Direct drilling on sandplain soils.

Trial 90EC29 Effect of depth and degree of soil disturbance on root and shoot growth of wheat on wind erosion prone sandy soil. Location: East Chapman Research Station. The long-term fertility and stability of the yellow, grey and white sands which make up 60% of the northern wheatbelt soils can only be safeguarded through strict adherence to conservation cropping practices: notably, direct drilling of both cereal and lupin crops. Work by R. Jarvis has shown a 10 - 15% yield advantage due to cultivation of sandplain soils, and data suggest that it is cultivation depth (degree of soil loosening) rather than timing which is important. Minimal soil disturbance will aid resistance to wind erosion, but adequate soil disturbance is necessary for both weed control and vigorous seedling growth. Trial 90EC30, 90GE109, 90GE110 Effect of cultivation and delayed seeding on wheat yield on sandplain soils. Location: East Chapman Research Station. The long term fertility and stability of the yellow, grey and white sands which make up 60% of the northern wheatbelt soils can only be safeguarded through strict adherence to conservation cropping practices: notably, direct drilling of both cereal and lupin crops. Using current management systems, cultivation is necessary to control grass weeds, and to loosen the soil for seedling growth: on average, cereal crops which are direct drilled using conventional machinery yield 10-15I below crops sown after cultivation. However, the advent of new grass weed control methods, and modified seeding machinery has greatly improved the probability of successful, profitable direct drilling of cereals on sandplain soils in the northern wheatbelt. This experiment compares the yield increases/penalties from early sowing with direct drilling versus conventional cultivation and delayed sowing. Trial 90EC31 Effect of depth of soil disturbance on wheat growth and yield on sandplain soils. Location: East Chapman Research Station The long-term fertility and stability of the yellow, grey and white sands which make up 60% of the northern wheatbelt soils can only be safe-guarded through strict adherence to conservation cropping practices: notably, direct drilling of both cereal and lupin crops. Work by R. Jarvis has shown a 10 - 15% yield advantage due to cultivation of sandplain soils, and data suggest that it is cultivation depth (degree of soil loosening ) rather than timing which is important. Minimal soil disturbance will aid resistance to wind erosion, but adequate soil disturbance is necessary for both weed control and vigorous seedling growth. Trial 90EC32 Use of higher seeding rates and narrow row spacing to reduce the risk of wind damage to cereal crops. Location: East Chapman Research Station. The long-term fertility and stability of the yellow, grey and white sands which make up 602 of the northern wheatbelt soils can only be safeguarded through strict adherence to conservation cropping practices: notably, direct drilling of both cereal and lupin crops. Susceptibility of cropped soil to wind erosion us related to both the degree of soil loosening, and the amount of ground cover during the susceptible period (initial cultivation to about 6 weeks after sowing). Delane and Hamblin have shown a positive linear relationship between dry matter production and yield of wheat on the deep sandplain soils, indicating that the risk of haying off at high seeding rates may be low. Therefore, high sowing rates and more even plant spacing may be used to achieve rapid ground cover, and reduce the risk of wind damage. Higher plant population will also increase the recovery of the crop following wind damage. Trial 90EC33 Methods for reducing risk of wind damage to wheat crops on sandplain soils. Location: East Chapman Research Station. The long-term fertility and stability of the yellow, grey and white sands which make up 60% of the northern wheatbelt soils can only be safeguarded through strict adherence to conservation cropping practices: notably, direct drilling of both cereal and lupin crops. Direct drilling increases resistance to wind erosion through retention of organic material ( stubble and pasture residue ) on the soil surface, and maintenance of soil aggregate stability. Soil rolling and packing may also protect against wind erosion by firming and ridging the soil surface, and increasing speed of crop emergence. This trial examines the role of direct drilling and various rollers and press wheels in reducing the risk of wind erosion and crop damage