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| Researcher(s) | N/A |
|---|---|
| Contact email | admin@cfig.org.au |
| Contact phone | 0476046100 |
| Year(s) | 2011 - 2012 |
| Contributor | Corrigin Farm Improvement Group |
| Trial location(s) |
Corrigin, WA
|
A trial west of Corrigin has shed some new light on what can happen to crop production in the second year after mouldboard ploughing of non wetting grey sandy soils. Non wetting soils pose a significant challenge to growing crops in many parts of the wheatbelt and crops grown on these soils can suffer poor seedling establishment, poor weed control and depressed crop yield.
The highest yield in the trial was produced by the 2012 Mouldboarding treatment (1st crop) and the yield advantage dropped off for the second crop (2011 mouldboard treatment)
The drop off in yield advantage for the second crop after mouldboarding can be explained in part by the changes that are occurring to subsoil moisture. Volumetric soil moisture tests in the trial shows that subsoil (30&50cm) moisture can be lower in the second year as a result of the high water use of the first crop after mouldboarding (2011 wheat crop yielded 3.8 t/ha sown in July). The high water use by a high yielding crop is likely to drain the subsoil in this first year and have carryover effect into the next season, particularly with a dry season, as in 2012. This drier subsoil can also affect grain quality and this case, produce higher screenings.
For the no mouldboard treatment, where non wetting soil remains an issue, soil moisture accumulates at depth (50cm) but the topsoil remains mainly dry. In this situation rainfall enters the furrow and travels deep into the subsoil bypassing crop seed in the furrow. The inter-row stayed mainly dry for most of the season. It begs the question, what happens with nutrient availability in these top soils that remain so dry for most of the growing season? I think we know the answer but this needs to be investigated further.
While the 2012 mouldboarding operation produced the highest yield, it did not achieve 100% weed control which was achieved with the 2011 mouldboarding treatments. Different operators in different years produced different outcomes. The 2012 mouldboard machine did not have skimmer plates which are essential for complete turnover of top soil and deep burial of weed seeds. Also the 2012 mouldboard operation occurred after only 25mm of rain. In 2011 the mouldboard operation occurred after 75mm of rain. Mouldboarding needs some attention to detail to achieve the desired outcomes of complete flipping of the topsoil into the subsoil and vice versa.
An important consideration when sowing into mouldboarded soil is seeder set up. Mouldboarding effectively changes the soil profile and can bring lower organic matter soil and clay to the surface. This clay at the surface can form a crust and in Corrigin this contributed to shallow seeding depth. The shallow sowing and low organic matter soil increased the activity of trifluralin and cause crop damage. On mouldboarded soil Trifluralin rates need to be reduced.
On an average basis the no mouldboard treatments were malt grade, the 2011 mouldboarded soil feed grade and the 2012 mouldboarded soil, malt grade. Mouldboarding can be an expensive operation with current contract cost of $120 per hectare and approximately $20 per hectare of diesel fuel. Based on the average yield and quality response of the mouldboard treatments this trial demonstrates that this cost can be recouped in the first season of cropping on mouldboarded non wetting soil.
| Lead research organisation |
Corrigin Farm Improvement Group |
|---|---|
| Host research organisation |
Corrigin Farm Improvement Group |
| Trial funding source | GRDC |
| Related program | N/A |
| Acknowledgments |
GRDC Regional Reference Group – East Kwinana Zone, Corrigin Farm Improvement Group |
| Other trial partners | Not specified |
| Crop type | Cereal (Grain): Barley |
|---|---|
| Treatment type(s) |
|
| Trial type | Experimental |
| Trial design | Unknown |
| Sow date | 15 June 2012 |
|---|---|
| Harvest date | Unknown |
| Plot size | Not specified |
| Plot replication | Not specified |
| Sow date | Not specified |
|---|---|
| Harvest date | Not specified |
| Plot size | Not specified |
| Plot replication | Not specified |
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.
Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR)
Some crop varieties used in research trials may be covered by Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR). Users should confirm PBR status of relevant varieties by searching the IP Australia PBR database, http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/pbr_db/ or Variety Central (http://varietycentral.com.au/) and contacting variety owners for further information if required. Where possible, varieties have been listed according to their registered PBR name, although OFT cannot and does not guarantee that the information is accurate or complete.
Note that PBR cover is administered through the Plant Breeders’ Right Act 1994 (