Variable phosphorus

2010
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Nicole Dimos (SPAA)
Kieran Wauchope (SPAA)
Year(s) 2010
Contributor Society of Precision Agriculture Australia
Trial location(s) Tumby Bay, SA
Variable phosphorus locations
Aims
  • To evaluate the benefit of variable rate P across a paddock with various NDVI zones.
  • To Illustrate how farmers trials can be easily established to monitir the effects of variable rate.
  • To compare the effects on crop to various P rates.
Key messages

The objective of this GRDC / SPAA funded project is to increase the level of adoption of PA 'beyond guidance' by broadacre farmers. The project specifically aims to increase the level of adoption of variable rate (VR) by growers in the project to 30% by 2013.This goal will be achieved by demonstrating how to use PA tools to growers at a regional level and by increasing the skills of growers and industry in PA to a level where they can then use PA tools in their farming systems to achieve economic, environmental and social benefits.

Lead research organisation Society of Precision Agriculture Australia
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC SPA000010
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Peter and Mark Swaffer Rural Solutions SA and LEADA, Sam Trengrove and Kieran Wauchope LEADA, Topcon provided the Cop Spec sensor for our field day. The project was funded by the GRDC


Other trial partners Lower Eyre Agricultural Development Association (LEADA)
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Rate
Trial type Precision agriculture
Trial design Not applicable

Tumby Bay 2010

Sow rate or Target density 85kg/ha
Sow date 1 June 2010 1 June 2010
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

The soil samples taken from the different paddock zones at the beginning of the year showed varying levels of P across the different zones. Where the NDVI was high in 2009, the levels of P were generally lower than in the low NDVI zones of the same year. Anecdotally this can be attributed to the higher NDVI zones using more of the P for the higher production levels than the lower NDVI zones.

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Download results

Trial results Table 1

@T1: water
# Treatment 1
Colwell phosphorus (mg/kg) Electrical conductivity (dS/m) Organic carbon 0-10cm (%) pH CaCl2 (pH) Colwell potassium 0-10cm (mg/kg) pH (value)
1 Zone - High (based on high yeild in 2009 and high Sepetmber NDVI) 35 0.398 2.33 7.9 858 8.3
1 Zone - High (based on high yeild in 2009 and high Sepetmber NDVI) 36 0.21 1.73 7.9 785 8.4
2 Zone - High (based on high yeild in 2009 and high Sepetmber NDVI) 29 0.279 1.61 7.7 549 8.3
2 Zone - High (based on high yeild in 2009 and high Sepetmber NDVI) 32 0.294 2.05 7.9 924 8.5
3 Zone - Low (based on low yield in 2009 and low September NDVI) 53 0.234 1.64 7.9 604 8.4
3 Zone - Low (based on low yield in 2009 and low September NDVI) 27 0.294 1.63 8 369 8.6
4 Zone - Low (based on low yield in 2009 and low September NDVI) 40 0.252 1.18 5.6 318 6.6
4 Zone - Low (based on low yield in 2009 and low September NDVI) 50 0.287 1.39 5.2 359 6.3
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Colwell phosphorus mg/kg


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Colwell potassium 0-10cm mg/kg


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Electrical conductivity dS/m


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Organic carbon 0-10cm %


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pH value


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pH CaCl2 pH


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Tumby Bay, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Tumby Bay, SA Sodosol
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 Tumby Bay SA
2010 437.4mm
2009 397.1mm
2008 368.2mm
2007 366.3mm
2006 412.8mm
2005 380.3mm
2004 386.8mm
2003 406.2mm
2002 374.5mm
2001 388.1mm
2000 395.6mm
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

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Tumby Bay SA

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 report and links

2010 trial report



Trial last modified: 30-09-2019 15:56pm AEST