Current Projects

Over the next three years, MERIT testing will evaluate the performance of sub-clover varieties in the Great Southern region of WA. The results will be available for free on the MLA PTN eTool.

The timing of sowing can make a significant difference in legume production outcomes. Our recent trials have shown that sowing early can boost biomass production, making it an ideal choice for those focused on green manuring, hay, or livestock feeding. On the other hand, a later sowing time could be the key to maximising grain yield, depending on your production goals.

The Nitrogen Banking Project is a part of RiskWi$e, a National Risk Management Initiative. It is a 5-year initiative by GRDC and CSIRO that will run from 2023 to 2028. It seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian Grain Growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making. This project will study various nitrogen (N) management strategies.

Annual ryegrass cost grain growers across Australia $90 million a year and is considered one of the most costly and serious weeds within a cropping system. Managing and controlling annual ryegrass populations within cereal crops continues to be an issue for growers across Western Australia.

There has been a trend for increasing summer rain and later autumn sowing breaks throughout the WA wheatbelt. Potential utilisation of soil moisture stored below conventional sowing depths allow growers to potentially increase yield while mitigating abiotic risk. Oat seedlings emerge by elongation of both the mesocotyl and coleoptile so oats can be sown deeper than wheat and barley.

This project is part of the Ag Excellence Alliance-led De-Risking the Seeding program, funded by the Future Drought Fund, and will look at the adoption of strategic dry-sowing crop management approaches.

The Australian Government is developing a net zero plan, outlining how the agricultural sector can transition to net zero by 2050. The Carbon Farming Outreach program is designed by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to provide landholders with information and support to help them reduce emissions on farms.

Facey Group is participating in the GRDC-funded RiskWi$e initiative, that will run from 2023 to 2028. It seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian grain growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making.

A project aiming to develop long term strategies to help growers determine sowing location, varietal selection and sowing timing while considering landscape, farm, and paddock conditions.

This project aims to increase the adoption of soil moisture probes and weather stations to provide farmers with data-based knowledge to support better decision-making during the season in response to seasonal drought and changing conditions across the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia (WA).

Grain losses during harvesting equate to significant lost income for growers across Australia every year.

To support growers in their efforts to reduce harvest losses and improve operations at harvest time, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has funded a multi-year national project ‘Optimising harvest losses, efficiency, and weed seed control; and capacity building for future delivery’ otherwise known as the Harvester Set-Up Project of which the Facey Group coordinates the Western Region workshops.

Visualising Australasia’s Soils: Extending the soil data federation (VAS Phase 2) Project Aim The Visualising Australasia’s Soils (VAS) project aims to provide Soil CRC participants with access to considerable volumes of reliable quality soil data. It will be sourced from a federation of soil data custodians who share their data according to the rules they […]

RiskWi$e Spring Cover Crop Use of Spring-Sown Leguminous Cover Crops to Increase Available N Key Messages Investigating if spring-sown cover crops can mitigate on-farm nitrogen decision risks. Seek to better understand the potential benefits of spring cover crops on soil health and the following cereal crop. Confirm if spring cover crops are appropriate crop rotation […]

Summit Fertilizers 2023 Trials SOP Tolerance, P is Key, N Products Project Summary  As part of Summit Fertilizers commitment to trial research and their ongoing support of the Facey Group, they have once again invested in a relevant local trial, located north-east of Wickepin.  The trial site is situated next to the existing NVT trials, […]

The aim is to improve prompt and effective decision support for growers to manage DBM in canola crops, surveillance is being conducted throughout the five WA port zones. We aim to determine the Brassica hosts which may be present during summer and autumn and assess whether these hosts are providing a DBM reservoir bridging between growing seasons.

Saltbush Carbon Project Assessing the Potential of Saltbush to Sequester Carbon in WA Southwest Key Messages This project will investigate the carbon sequestration potential in existing local saltbush plantings. This project will evaluate of the performance of new saltbush plantings across different species and planting densities This project will track the growth and carbon sequestration […]

A part of the GRDC founded RiskWi$e project the Facey Group is investigating if various soil amelioration treatments effect the rate of nodulation in lupins. Soil amelioration techniques that will be investigated are and Discorden On-Pass Finisher, K-Line Speedtiller, Clay application at 250 t/ha to 25cm and a Reefinator H4. This will ensure better understanding of the impacts of various soil amelioration practices and nodulation in lupins and may lead to further trials with other nitrogen-fixing crops on recently ameliorated soils.

Long Coleoptile Project Improving sowing opportunities for increased farm resilience in a changing climate. Key Messages: Changing climate patterns predict less in-season rain, more frequent summer rainfall events, and a less predictable season break for many areas of the Australian Wheatbelt. Deep sowing adapted cultivars into stored summer moisture may create the opportunity to sow […]

Soft Wheat Trial Key Messages: Demand is growing in Asia for soft wheat. Facey Group region may be well placed to meet this growing market. Summary: Southeast Asian flour millers have expressed an interest in Australian for soft wheat to meet a growing market. Grain breeders have been working on this opportunity and are ready […]

Impact of Stubble Height on Cropping Systems Key Messages: This project is evaluating the ‘Stripper and Disc’ seeding and harvest combination (high residue systems) and how it fits within the local landscape compared to the commonly used draper and tyne seeding and harvest system. Growers are looking to understand the benefits for water use efficiency, […]

Deep-rooted native shrubs or novel annual legumes offer significant opportunities to increase livestock feed supply and quality, compared to traditional forages under drought conditions. This CSIRO project will utilise both Anameka saltbush and novel understory species to demonstrate a drought-resilient and profitable system using best practices establishment.

Facey Group is supporting Farmanco, GRDC and CSIRO to have a better understanding of mouse populations during 2023.

The Facey Group is collaborating with the local producers, Tom Wittwer & Audrey Bird, to demonstrate the production & economic benefits of confinement feeding pregnant ewes before lambing in this MLA funded project.

Facey Group is working with Soil CRC & Murdoch University to determine perennial & annual pasture/forage legume options for shaping rhizosphere processes to improve soil function, & ultimately improve grain yields on low fertility white sand soils.

Facey Group is evaluating four trial sites over the 2021-2022 summer to better understand how various cover crop species can benefit soil health, moisture and function, compared to summer fallow. In 2022, impacts on the growth and yield of subsequent winter crops will be investigated.