Better Crops, Smarter Seeding: How SE14® Became Essential for Pingelly Grower Robert Lee
For Pingelly grower Robert Lee, SE14 moisture attraction and retention agent has become just as essential as GPS autosteer on their tractors. After three consecutive seasons of using SE14 Robert and his brother Michael have made it a core part of their seeding strategy, helping them overcome non-wetting soil challenges, improve germination, and push crop performance across their 2,800-hectare cropping operation in WA’s Wheatbelt.
Key Achievements
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20% Better Germination on Problem Soils
Reduced lupin seeding rates from 100kg to 80kg/ha, while maintaining thick wheat stands at just 75kg/ha.
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Earlier Crop Growth for Faster Weed Control
Achieved even, vigorous crops that outpaced ryegrass, enabling safer, earlier spraying.
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Stronger Establishment with SE14 and UAN
Combined SE14 with 30L/ha of UAN to boost germination and early crop vigour.
The Challenge
Robert Lee and his brother Michael operate a diverse 2,800-hectare cropping program across Pingelly and Bullaring, growing wheat, barley, canola, and lupins on soils ranging from heavy red granite to light Christmas tree sands.
Non-wetting soils, especially in sandy and loamy paddocks, had long challenged their ability to achieve reliable crop establishment. The problem had worsened over the years due to waxy lupins and clover harvesting on dry soils. These issues left them looking for alternatives to spading or mouldboard ploughing, which they felt didn’t suit their soil types.
They needed a cost-effective solution to improve germination and moisture availability, without adding unnecessary complexity to their seeding program.
The Solution
The Lees began trialling SE14 moisture retention agent, leaving untreated strips to compare performance. From the first year, they noticed clear differences through to flowering.
With SE14 improving germination by up to 20%, they reduced seeding rates. Lupins dropped from 100kg to 80kg/ha, and wheat held strong at 75kg/ha, despite looking denser than expected.
Their 19,000-litre Bourgault seeding rig with a 3,500-litre liquid tank enabled smooth application of SE14 through a Friction Flow delivery system. Managed by a John Deere rate controller, this system ensured even metering across the bar.
Robert Lee, Pingelly, checks on the family’s canola crop sown with SE14 moisture retention agent, combined with UAN liquid fertiliser and trace elements to support early crop establishment.
“Banding the UAN with the SE14 this season was a game changer. Together, they have made a massive difference.”
— Robert Lee
The farm’s seeding setup included a 12-tonne Simplicity airseeder with a liquid kit mounted on the A-frame, pulled by a 500hp John Deere 9530 tractor. This system enabled Scott to deliver seed, fertiliser, and liquid inputs efficiently across all paddocks.
The Result
In one of their driest seasons on record, with just 173mm of rainfall since April, the Lees achieved healthier, more vigorous crops across their program.
Field checks revealed SE14’s moisture-holding effect in action. In areas where their paired-row boot had blocked, the untreated row was dry as a bone, while the treated row retained visible moisture.
“We dug down recently and the crop in the other row had moisture underneath, but where the row was blocked it was as dry as a bone.”
— Robert Lee
They also observed a clear difference between treated and untreated strips. Crops treated with SE14 emerged faster, looked thicker, and maintained their advantage right through to flowering.
“We could see the mark from when the crop came up, all the way through to flowering. Where it was not used, the crop was slower, thinner, and the yield was surprisingly looking less all year.”
— Robert Lee
The even establishment also simplified weed control. They were able to spray earlier when crops were safely at the two-leaf stage, while ryegrass lagged two to 15 days behind.
“It is good to know that the crop can all be at two-leaf, the weeds are two to 15 days behind, and we can go out and smash the ryegrass and not hurt the crop.”
— Robert Lee
Their flexible four-tank setup allowed them to fine-tune their product mixes for each crop, combining compound fertilisers, UAN, SE14, and micronutrients to get the best returns from their varied soil types.
They believe SE14 is also helping to retain moisture in future seasons, improving follow-on crops by sowing closer to previous furrows. This is building on the benefits year after year.
SE14® is a registered trademark of Agrion Crop Solutions Pty Ltd.
