NatioNal variety trials supplemeNt - Grains Research ...

used by growers, new protocols for disease
management in the NVT have been
established. These protocols include the use
of fungicides to prevent or control diseases
in NVT plots. At designated wheat (and,
in South Australia, barley) sites, one of the
four replicates remain unsprayed, allowing
pathologists to use these controls to assist
in the establishment of disease ratings.
In addition to collecting yield, quality
and agronomic data for each nomination,
trial service providers record soil and
rainfall data, minimum air temperatures,
dates of sowing and harvest, fertiliser and
chemical inputs and rotation information.
Data from all sites across Australia is
recorded in a single database. This uniform
system of recording enables a variety’s
performance to be compared across
trial sites with similar characteristics.
Data analysis is the responsibility of the
five-year project ‘Statistics for the Australian
Grains Industry’, led by CSIRO’s Professor
Brian Cullis, whose team of statisticians
work closely with the NVT program.
NVT Online (www.nvtonline.com.au)
is the central web-based repository for all
NVT information. This website is regularly
updated with new information and looks
at better ways for growers to access the
information most relevant to them. □
GRDC Research Code CAS00002
More information: Tom Giles, manager
trial operations, GRDC, 02 6166 4500,
tom.giles@grdc.com.au
NVT structure and operation
4
NVT Advisory Committees
In 2008, the NVT program was formally reviewed to assess its performance against the objective
of delivering impartial varietal information to Australian grain growers.
One of the key findings of the review was the need for a more formalised advisory and
consultative mechanism for stakeholder involvement in NVT operations. Consequently, the GRDC
established regional NVT Advisory Committees.
Initially there were 15 regional NVT Advisory Committees (Figure 2), each comprising three
growers and three agronomists from that region, a service provider and a representative from
the appropriate GRDC Regional Panel. There are now 11 NVT Advisory Committees; in Western
Australia there is now one committee with two representatives drawn from each of the five
Regional Cropping Solutions Networks.
Once a year the advisory committees meet face-to-face with the NVT manager. Additional
meetings are held by teleconference if required. Specialists, such as industry experts and
biometricians, may contribute to meetings if requested. These committees provide advice on the
operation of the NVT, including issues such as the location and number of trial sites, changes to
trial protocols and nomination and retention of commercial varieties.
Recent issues raised for consideration by the advisory committees include the exclusion of
wheat varieties that are very susceptible to stripe rust, the use of district practice for disease
management, the increase in the dry sowing of crops and its implications for NVT trials, and the
development of new analysis and reporting tables for long-term variety comparisons.
The NVT Advisory Committees also help guide the service providers on the best options for
keeping the trials pest and weed-free.
FIGURE 2 Location of NVT Advisory Committees
WA Northern
WA Central
WA Eastern
WA Sandplain
WA Mallee
Eyre Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula/
Mid-north SA
Mallee
There were originally five committees in WA but now there is one NVT advisory committee with two
representatives drawn from each of the five Regional Cropping Solutions Networks.
Central Queensland
Southern Queensland
Northern NSW
Central NSW
Southern NSW/North-east Vic
Upper south-east SA/
Vic Wimmera
High-rainfall zone
Latest
updates
to NVT
The GRDC and ACAS regularly
review the NVT program and
initiate changes based on
feedback from growers and
specialists
By Alan Bedggood
In the quest to deliver the most
relevant variety information in a highly
accessible format, the operation and grower
use of data from the National Variety Trials
(NVT) program is regularly reviewed.
In response to these reviews,
the GRDC and Australian Crop
Accreditation Systems (ACAS), which
manages the NVT program on behalf
of the GRDC, have initiated some
recent changes in the management
and delivery of the NVT program.
Disease management
There has been much debate about the use
of fungicides in variety testing programs.
In one camp are those who want
to see how the variety performs if
attacked by pathogens. In the other
camp are those who want to see
how it performs when the disease is