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Sheep and no-till: no worries!

2010
CC BY 4.0

Research organisations
Funding source
FarmLink Research Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
<abbr title='Grains Research and Development Corporation'>GRDC</abbr>

Trial details

Researcher(s) Paul Breust (FarmLink)
Neil Fettell (UnE)
James Hunt (CSIRO)
John Kirkegaard (CSIRO)
Mark Peoples (CSIRO)
Antony Swan (UnE)
Year(s) 2010
Contributor FarmLink Research
Trial location(s) Temora, NSW
Sheep and no-till: no worries! locations
Aims

To assess the impact of sheep grazing on crops, stubbles, soil structure, water dynamics and crop yield.

Key messages
  • Sheep grazing on stubbles and crops do not reduce crop yields provided summer weeds are controlled and at least 70% stubble cover (2-3 t/ha cereal stubble) is maintained.
  • Reduced water infiltration and yield from grazing are due to removal of cover rather than compaction – it is sheep’s mouths that do damage, not their hooves.
  • Sheep do compact soil, but only at the surface and natural shrinking and swelling of soils and sowing with knife points alleviates this. 
  • Grazing of stubble and crops appears to make more N available to crops which can increase yield, although the mechanisms remain unclear.
Lead research organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Host research organisation FarmLink Research
Trial funding source GRDC FLR00005
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

We thank the Catch More, Store More, Grow project steering committee for their advice on conduct of the Temora experiement, and the Coleman family for hosting this experiment.
Other trial partners University of New England
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Oilseed: Canola
Treatment type(s)
  • Grazing : Application Method
  • Grazing : Timing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Temora 2010

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date late November, early December
Plot size 7m x 16m
Plot replication Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Variety
 Treatment 1
Grain yield (t/ha) Plant available water (mm) Stubble remaining (t/ha) Infiltration rate (mm/h) Bulk density (mg/m3) Soil strength (kPa)
1 █ Tawriffic █ Nil graze 4.1 155 5.4 33 1.22 222
2 █ Tawriffic █ Stubble graze 4.2 110 0.8 20 1.23 365
3 █ Tawriffic █ Winter and Stubble Graze 4 99 0.8 16 1.25 516

Grain yield t/ha

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Bulk density mg/m3

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Infiltration rate mm/h

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Plant available water mm

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Soil strength kPa

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Stubble remaining t/ha

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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Temora, NSW Red chromosol
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Temora, NSW Kandosol
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 Temora NSW
2010
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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.

Temora NSW

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

2010 trial report



Trial last modified: 05-06-2019 11:55am AEST