Sowing strategies to improve productivity on sandy mallee soils

2014

Research organisatons
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Bill Davoren (CSIRO)
Rick Llewellyn (CSIRO)
Therese McBeath (CSIRO)
Gupta Vadakuttu (CSIRO)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc.
Trial location(s) Karoonda, SA
Related trials
Sowing strategies to improve productivity on sandy mallee soils locations
Aims

To determine whether the potential benefits of sowing on last year’s crop row to harvest any extra water and nutrition can outweigh risks of increased disease pressure and lead to better crop performance on Mallee soil types

Key messages
  • There were no measurable differences in 2014 wheat yield in response to two different sowing dates and sowing on-row vs. inter-row.
  • On the sandy soil type, there was more plant available water (PAW) in the top 10cm when sowing on-row.
  • Rhizoctonia inoculum was higher with on-row compared to inter-row sowing but this did not carry through to an effect on rhizoctonia infection in the crop. 
  • In a season where the profile PAW was similar for the two sowing dates (April 30 and May 14) crop establishment was better with the earlier time of sowing but ryegrass pressure on the swale was also higher with the earlier time of sowing.
Lead research organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC MSF00003
Trial funding source CSIRO
Related program Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble
Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Loller family for their generous support in hosting the trial, to Jeff Braun for monitoring and advising on trial agronomy. Funding for this work was from the Stubble Retention initiative (Project MSF00003) and the CSIRO Agriculture Flagship.


Other trial partners Not specified
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Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Properties: Type
  • Sowing: Timing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Karoonda 2014

Sow rate or Target density Corack Wheat @ 70 kg/ha
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser

Seed was sown at 70 kg/ha with 50 kg/ha DAP and 24 kg/ha Urea applied below the seed. In addition, 33 kg/ha potassium sulfate was added pre-seeding and a trace element spray including zinc, copper and manganese was applied at early tillering

Other trial notes

All crop row spacings were 28 cm.

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Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Treatment 1
Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha)
1 Dune - on-row April sow 9.8 1.34
2 Dune - inter-row April sow 9.8 1.43
3 Swale - on-row April sow 11 2.23
4 Swale - inter-row April sow 11 2.07
5 Dune - on-row May sow 9.8 1.34
6 Dune - inter-row May sow 9.5 1.39
7 Swale - on-row May sow 11.3 2.01
8 Swale - inter-row May sow 10.9 2.05

Grain yield t/ha


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Protein %


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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

Derived climate information

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

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: 25-06-2019 10:53am AEST