Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (Commonweatlh) trials

To gain knowledge that will allow the Australian grains industry to maintain productivity by adapting crops and cropping systems to the effects of elevated CO2.

To determine which ameliorant practice is the most effective and economic in remediating subsoil acidity at depth.

To demonstrate inter-row pasture options for the low rainfall zone.

To compare conventional practice with an alternative pre-plant N fertiliser placement in relation to the irrigated furrow, to investigate the potential impact on soil mineral N concentrations and consequent N2O emissions.
 

To compare conventional practice with two alternative pre-plant N fertiliser placements in relation to the irrigated furrow, to investigate the potential impact on soil mineral N concentrations, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and cotton production.
 

To assess the effect that N fertiliser timing (all applied pre-planting vs pre-planting + in-crop) had on soil N2O emissions and cotton production.
 

To examine the effect of gypsum on soil pH and soil C and whether changes in soil pH could alter productivity of the following cereal crops.

To examine the effect of gypsum on soil pH and soil C and whether changes in soil pH could alter productivity of the following cereal crops.

To investigate factors driving nitrous oxide emissions from uncropped (head ditch and tail drain) areas of irrigated cotton fields after water-run urea application.

Caring for Our Country funding was obtained to demonstrate the impact of new fungicides for Rhizoctonia suppression by monitoring farmer implement broad acre strips in their current farming systems in 2014.

The DAFF and GRDC funded national trial will examine existing, new and alternative strategies for farmers in the cereal sheep zone to increase soil carbon. The trial will be used as baseline data for carbon accumulation in soils and to: discuss the various forms of soil organic carbon (plant residues, particulate, humus and resistant fractions), investigate how management affects each of these pools and how humus can be increased over the medium to long term, communicate how soil organic matter affects soil productivity (through nutrient and water supply, and improvements in soils structure). Identical trials are being run by eight farm groups in SE Australia (Victoria: Mallee Sustainable Farming, Birchip Cropping Group, Southern Farming Systems; NSW: FarmLink, Central West Farming Systems; SA: Hart and Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation, both through Ag Ex Alliance; and Tasmania: Southern Farming Systems) so information can be collected on different soils and climates in the Southern Region.

The DAFF and GRDC funded national trial will examine existing, new and alternative strategies for farmers in the cereal sheep zone to increase soil carbon. The trial will be used as baseline data for carbon accumulation in soils and to: discuss the various forms of soil organic carbon (plant residues, particulate, humus and resistant fractions), investigate how management affects each of these pools and how humus can be increased over the medium to long term, communicate how soil organic matter affects soil productivity (through nutrient and water supply, and improvements in soils structure). Identical trials are being run by eight farm groups in SE Australia (Victoria: Mallee Sustainable Farming, Birchip Cropping Group, Southern Farming Systems; NSW: FarmLink, Central West Farming Systems; SA: Hart and Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation, both through Ag Ex Alliance; and Tasmania: Southern Farming Systems) so information can be collected on different soils and climates in the Southern Region.

The DAFF and GRDC funded national trial will examine existing, new and alternative strategies for farmers in the cereal sheep zone to increase soil carbon. The trial will be used as baseline data for carbon accumulation in soils and to: discuss the various forms of soil organic carbon (plant residues, particulate, humus and resistant fractions), investigate how management affects each of these pools and how humus can be increased over the medium to long term ,communicate how soil organic matter affects soil productivity (through nutrient and water supply, and improvements in soils structure). Identical trials are being run by eight farm groups in SE Australia (Victoria: Mallee Sustainable Farming, Birchip Cropping Group, Southern Farming Systems; NSW: FarmLink, Central West Farming Systems; SA: Hart and Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation, both through Ag Ex Alliance; and Tasmania: Southern Farming Systems) so information can be collected on different soils and climates in the Southern Region.

The DAFF and GRDC funded national trial will examine existing, new and alternative strategies for farmers in the cereal sheep zone to increase soil carbon. The trial will be used as baseline data for carbon accumulation in soils and to: discuss the various forms of soil organic carbon (plant residues, particulate, humus and resistant fractions), investigate how management affects each of these pools and how humus can be increased over the medium to long term, communicate how soil organic matter affects soil productivity (through nutrient and water supply, and improvements in soils structure). Identical trials are being run by eight farm groups in SE Australia (Victoria: Mallee Sustainable Farming, Birchip Cropping Group, Southern Farming Systems; NSW: FarmLink, Central West Farming Systems; SA: Hart and Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation, both through Ag Ex Alliance; and Tasmania: Southern Farming Systems) so information can be collected on different soils and climates in the Southern Region.

To improve farmer’s capacity to manage soil health issues by providing information and access to soil management strategies and techniques

To measure nitrous oxide losses from inhibitor treated and slow release fertiliser products and their effect on wheat yield and quality

To measure: nitrous oxide fluxes in a wheat crop when different rates of nitrogenous urea fertiliser were applied. The effect on wheat yield and quality of applying fertiliser at zero, medium and high urea rates.

To measure and quantify N2O emissions from wheat grown in rotation with canola, pulses and legume pastures at two sites in low and medium/high rainfall farming systems of the Eyre Peninsula, while assessing best management practices that local farmers can adopt to reduce the risk of N2O losses and ultimately improve the paddock’s crop productivity and gross margin.

Agricultural soils are the main source of emission of the greenhouse gas (GHG) nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. N2O is a potent GHG which lasts in the atmosphere for 114 years and has a global warming potential of approximately 300 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100 year timescale. Agriculture accounts for 16% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions but produces 80% of Australia’s N2O emissions. This project seeks to measure and quantify N2O emissions from wheat grown in rotation with canola, pulses and legume pastures at two sites in low and medium/high rainfall farming systems of the Eyre Peninsula, while assessing best management practices that local farmers can adopt to reduce the risk of N2O losses and ultimately improve the paddock’s crop productivity and gross margin.

To measure and quantify N2O emissions from wheat grown in rotation with canola, pulses and legume pastures at two sites in low and medium/high rainfall farming systems of the Eyre Peninsula, while assessing best management practices that local farmers can adopt to reduce the risk of N2O losses and ultimately improve the paddock’s crop productivity and gross margin.

To explore the assumptions used in our regular N2O emissions sampling. These campaigns examined:

1. the variation in N2O emissions in relation to chamber closure time.
2. the variation in N2O emissions over a full 24-hour period 
3. the variation in N2O across a two metre cross section of hills and furrows within a cotton crop.

To test some of the commercial practices used in irrigated cotton growing. In the 2014–15 summer cropping season, three experiments were conducted at commercial farms located near Emerald (Qld), Moree (NSW), and Gunnedah (NSW).

To identify suitable pasture species for the SA Mallee.

Tol trial a range of practices to increase sequestration of soil carbon, including:

• 1.Unviable cropping land managed for the introduction and/or increased levels of perennial component in pastures ( 3 sites);
• 2.Implementation of rotational grazing managed pasture for increased levels of cover and biomass (3 sites);
• 3.Degraded land managed for the introduction and/or increased levels of perennial component in pastures (4 sites); and
• 4.Land managed for the introduction and/or increased levels of perennial component in pastures (3 sites).

To assess the efficacy of two nitrification inhibitors, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole (DMP) and nitrapyrin, when applied directly into the anhydrous ammonia stream during pre-plant nitrogen (N) application for commercial irrigated cotton production.

To identify nutrient and stubble management practices which result in increased soil organic matter.

To determine how lime, nutrients or other amendments are distributed through the soil after applicaiton with different mixing methods.

To assess the impact of two alternative cotton irrigation strategies on soil mineral N: crop production and N2O emissions.