Does size really matter - granule size and nutrient availability?

2001

Research organisaton

Trial details

Researcher(s) N/A
Year(s) 2001
Contributor Birchip Cropping Group
Trial location(s) Birchip, VIC
Does size really matter - granule size and nutrient availability? locations
Aims

To investigate whether fertiliser granule size influences nutrient availability to plants.

Key messages
  • The results of this demonstration indicate that by reducing fertiliser granule size, while maintaining the amount of fertiliser applied, can be beneficial to crop yield.
  • It is assumed that this benefit is derived from better spatial arrangement of the fertiliser allowing crop roots better access to the nutrients.
  • Crops with fibrous root systems (cereals and pulses) are better able to exploit this than those with tap roots (canola).
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation N/A
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

The trial staff are eternally grateful to Max Jackman (Anne Jackman’s father) who allowed us to pulverise the fertiliser in his hammer-mill. Experience proved crushing fertiliser on the footpath with bricks, running it through a meat mincer and rolling it on concrete with a tennis court roller does not work!


Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Wheat Oilseed: Canola
Trial type
Trial design

Birchip 2001 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Birchip 2001 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
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
Birchip, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Birchip, VIC Vertosol
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 Birchip VIC
2001 285.1mm
2000 290.6mm
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

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Birchip VIC

CAUTION: Trial site locality unknown; Climate data sourced from Birchip Cropping Group office location
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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: 06-08-2019 07:54am AEST