Moisture for germination and growth is critical to crop performance. Many different strategies exist to conserve soil moisture pre and post sowing, including spraying and tillage.
Online Farm Trials contains 150 trials covering issues that include: managing moisture variability within paddock; crop rotations that optimise moisture availability in the sequence; impacts of break crops and summer crops for production; and, future crop gains and interactions between soil moisture and nitrogen conservation, including timing of fertiliser application. There are 65 published trials for wheat, 16 for canola and 16 for barley linked to soil moisture conservation and use. There are also trials for lupins (6) and vetch (4).
For further information on soil moisture strategies, refer to the following case studies on low rainfall environments that consider summer weed control options to managing soil moisture:
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To investigating if applying fertiliser according to productivity zones is more profitable than blanket applications of fertiliser across the whole paddock. We aimed to design trials to demonstrate to growers that matching fertiliser inputs to productivity zones will increase whole paddock profitability compared to blanket applications of fertil… read more
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To put into practice one of the key findings from the BCG research work over the last three years - 'high sowing rates in Silverstar wheat will decrease screenings' At the same time it was a good opportunity to test the results of small scale plot work in a real life situation on a large scale.
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To assess the efectiveness and persistence of soil ameliorants for irrigated canola establishment.
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A winter wheat trial was established to assess the whole-season nitrogen (N) availability against different nitrogen placement strategies when subject to waterlogging.
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To determine if a soil wetter, such as SE14, improves plant establishment in years with a dry start.
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The primary purpose of this project was to provide additional data from a range of different agricultural scenarios (climate, soil type, management practices) in the Western Region to validate and enhance the ability of the BlacklegCM app to more accurately determine the return on investment various management decisions may provide to a grower i… read more
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To address the following questions.
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To evaluate the effect various rates of granular urea spread 3-4 weeks post of seeding has on the yield and profitability of wheat.
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To determine the effects of variable rate technology (VRT) through variable nutrient management across high, medium and low performing soil types, and also the effects of seeding rate across these soil types
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To demonstrate the value of NUlogic soil and plant testing and the importance of reviewing fertiliser strategies in season
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To compare the effects and to demonstrate the economic benefits that may result from the use of variable rate fertiliser applications by broad acre farmer trial.
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To compare the effects and to demonstrate the economic benefits that may result from the use of variable rate fertiliser applications by broad acre farmer trial.
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To demonstrate the use of soil mapping and soil moisture sensors as data sources for variable rate irrigation and fertigation decisions, with the ultimate aim of reducing pumping and fertiliser costs, improving potato yields and quality and reducing the risk of nutrient enrichment of waterways and wetlands.
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To undertake a variable rate grazing trial in pastures.
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To compare the effects of variable rate nitrogen applications on wheat yield across diverse soil types.
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To compare the effects of variable rate nitrogen applications on wheat yield across varying soil types.
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To use a combination of N-rich strip and satellite imagery in canola to determine a variable rate nitrogen plan.
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To investigate the possible advantages of varying nitrogen rates over different soil types on a field in the Upper North region.
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Demonstrate variable rate technology on farm and how it can be applied to manage fertiliser use and to minimise nutrient enrichment or depletion that leads to poor soil health.
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To evaluate the relative resistance of each variety to Pt under field conditions.
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To evaluate the relative resistance of each variety to Pratylenchus thornei under field conditions.
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To determine environmental triggers and time of day vegetable beetles and slaters are active.
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To test the effect of very deep ripping to 500mm with shallow leading tines and incorporation of limesand on a very deeply compacted acid sand plain soil.
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To quantify the benefits of very wide rows for wheat quality and yield.
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To include a primary trial of breeding material funded by GRDC, at Minnipa, to investigate advanced common vetch lines with specific traits best suited to this region, and enable comparison with other sites in the southern cropping region.
SAGIT trials looking at vetch for a genuine legume break crop option for cereal and mixed farmers… read more
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To investigate the potential of new vetch species/varieties for very low rainfall areas in Southern Australia.
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To determine how the management of a vetch crop (termination timing and end-use) influences the yield and quality of a following wheat crop grown for two consecutive years.
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To determine how the management of a vetch crop (termination timing and end-use) influences the yield and quality of a following wheat crop grown for two consecutive years.
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To determine how the management of a vetch crop (termination timing and end-use) influences the yield and quality of a following wheat crop grown for two consecutive years.
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To determine whether rhizobial inoculation of vetch enhances the amounts of N fixed. To evaluate the effect the timing of vetch termination has on inputs of fixed N, and on residual soil moisture and mineral N measured at the end of the 2012 growing season.
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To compare the effects of (i) five different vetch termination timings, and (ii) five different end-uses of vetch on stored soil water and mineral N, and the yield of a subsequent wheat crop.
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To evaluate improved vetches for cereal farming systems.
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To evaluate the effects of different seeding systems, which alter seed bed utilization on vetch biomass production.
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To compare the performance of a range of pulse varieties and sowing dates in two contrasting soil types in North Central Victoria.
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To compare the performance of a range of pulse varieties and sowing dates in two contrasting soil types in North Central Victoria.
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To compare the effects VRT on different soil tyes and to compare rates of seed and fertiliser.
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To conduct an on-farm wheat demonstration.
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To determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses is affected by sowing speed
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To integrate productive perennial pastures into annual cropping systems so as to improve the profitability and sustainability of dryland farming.
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To summarise the current knowledge about waterlogging on Kangaroo Island.
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To determine whether varietal differences in chickpea plant architecture affect their competitiveness with ryegrass.
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To satisfy the questions of local farmers.
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To help understand the yield penalties we can expect if good pH levels are not maintained and how
frequently lime needs to be applied.
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To comment on the Farm Management 500 and Sustainable Technology (FAST) Project: what did the crops grow on in 1994?
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To investigate the use of different sowing timings and N management to improve yield and maintain protein of wheat.
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To discuss the question 'What is the best product for topdressing nitrogen?'.
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To report on the Paxton's efforts to “to keep the soil pH above 5, we know if we don’t, we start losing production”.
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To systematically assess the impact of sowing time, seeding rate and wetting agents on wheat establishment and productivity across a range of environments on water repellent soil and determine whether there are interactions between the agronomic options tested.
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To systematically assess the impact of sowing time, seeding rate and wetting agents on wheat establishment and productivity across a range of environments on water repellent soil and determine whether there are interactions between the agronomic options tested.
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To look at the application of disease and canopy management principles and their application to the different climatic regions of southern Australia.
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To look at the application of disease and canopy management principles and their application to the different climatic regions of southern Australia.
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To investigate wheat canopy management.
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To test 6 commercial wheat varieties.
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To conduct an evaluation of the ability of wheat varieties to tolerate acid/aluminum.
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To investigate where wheat performs best in a crop rotaion.
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To conduct further testing of future and existing wheat lines on acid soils.
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To conduct further testing of future and existing wheat lines on acid soils.
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To demonstrate the tolerance of new and existing wheat varieties on acid soils.
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To assess the effect of phosphorus required to optimise the yield of wheat grown after wheat in a high phosphorus soil.
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Part of a series of trials to assess wheat response to nitrogen and potassium under different conditions across the wheatbelt and, locally, determine rates to improve yield and returns.
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To investigate the response of wheat to different rates of applied P and N.
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To assess the impact of rotary spading non-wetting sandplain soil on soil properties, crop growth and productivity.
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To measure potential responses in wheat.
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To demonstrate the benefits of applying phosphorus and nitrogen to wheat in cereal-leume rotations on sodic soils in the southern Mallee.
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To compare three different sowing rates (in a low rainfall zone) in a farmer sized trial and monitor these plots throughout the growing season.
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To access the impact of wheat varieties on Pratylenchus thornei build-up and soil distribution profiles.
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To explore the variation of PUE among varieties of wheat across a range of seasons in order to provide farmers with better knowledge of their current varieties.
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To compare P efficiency of commonly grown varieties (plus a few new ones) on the upper EP to provide farmers with better knowledge of their current varieties, or select new varieties that may better utilise applied P in a grey calcareous soil.
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To examine the potential for crop yield in the northern sandplain systems and explore practices that will allow the potential to be approached.
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To explore the yield potential for wheat in the northern sandplain region and to identify the main constraints to achieving this potential.
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To investigate the response to nitrogen fertiliser on wheat.
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To characterise the residual value of different P sources and changes in soil fertility (SOC, CEC, pH, nutrient supply, non-wetting, compaction) after 30 plus years, using soil measurements and bioassay cropping.
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To assess the performance of current vetch varieties and ANVBP lines.
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To assess the whole farm implementation of water repellence management strategies.
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To use whole farm soil mapping to rationalize the farm fertilizer programme.
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To shed some light on why cereals yielded so much better compared with pulse crops and canola in the southern Mallee in 2001.
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To report on Alan’s aim to lime 20% of the farm each year and reprot that now, five years later, that aim is just about achieved.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of wide row spacing in Arrino wheat in a low rainfall environment with limited inputs.
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To develop systems to protect grain quality and yield in a low rainfall area. Trying wider rows to conserve moisture instead of fallow.
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To observe and record what impact varying stubble heights have on wind speed and therefore soil erosion and crop vigour
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Can cover crops increase infiltration and net water accumulation in pivot-irrigated cotton systems with low (<30%) ground cover?
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To compare current varieties to potentially new varieties in soil types and rainfall regions where National Wheat Variety trials are not conducted.
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This was the second year of a three-year trial, funded by the South Australian Grains Industry Trust (SAGIT), to evaluate the nitrogen fixation capabilities of various legume species commonly grown on Kangaroo Island.
In this second year, the trial was set up to answer the following questions:
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To evaluate the performance of annual crops when pasture cropped over different perennial species.
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To test Yield Prophet for 2005.