Establishing pasture into heavy stubble at Mount Cooper

2017
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Amanda Cook (SARDI)
Ian Richter (SARDI)
Year(s) 2017
Contributor Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Trial location(s) Mt Cooper, SA
Related trials
Establishing pasture into heavy stubble at Mount Cooper locations
Aims

The GRDC project ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ aims to produce sustainable management guidelines to control pests, weeds and diseases while retaining stubble to maintain or improve soil health, and reduce exposure to wind erosion. The major outcome to be achieved is increased knowledge and skills allowing farmers and advisers to improve farm profitability while retaining stubble in farming systems on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP).

 

One issue Mount Cooper farmers identified as an issue was the establishment of self-regenerating medic pastures into heavy stubble residues. The trial reported here was designed to compare medic establishment and production, with different management strategies imposed on the previous crop stubble residues.

 

Key messages
  • In 2017 the removal of a high barley stubble load resulted in better medic plant numbers late in the season (September), and increased (but still very low) dry matter production.
  • Heavy barley stubbles from harvesting either high or low resulted in similar medic regeneration.
  • Treating heavy barley stubbles with either rolling, a light tickle or left standing did not change medic establishment or dry matter production in 2017.
Lead research organisation Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Host research organisation SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
Trial funding source GRDC EPF00001
Related program Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble
Acknowledgments

Ian Richter, Agricultural Officer. Thank you to the Gunn family for having the trial on their property. Trial funded by GRDC Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula (EPF00001).


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

Method

Crop type Pasture: Medic
Treatment type(s)
  • Stubble: Management
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Mt Cooper 2017

Sowing machinery

Not applicable - regenerating medic pasture

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size 20m x 4m
Plot replication 3
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

@T1: @T2:
# Treatment 1
Dry matter (t/ha) Soil moisture (mm) Establishment plants (plants/m2) Establishment plants (plants/m2)
1 Cut high 0.1 202 6.6 6.8
1 Cut low 0.16 211 7 6.2
1 Removed 0.51 152 21.4 24.4
2 Standing 0.22 195 10.7 7.7
2 Light tickle 0.29 183 16 15.1
2 Rolled 0.26 188 8.2 14.5
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
6

Dry matter t/ha


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Establishment plants plants/m2


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Soil moisture mm


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Mt Cooper, SA Red loam
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Mt Cooper, SA 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 Mt Cooper SA
2017 294.5mm
2016 273.8mm
2015 225.9mm
2014 273.8mm
2013 235.6mm
2012 255.3mm
2011 293.0mm
2010 288.3mm
2009 283.3mm
2008 243.2mm
2007 241.2mm
2006 271.3mm
2005 257.9mm
2004 251.6mm
2003 264.1mm
2002 244.7mm
2001 263.0mm
2000 282.7mm
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

Mt Cooper SA 2017


Observed climate information

Rainfall avg ann (mm) 435mm
Rainfall avg gsr (mm) 325mm
Rainfall trial total (mm) 320mm
Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 233mm

Derived climate information

Mt Cooper SA

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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

2017 trial report



Trial last modified: 04-06-2019 13:18pm AEST