Initiation of a farming systems trial series in Western Australia
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
8-2024
Conference Title
Adaptive Agronomy for a Resilient Future
Place of Publication
Albany
Keywords
Dryland farming system, wheat, break crop, canola, fallow, cover crop, rotation
Disciplines
Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences
Abstract
In recent years substantial changes to Western Australian broadacre farming systems include large reductions in the area of pasture and grain legumes, increased canola production and more frequent cereal plantings (Harries 2023). In addition, the use of farm inputs such as pesticide and fertiliser have increased. To understand the implications of these changes on production constraints across the rotation, multi-year trials, that are managed as per farmer practice, are required. To achieve this, a similar approach as Eastern Australian colleagues was utilised, combining rotation x nitrogen fertiliser rate x sowing time treatments to simulate a wide range of current and alternative farming systems. In 2023 three trial sites were established: Northampton (Northern medium rainfall), Merredin (Central low rainfall) and Lake Grace (Southern medium rainfall). These trials test a range of crop and pasture rotations over four years.
Recommended Citation
Harries, M,
Shackley, B,
Nicol, D,
Abrahams, M,
Ashfaq, W,
Boyce, S,
Farre, I,
Ferris, D,
Mason, R,
Reeves, K,
Stewart, V,
and
Williams, G.
(2024), Initiation of a farming systems trial series in Western Australia, Adaptive Agronomy for a Resilient Future, Albany.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/conf_papers/262
