Australia
May 21, 2019
RGT Accroc is a winter wheat variety.
A 20-hectare crop of Seed Force’s RGT Accroc wheat has been chosen as the award-winning entry in the inaugural Riverine Plains Inc Crop Competition.
The competition attracted entry submissions from Berrigan, Boweya, Howlong and Daysdale, but it was farmer Tony Chaston from Gerogery who was announced the winner in October last year.
The judges were very positive about Tony’s Accroc wheat crop and its performance in less than optimum conditions.
Aaron Giason from Baker Seeds, one of the judges, said Tony’s crop was outstanding considering the season, and it stacked up well against the competition in terms of performance and production.
“We were very impressed with Tony’s overall management of the crop. His crop had excellent uniformity and plant density, with good yield potential.”
Tony’s 20-hectare crop, harvested in the first week of December last year, highlighted some key characteristics of Seed Force’s Accroc wheat, namely its potential for higher yields combined with an earlier maturity.
Sown in early April at rate of 90kg per hectare, the wheat was grazed for 47 days in July and August by 80 cows with young calves at foot, a period which Tony noted was longer than usual for him.
The crop yielded 4.4 tonne per hectare, and although the fungus rhizoctonia seemed to be present elsewhere in the region, Tony’s crop saw none.
RGT Accroc is known for its impressive disease resistance profile, with good resistance to both stripe rust and wheat streak mosaic virus. Although mostly marketed as a medium-to-high rainfall variety, Tony says the crop delivered despite uncharacteristically low rainfall.
“It was the driest September and October on record for us, so I am very happy with the yield,” he said.
“I will certainly keep using RGT Accroc in my wheat program. It clearly performs well for us.”
Dean Madsen, Riverina territory business manager from Seed Force, said that competitions such as the Riverine Plains Inc Crop Competition were very important for the development of the wider grain industry.
“They allow for the whole crop process to be assessed and learned from. All credit to Riverine Plains and Baker Seeds for their initiative.
“Local crops are showcased, with grower practices and variety performance assessed and shared. It means we can really see what works well in the paddock.
“We congratulate Tony for his success. It augers well for the season ahead.”
Click to find out more about RGT Accroc winter wheat.
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