Mallee farming systems research –recent findings

1. Rick Llewellyn, Therese McBeath,,Vadakattu Gupta, Bill Davoren, Willie Shoobridge,, Michael
Moodie, Marta Monjardino
Mallee farming systems research – recent findings

2. In-cropStubble HarvestSeeding
N
Placement
Zinc with N On-row sowing
Brome control
Brome seed control
Stubble
type
N strategies

3. 2013

4. Variable rate seeding Variable rate fertiliser technology
4 |
GRDC Farm Practices Survey 2016

5. Nitrogen
• The case for variable rate N in the Mallee is very strong
• Farm N budgets continue to rise
• How do we get more from the N we apply?
• Placement
• Product
• Stubble Effect
• Legumes
• Timing

6. 1. Observation of a toxicity effect on sands?
Crop plants /m2 (establishment)
Placement- Fertiliser Depth
50 kg DAP/ha with seed 50 kg DAP/ha below seed
2015 Karoonda 85 133
2016 Karoonda 92 117
2017 Karoonda 89 94
2017 Loxton 95 97
• Season x soil specific outcome

7. Crop yield (t/ha)
Placement- Fertiliser Depth
• Season x soil specific outcome
Yield
t/ha
50 kg DAP/ha with seed 50 kg DAP/ha below seed
2016 Karoonda 3.44 3.94
2017 Karoonda 2.33 2.36
2017 Loxton 0.64 0.84

8. 2. Benefit from additional N deeper (crop yields t/ha)
Placement- Fertiliser Depth
50 kg DAP/ha
with seed
50 kg DAP/ha
below seed
50 kg DAP/ha
below seed
+ 35 kg/ha
Urea deep
2016 Karoonda 3.44 3.94 -
2017 Karoonda 2.33 2.36 2.81
2017 Loxton 0.64 0.84 1.04

9. 2. Benefit from additional N deeper (crop yields t/ha)
3. Observation of a nutrient distribution benefit?
Best yields seem to be when some with seed and some N
deeper (to be continued….)
Placement- Fertiliser Depth
50 kg DAP/ha
with seed
50 kg DAP/ha
below seed
50 kg DAP/ha
with seed
50 kg DAP/ha
below seed
+ 35 kg/ha
Urea deep
+ 35 kg/ha
Urea deep
2016 Karoonda 3.44 3.94 4.16 -
2017 Karoonda 2.33 2.36 3.02 2.81
2017 Loxton 0.64 0.84 1.18 1.04

10. 0 N 20N Urea 20N Zn-Urea 20 ZnMAP 40N Urea
2015 Loxton 0.82 1.41 1.53 - 1.66
2016 Loxton 0.77 1.08 1.30 1.36 1.32
Nitrogen and zinc products
40N better than 20 N on Loxton sand
20 N with Zn was equivalent to 40 N Urea in 2015 and 2016 at Loxton

11. 0 N 20N Urea 20N Zn-Urea 20 ZnMAP 40N Urea
2015 Loxton 0.82 1.41 1.53 1.66
2016 Loxton 0.77 1.08 1.30 1.36 1.32
2017 Loxton 0.43 0.83 * 0.85 0.83
2017 Karoonda 2.60 3.58 3.36 3.44 3.75
2017 Ouyen Sand 0.31 0.88 1.01 0.80 1.09
2017 Ouyen Mid 1.71 2.23 2.34 2.20 2.58
Nitrogen and zinc products
Applying 20N Urea with foliar Zn or 20 N Urea with Zn oxide powder did not
have the same effect.
In 2017 responsiveness to N was less
Mechanisms of Zn- N being explored

12. What about break crops?

13. • Large legume N yield boost after lupins
Legume and fertiliser N for Wheat
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
removed wheat lupin
Residue Response
Lupin Effect- 1.5 t/ha extra yield
*Lupin also provided disease
break effect
Karoonda. Muschietti et al. (2017)

14. • Large legume N yield boost after lupins
• But profitable N fertiliser responses in wheat still found after
lupins
Legume and fertiliser N for Wheat
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
0 20 40
Fertiliser Response (kg N/ha)
+ 0.8
t/ha
+ 0.6
t/ha
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
removed wheat lupin
Residue Response
Residue Effect- 1.9 t/ha extra yield
*Lupin also provided disease break
effect
Fertiliser Effect- 1.4 t/ha extra yield
Karoonda. Muschietti et al. (2016)

15. • 9.9 kg canola
grain/kg soil
mineral N
• 6 kg grain/kg
fert N)
Legume and fertiliser N for Canola
Canolayield(kg/ha)
Optimised Canola Productivity Project
Soil mineral N (kg/ha)
Gol Gol NSW, Moodie et al 2017

16. • 9.9 kg canola
grain/kg soil
mineral N
• 6 kg grain/kg
fert N)
• Extra 0.2 t/ha
canola with 32
kg N/ha as Urea
Legume and Fertiliser N for Canola
Canolayield(kg/ha)
Optimised Canola Productivity Project
Soil mineral N at seeding (kg/ha)
Gol Gol NSW, Moodie et al

17. Presentation title | Presenter name17 |

18. Pre-emergent herbicides on brome
Sakura + Avadex resulted in 72-75% (2015-2016) less brome panicles than
trifluralin alone ($$)
Trifluralin plus metrabuzin reduced brome numbers by 50% in
2017 but not seed set
Sowing July Brome
(plants/m2)
GS31 crop biomass
(t/ha)
Maturity Brome
(seeds/m2)
Minus pre-em 31 a 0.92 3240
Plus pre-em 15 b 0.81 3059
Karoonda

19. Pre-emergent herbicides on brome
Sakura + Avadex resulted in 72-75% (2015-2016) less brome panicles than
trifluralin alone ($$)
Trifluralin plus metrabuzin reduced brome numbers by 50% in
2017 but not seed set
Crop competition is key in an integrated approach to brome
Sowing July Brome
(plants/m2)
GS31 crop biomass
(t/ha)
Maturity Brome
(seeds/m2)
On-row 15 b 1.09 a 1960 b
Inter-row 31 a 0.64 b 4339 a
Minus pre-em 31 a 0.92 3240
Plus pre-em 15 b 0.81 3059
Karoonda

20. 20 |

21. Increased brome weed suppression by on-row
crops on non-wetting sands 2017
Inter-row vs on-row
Brome seed set:
55% reduction in brome seed set
Crop density:
89 wheat/m2 Vs 68/m2 in June
70% more crop biomass at GS31
Karoonda

22. Brome seed reduction when crop sown on-row
compared to inter-row on non-wetting sands
Year % Brome Seed Set Reduction
2014 80
2015 72
2016 26 ns
2017 55
Karoonda

23. Placement- on row sowing
• Greater potential to supply N
under last year’s crop row.
• Can be some early N
immobilisation (tie-up) on-row.
• On non-wetting sand there was
greater N availability later in
season on row (Karoonda 2015).
On/Edge-Row
(kg N/ha/season)
Inter-Row
(kg N/ha/season)
24-35 12-25
Nitrogen Supply Potential (NSP)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
On-rowEarly Inter-rowEarly
AnthesisWheatNuptake(kg/ha)
a
b

24. On Row Seeding - What about disease risk?
Loxton 2016
Loxton 2015 Rhizo
Disease risk can be higher- needs management

25. Presentation title | Presenter name25 |

26. 26 |

27. 27 |

28. 28 |

29. Mallee virtual fencing trial 2017
Audio
Electric

30. Mallee virtual fencing trial 2017

31. Mallee virtual fencing trial 2017-18 (NSW Mallee 2017; Waikerie 2018)

32. Can virtual fencing manage sheep
grazing?
Day 1 of VF: 52 audio/14 stimulus
Day 3 of VF: 31 audio/4 stimulus
Sand
Loam
(Gol Gol NSW 2017)
Waikerie March 2018
Pre- VF VF Post VF
Marini et al 2018

33. CSIRO AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
Thank you
Acknowledgements
Damian Mowat, Stasia Kroker, Marcus Hicks, Jackie
Ouzman
Loller family, Bulla Burra and other landholders

34. Presentation title | Presenter name34 |
Karoonda Canola 2016
Yield (t/ha) N30 N80 LSD (P=0.05)
Dune 1.04 1.50 0.24
Dune Crest 0.99 1.51 0.24
Mid-slope 1.85 2.40 0.16
Swale 2.24 2.75 0.15
Yield (t/ha) 2 leaf 4-8 leaf Stem
elongation
LSD (P=0.05)
Dune 1.25 1.48 1.63 0.35
Dune Crest 1.25 1.45 1.68 0.34
Mid-slope 2.25 2.18 2.55 0.22
Swale 2.56 2.65 2.80 NSD
• A relatively dry start and wet spring shifted response to timing with benefit of delay
to stem elongation (5 units at sowing)
• Oil was all >40%, on swale highest yielding treatments had a 1% lower oil content
• Header yields presented due to extremely high variation in hand yield data.
• N input history was not a significant factor
• 0.51 ± 0.02 t/ha response to an extra 50 kg N/ha fertiliser across soil types (10.2 kg
grain/kg N) which was 25-70% yield benefit

35. Urea Fertilizer use efficiency is low
Karoonda (SA)
Year of N
application
2014
15N Trial – GRDC Stubble Initiative (Gupta et al)
%
Urea N
found
in crop

36. Page 36
Cereal stubbles don’t contribute much N
• Wheat stubble contributes 2 to 5% of next Wheat crop N
and decreasing in subsequent years
• Nitrogen mineralized from Soil OM (and crop residues)
contributes 40-55% of crop N uptake.
Karoonda (Gupta et al )

37. Harvest Weed Seed Control
BromeH
W
S
C
C
o
n
v
e
n
tio
n
a
l
0
5
1 0
1 5
2 0
B ro m e p la n ts 2 0 1 6
Plantsm2
H W S C
C o n ve n tio n a l
40-70% brome seed
below cutting height
50 seed/m2 lost during
the harvest process
HWSC for brome
needs to be early and
part of a wider IWM
program

38. Timing
All N in the period sowing-early tillering is the most consistent
performer.
Crops in wet springs like 2016 did respond to later N (booting in
canola and 1st Node in wheat) but predicting these seasons is
tricky.
Crops in dry springs like 2017 showed a negative response to later
N in canola (booting) but NS in wheat (1st node) and lower NUE
overall.

39. Karoonda
• Legume benefit to canola not fully
explained by N
• Fert N response in canola from 4.8-
10.6 kg grain/kg fert N in addition.
• Best NUE for highest break effect
and Yield Potential (Dune).
• Profit-Risk to be explored
Legume and Fertiliser N for Canola
Soil Canola
after
Wheat
Yield
(t/ha)
Canola
after
Lupin
Yield
(t/ha)
(Mineral N)
+ Legume
N
(kg
N/ha/0.6m
)
Dune 0.79 1.29 (29) +12
Mid-
slope
0.70 0.98 (43) +37
Swale 0.78 0.86 (69) +43
Optimised Canola Productivity Project

40. • Wheat stubbles contribute 1-2% of the N requirement of a
subsequent crop
• Wheat stubbles can immobilise N early in the season (approx. 5kg
N per tonne of stubble)
• Compensation for immobilisation by cereal stubbles often needed
in low fertility soils
Cereal Stubble Effect
Mineralisation
Immobilisation
Plants

41. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
On-row Inter-row
2015Establishment(plants/m2)
a
b
Crop establishment on non-wetting sand sowing on-
row in 2015
Karoonda
Non-Wetting
P=0.05