Improving water use efficiency – reducing soil evaporation

2011
CC BY 4.0

Research organisation
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Chris Lawson (SARDI)
Glenn McDonald (UoA)
Victor Sadras (SARDI)
Year(s) 2011
Contributor Hart Field Site Group
Trial location(s) , SA
Condowie, SA
Hart, SA
Spalding, SA
Improving water use efficiency – reducing soil evaporation locations
Aims

To use a thick layer of cereal straw maintained within the growing season to focus on reducing the amount of moisture lost to soil evaporation.

Key messages
  • The addition of a straw layer acted to reduce evaporation and significantly increased grain yields and water use efficiency in 2010 and 2011 at 3 field sites.
  • Soil evaporation also decreased with increasing light interception from larger crop canopies.
Lead research organisation Hart Field Site Group
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

The Hart Field-Site Group wish to thank Brian Kirchner and Simon Goldsmith, Andrew and Rowan Cootes, Michael and David Miller, David Hentschke


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

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Management systems : Other
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Randomised,Replicated,Blocked

2011

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Condowie 2011

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Hart 2011

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Spalding 2011

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information
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
, SA Not specified
Condowie, SA Not specified
Hart, SA Not specified
Spalding, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
, SA Chromosol
Condowie, SA Chromosol
Hart, SA Chromosol
Spalding, SA Chromosol
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 SA Condowie SA Hart SA Spalding SA
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000

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.

SA

Condowie SA

Hart SA

Spalding SA

SA

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Condowie SA

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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Hart SA

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Spalding SA

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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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

2011 trial report



Trial last modified: 09-12-2019 16:47pm AEST