trials

To assess the whole farm implementation of water repellence management strategies.

To examine the potential for crop yield in the northern sandplain systems and explore practices that will allow the potential to be approached

To explore the yield potential for wheat in the northern sandplain region and to identify the main constraints to achieving this potential.

To assess the impact of rotary spading non-wetting sandplain soil on soil properties, crop growth and productivity.

To systematically assess the impact of sowing time, seeding rate and wetting agents on wheat establishment and productivity across a range of environments on water repellent soil and determine whether there are interactions between the agronomic options tested.

To investigate the use of water storage crystals as a means of increasing plant available water (PAW) during the grain fill period.

• To test the ability of a range of drainage treatments to improve crop yields in soil prone to waterlogging.

• To test the ability of a range of drainage treatments to improve crop yields in soil prone to waterlogging.

To test the effect of very deep ripping to 500mm with shallow leading tines and incorporation of limesand on a very deeply compacted acid sand plain soil.

To investigate the impact of variable rate lime applications on dry matter production and yields after assessment with PA technologies.

To address the following questions.

• Is the variable lime technique applicable/economic in a pasture system or is it more suited to cropping systems?
• Is it viable in the smaller size paddocks that are usual in pasture systems?
• Can you measure economic gains using the technique in pasture paddocks?

• To evaluate the benefit of deep ripping on two different compacted sandy loams with varying subsoil acidity.
• To evaluate the value of inclusion plates in slotting lime to the subsoil
• Evaluate the longevity of the response and returns over multiple seasons and crop rotations

To assess the efectiveness and persistence of soil ameliorants for irrigated canola establishment.

• To use farmer scale machinery to evaluate the benefits of adopting zone
management farming on a range of soil types over a three year period;
• To increase the output to input ratio for our farming system; and
• To collaborate with, and add value to research in precision agriculture being
undertaken by CSIRO, the Department.of Agriculture and University of Western
Australia (UWA).

• To determine if precision ag tools can improve the efficiency of soil amelioration as well as assess the effectiveness of amelioration techniques.
• To compare delving, spading and gypsum to improve sodic and bleached soils.

There are a range of machinery options that can provide different levels of lime incorporation such as spading. However, research to date on rotary spaders has shown soil/amendment mixing is not uniform due to the cyclical process, and the mixing quality reduces significantly at faster speed (Ucgul et al. 2019). This trial aimed to understand how the uniformity of soil-lime mixing by spading affected crop response and soil pH. 

To compare and showcase a range of strategic tillage options for amelioration of shallow sandy duplex soils (Sand over clay/gravel) and to assess their effectiveness at overcoming a range of soil constraints including topsoil water repellence and Compaction and increasing crop productivity over a period of 4-5 years.

To test a suitable relatively quick and cost-effective method of ameliorating subsurface acidity.

To determine suitable tine spacing and lime products for deep banding of lime to treat subsurface acidity.

Why do the trial? 
There are around 5 million hectares of sandy soils under agricultural production in the low to medium rainfall areas of south-eastern Australia. These soils have multiple constraints limiting production including water repellence, soil acidity, compaction and low organic carbon levels leading to poor biological cycling and nitrogen mineralisation. Estimates of the yield gap (the difference between water limiting potential and average actual crop yield) are between 1.8 and 2.1 t/ha on Upper Eyre Peninsula and as much as 2.3 t/ha on Lower Eyre Peninsula (http://yieldgapaustralia.com .au/ maps/). 
In 2016, GRDC invested in a research program to help grain growers identify and overcome the primary constraints to poor crop water-use on sandy soils in the low-medium rainfall environment (CSP00203). The 'Sands Impacts' component of this project enables grower groups to test outcomes from the research component by applying targeted mitigation and amelioration interventions to overcome production constraints. 

This article summarises the first four years of crop performance after trafficking was imposed on a red calcareous sandy loam at Minnipa Agricultural Centre (a detailed summary of 2015, 2016 and 2017 results can be found in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summaries, respectively). Three other trials similar in design and monitoring have also been implemented across the LRZ – on a deep sand at Loxton (SA), a brown loam near Swan Hill (Vic) and on a deep red earth at Lake Cargelligo (NSW). All these trials except Swan Hill (land ownership has changed) have been maintained for at least the five years of the project. A new trial was set up in 2018 to investigate the role of CTF on a deep sand which has been ameliorated with deep ripping.

To assess the effects of physical, chemical and biological soil manipulation (or inputs) on soil organic carbon in relation to changes in long term crop yields and quality.

To assess the effects of physical, chemical and biological soil manipulation (or inputs) on soil organic carbon in relation to changes in long term crop yields and quality.

To measure the variation in dry matter production, nitrogen fixation, moisture conservation and grain yield as a result of sowing date, legume species and variety.

To determine how lime, nutrients or other amendments are distributed through the soil after applicaiton with different mixing methods.

The study the effects of soil ameliorants on the establishment of canola.

To investigate the cost-effectiveness of on-farm lime for ameliorating soil acidity in Kwinana East Port Zone and to validate the iLime application (developed by DPIRD and Desiree Futures with funding from GRDC) by comparing simulations with field trial results.

To establish a farmer scale demonstration site at Nungarin on a Wodjil soil type investigating cheap, cost-effective methodology to effectively incorporate lime to depth which removes the subsurface constraint and provides more immediate returns to growers on their investment.

To investigate potential long term negative effects on crop yield of interactions between clay spreading or delving with subsoil nutrition (micronutrients).

To report on subsoil manuring: an innovative approach to addressing subsoil problems targeting higher water use efficiency in southern Australia.

To look at the technology, the resulting productivity increases and the economics of the practice of subsoil manuring. 

To trial the sub soil treatment of ripping and adding a soil ameliorant in a lucerne pasture.

To investigate yield responses to subsoil amelioration treatments.

To investigate effects of soil amelioration methods on subsoil constraints and the benefots to grain yields in the Mid-North of SA.

To identify whether deep ripping and other soil treatments will result in an increase in spring water use by crops and therefore increased yields and improved grain quality. 

To identify whether there is an advantage in using deep ripping or shallow cultivation compared to direct drill to improve the ability of crops to utilize soil water at depth. 
 

To identify whether there is an advantage in using deep ripping or shallow cultivation compared to direct drill to improve the ability of crops to utilize soil water at depth.

To test the concept of spreading sand on transient salinity “magnesia” patches to see if could be equally effective in improving the performance of heavy soils.

To understand factors contributing to manganese deficiency in oat.

To explore soil ameriolation strategies for lentil, chickpea and faba bean across the landscape

To assess the effectiveness of a range of soil ameliorants.

To investigate benefits of soil amendments on acid soil for wheat and triticale.

To look at the following soil amelioration treatments on water repellent pale sand:

• no amendment (nil);
• 3t/ha limesand; and
• 150 t/ha clay rich (31% clay) subsoil spread with a multi-spreader

To examine the pasture productivity and economic response to the application and incorporation of low rates of clay to pale deep sandplain over three years.

The aim of this long-term trial is to investigate different soil management options to reduce the negative effect of sub-soil limitations on crop yield.

To investigate a range of soil amelioration strategies on the impact of pulse production. 

• To monitor changes in soil pH under farmland on Kangaroo Island.

• To investigate soil acidity in Kangaroo Island soils.

To improve the soil structure of sodic soils using gypsum and tillage techniques.

To demonstrate the production and associated economic benefits from ameliorating soil sodicity over the long term.