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Reduce acidity and choose a suitable wheat variety, Dandaragan

2013
CC BY 4.0

Research organisations
Funding source
West Midlands Group Department of Agriculture and Food WA
<abbr title='Department of Agriculture and Food (Western Australia)'>DAFWA</abbr>

Trial details

Researcher(s) Chad Reynolds (DAFWA)
Christine Zaicou-Kunesch (DAFWA)
Year(s) 2013
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Regans Ford, WA
Reduce acidity and choose a suitable wheat variety, Dandaragan locations
Aims
  • To identify impact of amelioration on maintaining productivity of adapted varieties in a district.
  • To compare effect of amelioration on soil pH.
Key messages
  • Liming and spading had a significant effect on soil pH. The untreated plots (no spading and no lime) had a soil pH that declined from 5.5 to 4.3 down the soil profile.   Simply spading the soil, without lime application, lowered the soil pH of the topsoil to because acidic subsoil is mixed with the top soil.  Liming, without spading, has significantly increased pH levels on topsoil to 5.8 but no effect at depth. Liming together with spading has improved the soil pH at depth.
  • Due to variability at seeding and weed control the impact of soil amelioration on productivity of the wheat varieties is not conclusive (CV = 16%). Liming (averaged across variety and spading), reduced yield from 3.2 t/ha to 2.9 t/ha (p=0.009, LSD =0.2). Spading treatments affected seeding depth. This resulted in variable and poor emergence in the spaded treatments. Wheat plant  densities established were 85 plants / m2 in the spaded treatment and 105 plants / m2 in the un- spaded treatment.  Brome grass control was not highly effective and variable across the site. These factors will have influenced the large variability in treatment effects. However future cropping across the trial area may indicate the treatment effects.
  • Corack and Mace were significantly higher yielding than Emu Rock, however black point is a risk factor for Corack. The other varieties performed similarly.
  • Spading treatments were carried out within a short period prior to seeding and plots were not rolled. This will have had a large influence on the variability of grain yield at the site. To improve future trial research liming and spading need to be carried earlier in the year for soil to settle before seeding or roll soil after spading to prevent machinery from sinking in soft soil.
Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source DAFWA
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Acknowledge West Midlands Group for support with trial planning and extension opportunities, Peter Negus and Family for access to the property, Joel Andrew from Precision SoilTech for soil sampling and pH testing, Anne Smith, Jo Walker, Steve Smith and Trevor Bell, Technical Services Team, DAFWA for excellent technical support.
Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

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

Regans Ford 2013

Sow rate or Target density 65kg/ha
Sowing machinery

3m wide spader and 1.54m cone seeder
Sow date 28 May 2013
Harvest date 13 November 2013
Plot size 2m x 20m
Plot replication 3
Fertiliser

100 kg/ha Agstar Extra on 28th May 40 L/ha Flexi N on 2nd and 18th June.
Soil amelioration

1.   a) No spading, b) Spading on 14th May

Liming (0 t/ha and 3 t/ha) on 17th April
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
Regans Ford, WA Yellow deep sand
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Regans Ford, 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 Regans Ford WA
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Climate

Regans Ford WA 2013

Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 522.2mm

Derived climate information

Regans Ford 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

2013 trial report



Trial last modified: 10-07-2019 13:23pm AEST