On-farm assessment of environmental and management constraints to wheat yield and efficiency in the use of rainfall in the Mallee

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Sadras ◽  
David Roget ◽  
Garry O'Leary
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Boron Toxicity

The responses of wheat grain yield to soil properties, weather, root diseases, and management practices were investigated in 75 grower-managed crops in the Mallee region of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales during 3 growing seasons. Fourteen cultivars were represented in the sampled crops, with Frame being the most common (56%). The most widespread crop sequence was wheat after pasture (43% of wheat crops), followed by wheat after fallow or cereal (both about 20%); 12% of the wheat was sown after legumes. Wheat after cereal was more common in drier sites, and wheat after fallow in wetter sites. Wheat yield was proportional to Fischer’s photothermal coefficient around flowering, and ranged from nil to 4.7 t/ha. On average, wheat crops sown after cereals yielded 0.4 t/ha less than their counterparts sown after fallow, and 0.7 t/ha less than those after legumes. Sowing date ranged from 24 April to 21 July; yield declined with delayed sowing at an average rate of 17 kg/ha.day. Growing season rainfall (April–October) ranged from 111 to 266 mm, and accounted for 27% of the variation in grain yield. Soil water content at sowing (0–1 m) ranged from 32 to 330 mm; yield increased with initial soil water at an average rate of 6 kg/ha.mm. Grain yield per unit growing season rainfall was generally low, with 75% of crops producing <12 kg grain/ha.mm; the maximum ratio was 21 kg/ha.mm. Soil constraints, including sodicity, alkalinity, salinity, and boron toxicity, reduced yield in part by reducing availability of stored soil water. Owing to severity of chemical constraints increasing with soil depth, grain yield and yield per unit growing season rainfall were both inversely related to the proportion of water stored deeper in the soil (0.5–1 m). Yield was unrelated to nitrogen, both initial and applied. Larger amounts of nitrogen accumulated in soils with more severe constraints partially accounted for the lack of association between yield and nitrogen.

Survey of farm management practices of the northern wheat belt of New South Wales

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 499 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Martin ◽  
MG McMillan ◽  
JB Cook
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Grain Protein Content ◽  
Wheat Grain ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fertiliser Use

A survey of management practices on wheat farms in northern New South Wales was carried out on 50 farms between 1983 and 1985 and was supplemented by a questionnaire mailed to 750 growers in 1985. Information was collected on crop rotation, tillage practice, fertiliser use and weed control practices. Data were collected from 1 paddock on each farm and included: wheat grain yield and quality, available soil water and nutrients at sowing, wild oat density, and incidence of soil-borne diseases. The 3-year average grain yield in survey paddocks was 2.2 t/ha. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting grain yield and protein in 1985. Of the variation in wheat grain yield, 74% was explained by variation in available soil water at sowing, available soil nitrate at sowing, sowing date and wild oat density. Grain protein content declined with increasing available soil water and phosphate at sowing and with earlier sowing, but increased with available nitrate at sowing. Agronomic practices aimed at maximising wheat grain yield, in the presence of a deficiency ofavailable soil nitrate, are likely to result in a reduction of grain protein content. Likewise, responses to application of nitrogenous fertiliser are likely to be inversely related to available soil water at sowing. The mean gross margin for 1984 and 1985, based on $100/t of wheat grain, was $128. The mean gross margin for the least profitable 20% of paddocks was $37, and $253 for the top 20%. New varieties of wheat and herbicides were readily adopted by farmers. On the other hand, adoption of nitrogenous fertiliser use was slow, considering the widespread and long-standing deficiencies of nitrogen in cropping soils of the region. Crop rotation and tillage practices have changed only marginally since the late 1940s. The results of this survey indicate that the usefulness of soil testing for predicting fertiliser requirements could be improved by taking into account levels of available soil water, weed competition and sowing date and by using multiple regression analysis.

An exploratory evaluation of APSIM to simulate growth and yield processes for winter cereals in rotation systems in South Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. M. Yunusa ◽  
W. D. Bellotti ◽  
A. D. Moore ◽  
M. E. Probert ◽  
J. A. Baldock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Nitrogen Fertiliser

The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) suite of models was used to predict dynamics in water and nitrogen in soil, as well as the growth and yield of sequential crops of wheat and barley in pasture–wheat–barley rotations, between 1995 and 1997 at Roseworthy, South Australia. The NWHEAT model satisfactorily predicted above-ground dry matter, leaf area index and grain yields for both crops in rotations with either grassy (Grass) or medic (Medic) pastures, including the lack of significant response of yield to nitrogen fertiliser applied to wheat at sowing. Simulation data for soil water, from SOILWAT2, was consistent with measured data. Simulation with SOILN2, however, largely underestimated soil nitrogen, due to excessive uptake by the simulated wheat during the season when nitrogen was abundant and water supply readily available. Thus, the soil nitrate had to be reset at sowing for the following barley crop; simulated soil nitrate agreed with the measured data in this season when this nutrient was low. For most variables of crop growth and soil water, the simulated data were mostly within 2 standard errors of the measured means. Prediction of grain protein was underestimated in all cases, including where nitrogen in the shoot was overestimated. This was possibly due to inadequate remobilisation of nitrogen from the straw and roots to the grain by the simulated crop. A satisfactory prediction of dry matter, grain yield and grain weight was obtained for wheat when the models were extended to other trials at Roseworthy (Lower North), Minnipa (Upper Eyre Peninsula) and Wunkar (Murray Mallee), based on limited soil data. Long-term simulations of wheat yields showed that, with early sowing in the Lower North, median wheat yield increased by 50 kg/ha for every kilogram of nitrogen applied at sowing, up to a maximum nitrogen rate of 50 kg/ha. In the drier districts of the Upper Eyre Peninsula and the Murray Mallee, nitrogen fertiliser of no more than 25 kg/ha, applied at sowing, was enough to achieve yield benefits in any given season. At these drier sites, crop failures occurred in 5% (Upper Eyre Peninsula) and 10% (Murray Mallee) of the seasons simulated. Median sowing dates from these simulations were 15 May for the Lower North, 30 May for the Upper Eyre Peninsula and 24 May for Murray Mallee. This suggested that sowing could be conducted at least a week earlier than currently practised in the 3 environments. This study demonstrated the capability of APSIM to predict growth and grain yield of wheat and barley, as well as the associated dynamics of soil water in the main cereal belts of South Australia.

Applications of the herbicide sethoxydim increase wheat yield in the absence of weeds

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 555
Author(s):  
ID Black ◽  
CB Dyson ◽  
AR Fischle
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Growth ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Experimental Site ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Positive Linear Correlation ◽  
Area North

In 11 experiments over 6 seasons the herbicide sethoxydim was applied to Machete, Spear and Blade wheat cultivars in the absence or near absence of weeds (10 sites) or where the weeds were controlled by selective herbicides (1 site), in the cropping area north of Adelaide, South Australia. The rates applied included 9-47 g a.i./ha at the 2-3 leaf growth stage and 9-74 g a.i./ha at early tillering. Except for the very long growing season of 1992, there was a highly significant positive linear correlation between the number of degree days in the growing season at each experimental site and relative mean yield increase of these sethoxydim treatments. Yield increases ranged from nil in growing seasons of about 1000 degree days to 32% in a growing season of 1480 degree days, with a median of 8% over the experiments.

Water balance changes in a crop sequence with lucerne

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. X. Dunin ◽  
C. J. Smith ◽  
S. J. Zegelin ◽  
R. Leuning
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Root Extension ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Lower Productivity

In a detailed study of soil water storage and transport in a sequence of 1 year wheat and 4 years of lucerne, we evaluated drainage under the crop and lucerne as well as additional soil water uptake achieved by the subsequent lucerne phase. The study was performed at Wagga Wagga on a gradational clay soil between 1993 and 1998, during which there was both drought and high amounts of drainage (>10% of annual rainfall) from the rotation. Lucerne removed an additional 125 mm from soil water storage compared with wheat (root-zone of ~1 m), leading to an estimated reduction in drainage to 30–50% of that of rotations comprising solely annual crops and/or pasture. This additional soil water uptake by lucerne was achieved through apparent root extension of 2–2.5 m beyond that of annual crops. It was effective in generating a sink for soil water retention that was about double that of annual crops in this soil. Successful establishment of lucerne at 30 plants/m2 in the first growing season of the pasture phase was a requirement for this root extension. Seasonal water use by lucerne tended to be similar to that of crops in the growing season between May and September, because plant water uptake was confined to the top 1 m of soil. Uptake of water from the subsoil was intermittent over a 2-year period following its successful winter establishment. In each of 2 annual periods, uptake below 1 m soil depth began late in the growing season and terminated in the following autumn. Above-ground dry matter production of lucerne was lower than that by crops grown in the region despite an off-season growth component that was absent under fallow conditions following cropping. This apparent lower productivity of lucerne could be traced in part to greater allocation of assimilate to roots and also to late peak growth rates at high temperatures, which incurred a penalty in terms of lower transpiration efficiency. The shortfall in herbage production by lucerne was offset with the provision of timely, high quality fodder during summer and autumn. Lucerne conferred indirect benefits through nitrogen supply and weed control. Benefits and penalties to the agronomy and hydrology of phase farming systems with lucerne are discussed.

Assessing the sustainability of wheat-based cropping systems using APSIM: model parameterisation and evaluation

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Moeller ◽  
Mustafa Pala ◽  
Ahmad M. Manschadi ◽  
Holger Meinke ◽  
Joachim Sauerborn
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
N Use

Assessing the sustainability of crop and soil management practices in wheat-based rotations requires a well-tested model with the demonstrated ability to sensibly predict crop productivity and changes in the soil resource. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) suite of models was parameterised and subsequently used to predict biomass production, yield, crop water and nitrogen (N) use, as well as long-term soil water and organic matter dynamics in wheat/chickpea systems at Tel Hadya, north-western Syria. The model satisfactorily simulated the productivity and water and N use of wheat and chickpea crops grown under different N and/or water supply levels in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 experimental seasons. Analysis of soil-water dynamics showed that the 2-stage soil evaporation model in APSIM’s cascading water-balance module did not sufficiently explain the actual soil drying following crop harvest under conditions where unused water remained in the soil profile. This might have been related to evaporation from soil cracks in the montmorillonitic clay soil, a process not explicitly simulated by APSIM. Soil-water dynamics in wheat–fallow and wheat–chickpea rotations (1987–98) were nevertheless well simulated when the soil water content in 0–0.45 m soil depth was set to ‘air dry’ at the end of the growing season each year. The model satisfactorily simulated the amounts of NO3-N in the soil, whereas it underestimated the amounts of NH4-N. Ammonium fixation might be part of the soil mineral-N dynamics at the study site because montmorillonite is the major clay mineral. This process is not simulated by APSIM’s nitrogen module. APSIM was capable of predicting long-term trends (1985–98) in soil organic matter in wheat–fallow and wheat–chickpea rotations at Tel Hadya as reported in literature. Overall, results showed that the model is generic and mature enough to be extended to this set of environmental conditions and can therefore be applied to assess the sustainability of wheat–chickpea rotations at Tel Hadya.

Production and survival of tillers of wheat and their contribution to yield

1974 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Ishag ◽  
M. B. Taha
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
High Mortality ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Nitrogen Application ◽  
True Leaf

SUMMARYThe effect of sowing date and nitrogen on tillering patterns, survival and contribution of reproductive tillers to grain yield of standard and Mexican wheat cultivars were studied for two seasons.Maximum number of tillers/plant, 3·2–4·5, was observed after 40 and 27 days from sowing for 1970–1 and 1971–2 respectively. The number of ears/plant was 1·4 at the end of the growing season. Varieties differed in tillering, and LRN10 and Giza 155 produced more reproductive tillers than Falchetto and Mexipak. Nitrogen application increased tillering efficiency, i.e. ratio of fertile to total tillers produced. Only 26% of tillers appearing in the axil of the first true leaf (T1) and 10% of tillers in the axil of the second true leaf (T2) survived to produce ears. The high mortality of tillers was attributed to high air temperature prevailing during the growth period (33 °C by day; 18 °C by night). Eared tillers did not die and were self supporting because of the photosynthesis by the ear.Grain weight/tiller was positively correlated with tiller dry weight at heading, r= 0·76–0·96. Main shoots contributed about 81% of the total grain yield and 19% came from T1 and T2 tillers.

Delving of sandy surfaced soils reduces frost damage in wheat crops

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rebbeck ◽  
C. Lynch ◽  
P. T. Hayman ◽  
V. O. Sadras
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Frost Damage ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Yield Gain ◽  
The Many

Delving is a farming practice involving the mixing of a deep clayey subsoil layer with a sandy topsoil. One of the many effects of this practice is to reduce soil albedo and increase water-holding capacity of the topsoil, thus increasing the potential for storage and release of heat and potential attenuation of the effects of radiative frost. At Keith, a frost-prone location of South Australia, we investigated the effect of management practices with putative capacity to reduce frost damage, with emphasis on delving. Three field experiments were established on Brown Sodosols with a water-repellent sand topsoil. In relation to crops in untreated control soil, delving increased wheat yield from 1.9 to 3.1 t/ha in 2003, and from 0.5 to 1.5 t/ha in 2004. This large delving effect contrasted with the minor effects of other treatments including soil rolling, sowing rate, row spacing, and cultivar mixture. Lack of significant interactions between treatments indicated a robust response to delving across a range of management practices. Topsoil and canopy-height minimum temperatures were consistently higher in the delved treatment. The average difference in canopy-height minimum temperature between delved and control treatments was 0.3–0.4°C, with a maximum of 1.6°C in 2003 and 1.2°C in 2004. A single, robust relationship between yield and frost damage fitted the data pooled across treatments and seasons. This, together with the temperature differential between treatments, and significant relationships between minimum canopy-height temperature around flowering and frost damage supported the conclusion that a substantial part of the yield gain attributable to delving was related to reduced frost damage.

Relationships between wheat varieties on the basis of grain yield for South Australian farms

1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
DG Pederson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Cyst Nematode ◽  
Cereal Cyst Nematode ◽  
Boron Toxicity ◽  
Graphical Representations ◽  
Wheat Varieties ◽  
Principal Coordinates ◽  
Measure Of Association

In South Australia there were 116 receival sites for wheat grown on farms in the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. The amounts received were recorded according to variety, and in this study an analysis was carried out of the yields of the top 15 varieties for the two seasons.Distribution maps were produced for two of the varieties to demonstrate how the distribution of a variety can be related to environmental factors. A measure of association was calculated for each pair of varieties and graphical representations of the inter-varietal distances were obtained from principal coordinates analyses. Examples were given of closely associated varieties for which the probable link was tolerance to boron toxicity, for one pair of varieties, and resistance to cereal cyst nematode, for a second pair of varieties.

Corrigendum to: Crop-available water and agronomic management, rather than nitrogen supply, primarily determine grain yield of commercial chickpea in northern New South Wales

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 1357
Author(s):  
N. V. Elias ◽  
D. F. Herridge
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
N2 Fixation ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Farmer Knowledge ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Total Crop

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is considered an effective rotation crop in Australia's northern grains region; however, concerns exist that grain yields of commercial crops are reduced because of nitrogen (N) deficiency related to inadequate nodulation and N2 fixation. As part of a program to address these issues, we report on the monitoring of 22 commercial fields around Moree, northern NSW, during 2005–07 that were designated for chickpea, and an associated farmer survey (81 respondents). Our objectives were to determine whether the monitored crops were limited by N and to develop recommendations that would optimise productivity for farmers growing chickpeas. In 2005, only soil water and nitrate data were collected from the six fields designated for chickpea. In 2006 and 2007, almost complete datasets were assembled from the 16 chickpea fields or crops, including soil water and nitrate at sowing, row spacing, plant density, plant height, stubble cover, weed density and composition, shoot biomass, grain yield, nodulation and N2 fixation (%N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) and total crop N fixed). The associated survey provided insights into farmer knowledge of, and practices related to, inoculation. Field monitoring indicated moderate–high levels of soil nitrate at sowing (averages 114, 126 and 110kg N ha–1 to 1.2m depth for 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively) and generally low plant nodulation (0.11–1.16g fresh wt plant–1) and N2 fixation (0–62%Ndfa and 0–87kg N ha–1). Grain yield varied between 0.53 and 2.91tha–1 across the 14 monitored crops, with averages of 1.89tha–1 in 2006 and 1.02tha–1 in 2007. Although total crop N and grain yields were highly correlated with total (i.e. soil+fixed) N supply, there was no evidence that the monitored chickpea crops were N-limited. Rather, we conclude that soil N and biologically fixed N were complementary in supplying N to the crops, the grain yields of which were primarily determined by the supply of plant-available water (PAW) and water-use efficiency (WUE). Simple and multivariate regression analyses showed that stubble cover during the fallow (positively correlated with sowing PAW) and sowing date (positively correlated with crop WUE) were significant determinants of grain yield. We conclude that farmers could improve inoculation practice by ensuring the time between seed inoculation and sowing is always

Crop-available water and agronomic management, rather than nitrogen supply, primarily determine grain yield of commercial chickpea in northern New South Wales

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 442 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. V. Elias ◽  
D. F. Herridge
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
N2 Fixation ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Farmer Knowledge ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Total Crop

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is considered an effective rotation crop in Australia’s northern grains region; however, concerns exist that grain yields of commercial crops are reduced because of nitrogen (N) deficiency related to inadequate nodulation and N2 fixation. As part of a program to address these issues, we report on the monitoring of 22 commercial fields around Moree, northern NSW, during 2005–07 that were designated for chickpea, and an associated farmer survey (81 respondents). Our objectives were to determine whether the monitored crops were limited by N and to develop recommendations that would optimise productivity for farmers growing chickpeas. In 2005, only soil water and nitrate data were collected from the six fields designated for chickpea. In 2006 and 2007, almost complete datasets were assembled from the 16 chickpea fields or crops, including soil water and nitrate at sowing, row spacing, plant density, plant height, stubble cover, weed density and composition, shoot biomass, grain yield, nodulation and N2 fixation (%N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) and total crop N fixed). The associated survey provided insights into farmer knowledge of, and practices related to, inoculation. Field monitoring indicated moderate–high levels of soil nitrate at sowing (averages 114, 126 and 110 kg N ha–1 to 1.2 m depth for 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively) and generally low plant nodulation (0.11–1.16 g fresh wt plant–1) and N2 fixation (0–62%Ndfa and 0–87 kg N ha–1). Grain yield varied between 0.53 and 2.91 t ha–1 across the 14 monitored crops, with averages of 1.89 t ha–1 in 2006 and 1.02 t ha–1 in 2007. Although total crop N and grain yields were highly correlated with total (i.e. soil + fixed) N supply, there was no evidence that the monitored chickpea crops were N-limited. Rather, we conclude that soil N and biologically fixed N were complementary in supplying N to the crops, the grain yields of which were primarily determined by the supply of plant-available water (PAW) and water-use efficiency (WUE). Simple and multivariate regression analyses showed that stubble cover during the fallow (positively correlated with sowing PAW) and sowing date (positively correlated with crop WUE) were significant determinants of grain yield. We conclude that farmers could improve inoculation practice by ensuring the time between seed inoculation and sowing is always <24 h.

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