Impact of Legume Rotations on Soil Nitrogen and Crop Performance

2024 - 2025
CC BY 4.0

Research organisations
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) Daenia Dundon
Chris O'Callaghan
Contact email admin@liebegroup.org.au
Year(s) 2024 - 2025
Contributor Liebe Group
Trial location(s) Maya, WA
Impact of Legume Rotations on Soil Nitrogen and Crop Performance locations
Aims

To assess how integrating a legume rotation within a cereal-based system influences soil nitrogen dynamics and overall productivity.

Key messages
  • Soil nitrogen (kg/ha) levels were significantly higher in plots following a legume crop compared with those following a cereal crop.
  • Wheat grown on legume stubble had significantly higher total nitrogen (%) than wheat grown on cereal stubble.
  • 2025 wheat yields were significantly higher when grown on legume stubble, with green manured serradella, vetch and lupins giving the highest yield response.

 

Lead research organisation Grower Group Alliance
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC GGA2110-002SAX
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Thank you to the McAlpine family for hosting the trial, and to Crop Circle for implementing it. This trial is part of the GRDC Investment “Closing the Economic Yield Gap in Grain Legumes” led by the Grower Group Alliance.

GRDC Project Code: GGA2110-002SAX.


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

Method

Crop types Cereal (Grain): Barley Cereal (Grain): Wheat Grain Legume: Chickpeas Grain Legume: Lupins Hay: Vetch Oilseed: Canola Pasture: Seradella
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop : Type
  • Crop : Rotation
  • Sowing : Timing
  • Stubble : Type
Trial type Unknown
Trial design Replicated

Maya 2024 Barley

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Wheat

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Chickpeas

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Lupins

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Vetch

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Canola

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2024 Seradella

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sow date TOS 1: 9/5/2024; TOS 2: 6/06/2024
Harvest date Unknown
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Fungicide Not specified

Maya 2025 Wheat

Sow rate or Target density 75 kg/ha
Sow date 21 May 2025
Harvest date 28 November 2025
Plot size 10m x 1.5m
Plot replication 3
Fertiliser

21/05/2025: 70 kg/ha MAP
13/08/2025: 60 L/ha UAN

Herbicide

21/05/2025: Logran — 35 g/ha; Lontrel — 80 g/ha; Voraxor — 100 mL/ha; Mateno — 1 L/ha

Insecticide

PSPE: Pyrinex — 1 L/ha

Fungicide

21/05/2025: Uniform — 400 mL/ha

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
Maya, WA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Maya, 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.

Maya WA

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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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

Impact of Legume Rotations on Soil Nitrogen and Crop Performance



Trial last modified: 31-08-2026 21:24pm AEST