Reliability of canola production in different rainfall zones of Western Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imma Farré ◽  
Michael Robertson ◽  
Senthold Asseng
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
History Of

The area of canola in the wheat-based farming systems of the wheatbelt of Western Australia (WA) expanded rapidly during the 1990s and has subsequently decreased. Due to the short history of canola production in WA, there is little information on yield and oil content expectations in relation to rainfall, location, and soil type. In this paper we: (1) present the recent history of canola production in the context of the long-term climate record; (2) assess the effect of location, rainfall, soil type, and soil water at sowing on yield and oil content; and (3) determine cut-off sowing dates for profitable canola production. Simulations were run using the APSIM-Canola model with long-term climate records for 3 selected locations from the low-, medium-, and high-rainfall zones and different soil types. Analysis of recent trends in canola area showed that poor seasons and price volatility in the last few years have contributed to farmers’ perception of risk and hence the decline in area sown. Long-term simulations showed the importance of location, sowing date, soil type, and stored soil water at sowing on grain yield. Yield was negatively related to sowing date. Light-textured soils had lower yields and larger yield penalties with delayed sowing than heavy-textured soils. Soil water at sowing gave a yield advantage in most years in all locations studied, but especially in low- and medium-rainfall locations. Variation in oil content was most strongly affected by sowing date and location, while soil type and soil water at sowing had a minor effect. Long-term simulation analysis can be used as a tool to establish the latest possible sowing date to achieve profitable canola for different locations and soil types, given different canola prices and growing costs. Given the vulnerability of profitability to seasonal conditions, in the low- and medium-rainfall zone, the decision to grow canola should be tactical depending on stored soil water, sowing opportunities, seasonal climate outlook, prices, and costs. In contrast, in the high-rainfall zone, canola production is relatively low risk, and could become a reliable component of rotations.

Production risk of canola in the semi-arid subtropics of Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Robertson ◽  
J. F. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Grain Filling ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
High Water ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Production Risk

The area of canola is expanding in the wheat-based farming systems of the summer-dominant rainfall zone of the Australian wheatbelt. Despite this, there is little information on yield and oil content expectations in relation to rainfall, location, and soil type and the reliability of the crop in a region characterised by high climatic variability. In this paper we assess variation in profitability of canola production in locations with different rainfall in the north-eastern wheatbelt by using long-term simulations at 4 locations spanning the climatic range of the region (Gunnedah, Moree, Walgett, Roma) with a validated model (APSIM-Canola). A new semi-mechanistic method for simulating oil content, accounting for temperature and water deficit effects during grain filling, is described and tested. Key agronomic determinants of reliable grain yield and oil content are identified. Long-term simulations showed strong effects of location, plant-available soil water at sowing (PAW), and in-crop rainfall on grain yield expectations. Yield was negatively related to sowing date, particularly in those situations of high water supply (PAW and in-crop rainfall). Grain yield was positively related to in-crop rainfall up to 300 mm, with water use efficiency in most seasons falling between 6 and 12 kg/ha.mm. Variation in oil content was most strongly affected by sowing date, followed by location, with PAW having a minor effect. Importantly, the price bonus cut-off for oil content of 42% was exceeded in 25, 40, 40, and 55% of seasons for Roma, Walgett, Moree, and Gunnedah, respectively. Negative and falling phases of the SOI in April–May were associated with lower grain yield and oil contents, whereas positive and rising phases with higher grain yield and oil content. This suggests that the choice to sow canola over other alternatives could be a tactical decision that depends upon the seasonal climate outlook. The approach used in this paper can be applied to the analysis of canola production risk (yield and oil content) and profitability in other prospective environments.

Water excess under simulated lucerne - wheat phased systems in Western Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 826 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Dolling ◽  
S. Asseng ◽  
M. J. Robertson ◽  
M. A. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Water Holding

The long-term effect of lucerne use, in reducing drainage of water below the root zone and runoff (water excess), has not been examined in south-western Australia (Western Australia). The main aims of the paper were to determine how the long-term mean water excess was influenced by the proportion of lucerne in the rotation and the length of the lucerne phase in relation to soil type and location. A simulation model was used to compare scenarios, drawing on historical weather data from 1957 to 2001. Simulations were performed for 2 locations (high and low rainfall) and 2 soil types (high and low water-holding capacity). Lucerne significantly and rapidly (within 2–3 years) reduces the long-term mean water excess in rotations consisting of 2–4 years of lucerne followed by 1–4 years of wheat compared with continuous wheat. For every 10% increase in the percentage of lucerne years in the total rotation length, the mean water excess decreased by 17–20 mm (7–9%) at Kojonup (high-rainfall site) and 7–8 mm (8–9%) at Buntine (low-rainfall site) compared with the water excess associated with continuous wheat at each location. The proportion of lucerne in the rotation had a greater effect on the water excess than the effect of different soil types. Variation in the water excess due to variation in rainfall was greater than the reduction in water excess due to lucerne. This makes the decisions about when to grow lucerne to reduce water excess difficult if livestock enterprises are less profitable than cropping enterprises. The simulations show that lucerne mean yearly biomass ranges from 4.5 to 6.9 t/ha at Kojonup and from 1.6 to 4.7 t/ha at Buntine, depending on soil type and stage of lucerne in the land use sequence. It is worth considering that lucerne has the potential to reduce subsequent wheat yields with removal in autumn.

scholarly journals Clay-illuvial soils in the Polish and international soil classifications

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 204-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezary Kabała ◽  
Elżbieta Musztyfaga
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
The Other ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Hierarchical Order ◽  
History Of

AbstractSoil with a clay-illuvial subsurface horizon are the most widespread soil type in Poland and significantly differ in morphology and properties developed under variable environmental conditions. Despite the long history of investigations, the rules of classification and cartography of clay-illuvial soils have been permanently discussed and modified. The distinction of clay-illuvial soils into three soil types, introduced to the Polish soil classification in 2011, has been criticized as excessively extended, non-coherent with the other parts and rules of the classification, hard to introduce in soil cartography and poorly correlated with the international soil classifications. One type of clay-illuvial soils (“gleby płowe”) was justified and recommended to reintroduce in soil classification in Poland, as well as 10 soil subtypes listed in a hierarchical order. The subtypes may be combined if the soil has diagnostic features of more than one soil subtypes. Clear rules of soil name generalization (reduction of subtype number for one soil) were suggested for soil cartography on various scales. One of the most important among the distinguished soil sub-types are the “eroded” or “truncated” clay-illuvial soils.

Prevalence of blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) on canola (Brassica napus) in Western Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Khangura ◽  
M. J. Barbetti
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Leptosphaeria Maculans ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Blackleg Disease ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Seed Yields ◽  
Blackleg Fungus ◽  
Western Australian

Canola crops were monitored throughout the Western Australian wheatbelt during 1996–99 to determine the incidence and severity of crown cankers caused by the blackleg fungus (Leptosphaeria maculans). All crops surveyed had blackleg. The incidence of crown canker was 48–100%, 15–100%, 9–94% and 48–100% during 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. The mean incidence of crown cankers statewide was 85, 63, 55 and 85% in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. The severity of crown canker (expressed as percentage disease index) ranged between 30 and 96%, 3 and 94%, 5 and 78% and 21 and 96% during 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. These high levels of blackleg can possibly be attributed to the accumulation of large amounts of infested canola residues. In 1999, there were effects of variety, application of the fungicide Impact, distance to last year’s canola residues and rainfall on the incidence and severity of blackleg. However, there were no effects of sowing date or region on the disease incidence or severity once the other factor effects listed above had been considered. In 1995, an additional survey of 19 sites in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia assessed the survival of the blackleg fungus on residues from crops grown in 1992–94. The residues at all sites carried blackleg. However, the extent of infection at any particular site varied from 12 to 100% of stems with the percentage of stems carrying pseudothecia containing ascospores varying between 7 and 96%. The high levels of blackleg disease found in commercial crops are indicative of significant losses in seed yields, making it imperative that management of blackleg be improved if canola is to remain a viable long-term cropping option in Western Australia.

Comparative soil water, pasture production, and crop yields in phase farming systems with lucerne and annual pasture in Western Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Latta ◽  
L. J. Blacklow ◽  
P. S. Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Pasture Production

Two field experiments in the Great Southern region of Western Australia compared the soil water content under lucerne (Medicago sativa) with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterranean) and annual medic (Medicago polymorpha) over a 2-year period. Lucerne depleted soil water (10–150 cm) between 40 and 100 mm at Borden and 20 and 60 mm at Pingrup compared with annual pasture. There was also less stored soil water after wheat (Triticum aestivum) and canola (Brassica napus) phases which followed the lucerne and annual pasture treatments, 30 and 48 mm after wheat, 49 and 29 mm after canola at Borden and Pingrup, respectively. Lucerne plant densities declined over 2 seasons from 35 to 25 plants/m2 (Borden) and from 56 to 42 plants/m2 (Pingrup), although it produced herbage quantities similar to or greater than clover/medic pastures. The lucerne pasture also had a reduced weed component. Wheat yield at Borden was higher after lucerne (4.7 t/ha) than after annual pasture (4.0 t/ha), whereas at Pingrup yields were similar (2 t/ha) but grain protein was higher (13.7% compared with 12.6%) . There was no yield response to applied nitrogen after lucerne or annual pasture at either site, but it increased grain protein at both sites. There was no pasture treatment effect on canola yield or oil content at Borden (2 t/ha, 46% oil). However, at Pingrup yield was higher (1.5 t/ha compared to 1.3 t/ha) and oil content was similar (41%) following lucerne–wheat. The results show that lucerne provides an opportunity to develop farming systems with greater water-use in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and that at least 2 crops can be grown after 3 years of lucerne before soil water returns to the level found after annual pasture.

scholarly journals Isolation of the anaerobic intestinal spirochaete Brachyspira pilosicoli from long-term residents and Indonesian visitors to Perth, Western Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Rini Margawani ◽  
Ian D. Robertson ◽  
David J. Hampson
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Brachyspira Pilosicoli ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
History Of ◽  
The City ◽  
Culture Positive

Brachyspira pilosicoli is an anaerobic spirochaete that colonizes the large intestine of humans and various species of animals and birds. The spirochaete is an important enteric pathogen of pigs and poultry, but its pathogenic potential in humans is less clear. In the current study, the occurrence of B. pilosicoli in faecal samples from 766 individuals in two different population groups in Perth, Western Australia, was investigated by selective anaerobic culture. Of 586 individuals who were long-term residents of Perth, including children, elderly patients in care and in hospital and individuals with gastrointestinal disease, only one was culture positive. This person had a history of diverticulitis. In comparison, faeces from 17 of 180 (9.4 %) Indonesians who were short- or medium-term visitors to Perth were positive for B. pilosicoli. The culture-positive individuals had been in the city for between 10 days and 4.5 years (median 5 months). Resampling of subsets of the Indonesians indicated that all negative people remained negative and that some positive individuals remained positive after 5 months. Two individuals had pairs of isolates recovered after 4 and 5 months that had the same PFGE types, whilst another individual had isolates with two different PFGE types that were identified 2 months apart. Individuals who were culture-positive were likely to have been either colonized in Indonesia before arriving in Perth or infected in Perth following contact with other culture-positive Indonesians with whom they socialized. Colonization with B. pilosicoli was not significantly associated with clinical signs at the time the individuals were tested, although faeces with wet-clay consistency were 1.5 times more likely (confidence interval 0.55–4.6) than normal faeces to contain B. pilosicoli.

Water use of wheat, barley, canola, and lucerne in the high rainfall zone of south-western Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heping Zhang ◽  
Neil C. Turner ◽  
Michael L. Poole
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grain Filling ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Significant Difference

Water use of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) was measured on a duplex soil in the high rainfall zone (HRZ) of south-western Australia from 2001 to 2003. Rainfall exceeded evapotranspiration in all years, resulting in transient perched watertables, subsurface waterlogging in 2002 and 2003, and loss of water by deep drainage and lateral flow in all years. There was no significant difference in water use among wheat, barley, and canola. Lucerne used water at a similar rate to annual crops during the winter and spring, but continued to extract 80−100 mm more water than the annual crops over the summer and autumn fallow period. This resulted in about 50 mm less drainage past the root-zone than for annual crops in the second and third years after the establishment of the lucerne. Crop water use was fully met by rainfall from sowing to anthesis and a significant amount of water (120−220 mm) was used during the post-anthesis period, resulting in a ratio of pre- to post-anthesis water use (ETa : ETpa) of 1 : 1 to 2 : 1. These ratios were lower than the indicative value of 2 : 1 for limited water supply for grain filling. High water use during the post-anthesis period was attributed to high available soil water at anthesis, a large rooting depth (≥1.4 m), a high proportion (15%) of roots in the clay subsoil, and regular rainfall during grain filling. The pattern of seasonal water use by crops suggested that high dry matter at anthesis did not prematurely exhaust soil water for grain filling and that it is unlikely to affect dry matter accumulation during grain filling and final grain yield under these conditions.

SGS Water Theme: influence of soil, pasture type and management on water use in grazing systems across the high rainfall zone of southern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. White ◽  
B. P. Christy ◽  
A. M. Ridley ◽  
A. E. Okom ◽  
S. R. Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Daily Weather Data ◽  
Grazing Systems

Eleven experimental sites in the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) national experiment were established in the high rainfall zone (HRZ, >600 mm/year) of Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales to measure components of the water balance, and pathways of water movement, for a range of pastures from 1997 to 2001. The effect of widely spaced river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in pasture, and of belts of plantation blue gums (E. globulus), was studied at 2 of the sites. The soil types tested ranged from Kurosols, Chromosols and Sodosols, with different subsoil permeabilities, to Hydrosols and Tenosols. The pasture types tested were kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica), redgrass (Bothriochloa macra) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum), with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) included. Management variables were set stocking v. rotational grazing, adjustable stocking rates, and level of fertiliser input. Soil, pasture and animal measurements were used to set parameters for the biophysical SGS pasture model, which simulated the long-term effects of soil, pasture type, grazing method and management on water use and movement, using as inputs daily weather data for 31 years from selected sites representing a range of climates. Measurements of mean maximum soil water deficit Sm were used to estimate the probability of surplus water occurring in winter, and the average amount of this surplus, which was highest (97–201 mm/year) for pastures in the cooler, winter-rainfall dominant regions of north-east and western Victoria and lowest (3–11 mm/year) in the warmer, lower rainfall regions of the eastern Riverina and Esperance, Western Australia. Kikuyu in Western Australia achieved the largest increase in Sm compared with annual pasture (55–71 mm), while increases due to phalaris were 18–45 mm, and those of native perennials were small and variable. Long-term model simulations suggested rooting depth was crucial in decreasing deep drainage, to about 50 mm/year for kikuyu rooting to 2.5 m, compared with 70–200 mm/year for annuals rooting to only 0.8 m. Plantation blue gums dried the soil profile to 5.25 m by an average of 400 mm more than kikuyu pasture, reducing the probability of winter surplus water to zero, and eliminating drainage below the root zone. Widely spaced river red gums had a much smaller effect on water use, and would need to number at least 14 trees per hectare to achieve extra soil drying of about 50 mm over a catchment. Soil type affected water use primarily through controlling the rooting depth of the vegetation, but it also changed the partitioning of surplus water between runoff and deep drainage. Strongly duplex soils such as Sodosols shed 50% or more surplus water as runoff, which is important for flushing streams, provided the water is of good quality. Grazing method and pasture management had only a marginal effect in increasing water use, but could have a positive effect on farm profitability through increased livestock production per hectare and improved persistence of perennial species.

Determinants of oil concentration and seed yield in canola and Indian mustard in the lower rainfall areas of Western Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 367 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Si ◽  
G. H. Walton
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Indian Mustard ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Early Flowering ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Oil Concentration

Oil concentration and seed yield of canola (Brassica napus) are usually low and variable when grown in the lower rainfall areas of Western Australia. This paper identifies determinants of oil concentration and seed yield in these areas. Through a series of cultivar × sowing date experiments at 5 lower rainfall locations and one high rainfall location as comparison, we evaluated the impact of sowing date, cultivar, and location on these 2 key agronomic traits. We also examined relationships between oil concentration, seed yield, and post-anthesis duration, post-anthesis temperature, and post-anthesis rainfall with a view to investigate the adaptive requirements of canola for the lower rainfall areas.Cultivars differed in their capacities to produce oil and seed yield. The ranking of cultivars for oil concentration, and seed yield to a lesser extent, remained constant across sowing dates and locations. Both seed yield and oil concentration decreased with delayed sowing. On average, oil concentration was reduced by 1.1 percentage points and seed yield by 309 kg/ha for every 2 weeks delay in sowing. The magnitude of reduction in oil concentration from delayed sowing was far greater in a low rainfall site at Mullewa than in the high rainfall site at Mt Barker.Later sowings shortened post-anthesis duration. With a given sowing date, early flowering cultivars resulted in longer post-anthesis duration. Oil concentration increased by 1.2 percentage points for a 10-day increase in post-anthesis duration. Both oil concentration and seed yield increased with higher post-anthesis rainfall and lower post-anthesis temperature. The rates of increase were 0.7 percentage points for oil and 116 kg/ha for seed yield for every 10-mm increase in post-anthesis rainfall. The rates of reduction were 0.68 percentage points for oil and 289�kg/ha for seed yield for every 1�C increase in post-anthesis temperature. These relationships suggest that a combination of an early date of sowing with an early flowering cultivar would be essential for the production of high yield and high oil canola in the lower rainfall areas. Indian mustard (B. juncea) showed tolerance to high temperature and water deficit, but the low yield potential makes it uneconomical with early sowing. Further improvement in seed yield could be dependent on increased tolerance of canola to high temperature and water deficit during seed growth and development.

Wheat root penetration and total available water on a range of soil types

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (81) ◽  
pp. 570 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Tennant
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Wheat Root ◽  
Consistent Pattern ◽  
Clay Soils ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Root Penetration

Depth of root penetration was examined over three years on a range of soil types in Western Australia. A consistent pattern was recognized. Roots penetrated rapidly to 5 to 10 cm from the soil surface within the first week from planting. Subsequent penetration was slow to 6 weeks, at which stage, depending on soil types, depth of root penetration was 15 to 30 cm. Rates of root penetration increased after 6 weeks from planting with greatest penetration occurring between 8 to 13 weeks. Respective maximum depths of root penetration in the deep sand, sandy loam, grey clay and sand over clay soils investigated were 169, 173, 31 and 73 cm. These depths were reached between 10 to 14 weeks after planting. Potential available soil water to maximum depths of root penetration were 2.6, 20.1, 5.6 and 8.1 cm for the deep sand, sandy loam, grey clay and sand over clay respectively. More than half of this available soil water was accessible for crop exploitation over the 9 to 14 week period after planting, except with shallow water and root penetration in the grey clay.

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