Year 2 - Improving nitrogen use efficiency via legumes in high rainfall cropping

2016 - 2017

Research organisaton
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Jenny Stanton (Ag KI Cropping Trial Manager)
Year(s) 2016 - 2017
Contributor Agriculture Kangaroo Island Incorporated
Trial location(s) Seddon, SA
Year 2 - Improving nitrogen use efficiency via legumes in high rainfall cropping locations
Aims

This was the second year of a three-year trial, funded by the South Australian Grains Industry Trust (SAGIT), to evaluate the nitrogen fixation capabilities of various legume species commonly grown on Kangaroo Island.

In this second year, the trial was set up to answer the following questions:

  • Which of the four legume species had fixed the most nitrogen (N) in the 2016 season?
  • How much N did these legume crops fix?
  • How much of the N fixed by the legume was utilised by the following crop? Concurrently, how much N was lost through leaching or denitrification?
Key messages

Take Home Messages

• Near perfect growing season for canola, provided ideal opportunity to assess the residual N feeding effect of the legumes.

• All legumes sown in 2016 – peas, lupins, sub clover and faba beans had similar starting soil N levels and soil water nitrate readings throughout the year which was reflected in similar grain yields inferring that all legume species were equal in terms of their N fixing capabilities.

• The average amount of N fixed by the legumes was calculated as ~86kg/ha.

• Growing adequately nodulated legumes can give rise to a ~1t/ha canola yield advantage compared with a non-legume.

• Linseed used more moisture, from a greater depth, than the faba beans in 2016. Resultantly more moisture was extracted by the canola crop sown on the faba bean stubble in 2017, and yet there is still more  residual moisture left.

Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source SAGIT
Trial funding source Agriculture Kangaroo Island
Trial funding source Agbyte
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Funding/Sponsors/Acknowledgments

• South Australia Grains Industry Trust (SAGIT) funding administered by AgKI

• Stantons for providing trial site, seed and spraying

• Andrew Ware (PIRSA-SARDI) for statistical analysis.


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

Method

Crop types Pasture: Clover Forage: Pea Oilseed: Canola Oilseed: Linseed Grain Legume: Faba beans Grain Legume: Lupins
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Variety
  • Crop: Rotation
Trial type
Trial design

Seddon 2016 Clover

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

Seddon 2016 Pea

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

Seddon 2016 Canola

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

Seddon 2016 Linseed

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

Seddon 2016 Faba beans

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

Seddon 2016 Lupins

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

Seddon 2017 Clover

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

Seddon 2017 Pea

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

Seddon 2017 Linseed

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

Seddon 2017 Faba beans

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

Seddon 2017 Lupins

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

Seddon 2017 Canola

Sow date 28 April 2017
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
Seddon, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Seddon, 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 Seddon SA
2017 457.2mm
2016 452.7mm
2015 391.8mm
2014 456.1mm
2013 454.0mm
2012 441.4mm
2011 460.9mm
2010 441.3mm
2009 452.2mm
2008 433.1mm
2007 413.9mm
2006 459.2mm
2005 436.8mm
2004 451.7mm
2003 476.5mm
2002 444.1mm
2001 456.6mm
2000 460.6mm
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.

Seddon 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

2017 trial report



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