Diagnosis and correction of zinc deficiency in crops and pastures in South Australia

1993

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) R Hannam
Nigel Wilhelm
Year(s) 1993
Contributor South Australian Research and Development Institute
Trial location(s) Eyre Peninsula, SA
Diagnosis and correction of zinc deficiency in crops and pastures in South Australia locations
Aims

To define critical parameters for identifying zinc deficiency and the fertiliser strategies to overcome.

Key messages
  • Zinc deficiency caused production losses in cereals of up to 25% and in medic of up to 300% in biomass.
  • Critical level for zinc deficiency in wheat was established as 18 mg/kg in YEBs at late tillering.
  • Zinc deficiency in crops can be corrected with foliar sprays, zinc coated fertilisers or zinc applied to the soil and thoroughly incorporated by tillage. Fertilisers which are a mix of NP granules and zinc granules are poorly effective.
  • Zinc applied to the soil will provide residual benefits for 3-10 years, the longer persistence in sandier mallee soils.
  • 70% of cereal crops in the SA mallee were zinc deficient in the early 1990s.
  • An application of 2 kg zinc/ha to the soil (as an incorporated soil spray or zinc coated fertiliser) will correct zinc deficiency in broadacre crops and pastures.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation South Australian Research and Development Institute
Trial funding source GRDC
Related program More Profit from Crop Nutrition
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Wheat Pasture: Medic
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Application Method
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Unknown

Eyre Peninsula 1993 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

N Wilhelm (SARDI) pers comm Apr 2017.

Eyre Peninsula 1993 Medic

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

N Wilhelm (SARDI) pers comm Apr 2017.

Trial report and links


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 09-10-2019 10:28am AEST