Researcher(s) |
Amanda Cook (Yeruga Crop Research) Trent Potter (Yeruga Crop Research) Ian Richter (SARDI) Wade Shepperd (Yeruga Crop Research) Harm van Rees (CropFacts Pty Ltd) |
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Year(s) | 2013 |
Contributor | Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation |
Trial location(s) |
Minnipa Agricultural Centre, SA
|
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.
No difference in yield or quality was noted for the stubble or nutrient treatments. It is likely that soil carbon is being increased as the additional nutrients did not increase yield. Increasing soil carbon is a slow process and several years are needed to see whether these treatments do increase soil carbon. A range of sites across southern Australia have been chosen to see if soil carbon can be increased.
Lead research organisation |
CropFacts Pty Ltd |
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Host research organisation |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre |
Trial funding source | DAWR AOTGR1-955086-45 |
Related program |
Carbon Farming Initiative |
Acknowledgments |
Funding for this trial is provided from DAFF and GRDC, and project management through Ag Ex Alliance and EPARF. Yield Prophet� is an on-line modelling service based on APSIM that provides simulated crop growth based on individual paddock information and rainfall, and is registered to BCG. |
Other trial partners | EPARF; Ag Excellence Alliance |
Crop type | Cereal (Grain): Wheat |
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Treatment type(s) |
|
Trial type | Experimental |
Trial design | Replicated |
Sow rate or Target density | 60kg/ha |
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Sow date | 6 May 2013 |
Harvest date | 24 October 2013 |
Plot size | 12m x 3m |
Plot replication | 4 |
Fertiliser |
base fertiliser of DAP (18:20:0:0) @ 50 kg/ha. Using Yield Prophet predictions, UAN was applied @ 50 L/ha on 28 July using the broadacre boom on all the trial plots. |
Herbicide |
Pre seeding chemical applications were sprayseed @ 1.5 L/ha, trifluralin @ 1.5 L/ha and a wetter. |
# | Variety |
Treatment 1
|
Treatment 2
|
Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) | Screenings (%) | 1000 grain weight (g) | Protein (%) | Grain yield (t/ha) | Rhizoctonia crown root infection (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble removed | █ DAP @ 50 kg/ha | 80 | 3.2 | 35.7 | 11.1 | 2.58 | 77.9 |
2 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble removed | █ normal practice PLUS N,P&S | 80 | 3.4 | 35 | 11.4 | 2.54 | |
3 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble standing | █ DAP @ 50 kg/ha | 80 | 3.9 | 34.6 | 11.3 | 2.56 | |
4 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble standing | █ normal practice PLUS N,P&S | 80 | 3.7 | 33.8 | 11.4 | 2.54 | |
5 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble worked | █ DAP @ 50 kg/ha | 80 | 3.6 | 34.2 | 11.2 | 2.6 | |
6 | █ Wheat:Mace | █ Stubble worked | █ normal practice PLUS N,P&S | 80 | 3.7 | 33.8 | 11.6 | 2.63 |
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.