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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(9)

Advances in precision agriculture in south-eastern Australia. V. Effect of seasonal conditions on wheat and barley yield response to applied nitrogen across management zones

M. R. Anwar A , G. J. O’Leary A C , M. A. Rab B , P. D. Fisher B and R. D. Armstrong A
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- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries, PB 260, Horsham, Vic. 3400, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries, PB 1 Tatura, Vic. 3616, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: garry.o’leary@dpi.vic.gov.au

Crop and Pasture Science 60(9) 901-911 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08351
Submitted: 9 October 2008  Accepted: 24 July 2009   Published: 8 September 2009

Abstract

Spatial variability in grain yield across a paddock often indicates spatial variation in soil properties, especially in regions like the Victorian Mallee. We combined 2 years of field data and 119 years of simulation experiments (APSIM-Wheat and APSIM-Barley crop models) to simulate crop yield at various levels of N application in 4 different management zones to explore the robustness of the zones previously determined for an experimental site at Birchip. The crop models explained 96% and 67% of the observed variability in wheat and barley grain yields, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 310 kg/ha and 230 kg/ha, respectively. The model produced consistent responses to the observed data from the field experiment in 2004 and 2005 where a high and stable yielding zone produced the highest dry matter as well as grain yield, while a low and variable zone recorded the lowest grain yield. However, from the long-term (119 years) simulation, the highest median wheat yield value was obtained on the low variable zone (2911 kg/ha) with high N fertiliser application, while the lowest was obtained on the high variable zone (851 kg/ha). Similarly, the highest barley yields (1880–3350 kg/ha) occurred on the low variable zone using the long-term simulation. In 10–20% of years the highest yield occurred in the high-yielding zones, with the variable and stable zones changing rank with interactive behaviour only under early-sown conditions. Our analyses highlight the problem of using a limited range of seasons of different weather conditions in agronomy to make strategic conclusions as the long-term simulation did not confirm the original yield zone determination. The challenge ahead is to predict in advance the seasons where application of N fertiliser will be beneficial.

Additional keyword: simulation.


Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation through its Precision Agriculture Initiative (SIP09), and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. The authors are grateful to Colin Aumann, Tony Fay, Ashley Waite (DPI Victoria), Bobby Liston, and Cherie Rielly (from BCG) for providing technical and logistic support. We especially thank Janine Fitzpatrick (DPI) for the processing of the yield component samples. We are especially grateful to Ian and Warrick McClelland for allowing access to their paddock and providing assistance throughout the conduct of the field studies. An anonymous referee made helpful suggestions on an earlier draft.


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