Wheat agronomy on water repellent sands

2014
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Sheree Blechynden (Facey Group)
Stephen Davies (DAFWA)
Sarah Hyde (DAFWA)
Christine Zaicou-Kunesch (DAFWA)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor Facey Group
Trial location(s) Binnu, WA
Cranbrook, WA
Warradarge, WA
Yealering, WA
Wheat agronomy on water repellent sands locations
Aims

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.

Key messages
  • Seeding rate had a bigger impact on wheat establishment than soil wetting agents
  • High seeding rates on soils with low yield potential were sometimes a disadvantage; optimal seeding rates would need to account for yield potential as well as the degree of soil water repellence.
  • Delaying sowing providing an opportunity to get a knockdown of weeds was important on water repellent soils where staggered weed germination, and reduced herbicide activity, reduces efficacy of in-crop and pre-emergent applications.
  • In these trials soil wetting agents did not consistently improve wheat establishment and despite some evidence of benefits to vegetative growth this generally did not translate into a grain yield benefit.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation Facey Group
Trial funding source GRDC DAW00204,DAW00218
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Funded by DAFWA and GRDC through DAW00204 ‘Delivering agronomic strategies for water repellent soils in WA’ and DAW00218 ‘Wheat agronomy systems profitability’. Thanks to Living Farm for management of sites at Wickepin and Cranbrook. The provision of sites and support of growers Ray Falconer, Kyle Carson, David Stacey, and Kim Oliver is greatly appreciated. Thanks to Trevor Bell, Anne Smith, Stephanie Boyce, Paul Bartlett, Virginia Smee and Greg Brown for technical support. Thanks to West Midlands Group, Northern Agri Group, Facey Group, Gillami Centre and the soil wetter product manufacturers for ongoing support.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Properties: Type
  • Soil Improvement: Type
  • Sowing: Rate
Trial type
Trial design

Binnu 2014

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Cranbrook 2014

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Warradarge 2014

Sow rate or Target density 60Kg/ha and 120Kg/ha
Sow date 27 April 2014 31st May 2014
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Yealering 2014

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Treatment 1
Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Screenings (%)
1 Time of sowing 1 @ 60kg/ha 13 1.27 128 8.5
2 Time of sowing 1 @ 120kg/ha 13.2 1.26 200 8.4
3 Time of sowing 2 @ 60kg/ha 12.8 0.81 98 7.3
4 Time of sowing 2 @ 120kg/ha 12.9 0.69 173 7.1

Grain yield t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Binnu, WA Not specified
Cranbrook, WA Not specified
Warradarge, WA Loamy sand over gravel
Yealering, WA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Binnu, WA Chromosol
Cranbrook, WA Sodosol
Warradarge, WA Chromosol
Yealering, WA 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 Binnu WA Cranbrook WA Warradarge WA Yealering WA
2014 330.6mm485.8mm109.0mm450.1mm
2013 333.3mm499.4mm140.1mm465.0mm
2012 348.2mm489.5mm122.0mm461.3mm
2011 400.9mm516.3mm129.0mm402.7mm
2010 324.7mm473.7mm106.3mm414.3mm
2009 358.5mm504.1mm115.2mm441.4mm
2008 398.8mm511.9mm145.5mm442.3mm
2007 280.7mm482.3mm107.2mm417.9mm
2006 313.7mm474.9mm91.2mm485.2mm
2005 342.3mm495.2mm118.3mm463.0mm
2004 319.6mm483.6mm100.0mm428.9mm
2003 338.0mm496.5mm108.0mm444.9mm
2002 333.0mm495.9mm93.3mm410.1mm
2001 338.8mm466.4mm96.7mm407.8mm
2000 381.7mm498.1mm107.7mm475.5mm
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

Warradarge WA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 304mm

Derived climate information

Binnu WA

Cranbrook WA

Warradarge WA

Yealering WA

Binnu WA

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Cranbrook WA

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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Warradarge WA

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Yealering WA

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

2014 trial report



Trial last modified: 06-08-2019 07:54am AEST