Mouldboard plough demonstrations - West Buntine

2014
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Lilly Martin (Liebe Group)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor Liebe Group
Trial location(s) West Buntine, WA
Mouldboard plough demonstrations - West Buntine locations
Aims

To determine if there are any benefits to increased productivity and carbon cycling on a yellow sandplain soil through mechanical incorporation.

Key messages

This is the 3rd wheat crop where there has been no benefit in yield or quality due to mouldboard ploughing.

 

Lead research organisation Liebe Group
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source DAFWA
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture. Thank you to the Department of Agriculture and Food, WA for the use of their mouldboard plough and Colin Cail for the use of his tractor in 2012 and Justin Laycock and Frances Hoyle (DAFWA) for their help with bulk density testing in 2014.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Preparation: Ploughing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Unreplicated

West Buntine 2014

Sow rate or Target density 80 kg/ha Corack
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 100m x 18m
Plot replication 2
Fertiliser

27/05/2014: 55kg/ha Agstar Extra, 15 kg/ha MOP, 30 L/ha Flexi-N, 10 L/ha CalSap, 20 L/ha Flexi-N

Herbicide

18/05/2014: 1.5 L/ha Roundup, 0.25% LI700, 100 mL/ha Goal

27/05/2014: 1 L/ha Spray.Seed, 1.8 L/ha Treflan

14/07/2014: 680 mL/ha Velocity

Other trial notes

This is not a fully replicated trial but a farmer demonstration that has nearest neighbour controls. This is the first year of the trial in which the control treatment has had a lower cumulative gross margin than one of the cultivation treatments; this means that the cultivation treatment (deep ripping) is finally beginning to return dividends to the farmer, three years after the cultivation occurred.

The farmer has noted that this site was seeded and sprayed as per normal program. This was somewhat detrimental to the mouldboard site as the seed depth and establishment was compromised due to the softness of the top soil. Another factor to consider was that the normal rates of chemical, Trifluralin in particular, almost became toxic due to the low organic matter created by the mouldboard treatment. This also contributed to the mouldboard plots poor performance.

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Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Variety
Screenings (%) Grain Yield (Avg) (t/ha) Protein (%) Nearest neighbour control (%)
1 Control 2.6 2.3 13.3 100
2 Deep Ripped 1.13 2.6 12 113
3 Mouldboard 2.27 2.28 12.6 102
4 Control 2.04 2.22 12.3 100
5 Deep Ripped 2.05 2.28 12.1 102
6 Mouldboard 4.4 1.85 12.5 95
7 Control 3.45 1.93 12 100

Grain Yield (Avg) t/ha


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Nearest neighbour control %


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
West Buntine, WA Yellow sands
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
West Buntine, WA Kandosol
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 West Buntine WA
2014 135.3mm
2013 135.4mm
2012 129.6mm
2011 157.7mm
2010 104.5mm
2009 101.9mm
2008 151.8mm
2007 118.9mm
2006 118.0mm
2005 101.2mm
2004 108.3mm
2003 117.8mm
2002 56.6mm
2001 67.8mm
2000 154.4mm
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

West Buntine WA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall avg gsr (mm) 187mm

Derived climate information

West Buntine 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

2014 trial report



Trial last modified: 11-12-2019 10:31am AEST