YENDA district rice grower Chris Morsehead is quietly optimistic about the potential of the latest rice variety being trialled on his property.
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With low water allocations, Mr Moreshead said the introduction of YR70 as a mainstream variety could be of great benefit to the Riverina rice industry.
“The beauty of the variety is it’s speed,” Mr Moreshead said.
“We are lucky to have it.
“It has the potential to have about two and half to three weeks shorter season than our current benchmark variety, Reiziq.”
On his terraced layout, Mr Moreshead said it the most common infrastructure in the Riverina, giving rice growers the potential of water efficiency, especially important with low water availability.
“I don’t think we will use more than eight megs per hectare this season, and we have the potential yield of 11 to 12tn/ha,” he said.
Mr Moreshead said the new variety was direct drilled on 27 November into wheat stubble which had yielded seven tonnes, and was flushed three times before permanent water was ponded on 25 December.
The very short time frame meant there was a significant saving of water.
Mr Morsehead is the third generation of his family growing rice in the Yenda district, and obviously wants to make the most from the available water.
“With rice at $415/tn, it is a good return,” he said.
“We are making the most use of our water, and are getting a lot smarter about using a scarce resource.”
Mr Morsehead recognizes there is a ‘battle’ between crops for the available water, but SunRice wants rice because it has significant international markets to be satisfied.
“The critical thing for the industry is to retain those markets through maintaining production on less water,” he said.
Mr Morsehead said the recent field day held on his property highlighted the commitment to further Research and Development by the rice industry.
It was attended by about 25 growers, rice industry agronomists and researchers focusing on the latest innovations available to rice growers.
DPI research agronomist, Brian Dunn, highlighted a five-year variety agronomy project DPI is conducting in partnership with Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).
Mr Dunn said that all current rice varieties and varieties that are close to potential release will be studied in the trial.
“Trials will be run this season and the next four years across the Murray and Murrumbidgee Valleys using aerial and drill sown and delayed permanent water methods,” Mr Dunn said.
“We are focused on nitrogen and agronomic management requirements for each variety to maximise yield and water productivity.”
The project aims to address knowledge gaps in the agronomic management of many current rice varieties and plans to develop and deliver agronomic packages for varieties to be released in the future.
