Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA05253
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(8)

Zero tillage and nitrogen fertiliser application in wheat and barley on a Vertosol in a marginal cropping area of south-west Queensland

G. A. Thomas A F , R. C. Dalal B , E. J. Weston C D , C. J. Holmes A E , A. J. King A , D. N. Orange A and K. J. Lehane C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water, Natural Resource Sciences, South West Region, PO Box 318, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water, Natural Resource Sciences, 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Qld 4068, Australia.

C Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

D Present address: 50 Broadwater Terrace, Redland Bay, Qld 4165, Australia.

E Present address: MS 172, Allora, Qld 4362, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: gregory.thomas@nrw.qld.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(8) 965-975 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05253
Submitted: 1 June 2005  Accepted: 6 February 2007   Published: 16 July 2007

Abstract

Winter cereal cropping is marginal in south-west Queensland because of low and variable rainfall and declining soil fertility. Increasing the soil water storage and the efficiency of water and nitrogen (N) use is essential for sustainable cereal production. The effect of zero tillage and N fertiliser application on these factors was evaluated in wheat and barley from 1996 to 2001 on a grey Vertosol. Annual rainfall was above average in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 and below average in 2000 and 2001. Due to drought, no crop was grown in the 2000 winter cropping season.

Zero tillage improved fallow soil water storage by a mean value of 20 mm over 4 years, compared with conventional tillage. However, mean grain yield and gross margin of wheat were similar under conventional and zero tillage. Wheat grain yield and/or grain protein increased with N fertiliser application in all years, resulting in an increase in mean gross margin over 5 years from $86/ha, with no N fertiliser applied, to $250/ha, with N applied to target ≥13% grain protein. A similar increase in gross margin occurred in barley where N fertiliser was applied to target malting grade. The highest N fertiliser application rate in wheat resulted in a residual benefit to soil N supply for the following crop.

This study has shown that profitable responses to N fertiliser addition in wheat and barley can be obtained on long-term cultivated Vertosols in south-west Queensland when soil water reserves at sowing are at least 60% of plant available water capacity, or rainfall during the growing season is above average. An integrative benchmark for improved N fertiliser management appears to be the gross margin/water use of ~$1/ha.mm. Greater fallow soil water storage or crop water use efficiency under zero tillage has the potential to improve winter cereal production in drier growing seasons than experienced during the period of this study.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) for financial assistance and Mr and Mrs D. Hill, ‘Dunkerry South’ Nindigully, who provided land and other assistance for the trial. We gratefully acknowledge the involvement and advice of members of the trial management committee. We also thank Dr J. Standley, Mr J. Hagedoorn, Mr K. Spann, Mrs J. Glasby and Mrs A. Pumfrey for soil and plant chemical analyses, Mr G. McNamara, Ms J. Riddell and Ms M. Fraser for technical assistance, Messrs, J. Henderson, G. Pauli, G. Kedzlie, D. Cooper, R. Norris, D. Baills, M. Weston and P. Marsh for field operations, and Mrs A. Kelly and Ms K. Bell for advice on trial design and statistical analysis.


References


Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001) ‘Queensland Year Book 2001. No. 58. ABS Catalogue No. 1301.3.’ (Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra)

Best EK (1976) An automated method for determining nitrate nitrogen in soil extracts. Queensland Journal of Agricultural and Animal Sciences 33, 161–166. open url image1

Bruce RC, Rayment GE (1982) Analytical methods and interpretations used by the Agricultural Chemistry Branch for soil and land use surveys. Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Bulletin QB2004.

Bubenzer GD, Meyer LD (1965) Simulation of rainfall and soils for laboratory research. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 8, 73–75. open url image1

Crooke WM, Simpson WE (1971) Determination of ammonium in Kjeldahl digests of crops by an automated procedure. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 22, 9–10.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC (1989) Long-term effects of no-tillage, crop residue, and nitrogen application on properties of a Vertisol. Soil Science Society of America Journal 53, 1511–1515. open url image1

Dalal RC, Mayer RJ (1986a) Long-term trends in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cereal cropping in southern Queensland. I. Overall changes in soil properties and trends in winter cereal yields. Australian Journal of Soil Research 24, 265–279.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC, Mayer RJ (1986b) Long-term trends in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cereal cropping in southern Queensland. V. Rate of loss of total nitrogen from the soil profile and changes in carbon:nitrogen ratios. Australian Journal of Soil Research 24, 493–504.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC, Strong WM, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Lehane KJ, King AJ (1996) Comparison of legumes and fertilizer nitrogen for wheat production in subtropical Australia. In ‘Nitrogen economy in tropical soils’. (Ed. N Ahmed) pp. 363–369. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Dalal RC, Strong WM, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Thomas GA (1997) Prediction of grain protein in wheat and barley in a subtropical environment from available water and nitrogen in Vertisols at sowing. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 351–357.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Department of Primary Industries (2000) ‘Winter crop management notes.’ (Kingswood Press: Underwood, Qld)

Freebairn DM, Ward LD, Clarke AL, Smith GD (1986) Research and development of reduced tillage systems for Vertisols in Queensland, Australia. Soil and Tillage Research 8, 211–219.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Freebairn DM, Loch RJ, Cogle AL (1993) Tillage methods and soil and water conservation in Australia. Soil and Tillage Research 27, 303–325.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Freebairn DM, Hamilton NA, Cox PG, Glanville SF, Dimes JP, Holzworth D (1997) ‘HOWWET? – estimates how much rain is stored in the soil during a fallow and how much soil nitrate has accumulated. A computer program, Version Number: 2.10.’ (Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit, QDPI/DNR/CSIRO: Toowoomba, Qld)

Gardner EA (1985) Soil water. In ‘Identification of soils and interpretation of soil data’. (Ed. GE Rayment) pp. 197–234. (Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated, Queensland Branch: Brisbane)

Holford ICR, Doyle AD (1992) Yield responses and nitrogen fertiliser requirements of wheat in relation to soil nitrate levels at various depths. Australian Journal of Soil Research 30, 683–694.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Huggins DR, Pan WL (1993) Nitrogen efficiency component analysis: an evaluation of cropping system differences in productivity. Agronomy Journal 85, 898–905. open url image1

Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian soil classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Marley JM, Littler JW (1989) Winter cereal production on the Darling Downs – an 11 year study of fallowing practices. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 29, 807–827.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Perroux KM, White I (1988) Designs for disc permeameters. Soil Science Society of America Journal 52, 1205–1215. open url image1

Radford BJ, Nielsen RGH (1983) Extension of crop sowing time during dry weather by means of stubble mulching and water injection. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 23, 302–308.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Radford BJ, Gibson G, Nielsen RGH, Butler DG, Smith GD, Orange DN (1992) Fallowing practices, soil water storage, plant-available soil nitrogen accumulation and wheat performance in south west Queensland. Soil and Tillage Research 22, 73–93.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Reynolds WD, Elrick DE (1991) Determination of hydraulic conductivity using a tension infiltrometer Soil Science Society of America Journal 55, 633–639. open url image1

Robinson JB (2005) Understanding and applying decision support systems in farming systems research in Australia. PhD thesis, University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Robinson JB, Freebairn DM, Dimes JP, Dalal RC, Thomas GA, Weston EJ (1999) Modelling wheat production from low-rainfall farming systems in northern Australia. Environment International 25, 861–870.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1967) ‘Statistical methods.’ 6th edn. (Iowa State University Press: Ames, IA)

Strong WM, Dalal RC, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Lehane KJ, King AJ, Chicken CJ (1996a) Sustaining productivity of a Vertisol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage or legumes. 2. Long-term fertiliser nitrogen needs to enhance wheat yields and grain protein. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, 665–674.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Strong WM, Dalal RC, Cahill MJ, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Lehane KJ, King AJ, Chicken CJ (1996b) Sustaining productivity of a Vertisol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage or legumes. 3. Effects of nitrate accumulated in fertilised soil on crop response and profitability. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, 675–682.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomas GA, Gibson G, Nielsen RGH, Martin WD, Radford BJ (1995) Effects of tillage, stubble, gypsum, and nitrogen fertiliser on cereal cropping on a red-brown earth in south-west Queensland. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 997–1008.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomas GA, Felton WL, Radford BJ (1997) Tillage and crop residue management. In ‘Sustainable crop production in the sub-tropics: an Australian perspective’. Queensland Department of Primary Industries Information Series QI97035. (Eds AL Clarke, PB Wylie) pp. 195–213. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane)

Turpin JE, Bridge BJ, Orange D, Thompson JP (1999) Water and bromide movement in a Vertosol under four fallow management systems. Australian Journal of Soil Research 37, 75–89.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Weston EJ, Nason CN, Armstrong RDH (1975) Resources study and problem analysis for primary industries in the Condamine-Maranoa Basin of southern Queensland. Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Division of Plant Industry Bulletin No. 731.

Wildermuth GB (2001) Crown rot – an important disease in the Western Downs. In ‘Western Farming Systems Project Results Booklet 2001’. (Ed. KJ Lehane) pp. 30–31. Queensland Government (Department of Primary Industries, Natural Resources and Mines) and Grains Research and Development Corporation, QI 01093. (Greenridge Press: Toowoomba, Qld)

Woodruff DR, Tonks J (1983) Grain yield variation in relation to time of flowering of wheat genotypes. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 34, 1–11.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1