatham site. These trials build on previous VxM work examining canola’s ability to compensate for low plant densities, with earlier results showing little yield difference between 20 and 40 plants per square metre.

Results from the 2025 SFS VxM cereal and canola trials will be published in the members only 2025 SFS Results Book – First Edition, to be released end of March 2026, so join now for $30 to get the latest https://sfs.org.au/forms/membership

By Cam Barr, Research & Extension Officer