Grain yield production in relation to plant growth of wheat and canola following clover pastures in southern Victoria
X. Zhang A B and P. M. Evans AA Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, Private Bag 105, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
B Present address: Primary Industries and Resources South Australia, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. Corresponding author. Email: zhang.xianguang@saugov.sa.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44(10) 1003-1012 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA03064
Submitted: 13 March 2003 Accepted: 20 November 2003 Published: 25 November 2004
Abstract
The plant growth and grain yield of crops following a pasture phase in 1:1 pasture–crop rotations were studied in southern Victoria in 2001 (wheat and canola at Hamilton, and wheat at Streatham and Gnarwarre). Both the wheat and canola crops produced high grain yields with no application of nitrogen fertiliser.
In experiment 1 (at Hamilton) where the crops were dependent on nitrogen input from subterranean clover pasture, canola produced 4.1 t/ha of grain and wheat averaged 6.0 t/ha. The 3 canola cultivars (Charlton, Mystic and Surpass 400) had similar grain yields. However, for wheat, the late-maturing spring wheat cv. Kellalac and the early-maturing spring wheat cv. Silverstar produced significantly higher grain yields (6.6 and 6.3 t/ha, respectively) than the late-maturing winter cv. Brennan (5.0 t/ha). The 3 cultivars of each crop differed markedly in their major yield components. The most striking differences were those shown by Silverstar, which had the highest yield, together with Kellalac, but had lower biomass and lower leaf area index than the 2 late-maturing wheats. Silverstar compensated by having 50% more grains per head than the late-maturing Brennan. While Silverstar flowered on average 34 days earlier than the 2 other wheats, it took some 3 weeks longer to mature after anthesis.
In experiment 2, the wheat crop (cv. Silverstar) produced grain yields of 5.4 t/ha over 6 different treatments, with higher grain yields at Streatham (6.1 t/ha) than at Gnarwarre (4.7 t/ha). Across the 2 sites, the grain yields following clovers reached over 5.7 t/ha, in contrast with low grain yields from the continuous crop (3.7 t/ha) and fallow/crop treatments (3.7 t/ha). Grain yields were closely related to the herbage dry matter production of previous pasture legumes, indicating a positive crop response. This may, in turn, reflect the nutrient status of the treatments, particularly the nitrogen status.
Additional keywords: dry matter production, nitrogen fertiliser, yield components.
Acknowledgments
The project was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. Anthony Wright provided technical support with field work.
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