A Pragmatic Approach to Conservation Agriculture helps Southern Australian High Rainfall Zone farmers to innovate towards Productivity Gains Renick

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1 A Pragmatic Approach to Conservation Agriculture helps Southern Australian High Rainfall Zone farmers to innovate towards Productivity Gains Renick Peries, DEPI, & Annieka Paridaen, SFS, Victoria, Australia

2

3 The Victorian high rainfall zone Inverleigh

4 Our issues & our journey: mid 90 s to 2013 change in land use (grazing to cropping)- 1995/96 cropping resulted in water logging in the HRZ ( mm rainfall) raising the beds, improved the drainage!

5 Problem soils of the western district (HRZ) BLACK SELF-MULCHING VERTOSOL 0 Clay % depth (cm) Clay (%) depth (cm) sodic non sodic Sodicity strongly sodic ESP (%)

6 Problem soils of the western district (HRZ) GREY SODIC VERTOSOL depth (cm) Clay % Clay (%) depth (cm) sodic non sodic Sodicity strongly sodic ESP (%)

7 Problem soils of the western district (HRZ) The Grey Sodosol

8 Our issues & our journey: mid 90 s to 2013 change in land use (grazing to cropping)- 1995/96 cropping resulted in water logging in the HRZ ( mm rainfall) raised beds improved drainage and created opportunities for CA practices? stubble management improvements in infiltration removal of compaction (CT) better root proliferation deep rooted legumes rotation management / soil str. 60,000 ha of raised beds by 2006 Innovation also creates challenges

9 Major issues for croppers in South-West Victoria? temporal changes to soil physical properties with CT? Barley on raised beds Barley on the flat (waterlogged)

10 raised beds in HRZ - five years on Temporal development of soil Structure?

11 Raised beds in HRZ - five years on Temporal development of soil Structure Depth of profile (cm) Difference (%) in macroporosity Black V Grey SV Macro-porosity in the long-term flat pasture state

12 Our Challenges? Water Soils Stubble

13 stubble issues on raised beds Improved soil/better drainage/ good agronomy contribute to heavy biomass Subsoil constraints- low HI heavy stubble loads Over many years burning was the only option! Efficient machinery / canopy management Seasonal rainfall a critical factor!

14 stubble issues on raised beds Beds can get water logged if not properly designed Under wet conditions pests were (& are) a major issue To burn or not to burn- a climate specific decision? In wet seasons even low stubble loads can be an issue

15 Overall benefits of the ongoing initiatives? 2 m beds: Derrinallum 3 m beds: Winchelsea

16 Our Challenges? Water Soils Stubble Addressing subsoil PAWC - for low WUE How do we enhance the bucket size?

17 subsoil manuring- benefits & setbacks Improves connectivity between topsoil & subsoil Improves aeration & conductivity Improves bucket size Improves soil biology? Improves yield & WUE Can be a component of a RB package, Tillage vs CA!

18 Transformation of the subsoil, four years after subsoil manuring (Ballan November 2009). Subsoil (30-40 cm depth) In Control treatment Subsoil (30-40 cm depth) In Deep Organic treatment May 2005 : 20 t/ha Lucerne pellets + gypsum + some DAP, applied in two rip lines per 2m wide raised bed Photo by Peter Sale, LTU

19 Subsoil manuring increases PAWC in hostile subsoil (Improved fallow efficiency) (a) Summer Fallow (b) Vegetative growth (c) Grain filling Soil Water (mm) Control Lucerne pellets Depth (cm) After J S Gill et.al., (2012)

20 How major issues are impacting on farmer behaviour Land use change: Flat to raised beds Drought : Raised beds to flat! Rainfall variation : Stubble retained to stubble burn! With full realisation of soil issues: Beds-Flat-Beds What next?

21 from 2m raised beds to 3m controlled traffic and back to 3m raised beds (rainfall mm) Jan-Mar Apr-August Sept-Nov

22 A success story: D Langley From flat 2m raised beds (1995) From 2 m beds to 3m CT(2006) From 3 m CT to 3m raised beds (2011)!

23 Evan Lewis : In CTF for 6+ years (VicNoTill) Now SSM on flat Legume mix + cereal rye, corn, vetch, balansa clover OM for soil/ feed for lambing ewes Soil biology Soil cover in summer Summer crops to be followed by cash crops

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28 Summary South-West Victoria is continuing to adapt to change made necessary by economic & climatic challenges While there is significant appreciation of CA in the region, it is often a challenge to be prescriptive and farmer champions have often had a pragmatic approach The synergy of raised beds, CT & stubble retention have raised crop yields towards potential WUE in the region There may need to be more flexibility and clarity in the definition of CA applications in this region

29 Acknowledgments Jaikirat S-Gill, Peter Sale, C Tang La Trobe University DEPI colleagues: Bruce Wightman, Chris Bluett, Tim Johnston Southern Farming Systems Farmer Collaborators: John Sheehan, Brent Herrmann, Lachlan Wilson, George Burdett, Rowan Peel Department of Environment & Primary Industries, Victoria GRDC Australia

30 Thank You

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