To evaluate the grain yield and economic benefit of soil amelioration and controlled traffic practices on a broader range of soil types across the grain growing region of WA.

This trial aims to increase the knowldege and adpotion of deep ripping techniques and controlled traffic to allieviate non-wetting soils, compaction and waterlogging. 

The trial aimed to look at the long term effects of ripping on crop yields by monitoring crop performance of the treated plots for three seasons post-ripping. 

The trial aims to raise awareness amoung growers around the decline in the effectivness of ripping over time, and the risk of re-compaction if controlled traffic is not properly implmented. 

Soil amelioration is a vital part of farming systems in Albany Port Zone to overcome soil constraints, which limit crop yields. 

The ripping treatments resulted in minimal yield beinifits in the Tenterden and Darakan sites, due to the high gravel content in the soil, which limited compaction.

Ripping treatemtns at the Bromehill site resulted in significantly higher yields in 2018 and 2019 comapared to the untreated control (UTC), however the treatments failed too yielded significantly better then the UTC, in 2020. 

The Kojaneerup sandplain trial site was highly responsive to deep ripping to 50cm in 2020 after clay spreading. 

The plot sizes within the trial varied, as the bar size of the ripping equipment differed for each treatment. 

Wheat was sown over the existing ripper trial plots, to measure the long term effect of ripping on crop yield. 

Canola was sown over the ripper treatments form 2018, to measure the long term effect of ripping on yields. 

Barley was planted over the ripped plots form 2018 to measure the long term effect of ripping on crop yield. 

Canola was seeded over the ripped plots form 2018 to measure the long term effect of ripping on crop yield. 

Canola was seeded over the ripped plots form 2018 to measure the long term effect of ripping on crop yield. 

Barley was seeded over the ripped plots form 2018 to measure the long term effect of ripping on crop yield.

Before seeding in 2020 the farmer spread clay cross the entrie paddock to reduce the risk of erosion, and mitigate the effects of non-wetting sandy topsoil. This resulted in heavy machinery (>40tonnes) moving over the trial site in random directions, re-compacting the soil. Three 50m x 50m quadrants were ripped, which were compared to the surronding unripped areas. 

Canola was seeded over the ripped plots from 2019, to observe the long term effects of ripping techniques on yields.