Confidence in innovation helps growers chase better yield outcomes

Confidence in innovation helps growers chase better yield outcomes

May 19, 2021

For long-time members of the agriculture industry, the incredible advancements made in seed technology have helped completely transform and elevate the growing ability of cropping farms.

Particularly as Aussie farmers continue to battle pervasive periods of drought – the emphasis on advancing ag-tech has never been stronger.

Ted and Kerri Shooter are part of a multi-generation farming family, and over the years have trialled a number of different varieties on their farm – with Pacific Seeds’ Sentinel IG proving to be a welcome addition to their rotation.

“We’ve been growing Sentinel IG for the last five years and our most recent yield was excellent and came out to 10.182t/ha at 13.5 per cent moisture,” said Mr Shooter.

”That crop went on to win first place in the irrigated grain sorghum category at the RASQ Toowoomba show in 2021.

“It’s unbelievable under irrigation – when we planted it was extremely dry, and the results after we irrigated were fantastic.

Sentinel IG is Pacific Seeds’ world first Imidazolinone-tolerant grain sorghum hybrid and combines the company’s proprietary igrowth® trait with excellent top end yield potential to deliver a truly competitive package.

The igrowth® technology in sorghum was developed by Advanta Seeds through mutagenesis methods and provides tolerance to herbicides of the Imidazolinone family. The igrowth® trait is not a GMO.

“We have an entry for the next RASQ Toowoomba show and when I tested the yield of this Sentinel IG rotation it’s looking even better than the previous year – sitting at about 10.8t/ha, so it will be interesting to see how we go.

Offering growers excellent grass weed control, Sentinel IG has high yield potential and suits all sorghum growing regions.

“It has helped us control grasses that we’ve never been able to do before in sorghum – it is a phenomenal advancement in my opinion,” said Mr Shooter.

“We used Intervix® on the most recent Sentinel IG crop and that really helped support that grass weed control by reducing the seed bank from the problem weeds and preventing re-germination.

“Our irrigated Sentinel IG also stood up phenomenally this year, despite some pretty tricky conditions.

“We planted on a flood plain and at one stage we had flood water two foot deep running through it – which was pretty nerve wracking. We’re glad the yield outcome was so positive.

Pacific Seeds is continuing to explore the application possibilities of its igrowth® technology and is investing in new products that will help bolster growers’ yield outcomes.

“We’re recently participated in some recent Pacific Seed trials for an igrowth® product. It’s still only at the experimental stage, but it was really robust and reliable,” said Mr Shooter.

“It’s great to be a part of those trials and see what’s coming through the pipeline.

Pictured above: Bill Smith Pacific Seeds, Ted Shooter Bellevue Alloa and Neil Doyle Olsens Produce yield testing Sentinel IG for the RASQ Toowoomba Show

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