The pros and cons of using clearfield barley as a cover crop when sowing serradella pastures

2016
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Phillip Barrett (Lennard (agVivo))
Year(s) 2016
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) Moora, WA
The pros and cons of using clearfield barley as a cover crop when sowing serradella pastures locations
Aims
  • Serradella is a useful pasture species on the sandy soils of the West Midlands. But it has two major weaknesses: weed control (particularly radish and capeweed) and a lack of early biomass production. By sowing serradella with a Clearfield Barley variety (Scope or Spartacus) and using Clearfield (Imidazolinone) herbicides both of these weaknesses can be overcome.
  • The aim of this demonstration was to highlight the pro’s and con’s of using Clearfield Barley as a cover crop when sowing serradella pastures.
Key messages

This demonstration clearly showed that by adding a small amount of barley (16kg/ha) to serradella when re-seeding, early winter feed for livestock can be significantly increased.  However, as the photos from early September indicate, the serradella growth in spring can be held back due to competition from the barley. Increasing the frequency and intensity of grazing would help, as would the application of a grass selective herbicide to kill the barley in early spring when feed is becoming abundant. If the season was very poor, the barley might be left to increase total pasture production and groundcover for summer.  

Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source agVivo
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop types : N/A Cereal (Grain): Barley
Treatment type(s)
  • Management systems: Other
Trial type
Trial design

Moora 2016

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sowing machinery Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Seed treatment Not specified

Moora 2016 Barley

Sow rate or Target density 16 - 80 kg/ha
Sowing machinery

Cone Seeder

Sow date 13 May 2016
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser

All plots received 100kg/ha of Gusto Gold (10N, 13P, 12K, 7.5S) at seeding. The plots containing Spartacus Barley also received 50kg/ha of Urea at seeding. The plots containing Spartacus Barley sown at the 80kg/ha sowing rate received 100kg/ha of Urea on 15 July, while the plots containing Spartacus Barley sown at the 16kg/ha sowing rate received 50kg/ha of Urea on 15 July.

Herbicide

The three “herbicide” treatments were:

1)      Control

2)      50g/ha Spinnaker (Post-Sowing Pre-Emergent – 13 May 2016)

3)      40g/ha Raptor (Post-Emergent – 7 July 2016)

The herbicide treatments were applied as cross strips perpendicular to the seeding treatments.

Seed treatment The four “seed” treatments were: 1) Spartacus Barley (80kg/ha) 2) Spartacus Barley (80kg/ha) + Margarita Serradella (1kg/ha) 3) Spartacus Barley (16kg/ha) + Margarita Serradella (5kg/ha) 4) Margarita Serradella (5kg/ha)
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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
Moora, WA Yellow deep sand
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Moora, 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 Moora WA
2016 102.8mm
2015 105.1mm
2014 88.5mm
2013 118.8mm
2012 138.2mm
2011 107.4mm
2010 102.0mm
2009 113.9mm
2008 120.4mm
2007 84.7mm
2006 113.8mm
2005 97.1mm
2004 75.7mm
2003 96.1mm
2002 77.2mm
2001 56.4mm
2000 110.9mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Moora 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

2016 trial report



Trial last modified: 06-08-2019 07:54am AEST