| Researcher(s) |
David Ferris (DAFWA) Geoff Moore (DAFWA) Christiaan Valentine (DAFWA) |
|---|---|
| Year(s) | 2014 |
| Contributor | West Midlands Group |
| Trial location(s) |
Regans Ford, WA
|
To evaluate the influence of perennial row spacing and grass suppression on the performance of serradella summer sown into subtropical perennial-grass pastures.
EverCrop research reported in this and previous Crop Updates (2010-2014) has built up a sound knowledge base on the viability, performance and economics of pasture cropping and companion annual legume based systems for fragile soils in the Northern Agricultural Region that are marginal for continuous cropping. Collectively, trials at Mingenew and Dandaragan over the past two seasons (2013 & 2014) have demonstrated that subtropical perennial grass pastures lift the overall productivity of deep sandy soils, extend the period of available green feed, convert summer rainfall into feed, reduce the winter and summer weed burden, and increase ground cover.
| Lead research organisation |
Department of Agriculture and Food WA |
|---|---|
| Host research organisation |
West Midlands Group |
| Trial funding source | DAFWA |
| Trial funding source | MLA |
| Trial funding source | GRDC |
| Related program | N/A |
| Acknowledgments |
Thanks to Daisy and Peter Negus for hosting the trial, the DAFWA Geraldton Research Support Unit for sowing and managing the trial and West Midlands Group for their collaboration with extension activities. This research was funded by DAFWA in collaboration with the MLA Feedbase project and GRDC’s EverCrop III project: Developing new mixed farming options. |
| Other trial partners | Not specified |
| Crop type | : N/A |
|---|---|
| Treatment type(s) |
|
| Trial type | Experimental |
| Trial design | Replicated |
| Sow rate or Target density | 30kg/ha of pod |
|---|---|
| Sowing machinery |
DAFWA cone seeder, with tines 22cm apart and aligned to sow between Gatton panic rows that had been established in 2012 (44 and 88cm apart). |
| Sow date | 18 February 2014 |
| Harvest date | Not specified |
| Plot size | 7m x 15m |
| Plot replication | 3 |
| Fertiliser |
Super potash (3:1, 160kg/ha) was top-dressed across all plots prior to sowing. |
| Herbicide |
As serradella was summer sown in February, no knockdown was used. All plots were sprayed with Broadstrike® (25g/ha) in May to control volunteer lupin. Three of the serradella treatments were sprayed with a grass selective herbicide (Select® at 500mL/ha) on 1 July to suppress the growth of Gatton panic and control annual grass weeds. |
| Rainfall avg ann (mm) | 516mm |
|---|
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.
