Active stubble management to enhance residue breakdown and subsequent crop management

2015

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Nick Poole (FAR Australia)
Michael Straight (FAR Australia)
Tracey Wylie (FAR Australia)
Year(s) 2015
Contributor Riverine Plains
Trial location(s) Corowa, NSW
Henty, NSW
Dookie, VIC
Yarrawonga, VIC
Active stubble management to enhance residue breakdown and subsequent crop management locations
Aims

The project seeks 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
  • A highly variable trial with no significant differences in monola dry matter (DM) accumulation, nitrogen uptake or yields due to subble management.
  • The 2014 cultivation treatments carried out before sowing the canola crop during the first year of the project significantly increased the yield of the following oat crop established using no-till stubble retention (NTSR).
  • The yield increase in the following oat crops was reflected in significantly more biomass accumulation by the flag leaf.
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

Thanks to the farmer co-operator, Peter Campbell (Henty, NSW).


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

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

Corowa 2015 Wheat

Sow date 7 May 2015
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 Not specified

Henty 2015 Canola

Sow date 21 April 2015
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)

Dookie 2015 Canola

Sow date 12 May 2015
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 Not specified

Yarrawonga 2015 Barley

Sow date 13 May 2015
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 Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Effect of stubble management treatments on grain and growth parameters at Henty in 2015

# Treatment 1
Treatment 2
Oil (%) Grain yield (t/ha) Moisture (%) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Protein (%)
1 No till stubble retention 0 kg N/ha 44.5 1.24 5.4 42 19.1
2 No till stubble retention 40kg N/ha 41 1.32 5.1 43 21.7
3 Mulched 0 kg N/ha 43.6 1.44 5 34 20.6
4 Mulched 40kg N/ha 43.6 1.39 4.8 39 20.4
5 Cultivated (one pass) 0 kg N/ha 44.3 1.43 4.9 59 20.3
6 Cultivated (one pass) 40kg N/ha 43.7 1.35 4.8 62 20.8

Grain yield t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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Moisture %


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Oil %


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Protein %


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Trial results Effect of stubble management treatments on grain and growth parameters at Corowa in 2015

# Grain yield (t/ha) F-1 leaf area affected by yellow spot (%) Harvest index (value) Protein (%) Screenings (%) 1000 grain weight (g) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Hectolitre weight (kg/hL)
1 No till full stubble retention (control) 4.33 0.2 42.8 10.9 3.5 31.3 114 78.8
2 Cultivate (one passes) 4.18 0.2 40.4 11.4 3.2 36.1 118 78.7
3 Cultivate (one passes) + 40 kg N/ha 4.69 0.2 46.8 11.5 3.5 28.9 114 78.7
4 Burn 3.77 0.3 37.7 11.4 3.6 35.2 126 79.8

Grain yield t/ha


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1000 grain weight g


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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F-1 leaf area affected by yellow spot %


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Harvest index value


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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 treatments on grain and growth parameters at Yarrawonga in 2015

# 1000 grain weight (g) Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) Screenings (%) Grain yield (t/ha) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Protein (%)
1 NTSR (long stubble) 21.1 78.8 19.9 3.13 167 15.6
2 NTSR (long stubble) + 40 kg N/ha 21.1 78.5 21 3.2 178 15.6
3 NTSR (short stubble) 22.3 79.2 17.7 3.35 164 14.8
4 Straw Removed 21.1 78.3 22.6 3.03 185 14.9
5 Cultivate (one pass) 21.3 79 19.1 3.1 179 14.8
6 Cultivate (one pass) + 40 kg N/ha 21.3 78.9 22 3.05 177 15.7
7 Burnt 20.8 77.9 25.2 2.93 185 15

Grain yield t/ha


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1000 grain weight g


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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 treatments on grain and growth parameters at Dookie in 2015

# Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha) 1000 grain weight (g) Hectolitre weight (kg/hL) Screenings (%)
1 Long stubble 15 2.41 17.3 69.8 45.8
2 Short stubble 13.6 2.52 17.1 70.6 43.7
3 Cultivate (one passes) 12.9 2.39 16.4 68.1 47.3
4 Straw Removed 13.5 2.32 16.1 66.4 57.7
5 Burn 13.3 2.49 16.5 68.6 50.3

Grain yield t/ha


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1000 grain weight g


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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
Corowa, NSW Red brown earth
Henty, NSW Red brown earth
Dookie, VIC Not specified
Yarrawonga, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Corowa, 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 Corowa NSW Henty NSW Dookie VIC Yarrawonga VIC
2015 546.3mm309.5mm153.8mm597.1mm
2014 519.0mm297.9mm168.0mm586.7mm
2013 513.2mm365.5mm169.5mm573.0mm
2012 557.9mm401.2mm202.6mm589.8mm
2011 570.1mm428.7mm236.0mm592.9mm
2010 579.8mm422.6mm251.3mm605.2mm
2009 512.0mm368.7mm194.9mm562.9mm
2008 523.2mm374.9mm248.4mm560.4mm
2007 545.2mm326.7mm238.2mm538.8mm
2006 553.9mm320.1mm267.3mm557.8mm
2005 569.2mm344.3mm304.7mm583.2mm
2004 534.8mm291.0mm298.6mm557.7mm
2003 535.3mm298.8mm350.4mm547.9mm
2002 511.4mm285.4mm334.5mm524.2mm
2001 533.6mm391.1mm388.8mm511.4mm
2000 532.4mm440.8mm413.1mm461.9mm
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

Corowa NSW 2015


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 329mm

Henty NSW 2015


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 391mm

Dookie VIC 2015


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 233mm

Yarrawonga VIC 2015


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 266mm

Derived climate information

Corowa VIC

Henty VIC

Dookie VIC

Yarrawonga VIC

Corowa 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

2015 trial report



Trial last modified: 28-11-2019 10:28am AEST