Soil-specific strategies continue to pay at Karoonda

2013

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Bill Davoren (CSIRO)
Vadakattu Gupta (CSIRO)
Ben Jones (MSF)
Rick Llewellyn (CSIRO)
Therese McBeath (CSIRO)
Anthony Whitbread (University of Gottingen)
Year(s) 2013
Contributor Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc.
Trial location(s) Karoonda, SA
Soil-specific strategies continue to pay at Karoonda 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. 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.

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 showing 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.
  • There was still a measurable response in 2013 to a pasture break in 2009.
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. 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

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Rotation
  • Fertiliser: Rate
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Unknown

Karoonda 2013

Sow rate or Target density 70kg/ha
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.

Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
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
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 2013


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 228mm

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


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 23-07-2019 15:46pm AEST