This document summarizes research on managing crops for increased production on sandy soils. It finds that using higher nitrogen fertilizer rates upfront, sowing crops on the rows of previous crops, and exploring optimized nutrition packages can lead to grain yield gains compared to traditional practices. Specifically, 40kg of nitrogen fertilizer at seeding resulted in 30-60% higher yields than lower rates. Sowing wheat on previous crop rows also increased early crop growth and nitrogen uptake, yielding higher on non-wetting sands but not other soil types. Pre-emergence herbicides other than trifluralin effectively controlled brome grass when followed by post-emergence applications. Overall, practices that improve early crop growth and competition were shown

1. Therese McBeath |Rick Llewellyn| Vadakattu Gupta | Bill Davoren | Willie Shoobridge|Stasia Kroker
| Michael Moodie
Managing for increased crop production on sands

2. 1. Low water holding capacity
2. Subsoil constraints / hard pans
3. Prone to water repellence
4. Poor establishment
5. Poor fertility/ low N supply / low organic matter
6. Low biological activity - root disease/herbicide
residues
7. Brome grass
Sandy soil constraints

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

4. Long-term performance of N strategies on sands
Soil Nil 9 N 40 N Sowing 40 N split LSD
Heavy (2) 18.0 17.4 18.8 18.1 3.0
Mid (5) 12.9 14.6 19.6 18.9 2.3
Deep sand (8) 8.0 8.3 13.4 12.6 3.3
• 30% more grain using 40N Vs 9N on mid slope sands (5 t/ha)
• 60% more grain using 40N instead of 9N on deep sands (5 t/ha)
• 10N+30N split was not better than 40N at seeding on sand
• No significant N response on heavy flat after 7 yrs
Karoonda cumulative wheat yields (t/ha) 2009-2015

5. $0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
$4,500
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
CummulativeGM(2009-15)$/ha
district practice
Nil Fert
High N Upfront
High N topdressed
Position 1= swale, 9 = Dune (6 = crest)
Long-term performance of N strategies on sands
Heavy -$200
Mid +$1400
Deep sand +$1100

6. What does on/near-row sowing offer on sands?
Photo: Margaret Roper WA
Water follows in-tact roots of prior
crop rows
On-row vs. inter-
row

7. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
On-row Inter-row On-row Inter-row
2015Establishment(plants/m2)
a
b
b
a
Better crop establishment under marginal sowing
conditions
Karoonda
Non-Wetting
Loxton
Wetting
Knife points
P=0.05

8. Up to 4 times more top soil moisture at seeding
with on-row seeding
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
on-row inter-row on-row inter-row
SurfaceSoilWateratSowing(mm/top10cm)
a
b
c
c
April Sowing May Sowing
Karoonda Sand 2015 (0-10 cm soil water)
P=0.05

9. Increased weed suppression by on-row crops
Brome
plants/
m2
Brome
seeds/m2
On-row 28 2022
Inter-row 105 7332
Inter-row vs on-row
≈70% less seed set in 2015
and 80% less in 2014
P=0.05

10. Pre-emergence herbicide options for brome on
sand
Results 2013-14: Can achieve 75%+
brome plant control using pre-ems other
than trifluralin but variable

11. Pre-emergence herbicide options for brome on
sand (Karoonda 2015)
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).
with Uni of Adelaide (Kleeman, Preston, Gill)
• Sakura alone resulted in 55% less brome panicles than
trifluralin alone
• Sakura + Avadex resulted in 72% less brome panicles
than trifluralin alone ($$)

12. Interrow sowing is used to decrease disease risk...
Crown rot (fusarium) and Take all infection weren’t found
But, there was less rhizoctonia infection with on-row seeding
DNA Test
Rating
Karoonda
Early Sow
Karoonda
Late Sow
Loxton
Early Sow
Loxton
Late Sow
On -row Medium Medium Medium High
Inter-row Low Medium Medium Low
P=0.05

13. • 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
Karoonda
Non-Wetting
Loxton
Wetting
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
On-rowEarly Inter-rowEarly On-rowLate Inter-rowLate
AnthesisWheatNuptake(kg/ha)
a
a
b
b
Some early tie-up but on-row N uptake
higher by anthesis.....

14. Increased yield for non-wetting sand but not
other soils
• 0.3 t/ha more yield on-row at Karoonda on sand but not on the
swale or Loxton wetting sand
14 |
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
On-row Inter-row On-row Inter-row
GrainYield(t/ha)
a
b
P=0.1

15. Nutrition: Right rate, place, time and form
N Zn S
Rate 0 vs 20 vs 40 0 vs 1 vs 4 0 vs 4 vs 20
Time Upfront vs.
tillering vs.
first node
Upfront vs. 3
leaf vs
tillering
Upfront vs.
tillering
Form Urea vs. SOA enriched
granule,
granule blend
and foliar
Gypsum vs.
SOA

16. Rate= 40 N Urea
Time= upfront/early led to best yield
Place= Zn enriched Urea below seed to be followed up
Form= Urea, Zn enriched granule, S not significant
Treatment
Grain Yield
(t/ha)
Protein
(%)
Control (P only) 0.96 9.5
20N Urea @sow 1.41 9.1
40N Urea at sow 1.66 10.2
20N Zn enriched Urea @sow 1.53 9.1
20N Urea @sow + 20N Urea@GS31 1.56 10.4
Nutrition: Right rate, place, time and form
P=0.05

17. Summary
• Early vigour critical to performance on sands – establishment, N supply,
weed and disease competition
• Higher N early has led to gains over 7 years with need for sand-specific
management
• Using last year’s crop row on non-wetting sand is showing promise
• Continue to explore the best nutrition package
• 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
|

18. Thank you
Acknowledgments
Landholders- The Loller Family and
Bulla Burra
Advice- Agrilink and Dodgshun
Medlin
Technical- Anthony Whitbread,
Damian Mowat, Paul Adkins, Marcus
Hicks, Maxime Salot
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