Lupin is the major break crop used by farmers in Western Australia but neither
lupin nor wheat uses much water from the B horizon of the widespread duplex
soils. This study investigated the productivity and water use of a range of
crops and pastures during 2 seasons on a shallow duplex soil, with a sandy
layer 30-40 cm deep, at East Beverley, WA. The aims of the work were to
evaluate the crops as alternative break crops to lupin on these soils, and to
establish whether roots could proliferate in the clay layer, promoting both
water extraction from the subsoil by that crop and improving yields of
subsequent wheat crops.
During the winter of the first season, a perched watertable developed for
almost 3 months and some crops (especially lentil) grew poorly. Yields in the
second season were generally good (lupin was close to the calculated potential
yield and canola and Indian mustard were >2 t/ha), establishing that
successful crops of oilseeds and grain legumes can be grown on this soil
provided that there is adequate water without topsoil waterlogging. Yields of
subsequent wheat crops were largest when following legume crops (40% in
one season and 135% in the second compared with wheat following wheat
or barley) but were also significantly greater following oilseeds (22%
and 102%).
Roots of cereals and pastures reached 80 cm in both seasons, whereas those of
the oilseeds reached 60-80 cm depending on crop and season. Rooting depth of
legumes varied from 70-80 cm for field pea to 30-50 cm for chickpea and faba
bean, with lupin extending to 60 cm in both seasons. As with shoot mass, root
mass differed between seasons, although on average, in mid September cereals
and oilseeds had a smaller proportion (0·12 and 0·14) of total
mass below ground than the legumes (0·24) and pasture species
(0·18). Only a few millimetres of water was extracted from the subsoil
by any crop in either season and there was no evidence that tap-rooted legumes
or oilseeds were better able than other crops either to exploit subsoil water
for their own use or to create pores that subsequent wheat crops might
exploit.
Heifer International Alternative Break: Sustainable Dietary Impacts
