Nutrition for Hyper Yielding Wheat - VIC

• Following faba beans in 2022 there was no significant yield response to applied nitrogen (0-280kg N/ha), although there was a significant increase in grain protein from 0-160kg N/ha (9.6% - 12.2%).
• With 133.5kg N/ha in the soil 0 – 100cm on 26 April, the zero N treatment (only 10kg N/ha MAP applied) yielded 5.93t/ha with a protein of 9.6% indicating the presence of approximately 100kg N/ha in grain at harvest.
• If 75% of the N is assumed to be in the grain and 25% in the straw residue then the total N uptake at harvest in zero N plots was approximately 133kg N/ha, indicating that the soil could have provided sufficient N to satisfy this yield.
• There were no significant differences in harvest dry matter as a result of N application, although there was a trend suggesting higher N rate applications increased harvest dry matter up to 120kg N/ha.
• This trend in increased biomass at harvest was linked to significantly higher head numbers up to 120kg N/ha.
• Although lodging levels at harvest were low there was a gradual increase in lodging as N input increased from 0 -160kg N/ha.
• No differences were observed in NDVI during early season, but during late season, treatments with 160kg N/ha and 120kg N/ha + PKS had statistically better NDVI scores (0.21 and 0.23 respectively) than other treatments. Treatment with 0kg N/ha had the lowest NDVI rating (0.11) recorded at GS89 on 24 November.

Rotation position: 2022 Faba beans
Soil type: Grey clay loam
Nitrogen 0-60 cm: 118kg N/ha
Colwell P (ppm) 0-10cm: 74 mg/kg
pH (CaCl2) 0-10cm: 5.8
Organic Carbon (%) 0-10cm: 2.4%