Phosphorus use in wet and dry soil conditions

2010

Research organisation

Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s)	Roger Armstrong (UoA) Jason Kirby (DPI Vic.) Therese McBeath (UoA) Mike McLaughlin (UoA )
Year(s)	2010
Contributor	The University of Adelaide
Trial location(s)	Halidon, SA Karoonda, SA Langhorne Creek, SA Minnipa, SA Wanbi, SA Wharminda, SA

Phosphorus use in wet and dry soil conditions locations

Aims

To test the hypothesis that under dry conditions a plant might push more roots into the subsoil and access nutrients from deeper in the profile, due to the inaccessibility of nutrients in the dry topsoil.

Key messages

The amount of applied phosphorus (P) fertiliser that was used by the crop plant increased with increasing simulated rainfall.
The amount of P fertiliser used was not directly related to whether the soil was deficient or sufficient in P, but the growth response was.
The use of subsoil P increased with the addition of P fertiliser, suggesting that the P fertiliser stimulated root growth into the subsoil.

Lead research organisation	The University of Adelaide
Host research organisation	N/A
Trial funding source	SAGIT
Trial funding source	ARC LP0882492
Related program	Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems
Acknowledgments	Funding for this work was from South Australian Grains Industry Trust and Australian Research Council (LP0882492). Thanks to MAC and the Hunt family for providing land and watering for EP sites and to the Loller, Obst and Schober families for providing land for Mallee sites. Thanks to Bill Davoren, Anthony Whitbread, Rick Llewllyn, Glenn McDonald and Bill Bovill for collaboration in the Mallee. We gratefully acknowledge Colin Rivers and Caroline Johnston for technical support, Sean Mason for DGT analyses and Erik Smolders and Yibing Ma for discussions of the topsoil-subsoil experimental design.
Other trial partners	Not specified

Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type	Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)	Crop : Nutrition Fertiliser : Rate
Trial type	Experimental
Trial design	Replicated

Halidon 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

Karoonda 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

Langhorne Creek 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

Minnipa 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

Wanbi 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

Wharminda 2010

Sow date	Unknown
Harvest date	Unknown
Plot size	3m x 4m
Plot replication	4
Fertiliser	The P fertiliser was added at 15 kg P/ha as phosphoric acid.

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
Halidon, SA	Not specified
Karoonda, SA	Not specified
Langhorne Creek, SA	Not specified
Minnipa, SA	Not specified
Wanbi, SA	Not specified
Wharminda, SA	Not specified

Derived trial site soil information

Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS

Trial site	Soil order
Halidon, SA	Calcarosol
Karoonda, SA	Calcarosol
Langhorne Creek, SA	Chromosol
Minnipa, SA	Calcarosol
Wanbi, SA	Calcarosol
Wharminda, SA	Sodosol

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	Halidon SA	Karoonda SA	Langhorne Creek SA	Minnipa SA	Wanbi SA	Wharminda SA
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.

Halidon SA

Karoonda SA

Langhorne Creek SA