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| Researcher(s) |
Mark Hellyer (NSW DPI) Peter Perfrement (NSW DPI) Loretta Serafin (NSW DPI) |
|---|---|
| Year(s) | 2015 - 2016 |
| Contributor | Department of Primary Industries NSW |
| Trial location(s) |
Pine Ridge, NSW
|
| Further information | View external link |
| Related trials |
To quantify the contribution of sunflower leaves to yield and oil quality through the application of twelve leaf defoliation treatments.
Sunflowers are generally considered a minor crop in the NSW northern grains region. However, they play an important role in providing a broadleaf summer crop rotation option. An individual sunflower plant produces on average between 2000–6,000 cm2 of leaf area, which drives yield and oil content. Identifying which leaves contribute most towards yield and oil content helps growers make decisions about disease, pest and general crop management in sunflower crops. Whether it is because the crop is infected with a disease such as powdery mildew or has insect damage e.g. loopers, the end result is a need for growers and advisors to know where and when to spend money in crop protection to achieve the best economic return on investment of maintaining
green leaf area.
This experiment was one of three sunflower leaf-loss sites conducted in the 2015–16 season, with the other sites being located at Gurley and Willow Tree.
| Lead research organisation |
Department of Primary Industries NSW |
|---|---|
| Host research organisation | N/A |
| Trial funding source | GRDC DAN00197 |
| Trial funding source | DPI NSW |
| Related program |
Tactical agronomy for selected crops in the northern region (safflower, linseed, sunflower) |
| Acknowledgments |
This experiment was part of the project Tactical agronomy for selected crops in the northern region (safflower, linseed, sunflower) (DAN00197), with joint investment by NSW DPI and GRDC. Thanks to Nuseed and Neil Weier for the supply of experiment seed. Technical assistance provided by Delphi Ramsden (NSW DPI), Angus Hombsch, Alice Bowler and Bronwyn Brennan (formerly NSW DPI) is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks also to Neroli Graham, NSW DPI for assisting with data analysis. Thanks to Peter Winton, ‘Windy Station’, Pine Ridge for hosting the experiment. |
| Other trial partners | Peter Winton, ‘Windy Station’, Pine Ridge |
| Crop type | Oilseed: Sunflower |
|---|---|
| Treatment type(s) |
|
| Trial type | Experimental |
| Trial design | Replicated |
| Sow date | 18 September 2015 |
|---|---|
| Harvest date | 17 February 2016 |
| Plot size | Not specified |
| Plot replication | Not specified |
| Psuedoreplication | Not specified |
| Fertiliser |
42 kg/ha Granulock Z applied at sowing |
| Herbicide |
Defoliation applied prior to harvest |
| Other trial notes |
Crop type: Sunflower (Hybrid: Ausigold 62) Starting soil water and rainfall The site was soil cored before sowing and found to have 270 mm of plant available water (PAW) to 1.2 m deep. A total of 157.5 mm of in-crop rainfall was recorded at the experiment site TRIAL RESULTS: Plant height Five plants in each plot were measured for physiological maturity – taken from ground level up to the point of attachment at the back of the head. The average plant height in the experiment was 131.7 cm. No defoliation treatment affected plant height. Head diameter and arc length: Five plants in each plot had had head diameter and arc length measured at physiological maturity. Head diameter was measured across the back of the head and arc length across the front face of the head. The average head diameter was 14.1 cm. There were significant treatment differences based on defoliation . The smallest head diameters were recorded from removing all leaves at either budding or the start of flowering at 6.9 cm and 8.8 cm, respectively. There was very little difference statistically between many of the treatments. The average arc length was 21.2 cm and there were significant differences based on the treatments. Removing all leaves at budding and the start of flowering had the largest impact on arc length reducing it to 9.7 cm and 16.2 cm respectively. The remaining defoliation treatments had no significant impact on arc length compared with the non-defoliated control Grain yield The average yield was quite low at the site in 2015–16 compared with that normally expected for sunflower crops on the Liverpool Plains, with an experiment average of 1.05 t/ha. There was, however, a large range in the yields as a result of the treatments. Removing the bottom 1/3 of leaves at budding had the highest yield at 2.07 t/ha, however, there was no significant difference in the top four yielding treatments. The lowest yields were obtained from the total leaf removal treatments at 0.16 t/ha. Grain quality Sub samples from each plot were collected at harvest and analysed for 1000 grain weight and test weight. Oil contents were not available at the time of publication. The average 1000 grain weight in the experiment was 47.1 grams. The largest effects on grain weights were obtained in treatments were all leaves were removed, while the smallest impact on grain weight was obtained when only the top 10 leaves were removed (data not shown). The average hectolitre weight in the experiment was 39.2 kg/hL, which is well above the receival standard of 32 kg/hL. The largest reduction in test weight resulted from removing all leaves at the end of flowering (data not shown). |
| Sow date | Not specified |
|---|---|
| Harvest date | Not specified |
| Plot size | Not specified |
| Plot replication | Not specified |
| Psuedoreplication | Not specified |
| Fertiliser | Not specified |
| Herbicide | Not specified |
| Other trial notes |
Crop type: Sunflower (Hybrid: Ausigold 62) Starting soil water and rainfall The site was soil cored before sowing and found to have 270 mm of plant available water (PAW) to 1.2 m deep. A total of 157.5 mm of in-crop rainfall was recorded at the experiment site TRIAL RESULTS: Plant height Five plants in each plot were measured for physiological maturity – taken from ground level up to the point of attachment at the back of the head. The average plant height in the experiment was 131.7 cm. No defoliation treatment affected plant height. Head diameter and arc length: Five plants in each plot had had head diameter and arc length measured at physiological maturity. Head diameter was measured across the back of the head and arc length across the front face of the head. The average head diameter was 14.1 cm. There were significant treatment differences based on defoliation . The smallest head diameters were recorded from removing all leaves at either budding or the start of flowering at 6.9 cm and 8.8 cm, respectively. There was very little difference statistically between many of the treatments. The average arc length was 21.2 cm and there were significant differences based on the treatments. Removing all leaves at budding and the start of flowering had the largest impact on arc length reducing it to 9.7 cm and 16.2 cm respectively. The remaining defoliation treatments had no significant impact on arc length compared with the non-defoliated control Grain yield The average yield was quite low at the site in 2015–16 compared with that normally expected for sunflower crops on the Liverpool Plains, with an experiment average of 1.05 t/ha. There was, however, a large range in the yields as a result of the treatments. Removing the bottom 1/3 of leaves at budding had the highest yield at 2.07 t/ha, however, there was no significant difference in the top four yielding treatments. The lowest yields were obtained from the total leaf removal treatments at 0.16 t/ha. Grain quality Sub samples from each plot were collected at harvest and analysed for 1000 grain weight and test weight. Oil contents were not available at the time of publication. The average 1000 grain weight in the experiment was 47.1 grams. The largest effects on grain weights were obtained in treatments were all leaves were removed, while the smallest impact on grain weight was obtained when only the top 10 leaves were removed (data not shown). The average hectolitre weight in the experiment was 39.2 kg/hL, which is well above the receival standard of 32 kg/hL. The largest reduction in test weight resulted from removing all leaves at the end of flowering (data not shown). |
| # |
Treatment 1
|
Plant height (cm) | Head arc length (cm) | Head diameter (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | █ Control - no leaves removed (0/3) | 130.6 | 23.5 | 16.3 |
| 2 | █ Budding - remove all leaves (3/3) | 121.7 | 9.7 | 6.9 |
| 3 | █ Budding - remove top 10 leaves (1/3) | 132.1 | 24.1 | 17.7 |
| 4 | █ Budding - remove top 20 leaves (2/3) | 133.5 | 18.8 | 13.1 |
| 5 | █ Budding - remove bottom 10 leaves (1/3) | 136.5 | 24.3 | 15.7 |
| 6 | █ Start of flowering - remove top 10 leaves (1/3) | 135.1 | 24.5 | 17.1 |
| 7 | █ Start of flowering - remove top 20 leaves (2/3) | 128.7 | 19 | 15.6 |
| 8 | █ Start of flowering - remove all leaves (3/3) | 128.7 | 16.2 | 8.8 |
| 9 | █ Start of flowering - remove bottom 10 leaves (1/3) | 136.1 | 25.7 | 17.1 |
| 10 | █ Flowering complete - remove top 10 leaves (1/3) | 134.3 | 24.3 | 16.1 |
| 11 | █ Flowering complete - remove top 20 leaves (2/3) | 134 | 22.1 | 15.1 |
| 12 | █ Flowering complete - remove all leaves (3/3) | 129.1 | 22.5 | 13.1 |
| Rainfall avg ann (mm) | 668.9mm |
|---|---|
| Rainfall trial gsr (mm) | 157mm |
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.
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Note that PBR cover is administered through the Plant Breeders’ Right Act 1994 (