Managing soil water repellence with banded wetting agent

2012
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons

Trial details

Researcher(s) N/A
Year(s) 2012
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Warradarge, WA
Managing soil water repellence with banded wetting agent locations
Aims

To evaluate banded wetting agent (SACOA ‘Irrigator’) for crop establishment and yield on non-wetting soils in the West Midlands.

Key messages
  • This set of trials indicates that SACOA ‘Irrigator’ banded wetting agent can improve crop establishment and grain yield but that responses can be highly variable. The 27-32% yield increase seen in 3 of the trials is very encouraging. Based on these and other trials it can be suggested that banded wetting agents are most likely to be effective when:
  • Soils are moderate to strongly repellent and there are few residual roots form the previous year’s crop; and points and tines are used for seeding.
  • Banded wetter is applied in a consistent stream to the base of relatively stable furrows. Collapsing furrows, furrow infill and a disrupted band of wetting agent can reduce efficacy. Presswheels with a more rectangular cross section tend to rip up furrow walls and the disturbed soil buries and mixes banded wetting agent. ‘V’ section or round section presswheels with no deep flange reduce such problems.
  • The banded wetting agent kit needs to be robust and reliable and needs to accurately apply the wetting agent in a continuous stream into the base of the furrow
  • Crops sown early into dry or partially dry soil before opening rains derive more benefit from banded wetter. Banded wetting agents are typically less beneficial when used later in the sowing program when there has already been rain and the soil has started to wet up.
  • Growers already using wetting agents are tending to modify their usage of banded wetter to better match the likelihood of significant benefits. Some growers only use banded wetter for the dry seeding or early part of the program and don’t use it later in the program after there has been more rain.  Other growers are planning to use higher rates of banded wetter early in the program but then aim to reduce the rates when sowing later in the season. Both of these strategies will reduce cost while maximising the opportunity for benefits to crop establishment and yield. Current research in the state is showing that different banded wetting agent products can have a wide range of effects of crop establishment and especially on yield. DAFWA is continuing to research a range of products to help growers evaluate which types of banded wetting agent are more suitable for their farming system.
Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Particular thanks to all the growers who hosted banded wetter trial sites. Research funded by GRDC through a Kwinana-west zone grant to West Midlands Group and by DAFWA & GRDC through the “Delivering agronomic strategies for water repellent soils in WA – DAW00204” project. Thanks to SACOA for supplying the ‘Irrigator’ banded wetting agent for the WMG trials.


Other trial partners Not specified

Method

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

Warradarge 2012 Wheat

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

Warradarge 2012 Canola

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

Warradarge 2012 Lupins

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
Warradarge, WA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Warradarge, 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 Warradarge WA
2012 214.0mm
2011 211.7mm
2010 187.0mm
2009 206.3mm
2008 240.3mm
2007 178.6mm
2006 169.5mm
2005 212.6mm
2004 187.4mm
2003 197.0mm
2002 175.8mm
2001 179.5mm
2000 196.3mm
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.

Warradarge 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


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 26-11-2019 17:05pm AEST