Further investigation into benefits of rotary spading and liming a yellow sand plain soil

2014
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Erin Cahill (agVivo)
Stephen Davies (DAFWA)
Ryan Guthrie (DAFWA)
Rowan Maddern (CSBP)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Dandaragan, WA
Further investigation into benefits of rotary spading and liming a yellow sand plain soil locations
Aims

To further investigate rotary spading and other soil amelioration techniques on the yellow sand-plain soils west of Moora.

Key messages

One way ploughing slightly improved establishment, head numbers, biomass production and yield but is not a viable long term solution for the severe non wetting on this soil type.

Deep ripping and spading improved head numbers by over 60% and biomass production by 87% compared to the control.

Grain yields were improved by over a 1 t/ha and gross margin by about $200/ha when treatment costs were amortized over 5 years in the combined ripping and spading treatments.

Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source DAFWA
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Many thanks to:

Tony and Judy Snell for giving up a portion of their paddock for the trial.

Dave Gartner and Aglime Australia for supplying the lime.

Paul and David Hayes the spading on the trial.

Brian Cahill for ploughing on the trial.

Stephen Davies (DAFWA) for his penetrometer and harvest index data

Ryan Guthrie and Rowan Maddern CSBP for pegging topdressing and harvesting the trial.


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

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Improvement
Trial type Demonstration
Trial design Unreplicated

Dandaragan 2014

Sow rate or Target density 100kg/ha
Sowing machinery

Ploughing conducted (Chamberlain one-way plough)

Sow date 5 June 2011
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 11m x 30m
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser

At seeding: K Till Trace @ 80 kg/ha

Post: NS 41 @ 60kg/ha (5 July); NS 41 @ 60 kg/ha (1 August)

Herbicide

Pre: Logran @ 30g/ha, trifluralin @ 1.8L/ha, sprayseed @ 1L/ha, alpha-cypermethrin @ 100ml/ha

Post: Folicur @ 200ml/ha, Tigrex @ 750 ml/ha, alpha-cypermethrin @ 125 ml/ha; Folicur @ 200 ml/ha and Trojan @ 12 ml/ha at flag leaf.

Soil amelioration

21 March Topdressed with Superphosphate and Super CuZnMo treatments (immediately following 23mm of rain)

27 March Lime treatments applied

19 April Deep ripping (Western Ripper) conducted

30 May Rotary Spading (Hayes machine) conducted (29mm rain the evening before)

5 June Ploughing conducted (Chamberlain one-way plough). Rolling conducted (rubber tyred roller) immediately prior to sowing

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information
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
Dandaragan, WA Yellow sandplain
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Dandaragan, WA Tenosol
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 Dandaragan WA
2014 94.8mm
2013 121.8mm
2012 132.3mm
2011 96.9mm
2010 84.2mm
2009 110.1mm
2008 97.5mm
2007 51.3mm
2006 74.4mm
2005 95.5mm
2004 91.7mm
2003 90.5mm
2002 32.9mm
2001 35.4mm
2000 114.0mm
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

Dandaragan WA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 334mm

Derived climate information

Dandaragan WA

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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: 24-07-2019 11:34am AEST