Source: GRDC The Crop Doctor

Although harvest has only just concluded, graingrowers can already review the 2006 National Variety Trials (NVT), which will help them make informed planting decisions in 2007.

Results are flowing in throughout Australia, reflecting not only the early harvest in some regions, but also the efficient process to enter variety information and release results online.

NVT Manager, Alan Bedggood said this demonstrated that although rigorously analysed, initial trial results can be online within a couple of weeks.

By mid-January, 370 trials had been harvested and data was online shortly after.

There are now two seasons behind the NVT program, which is a national program of comparative crop variety testing, with independent trial management, data generation, collection and dissemination.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported program is managed by the Australian Crop Accreditation System Limited.

The trials are sown, managed, monitored and harvested by GRDC contracted trial managers, who are required to follow NVT protocols in the running of trials and collecting of data.

Unfortunately, there were operational issues in Queensland in the 06/07 season, which have highlighted the need for a more efficient audit system which will be put in place nationally in the next trial season.

Crop varieties are entered into NVT by breeding programs, with varieties in the final stage of assessment just prior to release.

NVT will produce one or two years of performance results by the time the varieties are commercially available.

New wheat varieties trialled in 2007 will be Barham, Binnu, Bolac, Catalina, Correll, Derrimut, EGA Burke, Guardian, Sunzell and Yenda.

New canola varieties trialled this year will be Ag-Muster, ATR Banjo TT, ATR Barra, ATR Cobbler, ATR Marlin, ATR Signal, Flinders TTC, Rottnest TTC and Tanami and new lupin variety Coromup.

http://www.nvtonline.com.au/acasnvt/home/default.aspx