Response of wheat to foliar applied copper on five Hamilton soil types

1987

Research organisatons

Trial details

Researcher(s) NS Badawy
RB Dickmann
GW Whipp
Year(s) 1987
Contributor South Australian Research and Development Institute
Trial location(s) Casterton, VIC
Further information View external link
Response of wheat to foliar applied copper on five Hamilton soil types locations
Aims

To record the reponses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to copper in the Wimmera region of Victoria to determine if commercial wheat crops would respond to copper.

Key messages
  • Five representative sites with no history of copper application were selected on each of five main soil types in the district.
  • Four treatments (replicated 4 times) were established; Nil and 75 g/ha of foliar copper applied at Zadox scale 23, 41 and 23 + 41.
  • Anthesis and harvest dry matter production and grain yield were determined by quadrat cuts of 3mL/plot. Al, A2 and 81 horizon soil samples were taken for chemical analysis • Copper application resulted in a significant increase in grain yield on soil types 2 and 5, attributable to significant increases in grain weight on soil type 5, and grain number per head on soil type 2.
  • These soils were geologically the oldest of the five tested and had the lowest average level of EDTA copper.
  • Time of application was not important and a second application did not increase yield further.
  • There were no early symptoms of Cu deficiency on any sites and foliar application of copper at tillering produced no change in either visual appearance or anthesis dry matter production.
  • Deficiency symptoms only became apparent at stem elongation when two sites displayed minor wilting.
  • In addition to identifying the two soil types with suboptimal copper supply to wheat, this experiment highlights the pitfalls of relying on visual detection of copper deficiency.
  • Areas of subliminal but significant copper deficiency may go undetected by farmers who rely on this method.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation Agriculture Victoria
Related program More Profit from Crop Nutrition
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Timing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Casterton 1987

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication 4
Fertiliser

Four treatments were established; nil (T1) and 75 g/ha of foliar copper applied at Zadox scale 23 (T2), 41 (T3) and 23 + 41 (T4).

Other trial notes

Flynn A (1985) Proc. Australian Soc. Soil Sci. (Vic. Branch) Conf. Longerenong. pp 16.

Trial report and links


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 10-10-2019 10:33am AEST