Assessing 'Yield Prophet' as a tool to assist growers in determining crop nitrogen requirments in the West Midlands

2010
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Stephen Davies (DAFWA)
Ben McTaggart (WMG)
Hellene McTaggart (WMG)
Year(s) 2010
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Badgingarra, WA
Assessing 'Yield Prophet' as a tool to assist growers in determining crop nitrogen requirments in the West Midlands locations
Aims

This trial seeks to test the Yield Prophet tool to determine its relevance and usefulness to growers of the West Midlands region in determining most efficient and effective nitrogen strategy.

Key messages
  • The trial did re-iterate that early sowing provides more opportunity to ‘play the season’ and alter N management to significantly impact on crop yield outcomes compared with the late sown crops which, in the truncated 2010 season, provided little opportunity for changing N management.  This suggests that focusing on getting the N management of the earlier sown crops sown right for a given season is a good investment of time. Further testing will give a clearer picture as to whether Yield Prophet adds significant value to helping make these decisions. 
  • Although the Farmer group were original concerned about the Yield Prophet N budget, tt appears that the model has utilized deep soil test data to reasonably assess the supply of soil N to plants and the movement of soil and applied N through the profile. From this point of view, with the addition of an accurately characterized soil profile, the model may allow growers to better account for and manage nitrogen supply and losses from below the 0-10cm zone.
  • Although yields from the Farmer strategy tended to be higher than the Yield Prophet strategy (although not significant), returns per hectare (net of Nitrogen and application costs) were very similar due to the increased costs associated with the Farmer strategy. With further soil characterization and ‘ground proofing’ a tool such as Yield Prophet may be a useful way to reduce the risks and more accurately quantify the benefits associated with applying in-crop nitrogen.
  • This trial will be repeated in 2011, and with a more accurate soil characterization it is expected that Yield Prophet will be more accurately assessed.
Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source GRDC
Trial funding source Australian Government
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

The working group: Jeff Fordham, Ben McTaggart, Helen Lethlean and Dave Cameron for time, enthusiasm and participation in this trial; Summit Fertilizers and CSBP for nutrition advice and testing; Stephen Davies, Christine Zaicou-Kunesch and Wayne Parker for trial design and development; Steve Cosh and Trevor Bell for trial management; Breanne Best for harvest cuts and processing; Harm van Rees from Birchip Cropping Group.

This project is funded by GRDC and the Australian Government's Climate Change Research Program.


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

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Technology: Modelling
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Randomised,Replicated,Blocked

Badgingarra 2010

Sow rate or Target density 75kg/ha
Sowing machinery

Cone seeder - 25cm rows

Sow date 24 May 2010
Harvest date 17 November 2010
Plot size 1.54m x 20m
Plot replication 3
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
Badgingarra, WA Gravelly sand
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Badgingarra, WA Chromosol
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 Badgingarra WA
2010 147.5mm
2009 176.1mm
2008 192.9mm
2007 135.2mm
2006 142.1mm
2005 169.7mm
2004 128.0mm
2003 144.9mm
2002 140.2mm
2001 128.6mm
2000 161.9mm
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

Badgingarra WA 2010


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 304mm

Derived climate information

Badgingarra 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

2010 trial report



Trial last modified: 19-01-2023 15:10pm AEST