Compare changes in soil characteristics, including non-wetting and crop growth and performance in a mouldboard ploughed area versus untreated (control) area using an on-farm large scale demonstration site.

The trial showed a remarkable variance in frost damage and yield between the two treatments. There are a number of possible reasons why the mouldboard ploughed treatments had reduced frost damage. Firstly, overcoming topsoil water repellence can improve topsoil moisture content which allows for better transfer of heat into, and out of, the soil. Secondly, mouldboard ploughing can increase the overall yield potential which may include more and larger heads which could result in the frost damage being proportionally less. Further analysis is required to determine if this is the case. Thirdly it is possible that the crop on the ploughed soil flowered at a different time however this is unlikely given that this is the third season since ploughing was applied and that there were multiple frost events so avoidance is unlikely.