Coomandook Agricultural Bureau Compendium of Previous Agricultural Works
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Coomandook Agricultural Bureau Compendium of previous agricultural works A SUMMARY OF HISTORICAL WORK CONDUCTED AROUND THE REGION COMPILED BY THE COORONG TATIARA LOCAL ACTION PLAN UPDATED JULY 2015 This project is jointly funded through the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme. Table of Contents: Map 2 Soils Coomandook Soils: Soil Characterisations and impacts on productions 3 Soil Type Characterisation and Moisture Probe Installation Project 4 Spading and Ploughing Trial with Organic Matter 5 Measuring and Managing soil water in Australian Agriculture 6 Continuous Improvement of soil management to support resilient farming systems 7 In-furrow wetter trial 8 Land Management and Dryland Salinity Coorong District Local Action Plan 9 Land Management in the Cooke Plains area 10 Salt Sand Success Field Day series 11 Dryland Salinity Information Sheets 12 Precision Agriculture Increasing the economic returns of agronomic management using precision agriculture 13 Training and demonstration of PA in practice 14 Increased sustainability and profit from improved application of precision technology 15 Broadacre Agronomy National Variety Trials (NVT) – Barley 16 Fungicide control of Rhizoctonia 17 Microbial Products Trial – Coomandook 18 Development of cost effective management strategies for the control of summer growing weeds 19 Silver grass control in Lucerne 20 Pasture Establishment and root morphology of eight diverse Lucerne populations in a low rainfall environment 21 Developing annual medics tolerant to residues of sulfonylurea herbicides 22 Field evaluation and development of advanced strand medic lines 23 Susceptibility of annual medics to powdery mildew 24 Developing sustainable shrub-based forage systems for profitable mixed farming 25 Appendix 26 Acknowledgement: This project is jointly funded through the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme. Page 1 of 26 Map of Target Location The target area is shown in Figure 1 below. It is predominantly the cropping regions of the area from Coonalpyn through to Cooke Plains, North to Moorlands and Geranium, and west to include Field and the Malinong ranges. This area varies in annual rainfall from 350mm – 450mm annual rainfall. The area is characterised by extremely variable soils and limestone is often a feature in the landscape. Edited by Felicity Turner1 and Tanja Morgan2 for the Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan. 1Turner Agribusiness, Meningie, 2Tanja Morgan Project Services, Jabuk. Editor disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is offered solely to provide information. While all due care has been taken in compiling the information, the editors take no responsibility for any persons relying on the information and disclaims all liability for any errors or omission in the publication. Page 2 of 26 Coomandook Soils; Soil Characterisations and impacts on production Project Summary: Project details This project ran alongside the Soil Type Characterisation Funding Body (if applicable) and Moisture Probe Installation Project. This project is jointly funded In addition to the characterisations, a comprehensive through the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural report was produced on each soil. This report includes Resources Management useful references and information about soil nutritional Board and the Australian levels and what drives water holding capacity and Government’s National Landcare Programme available soil moisture within the soil. Project Duration Key Outcomes: July 2015 – June 2016 • Assessments conducted on four soils; two Project Location different soils at each location • Positive primary production aspects of each soil T. Freak, Coomandook identified A. Thomas, Moorlands • Soil constraints, limitations and barriers to crop production identified with recommendations to overcome these addressed. Contact for further information: Rebecca Tonkin, Rural Solutions SA [email protected] Full Report available at: http://www.msfp.org.au/wp- content/uploads/Coom-Soil-Pit-field-day-report-final.pdf Page 3 of 26 Soil Type Characterisation and Moisture Probe Installation Project Project Summary: Project details This project improved the Bureau’s knowledge of the constraints and barriers to primary production linked Funding Body directly to the regions shallow stoney soil types. A weather station and four moisture probes were This project is jointly funded installed in the region providing publicly available through the South Australian climate and soil data to the group. This data is Murray-Darling Basin Natural accessed from the Natural Resources SAMDB network, Resources Management with the Coomandook weather station being through Board and the Australian the SENRMB network. Government’s National Key Outcomes: Landcare Programme • Four predominant soil types in the region were selected to help gain a better understanding of Project Duration their production potential. At each site; 1st Feb-30th June 2015 o Soil moisture probes were installed. o Soil profile classification and Project Location characterisation conducted including assessment of chemical and physical T.Freak, Coomandook properties and constraints at each site. A.Thomas, Moorlands • Field Days with soil pits were held at each site. • Report prepared identifying the current primary production aspects of each soil, any constraints or limitations to production, management options for each site and future research opportunities. Contact for further information: Natural Resources South Australia Murray-Darling Basin – Sustainable Farming Team Berri: 08 8580 1800 Murray Bridge: 08 8532 9100 Soil Moisture probe data available at: Username: samdb http://aqualab-data.dyndns.info/secure/livedata/list.jsf?template=trend Password: demo Page 4 of 26 Spading and ploughing trial with organic matter Project Summary: Project details This trial aimed to compare the effectiveness of different soil modification treatments in overcoming water Funding Body repellence on sandy soil and improving soil fertility. State Natural Resources Treatments were applied in 2013 and included Mouldboard ploughing and spading. Nutrition Management Program 2013-14 treatments included applying pig manure, cereal straw, silage and vetch hay, composted grape marc and high Community Grants for land analysis fertiliser. care, coast care and water care Key Outcomes: • The cost of spading took 2 years to recover. • Mouldboard ploughing costs less to implement but the yield benefits are smaller. Project Duration • The profitability of compost, manure or plant matter depends on the cost of the product; the 2013-2014 cheapest closest source of nutrition is the most profitable. Project Location • Adding organic matter with no soil modification Paul Simmons, has not shown an increase in profit. Coomandook Contact for further information: Rebecca Tonkin, Rural Solutions SA. E-mail: [email protected] Full Report available at: http://www.coorong.sa.gov.au/sitedata/unity/resources/file s/Page%204%20Spading%20and%20ploughing%20trial%20wi th%20organic%20matter%202013.pdf http://www.coorong.sa.gov.au/sitedata/unity/resources/files/Page%204%20Spading%20 and%20ploughing%20trial%20with%20organic%20matter%202014-1.pdf Page 5 of 26 Measuring and managing soil water in Australian Agriculture Project Summary: Project details This project aims to engage with groups in areas where Project ID (if applicable) soil water hasn’t previously been a major focus and fill CSP00170 some gaps in both grower and consultant knowledge and gaps in the APSOIL database by increasing the Funding Body (if applicable) number of soils that are characterised in these areas. GRDC Key Outcomes: Project Duration • 10 sites in the Upper SE region have been 2014 - current characterised and are in the process of being Project Location included in the APSOIL database. • Difficult to characterise soils have been identified South-East of South Australia and links between researchers and growers achieved to work towards a validation process around these soils. • Growers and consultants across the region have improved their soils knowledge, and knowledge around the APSIM model and potential uses. Contact for further information: Mark Thomas, CSIRO [email protected] Other Resources: www.apsim.info/Products/APSoil.aspx Page 6 of 26 Continuous Improvement of Soil Management to support resilient farming systems Project Summary: Project details The project aimed to assist land managers throughout Project ID (if applicable) the SE NRM region to build healthier, more robust soils by innovative management of soil constraints, leading to OC11-01079 the adoption of more sustainable farm management Funding Body (if applicable) practices. The activities at each location across the Australian Government region were determined through consultation with (DAFF) through the Caring landholders. for Our Country Program Key Outcomes: Project Duration • Six soil pits were dug and data sheets established 2009-2013 for these sites • Workshops were held to disseminate the Project Location information to the local community and to South-East NRM Region discuss management options for each of the soils Kernick’s and Edmonds- Wilson Farms, Coonalpyn Contact for further information: Mel Fraser, Rural Solutions, Struan Email: [email protected] Data sheets available at: https://www.coorong.sa.gov.au/sitedata/unity/resources/files/Soil%20profile%20descripti