Are zinc seed dressings any good?

1997

Research organisaton

Trial details

Researcher(s) Nigel Wilhelm
Year(s) 1997
Contributor South Australian Research and Development Institute
Trial location(s) Lameroo, SA
Are zinc seed dressings any good? locations
Aims

To sxamine the effectiveness of seed dressings for overcoming zinc deficiency in durum wheat.

Key messages
  • Despite the drought conditions which prevailed at this site in 1997 (yields from 0.3-0.8 t/ha), zinc deficiency was very severe. Grain yields of the very zinc sensitive variety, Yallaroi, were more than doubled by the most effective treatment.
  • Seed dressings were effective at treating zinc deficiency. This is a particularly encouraging result for croppers because these products are generally quite cheap and easy to apply. For growers who are not certain if zinc deficiency is a problem in their paddocks they represent a good insurance policy.
  • By far the best treatment in last year’s trial was the combination of a seed dressing and a mid season foliar spray.
  • Soil applications were less effective than normal, perhaps because the soil was often so dry that the crop may have been denied access to zinc in the soil for long periods. The zinc-enriched fertilisers may have done better because they were drilled into the seed row where most roots occur.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation South Australian Research and Development Institute
Related program More Profit from Crop Nutrition
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Seed treatment
Trial type Article/commentary
Trial design Not applicable

Lameroo 1997

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: 10-10-2019 11:20am AEST