Active stubble management to enhance residue breakdown and subsequent crop management

2014

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Nick Poole (FAR Australia)
Michael Straight (FAR Australia)
Tracey Wylie (FAR Australia)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor Riverine Plains
Trial location(s) Coreen, NSW
Henty, NSW
Dookie, VIC
Yarrawonga, VIC
Active stubble management to enhance residue breakdown and subsequent crop management locations
Aims

To present results from the large plot focus farm trials of the Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble in the Riverine Plains region project, which where to

  • investigate, demonstrate and extend cultural practices that will assist growers to adopt no-till stubble retention (NTSR) in medium and higher-rainfall environments;
  • build on findings from the previous Riverine Plains Inc. Water Use Efficiency (WUE) project; and
  • extend the frontier of agronomic knowledge for crops grown in NTSR systems.
Key messages
  • Under moist mid-April sowing conditions, there was a significant yield advantage (0.45t/ha) with one shallow-pass cultivation before establishing canola, compared with crops sown directly into standing wheat stubble.
  • The yield advantage of canola following cultivation correlated to crops with higher vigour, early dry matter (DM) and greater nitrogen uptake.
  • There was no significant benefit to mulching the first wheat stubble before direct drilling canola.
  • The additon of 40kg N/ha at sowing gave a significant yield increase to crops established directly into the first wheat stubble, but there was no significant advantage to the additional nitrogen where stubbles were cultivated or mulched.
Lead research organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC
Related program Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Wheat Oilseed: Canola
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Rate
  • Stubble: Management
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Coreen 2014 Wheat

Sow date 24 April 2014
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 40m x 15m
Plot replication 4
Herbicide

host farmer paddock management

Insecticide

host farmer paddock management

Fungicide

host farmer paddock management

Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Coreen 2014 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified
Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Henty 2014 Canola

Sow date Multiple - please see report
Harvest date Multiple - please see report
Plot size 40m x 15m
Plot replication 4
Herbicide

host farmer paddock management

Insecticide

host farmer paddock management

Fungicide

host farmer paddock management

Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Henty 2014 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified
Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Dookie 2014 Wheat

Sow date 16 May 2014
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 40m x 12m
Plot replication 4
Herbicide

host farmer paddock management

Insecticide

host farmer paddock management

Fungicide

host farmer paddock management

Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Dookie 2014 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified
Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Yarrawonga 2014 Wheat

Sow date 16 April 2014
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 40m x 18m
Plot replication 4
Herbicide

host farmer paddock management

Insecticide

host farmer paddock management

Fungicide

host farmer paddock management

Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Yarrawonga 2014 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified
Other trial notes

GSR (Apr-Oct)

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Effect of stubble management and fertiliser application on crop parameters at Henty in 2014

# Treatment 1
Treatment 2
Grain yield (t/ha) Oil (%)
1 NTSR 0 kg N/ha 2.02 43.2
2 NTSR 40kg N/ha 2.42 42.7
3 Mulched 0 kg N/ha 2.29 43.8
4 Mulched 40kg N/ha 2.21 42.7
5 Cultivated (one pass) 0 kg N/ha 2.48 43.7
6 Cultivated (one pass) 40kg N/ha 2.63 44.2

Grain yield t/ha


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Oil %


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Trial results Effect of stubble management on crop parameters at Dookie in 2014

# Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) Screenings (%) Flag leaf area affected by yellow spot (%) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha) F-1 leaf area affected by yellow spot (%)
1 No till stubble retention 78.9 4.5 0.68 109 8.1 3.17 5.4
2 Burn 78.5 4.6 0.35 112 8.1 3.1 1.5
3 Cultivate (two passes) 79.1 4.2 1 86 8.8 3.18 3
4 Cultivate (two passes) + 40 kg N/ha 78.3 5 0.5 77 8.4 3.31 1.7

Grain yield t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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F-1 leaf area affected by yellow spot %


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Flag leaf area affected by yellow spot %


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Hectolitre weight kg/hL


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Trial results Effect of stubble management and fertiliser application on crop parameters at Yarrawonga in 2014

# Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) Screenings (%) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha)
1 NTSR 79.2 5.4 131 10.5 4.18
2 NTSR + 40 kg N/ha 78.2 10 164 12 1.18
3 Burn 82.1 2.6 170 9.9 4.43
4 Straw Removed 81.4 2.9 172 9.6 4.53
5 Cultivate (one pass) 81.3 3.4 150 9.9 4.54
6 Cultivate (one pass) 80.9 5.3 156 11.1 4.3

Grain yield t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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Hectolitre weight kg/hL


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Trial results Effect of stubble management on crop parameters at Dookie in 2014

# Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) Screenings (%) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha)
1 Short stubble 79.1 2.9 133 10.6 4.66
2 Long stubble 76.4 3.2 127 11.6 4.98
3 Burn 79.2 3 138 10.4 5.85
4 Straw Removed 77.5 3.3 138 10.9 5.66
5 Cultivate (two passes) 79.3 2.5 123 10.3 5.56

Grain yield t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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Hectolitre weight kg/hL


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Coreen, NSW Not specified
Henty, NSW Not specified
Dookie, VIC Not specified
Yarrawonga, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Coreen, NSW Sodosol
Henty, NSW Sodosol
Dookie, VIC Sodosol
Yarrawonga, VIC Sodosol
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 Coreen NSW Henty NSW Dookie VIC Yarrawonga VIC
2014 217.9mm297.9mm168.0mm586.7mm
2013 225.9mm365.5mm169.5mm573.0mm
2012 285.1mm401.2mm202.6mm589.8mm
2011 307.7mm428.7mm236.0mm592.9mm
2010 349.4mm422.6mm251.3mm605.2mm
2009 338.8mm368.7mm194.9mm562.9mm
2008 317.6mm374.9mm248.4mm560.4mm
2007 277.2mm326.7mm238.2mm538.8mm
2006 321.7mm320.1mm267.3mm557.8mm
2005 362.2mm344.3mm304.7mm583.2mm
2004 363.1mm291.0mm298.6mm557.7mm
2003 443.7mm298.8mm350.4mm547.9mm
2002 442.3mm285.4mm334.5mm524.2mm
2001 483.8mm391.1mm388.8mm511.4mm
2000 509.9mm440.8mm413.1mm461.9mm
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

Coreen NSW 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 332.6mm

Henty NSW 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 390mm

Dookie VIC 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 386mm

Yarrawonga VIC 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 373mm

Derived climate information

Coreen VIC

Henty VIC

Dookie VIC

Yarrawonga VIC

Coreen VIC

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Henty VIC

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Dookie VIC

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Yarrawonga VIC

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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: 15-01-2023 00:19am AEST