one paddock challenge
ONE PADDOCK CHALLENGE 2020 A SNAPSHOT OF FARMER TRIALS AND UNDERTAKINGS
Project Coordinator: Madeleine Wylie
Executive Summary
4
Approach & Methodology
5
Case Studies
Soil Amelioration
7
Precision Ag in Practice
13
Legumes
17
Conclusions
21
Acknowledgements
22
Selected References
23
Table of Contents
One Paddock Challenge 2020: "Enabling peer to peer learning opportunities and facilitating better use of data and information for more profitable and productive farm businesses"
Introduction
(FBG)'s One Paddock Challenge 2020 came about as it has been identified that farm productivity and profitability could be significantly enhanced given the use and application of superior data and information. Adjacent to the Fitzgerald River National Park and part of Western Australia's only UNESCO listed biosphere, the region has unique characteristics creating unique challenges for all farmers in the area. High quality local data addressing productivity issues such as fragile soils, agronomic considerations, along with environmental concerns such as erosion and salinity is central to maximising profitability. With this in mind, farmers throughout the region are continually undertaking trials with a view to unlocking the long term potential of their properties. It has been identified that the sharing of the data and results gleaned from on-farm trials has limited ability to be shared and communicated amongst the local farming community without an external facilitator, such as FBG being involved. Background - the first One Paddock Challenge A 2014 survey completed by FBG working with representatives from CSIRO, South Coast NRM and DPIRD, found that farmers in the Jerramungup region were conducting trials addressing a wide range of issues often without applying rigorous research methods and almost always without sharing data with fellow farmers. The One Paddock Challenge project, which ran from 2016 to 2018, aimed to enhance the ability of farmers to set up trials to capture good quality data and to share that information with their peers. Outcomes from this project included: Linking farmers and researcher, providing training and support with view to ensuring trials undertaken would produce reliable and actionable data Working with farmer conducting trials to collate and document their outcomes in a manner that enabled peer to peer learning to the benefit of all FBG members. One Paddock Challenge 2020 aims to build on this background and focus on the collection, analysis and sharing of data to enhance the profit-making capabilities of all farmers in the region. One Paddock Challenge 2020 This second Challenge aims to further build on the farming community's capacity to enhance farm profitability and reduce risk in this production area on the South Coast of WA. It will focus on increasing resilience in farming systems in the face of increasing variability by: Looking at new practices Improving on existing practices Demonstrating proven research in a local context. Eight paddock scale trials were identified as being within the scope of this project.
Soil Projects Officer
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Fitzgerald Biosphere Group Inc
Approach and Methodology
Madeleine Wylie
The premise of this project was for projects to be farmer-led, supported by Fitzgerald Biosphere Group. Many farmers trial and experiment on a wide range of interests as a normal course of business. However, often these findings or outcomes are not known to many outside friends and neighbours. The role of FBG was to facilitate a framework for running on-farm paddock-scale trials, from planning through to measurement and monitoring. However, the intent and type of trial was determined by the farmers themselves as they are for their benefit and learning at the end of the day. The trials and undertakings featured in this compendium are farmer-led in their approach and intent. It should be noted that the trials included are not replicated and no data presented has been generated from a replicated and robust trial, nor has statistical analysis been undertaken. Rather, these case studies are a focussed on farmer-led trials and undertakings at a paddock scale. The aim was to educate, share information and approaches and provoke discussion between neighbours and peers in the industry. One Paddock Challenge 2020 offered the opportunity to look at the activity in more depth, and to share this information with colleagues and interested parties. Data collected from the various trials was collated within the FBG TIRE (Tool for Information, Recording & Evaluation) program. Relevant testing and monitoring was carried out for some trials. Where yield results were relevant to the outcome, the results were taken from the farmer's own combine harvester yield monitors, which as long as calibrated correctly are generally as reliable as using alternative weighing methods (such as weigh trailers) due to availability constraints. Some of the case studies looked at as part of the One Paddock Challenge are more of a discussion point and were covered in other means, such as through the annual Spring Field Day, with input received from DPIRD local experts notably the now retired Jeremy Lemon. Rainfall data is taken from either farmer records or DPIRD or Bureau of Meteorology depending on distance from an observation site. Common acronyms referred to in this document include: Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Grains Industry of Western Australia (GIWA) Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) Precision Agriculture (PA) Variable Rate Technology (VRT) Electromagnetic (EM) Muriate of Potash (MoP) South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA)
Lester - Soil amelioration (deep ripping, claying, delving) Lawson Grains, Gunnadoo - Legumes (alternate break crop (faba beans)) Bailey - Precision ag in practice (variable rate potash) Parsons - Legumes (Opportunistic (faba beans)) Hislop - Precision ag in practice (variable rate potash) Viridis Ag, Tantanoola - Legumes (serradella to ameliorate fragile soils) Swarbrick - Soil amelioration (deep ripping, claying, delving) Green - Soil amelioration (deep ripping, claying, delving)
Trial Site Locations
Lupins in paddock deep ripped by Michael Swarbrick - soil pit dug for 2020 Spring Field Day
The soils within the Shire of Jerramungup are highly variable. The dominant soils overall are grey shallow loams, red loamy duplex, grey deep sandy duplex, saline wet soils and non-cracking clays. The soil types vary greatly too with the geological variations from the hilly terrain around central Jerramungup area, to the generally sandier soils around Gairdner and generally dark grey loamy fine deep sands on the coast at Bremer Bay. The attributes that have the greatest impact on the nutrient status of soils in the Jerramungup agro-ecological zone are: The deeply weathered parent material; Soil structure features such as coarser soil texture, poor subsoil structure, shallow layer depth, poor internal drainage; Low carbon content; Poor inherent fertility; Areas highly susceptible to degradation, such as salinity, water logging, water repellence, wind erosion; Past and present fertiliser management practices; Recent climate variations (e.g. successive wet years followed by successive dry years). Of these features, it is worth noting in light of weather events (below average rainfall, late seasonal breaks, strong wind events) in the last 12 to 36 months that past research and surveying by DPIRD has indicated that up to 20 per cent of the Jerramungup zone is highly susceptible to wind erosion. This risk is driven by the dominance of loose sandy and loamy surfaced soils in the area, with sandy duplex soils, pale deep sands and yellow earths being the most at risk. Further to this research, it was suggested that the risk of water repellency was low to moderate due to the presence of coarser sand textures and the percentage of clay in the topsoils. Anecdotally, however, there are an increasing number of farmers and advisors noting the increased prevalence of non-wetting soils as an issue, particularly in seasons with a later break. For farmers closer to the coast, soil types are classified as being part of the Albany Sandplain (East) Agro-ecological zone. In this zone, soils are dominated by texture contrast soils made up of duplex sandy gravels, grey deep and shallow sandy duplexes (often gravelly with a fine sandy surface texture), along with pale deep sands, wet and semi-wet soils and shallow gravels. These soils tend to be noted for their poor nutrient retention and where topsoil sand is deep (greater than 30 centimetres), the risk of nutrient leaching beyond the root zone is high. Soils in the coastal regions of the Shire have a high risk of water repellence as the sandy topsoils tend to have less than 5 per cent clay content. Seventy per cent of soils in the Albany Sandplain zone also have a high risk of wind erosion driven by the fine textured soils which can be exacerbated by water repellence issues, waterlogging, poor pasture regeneration and times where ground cover is insufficient. The problem is worse where sandy surfaced soils are present on the crests of rises. With this agro-ecological background in mind, it is little wonder that approaches to subsoil constraints are diverse and not easy to groundtruth against established research conducted in other areas where soil type is more uniform. GRDC investment has found many examples of farmers boosting productivity and profitability by ameliorating soils to remove constraints such as hard pans, acidic layers or water repellence. However, it is also noted that there is still much to learn especially in areas where there are multiple, complex constraints. This is supported in this area by workshops such as that facilitated in conjunction with GIWA at Jacup in July 2019. This GRDC-funded workshop aimed to give growers practical ideas to deal with the management of difficult soils, and looked at the following topics in more detail: Soil amelioration where there are multiple contraints (and how to identify which constraint to address first); The long term effect of deep ripping; Controlled traffic farming - long term effects and how it can fit into a mixed farming system; Considerations if looking into claying; and Dealing with non-wetting soils (and considering methods other than mechanical). While providing food for thought, the quest for returns on investment from soil amelioration can be mixed. In this year's One Paddock Challenge, we looked at a range of approaches on different soil types and in different parts of the Shire. In the north east, we followed a paddock of Michael & Mark Lester's which they historically have had issues with. It was deep ripped and clayed in 2019 and this year faced wind erosion issues. However, other paddocks close by experienced much better results from ripping, one of which is discussed in this document. To the south, Michael Swarbrick expanded his soil amelioration program to combat non-wetting problems on his farm. This expansion was driven by good results on a smaller scale in a field ripped and delved in 2019. Despite some wind erosion early in the 2020 cropping season, the approach looks like paying off in Year 1. Further west, on his farm between Gairdner and Boxwood Hill, Colin Green has attemped to fast track his development of his property purchased in 2017 by combatting multiple constraints with a range of approaches, including claying. Swarbrick - Combatting Non-Wetting Soils Location: Meechi Road, Gairdner Growing Season Rainfall: 248mm Average Annual Rainfall: 450mm Objective: To combat non-wetting soils Approach: Expand deep ripping program Michael Swarbrick farms at Gairdner in an enterprise split to 25 per cent canola, 25 per cent barley, 25 per cent wheat and the balance being lupins or pasture. In January 2018, Mike Swarbrick made the most of a hired delver custom designed by Trevor Syme, a farmer at Bolgart who has trialled various amelioration techniques over the years including claying, delving, spading and mouldboard ploughing, as well as SE14 wetters as a non-mechanical approach. Mike also trialled some spading, using an Imants spader to bring clay into the top of the soil profile. The area delved and bladed in 2018 was 160 hectares. This country has since had a barley and canola crop on it. With relatively consistent soils across his farm, dominated by gravelly sandy duplexes, Mike felt that deep ripping and delving had good potential on his property. Results from his trial paddock in 2018 warranted expansion of the program into the current season. In 2020, Mike deep ripped a total of 500 hectares. Of this, 200 hectares was sown to canola, 115 hectares to wheat, 110 hectares to barley and 75 hectares to lupins. For the purpose of this exercise, Mike made the decision to purchase an implement himself - the machine purchased was a Bednar Terraland TO chisel plough. This was driven by the priority to alleviate non-wetting soils. Clay blades were also put onto the back row of the bar to work the soil and bring up some clay into the topsoil. Mike drops the Terraland to a depth of 450 millimetres with hydraulic pressure runnning at about 800 psi. This depth was the average, with shallow clays being ripped to 300 millimetres and deeper sands to 550 millimetres. The advantage of the machine purchased is the ability to rip as well as incorporate clay as you would with a spader. The tyne pressure at 800 psi also worked well for breaking out over concreted gravels but still ripped to full depth most of the time. The ability to bring clay further up into the profile helped to combat wind erosion in 2020. The paddock worked in March and then sown to barley had been into pasture in the previous season. With minimal coverage, the emerging barley crop was significantly affected by wind damage in May and June. Handy rainfall received in August helped to recover the crop's yield potential, but this is an area of risk for future paddocks perceives Mike. Due to the risk of waterlogging and trafficability in an average season, Mike has not ripped the outside runs and headlands of his paddocks to this point in time. As part of the One Paddock Challenge, the barley and lupin paddocks were looked at in closer detail, and were also represented at this year's Spring Field Day. Plant counts in early June in the barley suggested that the crop was on track for a yield around 3 tonnes per hectare. Mid season plant analyis showed good nutrient availability and yield estimates showed a clear difference between the non-ripped and deep ripped portions of the paddock. A difference of up to one tonne per hectare between the two zones would indicate that the investment of $64 per hectare (inclusive of time, labour, machinery cost) is worthwhile. In terms of longevity of results and how long until soil amelioration would need to be repeated, Jeremy Lemon (former senior development officer with DPIRD Albany) indicated that there has not been enough long term research conducted on the South Coast between Jerramungup and Albany to provide any conclusive evidence. Trials in the Kojaneerup area indicate that there may only be short term gains in sandy soils. These trials funded by GRDC investment and overseen by DPIRD have been running since 2014. Soils in this area are deep white sand over gravel and clay, with main subsoil constraints being non-wetting soils and compaction at depth. While disappointing that longer term yield responses are not evident, the short term response has been significant enough to warrant the investment in deep ripping every few years. this particular farmer believes that he receives a return on investment after year one in his Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF system), ripping to a depth of 700 millimetres every two years prior to a cereal crop. Back at Mike's farm, soil types are not comprised of the same deep white sands, and Mike is hopeful that results will be more persistent in coming seasons. He has found that a roller needs to follow the ripper to assist with paddock trafficability and seeder set up. However, even in areas where the roller didn't get to, crop was visually superior all year. It is thought that the effect on non-wetting has been impressive and will probably be the largest yield gain this year. Mike's tip to other farmers looking to trial deep ripping is to look at a smaller area to see how different soil types respond. This season, he found that they pulled up too much clay in some soils which wasn't beneficial in a year with a drier start. He doesn't see this as being as much of an issue in year closer to the long term average. Contact Mike: 0427 131 548 Colin Green - Setting up a new farm - Multiple Soil Constraints Location: South Coast Highway, Gairdner Growing Season Rainfall: 256mm Average Annual Rainfall: 435mm Objective: To improve soils across the farm Approach: Use available machinery and resources to make immediate and practical change. In 2017, Colin Green purchased farms in the Gairdner area and set about converting them from mixed operations to a 100 per cent cropping set up He has seen a run of challenging seasonal conditions in conjunction with a wide range of soil constraints, with the main influence on the 2020 season being wind damage during seeding and into plant establishment. With some soil types very susceptible to wind erosion, we looked to examine Colin's approach to claying as part of the FBG Spring Field Day. DPIRD's Jeremy Lemon noted that when considering claying, it should be left close to the surface to reduce the risk of erosion. DPIRD research has shown that the high cost of claying can be recovered within a few seasons in the right circumstances, and is best suited to medium to high rainfall climates. There is a need to be cautious when deep soil mixing and inverting soils using rotary spaders, large offset discs, mouldboard and one-way ploughs as this will typically remove all soil cover leaving it exposed to wind and water erosion, particularly in dry seasonal conditions as experienced earlier in 2020. For those considering using their own on-farm clay sources, it is recommended that an auger or post hole digger is used to check depth to clay, as well as collecting clay samples. If using contractors, they may be able to use ground-penetrating radar which is useful for measuring the depth of sand over clay. When testing clay for usability, the subsoil should: contain 30-50 per cent clay have clay aggregates that disperse in water be tested for pH. If highly acid or alkaline, have a treatment plan be tested for salt content have non-toxic levels of boron or other toxic minerals. Like many farmers undertaking soil amelioration projects in 2020, Colin experienced significant wind erosion, particularly in May. While it is believed by many growers that the long terms benefits will make the exercise worthwhile, it is worth considering these strategies (where possible) to minimise wind erosion: Keep as much soil cover as possible. Erosion risk increased when there is less than 50 per cent ground cover; Reduce the window where the soil is exposed to erosion. This may include changing timing of operations, or eliminating altogether. Typically, spaded and ploughed sandy soils will have the highest risk from wind erosion as these aggressive forms of soil disturbance leave a bare soil surface. Bringing up clay will assist in the water holding capacity of the soil, but if wind events are too extreme, the benefits of this will run out. Bearing this is mind, GRDC recommends the following for farmers undertaking spading, delving or ploughing: Amelioration works better and wind erosion risk is reduced where there is soil moisture present; Work as late as possible (even towards the end of a seeding program) to decrease the amount of time the bare surface is exposed; Plant as soon as possible - within 24 hours is ideal. Contact Colin: 0448 764 567 Mick & Mark Lester - improving paddock productivity Location: Jacup North Road/South Coast Highway, Jacup Growing Season Rainfall: 200mm Average Annual Rainfall: 442mm Objective: To strategically use soil amelioration techniques to improve individual paddock productivity. Approach: Use available machinery and resources to make immediate and practical change. In recent years, Michael & Mark Lester have been trialling various soil amelioration techniques including deep ripping, delving and claying. They have trialled this across different soil types in a number of paddocks around the Jacup area. The paddocks that were focussed on this year were also visited as part of the Managing Difficult Soils forum facilitated by GIWA in July 2019. The two paddocks had very different responses. One on the corner of South Coast Highway and Magenta Road had historically been an under-performing one, and in 2018 any cover was blown away in the strong wind storms experienced in that year. In 2019, the paddock was ripped and delved and an in-paddock clay source was used to clay part of the paddock. The crop in 2019 experienced both drought and frost leaving minimal cover for the 2020 cropping season. With little cover and light soils, the wheat crop sown in 2020 was again susceptible to wind damage, and this proved to be the case on the headlands. While good yields were experienced elsewhere on the Lester's farm, this paddock was again impacted by frost in 2020. Leading into 2021, sheep have been kept off this paddock over summer. Overall, Michael & Mark Lester have experienced an uplift of 0.5 to 0.75 tonnes per hectare in cereals across all deep ripped areas. Where less successful, there are most likely multiple competing soil constraints. This is combined with the highly variable soil types experienced across many paddocks and farming zones which do make soil amelioration options more challenging. It is also found that establishing and maintaining stable soil cover is critical. in a mixed farming operation, this can be complicated by competing resources between the cropping and sheep enterprises. In their paddock most suited to deep ripping, 200 of 360 hectares was deep ripped in 2019. Between the two approaches, the ripped area yielded 0.5 tonnes per hectare better on average in 2020. The paddock in which the Lesters have had their best response to deep ripping is located at the corner of Jacup North and Middamidjup Roads. The paddock was ripped through the middle only as the Lesters trialled ripping in a number of different paddock and soil locations across their farming aggregation. None of the "dog legs" were ripped. The dam in the south-eastern corner of the paddock shows the largest difference in yields between the two seasons. In the yield maps included on the following page, a comparison is shown between 2017 and 2020 as these seasons were the most recently similar in terms of rainfall and yield outcomes. A comparison of seasonal NDVI biomass imagery between the two years does also indicate a difference visually. The paddock average in 2017 was 2.9 tonnes per hectare, while the total farm average was 3.6 tonnes per average for barley. In contrast, in 2020 the paddock average was 3.5 tonnes per hectares, with 30 milllimetres less rain than 2017. In contrast, the whole farm average for barley was 2.9 tonnes per hectare. The closest barley from this paddock was two kilometres away and yielded close to 2.5 tonnes per hectare. The drawback to the approach taken according to Mark is that there was not a nil control strip left when ripped. However, given that the season just gone resulted in the highest paddock average is justification enough for the Lesters to expand their ripping program in suitable soil types. Contact (Mark): 0429 354 042
Yield map for deep-ripped lupins. Headlands not ripped. Data not available for some strips (contractor)
Deep ripped barley paddock. Lower yielding areas believed to have been adversely affected by wind damage during seedling establishment
2020 Seasonal NDVI Imagery - Swarbrick farm south of Meechi Rd. Note higher density paddock have been deep ripped.
Soil pit at 2020 Spring Field Day - looking at using on-farm clay sources to incorporate clay into sandy soils
Deep ripped paddock corner Jacup North and Middamidjup Roads - 2020 yield map
Deep ripped paddock corner Jacup North and Middamidjup Roads - 2020 Season NDVI biomass imagery
PA in Practice
Deep ripping with Ausplow Easytill II deep tillage implement elsewhere in soil amelioration program, January 2018
2020 NDVI biomass imagery of paddock at corner South Coast Highway and Magenta Roads Jacup. Red imagery indicates areas affected by early wind injury to plant germination
Deep ripped paddock corner Jacup North and Middamidjup Roads - 2017 Season NDVI biomass imagery
Deep ripped paddock corner Jacup North and Middamidjup Roads - 2017 yield map
In recent seasons, variable rainfall has caused local farmers to look more closely at using available technology as well as being more efficient in their nutrient applications. By its nature, cropping production involves dealing with variability, with sources being both internal and external. Variability in soil type, input quality, weather, seed banks, machinery and staff are just some of the attributes that contribute to final yield and its quality. Precision Agriculture (PA), utilising Variable Rate Technology (VRT) as a tool, is seen by some farmers as an obvious and ongoing progression in refining their farming program. For others, the technology may seem out of reach or perhaps the benefits are not perceived to outweigh the associated costs. In a typical cropping enterprise, inputs such as fertiliser, chemical, seed and labour make up around two thirds of the variable costs. Using PA tools to reduce some of these costs is a simple means to gain a financial and environmental benefit. The more efficient use of inputs then leads to a higher input to yield ratio, which in turn increases returns further. While many growers are interested or have already adopted some technologies, GRDC found reasons for not adopting PA include expensive equipment, paying for expertise and support, difficulty in understanding technology, lack of access to technical support, and the time required to upskill, learn and implement. In terms of VRT, there are many ways in which to implement it. However, they all involve spatial information and software to apply the given input at varying rates in a specified location. PA technology allows growers to capture spatial field data, interpret and analyse that data and then implement an appropriate management strategy. PA itself is not a single technology but rather a suite of technologies that allows farmers to monitor and control farm management factors. The information from which these decision support tools can be derived can be diverse, but typically are driven by yield maps, historical paddock knowledge, satellite imagery, and so on. It can also be a useful tool in running on-farm trials, including site selection. Going forward it allows for greater precision in site specific decision making capability. This may aid to enhance yields, or inversely reduce inputs where they are not being used efficiently, perhaps redirecting them to where the greatest productivity gains may be realised. This season, we looked at two local farmers, Brad Bailey and Dean Hislop who both looked at variable rate potash. When determining the site in which to locate a trial, a representative spot should be chosen with trial treatments falling clearly into selected soil zones. A variety of PA data types can be used to assist in this process, including soil mud maps, EM or gamma radiometric soil surveys, biomass imagery, or yield maps. These maps can then be overlaid into tools such as Google Earth or a PA software program and adjusted from there to clearly fit a designated area. In the case of Brad's trial, historical paddock knowledge was used to put together a mud map with his agronomist. From there, a strip trial was designated in the underperforming part of the paddock. In Dean's situation, trial sites were demarcated based on information pulled from his PA software program of choice (CSBP Decipher Ag), as well as based on historical paddock knowledge of his father, Paul. Brad Bailey - using PA tools to minimise input costs Location: Corner Brook & Fence Road, Jacup Growing Season Rainfall: 258mm Average Annual Rainfall: 442mm Objective: To groundtruth whether the appropriate rate of potash was being applied, combined with looking to maximise returns on investment in potash application. Approach: Use historical paddock knowledge to configure a variable rate map. In low production area, set up test strips at rates of 0, 20, 40 and 60 kilograms per hectare Muriate of Potash to test the concept. Brad Bailey runs a 70-30 cropping-sheep program with his wife Jess. In 2020, after conversations with his agronomist, Brad decided to look closer into adopting some variable rate applications into his program to move away from the traditional full scale paddock blanket approach. He decided to test this approach with his potassium program, and in a number of paddocks in his cereal program, developed up simple prescription maps looking at low, medium and high performing parts of a given field. FBG looked at one paddock in particular which was earmarked for barley this season. We focussed on a site that Brad also wished to test at various rates and this site was marked out in the low yielding zone. Brad wished to identify whether the prescribed rates in a given area were and whether he was receiving an economic benefit (or cost) at different input rates. On 9th May, the trial strips were seeding with one seeder width each of a nil treatment, 20, 40 and 60 kilograms per hectare of Muriate of Potash (MoP). During the season, the four strips were monitored at emergence, tillering and a plant tissue sample was taken in August. Results at this stage did not suggest a marked difference between the four strips. As indicated in the zonal map above, this area of the paddock has historically been lower yielding. Crop emergence in this area was patchy across all trial strips. Seeding rate across Brad's barley program was 75 kilograms per hectare (target density of 150 plants per square metre). Although establishment was not uniform, average germination across the site was 156 plants per square metre. As the season progressed, timely rains were received in the Jacup area. However, underlying constraints in the low yielding area that contained the trial strips saw some agronomic limitations to yield encountered (average yield across the rest of the paddock was 3.8 tonnes per hectare). Yield estimates taken on 22 October varied across the trial strips, from 1.80 tonnes per hectare for the 20 kilograms per hectare of MoP strip to 3.02 tonnes per hectare for the 40 kilograms per hectare of MoP strip. Final yield are included in the table below. The analysis included in the table below is based on pricing of $535 per tonne of MoP sourced from CSBP (indicative pricing as at 17 December 2020). Grain prices are based on the CBH BFED1 market indicator as at 17 December 2020. Calculations are based on the DIY PA calculators put together by SEPWA)as part of their GRDC-funded project "Calculating Return on Investments for On Farm Trials". While the trial site gave some mixed results, indications from the approach in other paddocks has encouraged Brad to extend the approach to phosphorous in 2021. Contact Brad: 0427 291 078
Treatment
Nil
20kg
40kg
Treatment cost
$0
$10.70
$21.40
Yield (t/ha)
2.10
1.67
2.27
Grain price ($/tonne)
$257
Yield x grain price ($/tonne)
$539.70
$429.19
$583.39
$609.09
Additional income for treatment/ha
($110.51)
$43.69
$69.39
ROI (Additional income - treatment cost)/treatment cost)
-
-1132.80%
104.16%
116.17%
Payback period
>3 years
<1 year
60kg
$32.10
2.37
Planet barley in Woolshed paddock, 40kg/ha MoP applied, 29/07/2020
Dean Hislop - utilising PA tools at hand Location: Jerramungup North Road, Jerramungup Growing Season Rainfall: 200mm Objective: To utilise available PA tools to trial variable rate K and to see whether there is an economic response Approach: Using precription maps, different zones were selected to apply different rates of Muriate of Potash Dean Hislop operates in partnership with his wife Elfie, and parents Paul and Lisa Hislop north of Jerramungup in a predominantly cropping enterprise. While Paul has the years of experience to back and inform his decision making, Dean has entered the business in recent years with an interest in technology and using available PA tools to help to inform their on-farm decision making. They utilise CSBP DecipherAg to manage their data and to formulate prescription maps. This was used to formulate zonal maps to apply variable rate MoP in 2020. Soil sampling is undertaken on a rolling rotation of four years. In 2020, the Hislops decided to trial variable rate potash applications. The driver behind this was to see whether there was an economic response. As part of the One Paddock Challenge, 3 different paddocks were visited with nil and 40kg/ha zones in each. The Hislops had decided to look at a potassium replacement program to better realise efficiency in the application of fertiliser. This has both financial and environmental benefits in the more precise placement of inputs. Plant samples were taken for analysis on 29 July when the barley crop was tillering. At this point in time, potassium levels were found to be marginal at the nil application site known as Round Dam 7. It was noted that further potassium applications could be limited by plant growth stage, but if the site was of significant area, yield potential or soil moisture, 60kg per hectare was recommended for consideration. In Crossroads paddock, potassium was found to be marginal at sample site 4. This had already had 40 kg per hectare potash applied, but the plant sample analysis indicated that the crop in this zone could benefit from 50kg per hectare MoP if yield potential and soil moisture were very good. Response again may be limited due to plant growth stage. Potassium levels were found to be sufficient at all sites tested in Woolshed paddock. At all sites sampled, it was found that the sites with 40kg per hectare MoP applied resulted in higher yields in all cases. Harvest results as shown in the tables on the page following showed that all sites with K applications out-yielded their nil application rate counterpart. This indicated that the approach has economic benefit for the Hislops and has been a good return on their investment. Going forward, the Hislops will look to further expand and finetune their use of variable rate technology and spatial agronomy. In the near future this includes variable rate nitrogen applications, and increasing their soil sampling program to better capture underlying soil data. In terms of key learnings, Dean has found that an interest in the available technology has been a large contributing factor. He found that there often wasn't a ready answer amongst his support network using the machinery utilised by their business. As a result, a lot of the answers were quite painstaking to work out. Having set up a process though, the investment in time has certainly been worthwhile. His other tip when creating zones is to increase a given zone by 10 per cent to allow for application technology error. Contact Dean: 0428 186 234
Bailey - Minimising Input Costs
Red Zone - Low; Light Blue - Medium; Dark Blue - High
Faba beans at early pod set at "Wunderwy" Gunnadoo 16/09/2020
Legumes within the confines of an Australian farming system have increasingly had a role that extend beyond nitrogen fixation and a disease break. They are increasingly viewed as a cash crop in their own right in many circumstances and are a valuable part of many farming enterprises especially with regards to weed control. However, they can still be used effectively in a more traditional role to In Western Australia, break crop options tend to be limited and there is a high proportion of wheat and barley grown in a typical rotation. Faba beans (Vicia faba) as an option are gathering increased interest in the Western region, but in the Jerramungup region are not traditionally a consistent option and are generally considered a niche crop. The benefits of crop diversity within a rotation are well known and include: to handle herbicide resistant weeds or delay the onset of resistance to control disease to spread the timing of farm operations to spread commodity risk to minimise the impact of synthetic nitrogen and fuel. Beans are well adapted to higher rainfall zones of the wheatbelt due to yield potential, better disease and waterlogging tolerance and the ability to generally attract higher prices. DPIRD research suggests that Another approach to growing legumes is as a pasture. Serradella (Ornithopus sativus), for example, is a winter-growing annual legume grown typically grown as a pasture It is well adapted to sandy soils. There have been trials in recent years looking at the use of Cadiz serradella as a tool to reclaim low fertility cropping areas, and in this vein, Ben Panizza, farm manager at Viridis Ag property, Tantanoola, has been using it as a tool to remedy some poor performing areas. The benefits of growing serradella have been highlighted in recent research trials in the WA Wheatbelt. Largely this impact has been on the subsequent cereal crop in terms of protein, but changes to yield, soil disease and nitrogen levels were also measured. Research undertaken by Dr Angelo Loi notes that the most critical step to ensuring successful establishment is to apply one more post sowing treatment of Spinnaker herbicide to prevent weed competition at critical early growth stages. GRDC- funded research by Dr Loi and Dr Brad Nutt (Centre for Rhizobium Studies, Murdoch University) is currently investigating how serradella can work in a mixed farming, as well as continuous cropping enterprise over a range of soil types and rainfall zones. The scientists see a place for serradella in all grain businesses with the benefits lasting for several years. The four year trials began in 2018, with sites at Mingenew (northern Wheatbelt) and Ardath (central Wheatbelt). Project manager Dr Ron Yates believes that for 100 per cent croppers, particularly in lower rainfall areas and who may have paddocks which are difficult or no longer profitable, there is a role for serradella to play in terms of soil regeneration capabilities. The root system of serradella has greater biomass and penetrates more deeply than traditional legumes, which allows plants to grow later in the season and on less fertile soils. Additional benefits include weed control in problem areas through plant competition, as we ll as providing a break crop for alternative herbicides and strategic spray topping. Parsons - Opportunistic Use of Faba Beans Location: "Forbes'"Bocalup Road, Jerramungup 2020 Growing Season Rainfall: 250mm Objective: To incorporate a legume into the cropping rotation on country that does not support lupins. Approach: The paddock chosen was deemed small enough (around 80 hectares) to sow to faba beans to experiment with. Trent & Tina Parsons this year decided to add faba beans back into the program despite not growing them for around 6 years. This was partly due to their variable results in the past. An 80 hectare paddock was chosen due to suitable soil type and size. Faba beans were chosen for this particular paddock as lupins tend to struggle in heavy yate country and traditional pasture legumes such as clovers and medics have all but vanished. Post seeding, Trent had planned on rolling the paddock. However, the machine was not available in time. As a compromise for harvest management, the paddock was thoroughly picked of rocks.. The crop was ready for harvest on 21 November and yielded an average of 1.4 tonnes per hectare which was in line with Trent's expectations. It should be noted that this result is an average. Across the paddock, soil types with higher pH and clay content yielded 3.5 tonnes per hectare while acidic red sands recorded a nil result as plants senesced at flowering. Where pH is less than 5.5, experience has shown that faba beans will not thrive, and total failure has occurred in the past. Further, innoculant is essential. The last run was seeded without in 2020 and the majority of plants here died. While Trent sees beans as a good tool on an opportunistic basis, he perceives the risk as being too high to devote a significant portion of his cropping program to them. However, he does note that soils do require replenishment of nutrients beyond what can be provided by synthetic inputs which is where crops such as faba beans have appeal. Faba beans are sensitive to dry seasonal conditions, something supported by the Parsons growing experiences. However, when seasonal conditions are favourable, they can be a very rewarding crop. Marketing and price is also variable, although the Parsons can utilise the crop as a high quality sheep feed, and other marketing options include Demeter Grains in Perth and Esperance Premium Grain Handlers. Contact Trent: 0428 551 979 Lawson Grains, Gunnadoo - Faba Beans as an Alternate Break Crop Location: "Wunderwy"Rabbit Proof Fence Road, Jacup Growing Season Rainfall: 264mm Average Annual Rainfall: 442mm Objective: To include a profitable alternate (and legume-based) break crop in a 100 per cent cropping system Approach: A suitable paddock of 80 hectares was included in this year's cropping program. Lawson Grains manager, Anthon Viljoen, is very interested in incorporating an alternate and consistent break crop into his largely wheat, barley and canola rotation over 14,000 hectare. A portion of lupins is grown, but having an alternative for different paddocks and soil types is appealing. Anthon has had success in growing faba beans on other farms elsewhere in Western Australia and was keen to trial them in 2020. The faba beans were sown on 23 April into a sandy textured soil type. While growing season rainfall was a decile 3, the timing of rain events for the aggregation was excellent, allowing the faba bean crop to establish uniformly and progress well through the year. Variety chosen was PBA Samira as it is a high-yielding variety with widespread adaption in south-eastern WA. It has good disease resistance and later flowering giving it the ability to take advantage of late rainfall. Seed size is well suited to Middle Eastern markets, but prices can be variable, currently tracking close to $200 per tonne. Plant counts undertaken in mid June indicated a plant density of 22.40 plants per square metre in line with the target of 20 plants. The crop looked consistent all season, and held up well to some strong winds. Pre-harvest yield estimates indicated a yield of 1.83 tonnes per hectare, with farmer expectations placed at 1.5 tonnes per hectare. In line with other crops in the district (including on the same aggregation), final yield actually exceeded this, averaging 2.20 tonnes per hectare or 176 tonnes faba beans. A very pleasing result in terms of production, the challange now will be finding a well priced market. The result is encouraging enough to include faba beans in the 2021 rotation. In the table provided, while the 2 approaches are placed side by side, it should be noted that this is not a direct comparison as alluded to in the article above. With different motivations, as well as soil types and objectives, it would be remiss to compare like for like in this situation. Contact Anthon: 0418 755 635 Viridis AG, Tantanoola - Serradella to Remedy Non-Productive Land Location: "Tantanoola" Chittowirrup Road, Jerramungup Growing Season Rainfall: 222mm Average Annual Rainfall: Objective: To use serradella to ameliorate unproductive sandy soils Approach: Rehabilitate non-productive farming land by using a pasture legume before returning to rotation. The Tantanoola aggregation purchased by Viridis AG in 2018/19 had its first production year in 2019. The farming system is a 100 per cent cropping enterprise, in a wheat, barley and canola rotation. However, the 2019 season allowed farm manager Ben Panizza to identify areas where there were problems and where improvements could be made. The area of focus in this case was in a paddock 70 hectares which was part of a 2019 canola rotation which failed in this paddock. Part of the issue in the previous season had been wind erosion affecting the light sandy soils in which the canola was sown. With minimal ground cover, to minimise the risk of wind erosion, as well as building soil organic matter and regenerating microbiological activity, it was decided to sow the area to a serradella crop in 2020, with a cover crop of barley (var Spartacus). On 30 September , the majority of the paddock was sprayed out, with 15 hectares to grow to maturity for seed purposes. Other mitigation strategies to reduce the effect of wind on vulnerable soil types is to plant trees in hill areas where they have been removed to rebuild the missing wind break. The plan is to eventually bring this 70 hectares back into the rotation along with the rest of the paddock. Contact Ben: 0455 732 424
Crossroads
Nil - Zone 1
40kg/ha MoP - Zone 1 (Non-Wetting)
Nil - Zone 2
Yield
1.8
2.2
2.5
$257.00
$462.60
$565.40
$642.50
$719.60
$102.80
$77.10
380.37%
260.28%
40kg/ha MoP - Zone 2 (Deep Ripped 2019)
2.8
Woolshed Paddock
40kg/ha MoP - Zone 1
2.7
3.0
$693.90
$771.00
$822.40
$51.40
140.19%
40kg/ha MoP - Zone 2
3.2
Board of Directors
Round Dam
$103.40
383.18%
Calendar of Operations - Faba Beans
Activity
Indicative Cost per ha (*Not all passes required depending on seasonal conditions)
Gunnadoo (yield 2.2t/ha)
Parsons (yield 1.4t/ha)
Summer Knockdown 1
$18.14*
$8.41
Summer Knockdown 2
$15.82*
Pre-Emergent Spray
$35.93
$43.00
Seeding - Samira, 120kg/ha (28 April)
$140.44
$107.59
Post-Emergent Spray
$9.38
Grass Selective
$39.68
$24.69
Fungicide 1
$24.00
$21.90
Fungicide 2
$25.30
Crop Topping
$12.47
$7.92
TOTAL
$321.16
$213.51
Harvesting faba beans at Parsons - 21/11/2020
Faba beans mid-season, 16/09/2020
COMPANY NAME
FABA BEANS - KEY POINTS
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Break crop for cereals - complementary crop
Poor competitors against weeds. Effective weed management requires planning at least a season ahead
Fix own nitrogen (use Group F faba bean incoculum)
May struggle to provide an economic return as a cash crop
Disease management - break effect on soil and stubble=borne pathogens
Prone to disease problems in wet years
Impact of pulse crops averages 1.0t/ha on subsequent cereal crops compared to wheat on wheat by contributing to soil nitrogen levels
Limited broadleaf weed control options especially wild radish
More tolerant of water logging than other grain legumes, and can tolerate some acid soil types
While root systems are strong, do not always penetrate to depth and can be susceptible to droughting in a dry finish
High yield potential for a grain legume if grown in favourable conditions
Paddock selection critical
Shallow root system combined with shorter growing season means that moisture at depth is not fully extracted
Susceptible to mechanical damage due to size of grain
Relatively early sowing window can assist to spread out operations and labour requirements especially if crop is dry sown
Prone to lodging, "necking" or both, leading to difficulty in harvesting
Desiccated serradella at 30/10/2020
The Fitzgerald Biosphere Group's One Paddock Challenge 2020 set out to obtain higher quality and credible data from trials in the region and the more effective sharing of data for the benefit of all members. What was found was commonality of problems faced and different attitudes and approaches to solving on-farm issues. These were soil amelioration, using precision agriculture tools and the addition of legumes into cropping systems. Interest in these three areas is high amongst farmers in the area and all provoked considerable conversation. Some key learnings from the project were to really highlight the importance of a good planning and trial set up with the farmers, especially where they are farmer-led. There are inevitably factors which lead to the activity varying from its original conception. While this was not necessarily an issue, it could take away from its validity in certain circumstances. The importance of interactive in-paddock activities, such as the Spring Field Day and field walks are identified as a preferred means of learning and communication between farmers. It is the aim of FBG to facilitate the increase of informal "pop up" crop walks between members of the group. We see scope for further investigation being based around soil amelioration in the Jerramungup region, more targeted learning opportunities for upskilling and developing PA programs, and the continuation of trials into alternate break crops and the fit for legumes in cropping and mixed farming systems in the area. Investment for PA skills has been recognised at a national level and is currently subject of the GRDC-funded Hands On Precision Ag Training workshop series, which FBG supported in bringing to Jerramungup. At this stage, soil amelioration projects are largely farmer-led, with industry support being sought on an as-needed basis. Given the fragility of our soils and the growing importance of the carbon farming conversation, we see a role in ensuring this area remains on the RD&E agenda for our members. Legumes too play a large role in soil health. Industry research in the local area has been somewhat limited. We will continue to lobby for local trials and to encourage sharing of outcomes in on-farm trials. The enthusiasm of our farmers and their continual drive to learn and improve their farming businesses in all aspects will ultimately drive future grassroots research in the membership area of FBG. Madeleine Wylie Project Officer Fitzgerald Biosphere Group
Calendar of Operations - Serradella
Indicative Cost per ha
Date
Summer Knockdown
$10.83
27 February
$17.15
23 March
Seeding
$90.13
Insecticide Spray
$42.00
4 April
Broadleaf Spray
$4.82
6 June
Serradella Knockdown
$36.11
30 September
$201.04
Fitzgerald Biosphere Group would like to acknowledge Viridis Ag and Lawson Grains Ltd for allowing us the opportunity to facilitate such a project of such broad scope. Without such a funding partner, groups such as ourselves would be all the poorer as it allows flexibility to extend scope beyond this project. We also acknowledge the long term support of industry partners such as the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) whose years of experience in the research, development and extension space are invaluable. We also thank local representatives of CSBP (Wade Anning) and Nutrien Ag Services (Foreman Rural - Kyran Brooks, Tammy Ross) for their technical and industry expertise and information. We appreciate your willingness to share information and provide input to the group. Thank you to our farmers and their families, both those who support our group by attending events and providing feedback into future events, and particularly our One Paddock Challenge participants and their families: Michael Swarbrick - Gairdner Colin Green - Gairdner Viridis Ag, Tantanoola (Ben Panizza) - Jerramungup Dean Hislop - Jerramungup Trent Parsons - Jerramungup Brad Bailey - Jacup Lawson Grains, Gunnadoo (Anthon Viljoen) - Jacup Michael & Mark Lester - Jacup
Precision Ag Whelan, B. and Taylor, J. (2007) Plan for incorporating precision agriculture into Australian farm management in 2007. Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture, University of Sydney and Grains Research & Development Corporation. Grains Research & Development Corporation and South East Premium Wheat Association (2016). Calculating return on investment for on farm trials: DIY precision agriculture. Whelan, B. (2008). Getting value from information about variability. Proceedings of the Southern Precision Agriculture Association Conference and EXPO, Kadina, South Australia, 18 March 2008. Redden, P. and Pitchford, R. (Rural Directions Pty Ltd) and Burke, K. (Think Agri Pty Ltd) (2019). Profit from precision agriculture. Grains Research & Development Corporation. Sauer, B., Wells, T., Wells, M., Neale, T. & Smart, A. (2010). Applying PA: A reference guide for the modern practioner. Precision Croping Technologies and Grains Research & Development Corporation, Soil Amelioration Roper, M.M., Davies, S.L., Blackwell, P.S., Hall, D.J.M., Bakker, D.M., Jongepier, R. and Ward, P.R. (2015). Management options for water-repellent soils in Australian dryland agriculture. Soil Research, 53, 786-806. Department of Agriculture & Food, Western Australia (2009). Managing south coast sandplain soils to yield potential. Grains Research & Development Corporation, Bulletin 4773, October 2009. Isbister, B. (2017). Deep ripping explained. GRDC Groundcover Issue 126, 9 June 2017, Western Region. Grains Research & Development Corporation. Fulwood, J. (2019). Soils research uncovers new strategies for WA growers. GRDC Groundcover Issue 141, July-August 2019, Western Region, Grains Research & Development Corporation Legumes Grains Research & Development Corporation - Western (2017). GRDC GrowNotes: Faba Beans. Agtrials WA. Use of Margurita serradella legume pasture as a tool to reclaim high weed burden/low fertility cropping areas in low rainfall areas. (Trial in progress). Fulwood, J. (2020). Pasture legumes offer protein boost for subsequent cereals. GRDC Groundcover Issue 147, July-August 2020, Western Region. Grains Research & Development Corporation. Fulwood, J. (2019). Serradella holistic farm benefits. GRDC Groundcover Issue 142, September-October 2019, Western Region. Grains Research & Development Corporation.