Production of summer crops in northern New South Wales. II. Effects of tillage and crop rotation on yields of sorghum

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Holland ◽  
DF Herridge
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
One Year ◽  
N Fertility ◽  
Rotation Crop

Two crops of sorghum were grown in successive summer seasons at 3 sites on alkaline, black earth soils near Tamworth, New South Wales following either soyabeans, mungbeans, cowpeas, pigeonpeas, sunflowers or sorghum. Tillage practices were cultivation using a chisel plough and scarifier, and no-tillage using atrazine and glyphosate for weed control. Variation in grain yield (1.0-8.4 t/ha) was largely associated with variation in Dec.-Feb. rainfall (128-475 mm). An average of 15 kg grain/ha was produced for each mm water above the threshold value of 83 mm. At the high (Site A) and low (Site C) N-fertility sites, the rotation effect on sorghum yields was significant for one year, but did not carry over to a second sorghum crop. Cowpeas were the best rotation crop, followed by sunflowers mungbeans and soyabeans. At the low N-fertility site, sorghum following cowpeas outyielded sorghum after sorghum by 47% in the unfertilized plots and by an aExperiments to examine the effects of tillage practice and crop sequence on the production of sorghum grain in northern New South Wales are described. Two crops of sorghum were grown in successive seasons at three sites on alkaline, black earth soils near Tamworth following either soybean, mungbean, cowpea, pigeonpea, sunflower or sorghum. Tillage practices were cultivation using a chisel plough and scarifier, and no-tillage using atrazine and glyphosate for weed control. Variation in grain yield (1.0 to 8.4 t/ha) was largely associated with variation in December-February rainfall (128 to 475 mm). We calculated that an average of 15 kg/ha of grain was produced for each mm water above the threshold value of 83 rnm. At the high (Site A) and low (Site C) N-fertility sites, the rotation effect on sorghum yields was significant for one year, but did not carry over to a second sorghum crop. Cowpea was the best rotation crop, followed by sunflower, mungbean and soybean. At the low N-fertility site, sorghum following cowpea outyielded sorghum after sorghum by 47% in the unfertilized plots and by an average of 27% over all N treatments. It is likely that the increased yields of sorghum in the rotation plots resulted from higher levels of plant available N from both N2 fixation activity (legumes only) and reduced amounts of N removed with the harvested grain (particularly cowpea and sunflower). At the non-responsive, moderate-fertility Site B, water, rather than N, was limiting. Responses to no-tillage were apparent only in the very dry 1984/85 season (December to February rainfall, 42% below average). In the other three seasons, the cultivated crops outyielded the no-tilled crops or the differences between the two practices were not significant.

Effect of tillage on yield, nodulation and nitrogen fixation of soybean in far north-coastal New South Wales

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 671 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Hughes ◽  
DF Herridge
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
North Coast ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Far North ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Shoot Mass

An experiment to examine the effect of tillage practice on yield, nodulation and nitrogen fixation of soybean in a podsolic soil on the far north coast of New South Wales is reported. Soybeans were sown into either a cultivated or no-tilled seedbed following pasture in 1983 and 1984, and following soybeans in 1984 and 1985. Results over the 3 seasons indicated substantially improved nodulation under no-tillage. The mean nodulation index (nodule mass as a percentage of shoot mass) was 4.5 for no-tillage soybean and 2.3 for the cultivated crops. Nitrogen fixation, assessed using the ureide technique, was higher in the no-tillage plots, especially during early plant growth, Plant growth and seed yield were increased by no-tillage in the wetter 1984 season; the reverse occurred in the other 2 less favourable years. Data on crop N, seed N, and fixed N (estimated by partitioning N accumulated by the crops during successive periods of growth, according to the relative ureide values) were combined to calculate N balances. Potential gains of soil N were greatest under the no-tilled soybeans (as much as 110 kg Nha; mean over all seasons was 80 kg Nha). The cultivated crops showed a maximum gain of 86 kg N/ha and an average gain of 30 kg N/ha. The data indicate that soybean has the potential to improve the N fertility of podsolic coastal soils, particularly when grown using no-tillage practices.

A grower survey of rotations used in the New South Wales cotton industry

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cotton Industry ◽  
Rotation System ◽  
System A ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Rotation Crops ◽  
Grower Survey ◽  
Rotation Crop

Summary. Cotton growers in the Macquarie, Namoi and Gwydir Valleys of New South Wales were surveyed in 1992 to determine what crops are grown in rotation with cotton, how frequently rotation crops are used, and what influences the grower’s choice of rotation system. A total of 155 properties were surveyed, covering 100, 49 and 58% of irrigated cotton produced in the Macquarie, Namoi and Gwydir Valleys, respectively. Although a large part of the 1992–93 cotton crop (61% by area) did not follow a rotation crop, there was widespread interest in rotations and 70% of properties had used rotations. Wheat was by far the most widely grown rotation crop, but there was considerable interest in other crops, especially legumes. The perceived benefits from rotation crops reported by most growers were better soil structure, less disease in following cotton, and more soil organic matter. However, when asked why they preferred certain rotation crops, these factors did not rate highly with growers. Crops that were easy to grow and gave the best financial returns possessed the main features sought in a rotation crop. The greatest problem in growing rotation crops was a lack of irrigation water. It is not surprising that this problem ranked highly because when the survey was conducted, the Namoi and Gwydir Valleys had water allocations of 15 and 0%, respectively. Not having suitable equipment to sow rotation crops was also a problem for 17% of growers, but 10% encountered no problems. The survey also investigated the use of permanent beds and retained hills. These practices have benefits for soil structure, and are almost essential for rotation crops which need to be sown as soon as the cotton is harvested. Over 80% of growers using rotations had adopted some form of permanent beds or retained hills. The benefit which ranked highest was a reduction in costs, followed by less soil compaction. Some growers (44%) who used permanent beds or retained hills had no problems, but handling the trash and keeping the rows straight were of concern to others.

Overwintering of Tranzchelia discolor in prune orchards in New South Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Ellison ◽  
L McFadyen ◽  
PF Kable
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Cross Infection ◽  
Infected Leaf ◽  
South Wales ◽  
One Year ◽  
Tranzschelia Discolor ◽  
Better Than

There are several ways in which Tranzschelia discolor may overwinter in prune orchards in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas of New South Wales. The aecial state, cross-infection from peach and almond, twig cankers, and urediniospores on living leaves persisting through winter were considered, but were thought to be unlikely. The ability of urediniospores to survive on infected leaf litter, either on the ground under trees or lodged within the framework of trees, was studied over two winters. Urediniospore viability declined with time, but in both seasons a proportion were capable of germination in the spring. Spores exposed within the tree framework survived better than those exposed on the ground, with about 20% and less than 5% respectively remaining viable by spring. In both winters spores from litter which overwintered within the framework of the tree were able to infect prune leaves in the spring. The infectivity of spores exposed on the ground was tested in the spring of one year and infections resulted on inoculated plants. The implications of these findings for the control of the rust in prunes are discussed.

Production of summer crops in northern New South Wales. I. Effects of tillage and double cropping on growth, grain and N yields of six crops

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
DF Herridge ◽  
JF Holland
Keyword(s):  
N2 Fixation ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practice ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Double Cropping ◽  
South Wales

The effects of tillage practice and double cropping on growth, yield and N economies of summer crops were examined in field experiments near Tamworth, northern New South Wales. Sorghum, sunflower, soybean, mungbean, cowpea and pigeon pea were sown into alkaline, black earth soils which contained either high (Site A, sown January 1983), moderate (Site B, sown December 1983), or low concentrations of nitrate (Site C, sown December 1984). During the previous winters, the land had been sown to wheat (double crop) or fallowed using cultivation or no-tillage practices. At Sites A and B, dry matter yields, averaged over all crops, were increased by 34 and 14% under no-tillage. Average increases in grain yields at the two sites were 22 and 11%. At Site C, tillage practice did not affect yields. Soybean showed the greatest responses to no-tillage. Increases in grain yields were 46, 15 and 18% for Sites A, B and C respectively. The least responsive legume was mungbean. Yields of sorghum were increased by 41% at Site A; responses at Sites B and C ranged between a 9% decrease and a 7% increase. With double cropping, grain yields were, on average, 18 (Site A), 81 (Site B) and 72% (Site C) of the yields in the cultivated (fallow) plots. However, when comparisons were made for the 12 month periods, i.e. wheat and summer crops v. fallow and summer crops, production was more than doubled at Site B and tripled at Site C, compared with the cultivated fallow. Significant in the responses to double cropping were the 192 (Site B) and 230 mm rainfalls (Site C) during November and December that replenished the soil profile with water to a depth of >0.75 m. Assessments of soybean N2 fixation using the ureide method indicated large effects of site and season on the proportion of plant N derived from N2 fixation (range, 0-0.83), on the amount of N2 fixed (range, 0-233 kg N ha-1) and on the N balance as a result of the cropping (range, -69 to +45 kg N ha-1).

Dispersal of the Wild Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniclus, at Urana in New South Wales

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Parer
Keyword(s):  
Natural Population ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
South Wales ◽  
One Year

In a natural population of rabbits, studied for 5 years, 307 dispersal movements by young rabbits were detected. Most movements occurred at the beginning of summer and more males moved than females. With the exception of one year there was no significant relationship between the ages of dispersing rabbits and the distances moved. Three rabbits, less than 1 month old, moved more than 1500 m. During a drought year the orientation of the movements was towards Lake Urana. Adult rabbits rarely changed warrens.

Aspects of Lactation in the Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Monotremata), in Waters of Eastern New South Wales.

1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 881 ◽  
Author(s):  
TR Grant ◽  
M Griffiths ◽  
RMC Leckie
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Young Leave ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Ornithorhynchus Anatinus ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Lactating Females ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One ◽  
First Time

Female platypuses captured in waters of eastern New South Wales were found to be lactating between the months of October and March. Lactating females were most numerous in December, accounting for 64% of females captured. Non-lactating females were taken in all months, indicating that not all females breed successfully every year. There was no significant difference between the fatty acid complement of milk taken from a platypus lactating very late in the season and those of others sampled in December at the peak of the lactation season. Some evidence exists that females do not become reproductive until at least their second year of life. Some females were found lactating in consecutive years, and others lactated one year and not in the one following. Animals of over 9 years of age are known to breed. Most juveniles were captured in February, March and April, and it is suggested that the young leave the breeding burrows for the first time in late January through to March, and become independent from their mothers, who are ceasing lactation at that time.

Effect of tillage practice on the persistence of atrazine in two contrasting soils in northern New South Wales

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 849 ◽  
Author(s):  
IG Ferris ◽  
WL Felton ◽  
JF Holland ◽  
MS Bull
Keyword(s):  
Surface Soil ◽  
Initial Rate ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Tillage Practice ◽  
Red Clay ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
South Wales

Grain sorghum was sown at 2 sites at Tamworth in northern New South Wales in 1980 in order to examine the influence of fallow tillage practices and post harvest cultivation on the persistence of atrazine. In a non-cracking red clay (pH 5.7) atrazine (3.2 kg/ha) was applied both to the sorghum fallow and at sowing (1.8 kg/ha). The concentration of carryover atrazine 3 months after sorghum harvest was 0.11 µg/g in the 0-5 cm mil layer and 0.06 µg/g in the 5-15 cm layer. By contrast, the same treatment resulted in 0.61 and 0.52 µg/g in the 0-5 and 5-15 cm zones of a grey clay (pH 7.5). Cultivation after the sorghum was harvested reduced the atrazine residue in the surface soil (0-5 cm) by 20-40%, depending on the initial rate of application. There was no associated increase in the 5-15 cm zone. Despite the reduction in the amount of atrazine residue, cultivation increased the severity of atrazine injury to wheat sown at the grey clay site. There was no evidence of phytotoxicity at the red clay site.

Changes in fallow weed species in continuous wheat in northern New South Wales 1981-1990

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 831 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Wicks ◽  
W. L. Felton ◽  
R. D. Murison ◽  
R. J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Plant Density ◽  
New South ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Wild Oats ◽  
Wild Mustard ◽  
South Wales

Four experiments in northern New South Wales comparing fallow management treatments of no-tillage, cultivated with the stubble retained, and cultivated with the stubble burned, from 1981 to 1990, were sampled for weeds between wheat harvest and seeding on a number of occasions during this period. Eighty weed species were identified, 23 of which were found at all 4 sites but only 13 were recorded in the samples taken. These were dwarf amaranth, wild turnip, spear thistle, Australian bindweed, fleabane, bladder ketmia, prickly lettuce, turnip weed, variegated thistle, common sowthistle, dandelion, wild oats and native millet. The density of weeds during the fallow period decreased by 97% from 1981 to 1990 with some species eliminated, probably because of the herbicides used, particularly glyphosate and chlorsulfuron. These included Boggabri and redroot amaranth, button grass, caustic weed, dense crassula, fat hen, legumes, common peppercress, hedge mustard, London rocket, shepherd’s purse, wild mustard, sorghum-almum, paradoxa grass, wild zinnia, and wireweed. Twenty-four weed species were classified as a problem or a potential problem in the future at 1 or more sites. Seventeen weed species, including perennial grasses, often were tolerant to glyphosate at the rates used. The densities of common sowthistle and wild oat were reduced after 10 years, but still remained at all 4 sites. Plant density of species with wind-blown seeds was greater in no-tillage plots than stubble-retained or stubble-burned plots. Weeds whose seeds are dispersed by wind and weeds tolerant to glyphosate were the most troublesome. The perennial grass native millet increased at all 4 sites.

A Review of Compulsory Admissions to a Psychiatric Unit in Sydney

1981 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Snowdon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Total Population ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Main Criterion ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
South Wales ◽  
One Year

This study is concerned with compulsory admissions of patients from a defined catchment area of Sydney in 1979. The rate of such detentions under the present Mental Health Act in New South Wales was found to be about one per 1000 of the total population in one year. A much smaller proportion of psychotic than of non-psychotic patients was considered dangerous by doctors who signed the schedules, yet those (40%) requiring to be on compulsory orders after magisterial hearings were all diagnosed as psychotic. If dangerousness were to be the main criterion for compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act (as recently proposed), many psychotic patients could not legally be detained. Yet follow-up, as in this study, demonstrates the benefits of such admissions. Revision of proposed amendments is recommended.

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