Summer cover crops can increase stored soil water in long fallows and improve wheat yields— Bungunya

2017 - 2018

Research organisaton
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Andrew Erbacher
David Lawrence
Year(s) 2017 - 2018
Contributor Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Trial location(s) Bungunya, QLD
Summer cover crops can increase stored soil water in long fallows and improve wheat yields— Bungunya locations
Aims

Farming systems projects funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) are assessing ways to improve the use of our total rainfall, with the aim of achieving 80% of the water and nitrogen-limited yield potential in our cropping systems.

Key messages

1. Summer cover crops can be very profitable; improving ground cover and increasing fallow water storage in long fallows to improve grain yields and boost returns in northern farming systems.
2. A later spray-out produced additional levels of a cover that is more resilient and stored more water in the longer fallow. Delaying spray-out too long reduced fallow water storage considerably.
3. Using a summer cover crop saved two fallow herbicide sprays and dramatically improved establishment of the subsequent wheat crop.
4. Yields and returns were increased by the cover crops, and yields were well in excess of those expected from the increased soil water storage alone.

Lead research organisation Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC DAQ00211)
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

We very much appreciate the support of the trial co-operator and consultants for their effort and contributions to the project, along with our project team members in CSIRO (Neil Huth, Brook Anderson), David Freebairn, and the DAF Biometry, Technical and Research Infrastructure staff that supported the heavy management and monitoring loads of these experiments. Thanks also to the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation and the Department of
Agriculture and Fisheries for funding the project (DAQ00211).


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

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Sorghum Cereal (Grain): Millet Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Type
  • Sowing: Timing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Unknown

Bungunya 2017 Sorghum

Sow date 1 May 2018
Harvest date 26 October 2018
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified

Bungunya 2017 Millet

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

Bungunya 2017 Wheat

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

Bungunya 2018 Millet

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

Bungunya 2018 Sorghum

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

Bungunya 2018 Wheat

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
Bungunya, QLD Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Bungunya, QLD Vertosol
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 Bungunya QLD
2018 232.3mm
2017 240.3mm
2016 247.8mm
2015 230.6mm
2014 201.7mm
2013 200.5mm
2012 211.0mm
2011 211.6mm
2010 251.3mm
2009 255.4mm
2008 285.0mm
2007 261.7mm
2006 299.2mm
2005 323.3mm
2004 372.9mm
2003 418.5mm
2002 419.9mm
2001 469.0mm
2000 517.2mm
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.

Bungunya QLD

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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 report and links

2017 trial report



Trial last modified: 23-12-2022 15:15pm AEST