30 December 2003: A strong commitment to testing crop varieties in the field, across various soil types and climatic conditions is being evidenced across the Western Downs and Maranoa by Pacific Seeds. At various sites across the region, including Goondiwindi, Tara and Brigalow, grain sorghum trials are being planted. Pacific Seeds’ Territory Manager, Rob Johnston said the trials play a pivotal role for the company.

"Every year we plant trials across Australia to continue to evaluate our existing and new varieties across a variety of conditions," he said. "We use this both for our own records, to see if a variety should be recommended for a specific area, and also so we can let growers know how our hybrids stack up in their neck of the woods."
"It's important for local growers to be able to see all our existing and some new varieties being grown in the paddock."

Mr Johnston thanked trial cooperators who give time and land to help Pacific Seeds put trials in each year. "We're indebted to them," he said.

Further evidence of the company's commitment to showing producers how varieties perform in their area, is Pacific Seeds' recent investment in a new trial planter. The 4m Monosem vacuum planter adds further facets to the trials, allowing different planting configurations to be assessed. "The new planter allows us to plant in 30, 36 or 40 inch row spacings," Mr Johnston said. "We can also apply two liquid fertilisers at planting and a band or broad acre herbicide at planting. The planter can do all row configurations from full plant, to single and double skip row."

"This means we can test how varieties perform at different plant populations across seasons to see if there are any yield advantages for growers depending on what configuration they use in conjunction with the available moisture."

Servicing a vast area that stretches from Taroom in the north, west and south to the Queensland border, and from Brigalow in the east, Mr Johnston said it is important for the company to continue to monitor their varieties across all the seasonal conditions presented over this wide geographical location.

For further information contact Liam Anderson (07) 4690 2695