Comparing strategic deep tillage options on soil constraint removal and crop performance across two soil types in Western Australia

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

8-2019

Conference Title

Cells to Satellites: Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference, 2019

Place of Publication

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Keywords

Soil amelioration, strategic deep tillage, soil constraints, water repellence, subsoil compaction, grain yield

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Soil Science

Abstract

Over the past 10-years numerous strategic deep tillage methods have been developed for ameliorating sandplain soil constraints in WA. Degree of soil disturbance varies: deep ripping loosens soils with low topsoil impact; ripping with inclusion generates seams of incorporated topsoil; deep mixing incorporates topsoil and amendments to 0.3-0.4m; and inversion buries topsoil (and weed seeds) in layers at 0.15-0.4m. Replicated field experiments comparing 13 strategic deep tillage combinations, were established on deep sand (0.4-0.6 m) over clayey gravel (duplex sandy gravel) and deep yellow sand in 2016 and 2017, respectively. On duplex sandy gravel, treatments with deep ripping to 0.5m+ increased wheat yields by 39- 49% in 2017, but combining ripping with mixing or inversion has had more sustained yield increases of 42- 62% in barley for 2018. For the deep sand, which has limited capacity to store water, grain fill was compromised on mixed or inverted soils, with deeper ripping better matched to crop water supply in both 2017 and 2018. At this site a loss of tillers between 22 August and 12 November in 2018 reflected dry, hot conditions through September with greater losses for some of the deep mixed and inverted treatments which had higher yield potential that could not be met.

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