Setting up your season: conserving summer moisture

2012

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Claire Browne (BCG)
James Hunt (BCG)
Therese McBeath (CSIRO)
Year(s) 2012
Contributor Birchip Cropping Group
Trial location(s) Hopetoun, VIC
Setting up your season: conserving summer moisture locations
Aims

To quantify the effect of paddock stubble management and weed burden during the summer fallow on crop available soil water, nutrients and yield.

Key messages

For the fourth year in a row grain yield was increased by controlling summer weeds. There has been a return on investment in all years of this trial, by controlling summer weeds. Retaining or removing stubble has only a minor effect on yield.

Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC CPS00111,BWD00012
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

This project was funded by GRDC project BWD00012 Yielding benefits through partnerships and CPS00111 Identifying farm scale opportunities to improve WUE: a nationally coordinated systems approach. Contributors included: Warakirri Bullarto Downs for hosting the experiments over 5 years; Ian Delmenico of CropRite Pty Ltd for site EM survey; Damian Mowat and Brett Cox of CSIRO for soil water characterisations; John Stuchbery of JSA Independent for agronomic advice and Mel Cann of DPI Victoria for providing soil descriptions.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Grain Legume: Lentils
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Properties: Type
  • Stubble: Management
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Hopetoun 2012

Sow date 4 May 2012
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication 4
Fertiliser

4 May - MAP + Zn (55kg/ha)

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

@T1: Pre Sowing
# Treatment 1
Treatment 2
Grain yield (t/ha) Gross margin ($/ha) Mineral N (kg/ha) Plant available water (mm)
1 Standing stubble Sand 1 198 131 50
1 Standing stubble + summer weeds Sand 0.6 80 77 23
2 Slashed stubble Sand 1 191
2 Bare earth Sand 0.9 158 105 66
3 Bare earth + summer weeds Sand 0.7 85 70 10
3 Cultivation Sand 1 211
4 Standing stubble Clay 1.2 259 145 103
4 Standing stubble + summer weeds Clay 0.7 104 97 62
5 Slashed stubble Clay 1.2 272
5 Bare earth Clay 1 167 173 76
6 Bare earth + summer weeds Clay 0.5 26 111 62
6 Cultivation Clay 1.1 244
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Grain yield t/ha


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Gross margin $/ha


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Mineral N kg/ha


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Plant available water mm


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Hopetoun, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Hopetoun, VIC Tenosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Hopetoun VIC
2012 574.9mm
2011 609.6mm
2010 527.8mm
2009 462.3mm
2008 454.1mm
2007 455.4mm
2006 441.2mm
2005 483.1mm
2004 436.8mm
2003 429.3mm
2002 387.1mm
2001 445.0mm
2000 453.4mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Hopetoun VIC 2012


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 150mm

Derived climate information

Hopetoun VIC

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.



Trial last modified: 13-09-2017 10:13am AEST