Carbon allocation dynamics in contrasting crop-soil system trials in southern NSW

2013 - 2014

Research organisaton
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Yunying Fang (NSW DPI)
Jharna R Sarker (NSW DPI)
Bhupinder Pal Singh (NSW DPI)
Year(s) 2013 - 2014
Contributor Department of Primary Industries NSW
Trial location(s) Wagga Wagga, ACT
Condobolin, NSW
Further information View external link
Carbon allocation dynamics in contrasting crop-soil system trials in southern NSW locations
Aims

 The aim of these experiments is to examine how tillage intensity influences allocation and stabilisation (storage) of newly assimilated C in canola crop-soil and wheat crop-soil systems at Wagga Wagga and Condobolin.
 

Key messages
  • Although high below-ground carbon input by plants is important to enhance soil organic matter, only a few studies have quantified carbon allocation dynamics in crop-soil systems in dryland regions under contrasting management practices.
  • There seems to be environmental constraints and features of dryland farming systems (such as high aridity and low rainfall, low soil carbon and low moisture) that limit the extent of below-ground carbon allocation as found in this study. It is thus challenging to enhance soil organic matter stocks in the dryland regions through conservation tillage only.
  • The majority of newly assimilated carbon remained in aboveground plant material, particularly in the wheat-soil system at Condobolin, which is a relatively drier climate than Wagga Wagga.
  • A larger proportion of newly assimilated carbon was translocated to below-ground carbon pools in the canola-soil system at Wagga Wagga (7%−11%) than in the wheat-soil system at Condobolin (2%).
  • Tillage practices had no effect on the allocation and storage of newly assimilated carbon in the crop-soil systems. Moreover, the management practices had no significant effect on grain yield, soil carbon stocks or bulk density.
  • These results suggest that reduced tillage or no-till can maintain equivalent soil functionality relative to conventional tillage while reducing operational costs associated with energy and machinery inputs.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC DAN00169
Trial funding source DPI NSW
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

These experiments involved collaborations with Guangdi Li (Wagga Wagga trial), Annette Cowie (Wagga Wagga trial), Warwick Badgery (Condobolin trial) and Xinhua He (both trials).  As part of the project ‘Building resilient and profitable grain cropping systems through improved knowledge of soil organic carbon fractions and their functionality’, DAN00169, the experiment was jointly funded by NSW DPI and GRDC. It also involved Central West Farming Systems and on-farm collaborators. We acknowledge technical input from Khushbu Gandhi, Adam Lowrie, Richard Lowrie, Rebecca Coburn, Michael McLean, Satvinder Bawa, Dougal Pottie, Luke Beange, Nilusha Henaka Arachchi, Kamal Hossain and Mathew Coggan. We also thank Central West Farming Systems for allowing access to the long-term trial.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Wheat Oilseed: Canola
Treatment type(s)
  • Soil Improvement
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Wagga Wagga 2013 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Wagga Wagga 2013 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Wagga Wagga 2014 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Wagga Wagga 2014 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Condobolin 2013 Canola

Sow date none specified
Harvest date none specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Condobolin 2013 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Condobolin 2014 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

Condobolin 2014 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

This research paper is an extract from the publication Southern NSW Research Results 2015, available at
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre-crops/guides/publications/southern-nsw-research-results

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
Wagga Wagga, ACT Not specified
Condobolin, NSW Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Wagga Wagga, ACT Sodosol
Condobolin, NSW Kandosol
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 Wagga Wagga ACT Condobolin NSW
2014 514.0mm441.3mm
2013 495.6mm451.3mm
2012 532.6mm506.5mm
2011 518.9mm464.5mm
2010 554.8mm454.9mm
2009 505.6mm332.6mm
2008 495.7mm323.0mm
2007 453.3mm276.4mm
2006 460.7mm286.2mm
2005 525.9mm313.1mm
2004 458.7mm293.7mm
2003 439.3mm263.5mm
2002 496.0mm268.4mm
2001 510.7mm312.2mm
2000 422.1mm355.0mm
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.

Wagga Wagga NSW

Condobolin NSW

Wagga Wagga NSW

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Condobolin NSW

CAUTION: Trial site locality unknown; Climate data sourced from Department of Primary Industries NSW office location
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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: 20-10-2023 08:00am AEST