There are a variety of free and paid support tools to help make crop nutrition decisions. Please note this is not a complete list. Check out Climate Kelpie for more decision support tools. Free Tools SoilMapp collates data from national soil databases (ASRIS and ApSoil). View maps, photos and satellite […]
Late winter and early spring is the best time to check legume nodules. To fix nitrogen, legumes need the symbiotic soil bacteria rhizobia in their root nodules. Legumes without effective nodules will deplete soil N and can perform poorly. Lack of rhizobia causes poor nodulation. Rhizobia come from the soil […]
Legume break crops can provide significant fixed nitrogen (N) for subsequent cereal crops. From 2013 – 2015, Michael Moodie (Mallee Sustainable Farming) compared various legume crop productivity and N contribution in low rainfall environments. Trials were conducted in the Victorian and South Australian Mallee regions, where N is often limiting. […]
Many growers and advisers in eastern Australia are weighing up the options for their drought-stressed and frost-damaged crops. Is it more economical to conserve crops as hay or silage, graze them or hope to eventually harvest them? Has the generally high cost of hay cutting been fully taken into account? […]
Concentrating stubble into windrowed strips affects subsequent crop production, soil testing and fertiliser decisions. Wayne Pluske (Equii), Ryan Walker ( Apal Laboratories) and John Young (Wyening Mission Farm) looked at nutrient redistribution post-harvest. They measured plant material (dry matter as t/ha) and nutrient content of canola and wheat crops. The […]
A review of the Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia database is set to commence with a series of industry consultative meetings over the next three months. The BFDC database contains yield response curves for many crops, nutrient applications and soil types across grain growing regions and has been […]
Growers in some lucky regions are now considering late, in-crop applications of nitrogen. Crops in Western Australia, south-west Victoria, and parts of Tasmania still have above average yield potential. Given current grain prices, the economic reward from late N application to these crops is likely to be high. But late […]
Variable rate technology (VRT) means matching fertiliser or soil amendment rates to soil types, fertility, and yield potential. Trials in Western Australia (WA) showed a gross margin increase up to $50/ha using VRT. Costs might stay the same but resources are better allocated. This can translate to improved yield. Because […]
