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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.


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