Fallow or Not: Balancing Soil Moisture and Cover Crop Trade-offs

2024
CC BY 4.0

Research organisations
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Amber Martin
Chris O'Callaghan
Aeneva Poulish
Contact email eo@liebegroup.org.au
Year(s) 2024
Contributor Liebe Group
Trial location(s) Pithara, WA
Further information View external link
Fallow or Not: Balancing Soil Moisture and Cover Crop Trade-offs locations
Aims

This trial aims to address key uncertainties around crop rotation and nitrogen application, providing growers with practical insights to improve decision-making and mitigate risks. This trial forms part of the national GRDC RiskWi$e initiative, which seeks to engage grain producers in identifying and evaluating farm management strategies that carry inherent but uncertain risk-reward dynamics.

Key messages
  • This is the second year of a five-year factorial crop sequence x nitrogen management trial.
  • There was a clear yield benefit associated with break crops and fallow.
  • There was a protein increase associated with increased nitrogen; however, this also caused higher screenings.
Lead research organisation Grower Group Alliance
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC
Trial funding source CSIRO
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

This project is a GRDC investment, led by Grower Group Alliance. The Liebe Group acknowledges Living Farm for managing the trial throughout the year. Thank you to Brad McIlroy for hosting the trial.


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

Method

Crop types Oilseed: Canola Cereal (Grain): Wheat Grain Legume: Lupins
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop : Rotation
  • Crop : Nutrition
  • Fertiliser : Rate
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Pithara 2024 Canola

Sow rate or Target density 2 kg/ha
Sow date 16 May 2024
Harvest date 30 October 2024
Plot size 8.1m x 1.75m
Plot replication 3

Pithara 2024 Wheat

Sow rate or Target density 70 kg/ha
Sow date 16 May 2024
Harvest date 30 October 2024
Plot size 8.1m x 1.75m
Plot replication 3

Pithara 2024 Lupins

Sow rate or Target density 100 kg/ha
Sow date 16 May 2024
Harvest date 30 October 2024
Plot size 8.1m x 1.75m
Plot replication 3
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
Pithara, WA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Pithara, WA Kandosol

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.

Pithara WA

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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

Fallow or Not: Balancing Soil Moisture and Cover Crop Trade-offs 2024



Trial last modified: 24-03-2026 14:15pm AEST