Field testing of sodicity- and salt-tolerant oat varieties

2018 - 2020
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Y Genc
Graham Lyons
Pamela Zwer
Year(s) 2018 - 2020
Contributor The University of Adelaide
Trial location(s) Redhill, SA
Turretfield, SA
Field testing of sodicity- and salt-tolerant oat varieties locations
Aims

To assess growth (via top biomass at heading) and grain yield of diverse oat varieties (vs durum wheat check) under saline-sodic soil conditions, compared with "good soil" conditions at Turretfield.

Key messages

This project is funded by SAGIT as a follow-up to a 12-month study which screened oat varieties using pot assays in growth room/greenhouse. Two seasons (2018 and 2019) of field trials will be conducted.

 

About 60% of SA agricultural soils are sodic (high Na, etc) or saline-sodic (high NaCl & high Na, etc), which reduces yield. This study extended screening trials into two seasons of field trials at Redhill and Turretfield, to assess tolerance of oats to saline-sodic soils.

Main findings:

• The most tolerant oats (grain yield) were early-to-medium maturity milling varieties: Bannister, Bilby, Mitika, Williams, Echidna, Kowari. My message to farmers: “To maximize yield and profitability from salty paddocks, sow milling oats Bannister, Bilby, Mitika, Echidna or Kowari”

• The most tolerant oats (biomass yield) were Kangaroo, Bannister, Wintaroo, Mulgara, Mitika. All oats listed are commercial varieties, available now

• The grain yields of tolerant oats at Redhill (the saline-sodic site, under low growing season rainfall of 170 mm) were outstanding, e.g. Bannister (3.2 t/ha), Bilby (3.1), similar to Compass barley (3.2) and much higher than Mace bread wheat (1.5) and Aurora durum wheat (1.1)

• Pasture oats (e.g. Bond, Wizard) and overseas oats were intolerant of saline-sodicity

• The pot and field trials showed that the ability of the plant to extract water from salinesodic soil, rather than its ability to exclude sodium, is the key to acceptable yield on this type of soil.

Lead research organisation University of Adelaide
Host research organisation School of Agriculture, Food and Wine - The University of Adelaide
Trial funding source SAGIT
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

SAGIT for funding this study

John Wheaton, Redhill, who is hosting the trial

The University of Adelaide durum breeding group for managing the 2018 Redhill trial and the SARDI oat breeding group (headed by Pamela Zwer) for managing the 2018 Turretfield trial and the 2019 Redhill and Turretfield trials

Yusuf Genc (SARDI) for valuable advice.


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

Method

Crop type Forage: Oats
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Type
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Randomised

Redhill 2018

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

Redhill 2019

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

Redhill 2020

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

Turretfield 2018

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

Turretfield 2019

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

Turretfield 2020

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
Redhill, SA Not specified
Turretfield, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Redhill, SA Chromosol
Turretfield, SA Chromosol
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.

Redhill SA

Turretfield SA

Redhill SA

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Turretfield 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 last modified: 23-03-2023 11:12am AEST