No-till and incorporation on the agenda for Hamilton district stubble bus tour and forum
Text and Photographs by JACQUELINE WILSON
STUBBLE retention was the focus of a recent bus tour and Stubble Management Forum investigating the performance of no-till and incorporation cropping practices within the Hamilton district this season.
The tour, organised by the Hamilton Branch of Southern Farming Systems through funding provided by the National Landcare Programme (NLP), featured paddock inspections comparing the stubble management practices of incorporation and no-till, followed by a Stubble Management Forum where members got to put their questions to the experts.
Leading CSIRO soil scientist, Dr Clive Kirkby, who is a recognised authority on stubble management, and Southern Farming Systems’ research agronomist, Rohan Wardle were on hand to answer growers’ questions in the paddock, before presenting results of their research during a discussion group that evening.
The bus tour included a visit to the SFS Hamilton Stubble Management Trial Site on John & Brent Herrmann’s property to witness how eight different stubble treatments were shaping up this season.
The site has been planted to wheat this year on a canola stubble and the treatments include prickle chaining; low harvesting; slashing, baling and removing; double mulching; discing; burning; direct drill and the application of chook pellets.
SFS research agronomist, Rohan Wardle is overseeing the three year trial, which concludes in 2008.
“The site was designed to demonstrate to Hamilton district grain growers alternative stubble management practices to burning,” he said.
“Unfortunately, dry conditions during the last couple of years have affected results, however this year’s crop is shaping up well and we are looking forward to some excellent results.”
The group then inspected a canola crop on Rob Roache’s Woodhouse district property, “Torino”. Stubble has been incorporated in that particular paddock for the last three years and much discussion was generated among SFS members.
The tour included a brief visit to the Hamilton Branch SFS trial site near Dunkeld, where members were brought up-to-date with the latest developments in an NLP-funded research project exploring how stubble systems affect soil health and nutrient leaching.
A no-till approach used in a wheat crop sown into cereal stubble on David Robertson’s Strathkellar district property, “North Skene” was also inspected as part of the tour.
SFS members then headed back to Hamilton for a Stubble Management Forum that evening where presentations focusing on no-till and incorporation research featured following dinner.
Hamilton Branch SFS chairman, Robert Gardner, said the discussion generated during the bus tour and stubble forum demonstrated that stubble retention practices are still a high priority for croppers in the Hamilton district.
“Farmers are genuinely interested in learning more about farming practices which are not only sustainable, but productive. Members can be confident that SFS will continue its research program into stubble management practices which deliver the best results for soil health, the environment and the bottom line.”
Enquiries, information and comments to:
Michelle McClure
Hamilton Branch Coordinator
Southern Farming Systems
P: 03 5572 3426
M: 0417 288 233
E: mmclure@sfs.org.au
Information current at September 2007
