Soil-specific nitrogen strategies

2009 - 2014

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Bill Davoren (CSIRO)
Vadakattu Gupta (CSIRO)
Rick Llewellyn (CSIRO)
Therese McBeath (CSIRO)
Anthony Whitbread (ICRISAT)
Year(s) 2009 - 2014
Contributor Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc.
Trial location(s) Karoonda, SA
Soil-specific nitrogen strategies locations
Aims

To identify opportunities to reduce risk and increase profitability by evaluating the soils and conditions where continuous cereal systems perform best and where inputs can be most cost-effectively targeted

Key messages
  • The trial provides strong support for the use of soil-specific N management to improve profitability and risk management on Mallee dune-swale paddocks.
  • Sandy soil types have consistently shown yield responses to increased inputs of N, while the heavy swale soils have not shown a yield benefit of increased N inputs.
  • Nil fertiliser (N and P) has been the most profitable fertiliser treatment on the heaviest swale soil and the least profitable elsewhere.
  • Upfront N at a higher rate still appears to generate the most consistent yield increase and profit outcome on the sandy soil types.
Lead research organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC CSA00025
Related program National Water Use Efficiency Initiative
Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Loller family for their generous support in hosting the trial, to Jeff Braun for monitoring and advising on trial agronomy and to Mick O’Neill for assistance with statistical analysis. Input from the Karoonda Mallee Sustainable Farming advisory group is gratefully acknowledged.


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

Method

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

Karoonda 2009

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

Karoonda 2010

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

Karoonda 2011

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

Karoonda 2012

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

Karoonda 2013

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

Karoonda 2014

Sow rate or Target density 70 kg/ha
Sow date 13 May 2014 13 May 2014
Harvest date 26 November 2014 26 November 2014
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser

As per treatments with fertiliser applied below the seed, plus in-season N treatment applied by top-dressing urea at GS22 (early tillering, 25 June 2014)

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Variety
Treatment 1
Treatment 2
Treatment 3
Grain yield (t/ha) Mineral N (kg/ha)
1 Corack 1 Swale Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.67
2 Corack 1 Swale Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.69
3 Corack 1 Swale District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.84
4 Corack 1 Swale Nil fert. 0P, 0N 2.58
5 Corack 1 Swale High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 2.58
6 Corack 1 Swale High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 2.6
7 Corack 2 Swale Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 3.22 60.2
8 Corack 2 Swale Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.75 60.2
9 Corack 2 Swale District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.84 60.2
10 Corack 2 Swale Nil fert. 0P, 0N 2.69 60.2
11 Corack 2 Swale High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3 60.2
12 Corack 2 Swale High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3 60.2
13 Corack 3 Swale Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 3.31
14 Corack 3 Swale Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 3
15 Corack 3 Swale District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 3.14
16 Corack 3 Swale Nil fert. 0P, 0N 2.64
17 Corack 3 Swale High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.35
18 Corack 3 Swale High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.51
19 Corack 4 Mid Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.99
20 Corack 4 Mid Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.92
21 Corack 4 Mid District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.93
22 Corack 4 Mid Nil fert. 0P, 0N 2.32
23 Corack 4 Mid High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.4
24 Corack 4 Mid High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.48
25 Corack 5 Mid Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.69 30.8
26 Corack 5 Mid Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.59 30.8
27 Corack 5 Mid District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 2.48 30.8
28 Corack 5 Mid Nil fert. 0P, 0N 2.03 30.8
29 Corack 5 Mid High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.5 30.8
30 Corack 5 Mid High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 3.46 30.8
31 Corack 6 Crest Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.03
32 Corack 6 Crest Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.05
33 Corack 6 Crest District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 0.79
34 Corack 6 Crest Nil fert. 0P, 0N 0.51
35 Corack 6 Crest High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.63
36 Corack 6 Crest High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.33
37 Corack 7 Dune Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.08
38 Corack 7 Dune Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.12
39 Corack 7 Dune District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 0.96
40 Corack 7 Dune Nil fert. 0P, 0N 0.5
41 Corack 7 Dune High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.79
42 Corack 7 Dune High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.39
43 Corack 8 Dune Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.64 15.4
44 Corack 8 Dune Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.23 15.4
45 Corack 8 Dune District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.1 15.4
46 Corack 8 Dune Nil fert. 0P, 0N 0.77 15.4
47 Corack 8 Dune High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 2.05 15.4
48 Corack 8 Dune High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.75 15.4
49 Corack 9 Dune Pasture 2009 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.31
50 Corack 9 Dune Pasture 2010 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.37
51 Corack 9 Dune District practice 10P, 9N (50 kg DAP) 1.23
52 Corack 9 Dune Nil fert. 0P, 0N 0.8
53 Corack 9 Dune High N upfront 10P, 40N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.92
54 Corack 9 Dune High N topdress 10 P, 40 N (50 kg DAP, 67kg Urea) 1.45

Grain yield t/ha


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Mineral N kg/ha


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Karoonda, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Karoonda, SA Calcarosol
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 Karoonda SA
2014 252.1mm
2013 237.4mm
2012 295.6mm
2011 357.6mm
2010 309.7mm
2009 240.5mm
2008 226.5mm
2007 265.4mm
2006 275.1mm
2005 288.1mm
2004 252.3mm
2003 265.0mm
2002 222.9mm
2001 240.8mm
2000 304.2mm
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

Karoonda SA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 182mm

Derived climate information

Karoonda SA

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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