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 determine the rates of copper and zinc required for maximum grain yield of wheat grown on yellow brown and yellow brown gravel soils sands across 2 seasons.
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The effectiveness of foliar applications of zinc sulphate to decrease cadmium concentration in wheat grain was assessed at 3 field sites in South Australia.
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This experiment reports the effect of three sowing dates on the timing of anthesis, grain yield and grain quality parameters for a range of commercially available and advanced bread wheat and durum varieties.
The combination of phenology and sowing date (SD) determines the probable timing of environmental stresses (frost and heat stres… read more
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To examine the effects of sowing time on the phenology, grain yield and quality of 36 wheat varieties.
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To investigate the impact of integration of sowing time and seed rate of barley with pre-emergent herbicides on brome grass density and seed production as well as on barley grain yield.
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To answer the quesiton 'Can higher herbicide rates be used with wide row establishment in lupins?'
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To assess the relative effectiveness of a range of products at correcting zinc (Zn) deficiency in wheat.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of molybdenum application in soil with a pH that is perceived to be non-limiting for molybdenum.
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To determine the effectiveness and economics of gypsum in remediation of high Mg/Ca ratio soils.
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To determined the apploication rates of copper and zinc fertiliser for the maximum grain yield of wheat
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To compare and evaluate the yield effect from cultivation, before seeding versus a full cut system in a wheat crop.
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To quantify the effects of nematode feeding groups in Western Australian soils on crop performance.
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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.
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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.
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To explore the relationship between phosphate fertiliser and micronutrients on acid soils.
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To identify the optimum sowing time for establishment of sub-tropical grasses to the east of Eneabba.
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To evaluate the crop safety and efficacy on annual ryegrass of soil-incorporated pre-emergent herbicides in dry and wet sowing conditions.
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To report on strategies for improving zinc nutrition with zinc oxide fertilisers.
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The main aims of this demonstration are to:
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Previous work in the Mallee has shown the EM38 technology has benefited farm profit. On that basis we have commenced a demonstration on the Minnipa Agricultural Centre to validate previous Mallee outcomes.
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To test the practicality of increasing soil humic carbon on farm.
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To demonstrate the effect of seeder type and operation on the efficacy and safety of pre-emergent herbicides in barley.
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To improve soil carbon through the incorporation of cereal stubbles with no impact on the subsequent canola crop.
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The GRDC project ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ aims to produce sustainable management guidelines to control pests, weeds and diseases while retaining stubble to maintain or improve soil health, and reduce exposure to wind erosion. The major outcome to be achieved is increased knowledge … read more
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The GRDC project ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ aims to produce sustainable management guidelines to control pests, weeds and diseases while retaining stubble to maintain or improve soil health, and reduce exposure to wind erosion. The major outcome to be achieved is increased knowledge … read more
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To measure comparative wheat yields in response to varying P applications on 2 soil types.
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To evaluate the interaction between seeding systems and pre-emergence herbicides on the establishment of wheat, on two contrasting soil types.
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There has been increasing interest from growers and agronomists in low rainfall farming regions to evaluate alternative break crop options to field peas. Field peas are generally well suited to low rainfall farming systems and have historically been the main pulse option for the upper Eyre Peninsula region. However, record high prices and new va… read more
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To evaluate a range of seeding modifications or additions with the aim of improving crop establishment and yield on water repellent sandplain soil.
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To test the effectiveness of the two different forms of nitrogen, two nitrogen timings and two nitrogen dressings on yield and grain quality.
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To understand the benefits of soil pH mapping and its interaction with other soil and crop mapsTo compare various layers of information (pH, elevation, EM-38, yield andsatellite imagery) for understanding paddock variability.
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To investigate the effectiveness of elemental sulphur in canola, what percentage of the applied sulphur can be applied as fine (less than 250 micron) elemental sulphur without loss of grain yield or oil content.
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To use PA maps to indentify and sample soil zones within a paddock. To investigate soil phosphorus levels in different soil types with a paddock. To see if altering fertiliser rates at sowing has an impact on grain yield.
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To evaluate the performance of crops (barley in 2009) when pasture cropped over different perennial species established on deep pale sands.
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To predict the risk of PRR disease and potential yield losses in chickpea, and detect P. med inoculum in soil from commercial paddocks.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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To compare soil P tests for predicting crop responses on a paddock scale.
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The aim of this work was to test the robustness of current soil testing procedure
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To compare the effects of mouldboard ploughing, spading and deep ripping on yellow non-wetting sand.
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To examine whether spading (partial-inversion tillage) can be used to manage water repellence and subsoil acidity on sandplain soil
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To examine whether deep cultivation by spading can be used to manage water repellence and subsoil acidity on sandplain soil.
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To examine whether deep cultivation by spading can be used to manage water repellence and subsoil acidity on sandplain soil.
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To examine whether deep cultivation by spading can be used to manage water repellence and subsoil acidity on non-wetting sand.
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To assess the value of spading on deep yellow sandplain and additional advantages that may come from the ability of spading to incorporate lime and nutrients into the subsoil.
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The zinc content of particle size fractions of 12 mainly zinc deficient soils was measured by extraction with three contrasting extractants.
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To provide growers with information which will reduce losses due to eyespot by improving our understanding of:
• Resistance responses of commercial cultivars and breeders’ lines to eyespot.
• Yield losses due to eyespot in cultivars with different resistance rankings for eyespot.
• The effectiveness of delayed fungic… read more
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To report on a series of articles are from trials undertaken in 2011 on the three focus sites or funded via the
EPFS 3 project.
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To assist farmers to understand what their land is capable of producing under a range of conditions and how to tailor inputs to get the most profitable outcomes.
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To compare the growth, development and yield of current commercial faba bean varieties and promising advanced breeding lines at three sowing dates on a hard-setting, acidic, red brown soil at Wagga Wagga.
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To compare the effect of rhizobia strains and application rate on the nodulation, biomass, grain yield and grain quality of faba beans grown in suboptimal (acidic and high salinity) soil conditions.
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To investigate the tolerance of a newly released faba bean variety PBA Bendoc to residual (simulated) and in-crop application timings of Group B herbicides in comparison with the commercial variety PBA Samira.
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To evaluate the efficacy of acid-tolerant rhizobia to increase faba bean performance compared to a commercial strain of rhizobia or nitrogen fertiliser on an acidic soil.
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To investigate the response of faba bean to application of macro and micro-nutrients.
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To improve the performance of legumes in the Southern Region high rainfall zone.
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A case study to demonstrate that faba beans can serve as a much needed break crop in the dominant canola-barley rotation on the South Coast sandplain
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The Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia project (BFDC) aims to provide the fertiliser industry, agency staff, agribusiness advisors and growers with the knowledge and resources to improve nutrient recommendations for optimising crop production.
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To investigate the effects of rates and granule size of copper containing superphosphate on wheat yields grown on yello9w brown gravelly soil
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To investigate if the effects of rates and granule size of copper containing superphosphate on wheat yields grown on yellow brown gravelly soil persist into following year.
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To investigate factors driving nitrous oxide emissions from uncropped (head ditch and tail drain) areas of irrigated cotton fields after water-run urea application.
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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),… read more
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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),… read more
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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),… read more
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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),… read more
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To discuss the BCG Farming Systems 2000 season.
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To report on the Farming Systems trial 2006.
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To compare the yields of crops in southern Mallee farming systems in 2009.
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To compare the yields of crops in the southern Mallee under various farming systmes in 2010.
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To assess the Farming Systems trial for changes in the soil properties/health that may have occurred between each of the four systems since 2000.
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To test whether knowledge of soil potential, soil variation and in-season predictions of grain yield with Yield Prophet could be useful to improving management.
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To determine the impact on soil carbon fraction levels of applications of balanced nutrients, N, P and S, stubble retention, stubble removal and stubble incorporation.
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To demonstrate leadership and show industry-led practice change has the greatest capacity to change behaviours to reverse the trend of over-fertilising and tp promote best-practice fertiliser use, and more specifically soil testing and fertiliser application rates.
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Assess the value of several traits that aim to improve the acid-soil tolerance of wheat under field conditions.
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To develop cultivars and agronomic methods that will increase and stabilise production in environments characterized by variable soil types and low rainfall, of which Minnipa is a key site of the program.
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To investigate the effects of soil type and climate on the yield of commercial varieties and advanced breeding lines in Victoria and thereby assist in the selection of superior varieties for farmers in this state.
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To assess growth (via top biomass at heading) and grain yield of diverse oat varieties (vs durum wheat check) under saline-sodic soil conditions, compared with "good soil" conditions at Turretfield.