There’s a fresh look to the Summit Fertilizers field research team this season, but the company’s strong focus on investigating innovative products and addressing localised nutrition challenges of interest to growers remains unchanged.

Steven Tilbrook, formerly with CBH Group and independent research company Kalyx, now leads the Summit Fertilizers field research program. He is joined by recent Curtin University graduate Lily Hope, who also brings valuable broadacre farming industry experience to the role.

More recently with CBH Group, Steven had a particular focus on chemical residue management within the cooperative’s grain quality team. While he enjoyed managing individual trials during his time with Kalyx, he said he was excited by the opportunity to direct Summit Fertilizers’ broader field research program and help guide the products being assessed.

This year, Summit Fertilizers’ field trials once again span the length and breadth of Western Australia’s agricultural region, from Ogilvie in the northern Wheatbelt to Gibson on the South Coast and across to Woogenellup in the Lower Great Southern.

Steven said all trials were successfully established using Summit Fertilizers’ own seeder, supported by local contractors where required.

Lily Hope, who joined the Summit Fertilizers field research team this year, Field Research Manager Steven Tilbrook and Merredin Area Manager Kobus Marais during the sowing of the company’s trials earlier this season.

The experimental product program will continue to explore the role of biofertilizers and biostimulants, including Summit Fertilizers’ BiOWiSH biological amendment.

BiOWiSH contains Bacillus microbes in a powdered form that can be easily mixed with UAN liquid fertiliser on-farm or applied as a liquid coating to granular MAP and NPK fertilisers before collection. It can also be safely used alongside other treatments, such as flutriafol fungicide. Trials with the product began in 2024 and have delivered encouraging crop responses.

The 2025 BiOWiSH trial program includes sites near Darkan, Mukinbudin, Goomalling, Calingiri, Moora, Woogenellup and Kojonup. BiOWiSH is also being assessed in biological benchmarking trials near Frankland with Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia, at Three Springs with 3 Fins, and near Calingiri and York with private research and extension group SLR.

Summit Fertilizers Field Research Manager Steven Tilbrook setting up one of the company’s field research trials.

Steven said the wider nutrition trial program would investigate issues relevant to individual growing regions.

These trials include different nitrogen application rates and timings, as well as comparisons between nitrogen sources such as UreaPlus, which contains sulphur, and MAXam, which delivers higher levels of sulphur.

Research will also continue with Summit Fertilizers’ urease inhibitor products, N-Shield NBPT and N-Shield DUAL, which provide growers with added protection against nitrogen losses through volatilisation, denitrification and leaching.

N-Shield NBPT trials are being conducted near Ogilvie, Kalannie, Gibson and Darkan, while N-Shield DUAL features in a trial at Mingenew and will also be included in several South Coast trials.

Nitrogen-by-phosphorus trials are underway at Calingiri, Goomalling and Mukinbudin, examining four application rates of both nutrients relevant to each region. The results can then be compared with typical local grower application strategies.

Steven said these trials generate valuable data that helps continually refine the fertiliser models used within Summit Fertilizers’ inSITE soil and plant analysis platform.

Additional seed safety trials are also being conducted near Pingelly, assessing canola seed safety under different nitrogen placement methods and application rates. The work includes treatments using Summit Fertilizers’ N-Shield NBPT coated nitrogen fertiliser.

“We are already seeing some interesting differences at that site,” Steven said.

Field walks will be held throughout the season from July at various Summit Fertilizers trial locations. These events will be conducted in conjunction with grower groups including Mingenew Irwin Group, Northern Agri Group, Liebe Group, Facey Group, South East Premium Wheat Growers Association and Stirlings to Coast Farmers.

Growers interested in inspecting trial sites or learning more about the research program are encouraged to contact their local Summit Fertilizers area manager.