School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses

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Subject: Victoria × Start date: 2000 × End date: 2020 × Type: Masters Research thesis × Author: Clark, Gary John ×

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    Spring water use in raised bed cropping
    Clark, Gary John ( 2004)
    Cultivation of heavy clay soils with the application of gypsum is often used to improve root exploration of the soil profile and hence more efficient use of the soil resource to enable higher grain yields of cereal crops. Soils in south-western Victoria are derived from tertiary basalts with high clay content and often dispersive subsoil. Cereal crops grown on these soils are prone to waterlogging. Waterlogging has been overcome with the use of raised beds. The hypothesis was that the heavy subsoil restricted rooting depth and hence efficient water extraction from the soil profile, particularly in the grain filling period during spring. Deep cultivation of the soil was proposed to overcome subsoil limitations. This study has compared the use of deep ripping, with and without the use of gypsum, to the use of direct drill techniques. Soil water use and plant root density have been compared for the different cultivation treatments. Soil water use indicated that the use of direct drill, compared with deep ripping, was favoured during years with dry autumn or delayed autumn breaks. Surface soil water was conserved in the direct drill treatments. The use of deep ripping, with and without the use of gypsum did not significantly increase the rooting density to a greater depth than direct drill. Furthermore the deeper roots failed to access soil water to improve grain yield compared with direct drill treatments. An increase in grain yield, with the use of deep ripping, was recorded in a year of above average rainfall in the growing season. The addition of gypsum, when deep ripping, provided no additional benefit to grain yield in the above average rainfall year.