Reduced early growth of direct drilled wheat in southern New South Wales: causes and consequences

Abstract

In five experiments with wheat over 4 years on a red earth soil in southern New South Wales, direct drilling reduced plant population by an average of 15% and individual plant dry weight at 10- 11 weeks by an average maximum of 33% compared with sowing into a cultivated seed bed. The maximum reduction in dry weight per unit area averaged 44% (at tillering), but compensatory growth reduced this to 17% by anthesis. Time to emergence was not reduced and differences in plant weight soon after emergence were very small, which suggests that the effect on plant growth occurred only after emergence. Effects of direct drilling on soil surface (0- 10 cm) temperature and water content were not important factors reducing plant population or early growth but high soil strength seemed the most likely cause of reduced root extension in the direct drilled seedbed (0-1 5 cm). Reduced root extension had no direct effect on plant water relations or nitrogen concentration in leaves, but there was a small effect on phosphorus concentration. Reduced root growth appears to reduce shoot growth but the mechanisms require further study. The reduced shoot growth led to reduced preanthesis water-use. After anthesis direct drilled crops generally used more water and had higher leaf water potentials than crops in cultivated soil, leading to yield increases in 2 of the years with dry spring conditions. Only in a drought year (1982) was there evidence of direct drilling reducing the maximum depth of rooting and therefore reducing total water-use resulting in lower grain yield (8%). Overall, direct drilling increased grain yields by 2.4% (2.514 v. 2.576 t/ha) compared with conventional tillage, despite the large reduction in early growth.