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Managing for increased crop production on sands

Rick Llewellyn, Therese McBeath, Gupta Vadakattu, Bill Davoren, Willie Shoobridge, Stasia Kroker, 

Michael Moodie

CSIRO AGRICULTURE , WAITE CAMPUS ADELAIDE

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1. Low water holding capacity2. Subsoil constraints / hard pans 3. Prone to water repellence4. Poor establishment5. Poor fertility/ low N supply / low organic matter6. Low biological activity ‐ root disease/herbicide 

residues7. Brome grass

Sandy soil constraints

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Long‐term performance of N strategies on sands (Karoonda est. 2009)

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Long‐term performance of N strategies on sands

Karoonda  cumulative wheat yields (t/ha) 2011‐2015

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Soil Nil 9 N 40 N Sowing 40 N split LSD

Heavy (2) 12.5 12.3 13.6 13.1 Not sig

Mid (5) 8.1 10.5 14.7 13.3 1.1

Deep sand (8) 4.7 5.8 10.0 8.9 1.8

• 40% more grain using 40N Vs 9N on mid slope sands (4 t/ha)• 70% more grain using 40N instead of 9N on deep sands (4 t/ha)• 20N+20N split was never better than 40N at seeding on sand• No significant N response on heavy flat after 7 yrs

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On or near-row sowing: what could it offer on sands?

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0

20

40

60

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100

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140

160

180

On‐row Inter‐row On‐row Inter‐row

2015

 Establish

men

t (plants/m2)

Better crop establishment under marginal sowing conditions

KaroondaNon‐Wetting

LoxtonWetting

Error bars are LSD within a siteKnife points

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Up to 4 times more top soil moisture at seeding with on‐row seeding

0

1

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on‐row inter‐row on‐row inter‐row

Surface So

il Water at So

wing (m

m/top

 10cm)

a

b

cc

April Sowing     May Sowing

Karoonda Sand 2015 (0‐10 cm soil water)

Photo: Margaret Roper WA

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Increased weed suppression by on‐row crops

Bromeplants/m2

Bromeseeds/m2

On‐row 28 2022

Inter‐row 105 7332

Inter‐row vs on‐row

Karoonda 2015

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Increased weed suppression by on‐row crops

Bromeplants/m2

Bromeseeds/m2

On‐row 28 2022

Inter‐row 105 7332

Inter‐row vs on‐row

Karoonda 2015

In 2014:  80% less brome plants and seed set (with similar crop densities)

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Pre‐emergence herbicide options for brome on sand

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Results 2013‐14: Can achieve 75%+ brome plant control using pre‐ems other than 

trifluralin but variable 

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Pre‐emergence herbicide options for brome on sand (Karoonda 2015)

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1. Trifluralin (control) (1.5 L/ha); 2. Trifluralin + Metribuzin (1.5 L/ha + 150 g/ha); 3. Trifluralin + Metribuzin + post emergence Avadex Xtra (1.5 L/ha + 150 g/ha + 2.0 L/ha);4. Trifluralin + Avadex Xtra (1.5 L/ha + 2.0 L/ha); 5. Sakura (118 g/ha); 6. Sakura + Avadex Xtra (118 g/ha + 3.2 L/ha); 7. Sakura + Metribuzin (118 g/ha + 150 g/ha). 

• Sakura alone resulted in 55% less brome panicles than trifluralin alone

• Sakura + Avadex resulted in 72% less brome panicles than trifluralin alone ($$)

With Kleeman, Preston, Gill , University of Adelaide

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No increase in rhizoctonia infection with on‐row seeding

Crown rot (fusarium) and Take all weren’t 

found

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• Similar levels of N available at sowing at Karoonda on row Vs inter‐row, but can be some early tie up (e.g. Loxton) 

• Greater N availability later in season on row

• 30% more yield on‐row at Karoonda on sand but not on the swale or Loxton wetting sand

Nitrogen & yield

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On‐row Inter‐row On‐row Inter‐row

Grain

 Yield

 (t/ha)

KaroondaNon‐Wetting

LoxtonWetting

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Improved nutrition on sands: N, S, Zn: what form & when?

Presentationtitle |  Presenter name14 |

Control (P only)20N Urea @sow40N Urea at sow20N Zn enriched Urea @sow20N Urea + Zn blend @sow 20N urea + Foliar Zn @ 2‐3 leaves 20N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@G14/S2220N Urea @sow + 20N Zn enriched Urea@ GS14/2220N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@GS3120N Urea @sow +20S gypsum pre‐sow20N Urea @sow+20S gypsum@ GS14/2220N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@ GS14/22 +20S gyp@GS14/2220N Urea @sow+20S/20 N SOA+ Urea@ GS14/2220N Urea @sow+4 S SOA@ GS14/22 

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‐ 40 N Urea upfront/early led to best yield ‐ No S response ‐ Zn enriched Urea to be followed up

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TreatmentGrain Yield 

(t/ha)Protein (%)

Control (P only) 0.96 9.5 20N Urea @sow 1.41 9.1 40N Urea at sow 1.66 10.220N Zn enriched Urea @sow 1.53 9.120N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@GS31 1.56 10.4

Improved nutrition on sands: N, S, Zn: what form & when?

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Summary

• Early vigour critical to performance on sands – establishment, N supply, weed competition

• Higher N early has led to gains over 6 years

• Using last year’s crop row is showing promise

• A need for sand‐specific management 

• Pre‐emergence herbicides (not trif) can greatly reduce brome seed set with crop competition

• New work focused on improving water use efficiency on sands to begin in 2016

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The image part with relationship ID rId2 was not found in the file.AGRICULTURE FLAGSHIP

Thank you

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Nutrition on sands (Loxton 2015):‐ 40 N Urea upfront/early best yield ‐ No S response but Zn enriched Urea to be followed up‐

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TreatmentGrain Yield 

(t/ha)Protein (%)

Control (P only) 0.96 9.5420N Urea @sow 1.41 9.13

40N Urea at sow 1.66 10.16

20N Zn enriched Urea @sow 1.53 9.13

20N Urea + Zn blend @sow  1.38 9.2720N urea + Foliar Zn @ 2‐3 leaves  1.39 9.0320N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@G14/S22 1.61 9.9320N Urea @sow + 20N Zn enriched Urea@ GS14/22 1.55 9.60

20N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@GS31 1.56 10.45

20N Urea @sow +20S gypsum pre‐sow 1.29 8.8820N Urea @sow+20S gypsum@ GS14/22 1.35 9.43

20N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@ GS14/22 +20S gyp@GS14/22

1.55 9.93

20N Urea @sow+20S/20 N SOA+ Urea@ GS14/22 1.59 9.63

20N Urea @sow+4 S SOA@ GS14/22  1.37 9.25

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Presentation title  |  Presenter name19 |