Cereal crop competition vs ryegrass

2009
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Michael Bennet (SARDI)
Year(s) 2009
Contributor Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Trial location(s) Wanilla, SA
Cereal crop competition vs ryegrass locations
Aims

To compare four locally grown wheat varieties at district practice and high seeding rates to assess their influence on reducing the impact of ryegrass in the whole farming system.

Key messages
  • Ryegrass is a “pussy” in dry seasons, but a “panther” in wet seasons!
  • Crop competition does not suppress ryegrass when the soil remains waterlogged.
Lead research organisation Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC SA-EP-080906
Trial funding source Caring for our Country
Related program Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems
Acknowledgments
  • Thanks to Sean Puckridge for use of his land for the purposes of the trial. Special thanks to Cummins Landmark for sowing the trial and finding a “good” ryegrass site.
  • Thanks to Brenton Spriggs for his patience counting thousands of ryegrass spikes and the MAC staff who put up with hay fever as a result of assessing the ryegrass.

Other trial partners SARDI/SANTFA
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Variety
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Randomised,Replicated

Wanilla 2009

Sow rate or Target density sown at 180, 300 and 450 plants/m2
Sowing machinery

Cummins Landmark’s DBS plot seeder on 30 cm row spacing.

Sow date 15 May 2009
Harvest date Crop-topped the paddock with glyphosate
Plot size 10m x 1.5m
Plot replication 4
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
Wanilla, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Wanilla, 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 Wanilla SA
2009 598.9mm
2008 585.2mm
2007 583.6mm
2006 589.5mm
2005 601.2mm
2004 596.2mm
2003 607.1mm
2002 580.2mm
2001 597.3mm
2000 588.2mm
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

Wanilla SA 2009


Observed climate information

Rainfall avg ann (mm) 490mm
Rainfall avg gsr (mm) 396mm
Rainfall trial total (mm) 511mm
Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 383mm

Derived climate information

Wanilla 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

2009 trial report

Event Date Type Effect
Waterlogging

Throughout July and August the wheat was being suppressed by water logging, allowing the ryegrass to dominate the wheat. During this time 80 kg/ha urea was broadcast and 30 l/ha UAN sprayed to try and improve the N supply and the wheat competition.

 

In September the ryegrass had grown above the crop canopy to the point where there seemed little chance of continuing the trial due to potential ryegrass seed set. The grower decided to crop-top the paddock with glyphosate to reduce the contribution of 2009 seed to the ryegrass seed bank.

 

Due to the paddock being crop-topped with glyphosate, there was no opportunity to assess ryegrass seed set with actual viable seed. Instead samples of ryegrass were collected on 20 October. Potential seed set was assessed by counting the number of spikes (seed heads) per quadrat, then individually counting how many spikelets and seeds per spikelet were on 30 spikelets per plot.

July-August 2009 High rainfall N/A


Trial last modified: 21-01-2019 17:26pm AEST