Researcher(s) |
Bill Davoren (CSIRO) Vadakattu Gupta (CSIRO) Ben Jones (MSF) Rick Llewellyn (CSIRO) Therese McBeath (CSIRO) Anthony Whitbread (University of Gottingen) |
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Year(s) | 2013 |
Contributor | Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. |
Trial location(s) |
Karoonda, SA
|
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. Trials were established at Karoonda (Lowaldie) to test soil-specific strategies and tactics for reducing risk and increasing profitability in cereal-based rotations over the 2010-2013 growing seasons. Potential management practices including nil fertiliser, district practice, increased sowing N, increased N applied in-season and pasture breaks in 2009 and 2010 were applied on 150m long plots running across a range of soil types covering a dune-swale system. Simulation modeling was also used together with field results to identify the best long-term strategies for soil zones.
Lead research organisation |
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
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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. Funding for this work was from GRDC Water Use Efficiency Initiative (Project CSA00025). Input from the Karoonda Mallee Sustainable Farming advisory group is gratefully acknowledged. |
Other trial partners | Not specified |
Crop type | Cereal (Grain): Wheat |
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Treatment type(s) |
|
Trial type | Experimental |
Trial design | Unknown |
Sow rate or Target density | 70kg/ha |
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Sow date | 3 June 2013 03 June 2013 |
Harvest date | Not specified |
Plot size | 150m x 1.6m |
Plot replication | Not specified |
Fertiliser |
fertiliser rate according to treatments (Table 1) applied below the seed, and different treatments were applied throughout the season. The in-season N treatment was applied by top-dressing urea at GS22 (Jul 17). |
Other trial notes |
• The trial provides strong support for the use of zoning and soil-specific N management to improve profitability from Mallee dune-swale paddocks and improve the reliability of returns from fertiliser N • The highest yielding part of the paddock is not necessarily where the return on extra N fertiliser is highest – knowing starting soil N and considering yield potential is valuable. • Sandy soil types showed consistently profitable yield responses to increased inputs of N, while the heavy swale soils did not show a yield benefit of increased N inputs. • Next steps for this work are to measure the effect of different background fertility and stubble load on the cycling and availability of nitrogen to crop plants. This will be one of several trials undertaken in the Stubble Retention Project. |
Rainfall trial gsr (mm) | 228mm |
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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.