| Researcher(s) |
Jessica Crettenden (SARDI) |
|---|---|
| Year(s) | 2015 |
| Contributor | SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre |
| Trial location(s) |
Minnipa Agricultural Centre, SA
|
| Related trials |
|
A long-term study was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre from 2008 to 2015 (EPFS Summaries 2008 to 2014) to assess the impact of grazing on crop and pasture production and soil health and also to evaluate this from a systems perspective.
The eight year demonstration with a wheat, wheat, pasture (volunteer and sown annual medic), wheat, pasture (self-regenerating annual medic), wheat and wheat rotation was also established to determine whether productivity could be improved under a higher input system compared to a lower input and more traditional system and what affect this had on soil fertility.
| Lead research organisation |
Southern Farming Systems |
|---|---|
| Host research organisation |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre |
| Trial funding source | GRDC SFS00028 |
| Related program |
Grain & Graze 3 |
| Acknowledgments |
I gratefully acknowledge the help of Mark Klante and Brett McEvoy for site management and John Kelsh for data collection. The Eyre Peninsula Grain and Graze 3 project is funded by GRDC (SFS00028). |
| Other trial partners | EP, BCG, MSF, Ag Excellence Alliance |
| Crop type | Pasture: Medic |
|---|---|
| Treatment type(s) |
|
| Trial type | Demonstration |
| Trial design | Unreplicated |
| Sow date | Not specified |
|---|---|
| Harvest date | Not specified |
| Plot size | 350m x 100m |
| Plot replication | 1 |
| Fertiliser |
In 2015 the trial was retained as a self-regenerating annual medic, with a fertiliser treatment of 18:20:00 DAP broadcast @ 100 kg/ha to the high input areas on 23 April. |
| Herbicide |
Grass weeds were sprayed-out of the ungrazed sections on 7 October. No spraying was required on grazed treatments. |
| # |
Treatment 1
|
Biomass at anthesis (t DM/ha) | Total biomass (t DM/ha) | Water use efficiency (% of potential) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | █ Low input - grazed | 2.8 | 5.2 | 66 |
| 2 | █ Low input - ungrazed | 3.7 | 3.7 | 65 |
| 3 | █ High input - grazed | 3.2 | 5.7 | 65 |
| 4 | █ High input - ungrazed | 4.1 | 4.1 | 54 |
| Rainfall avg ann (mm) | 325mm |
|---|---|
| Rainfall avg gsr (mm) | 241mm |
| Rainfall trial total (mm) | 333mm |
| Rainfall trial gsr (mm) | 258mm |
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.
