Bairnsdale Trial 2007-08

Bairnsdale Summer Rain 2007-08

The first summer grain trial at Bairnsdale was quite promising. Two Maize Hybrids and 5 Sorghum Hybrids were sown. Given adequate fertiliser both Maize Hybrids yielded over 6 t/ha - 6.4 and 6.9 t/ha to be exact. Plant populations were 21,750 and 26,250/ha respectively, much too low for those yields. Plant spacing was also sub optimum, having been planted with equipment set-up for winter cereals. Given uniform plant spacing and higher populations, who knows what the yield could have been?

The sorghum was not quite as impressive. Yields ranged between 1.7 and 5.9 t/ha depending on variety and fertiliser. Sunflowers were also grown, however the yield results were not recorded. All these crops were planted on the 16th of November, perhaps the correct time for sorghum in this environment, but the maize could have been at least one month earlier.