Year of study:
1996-7
Lead organisation & collaborators:
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Leo Hamilton Rural Consulting
Pivot Agriculture
Contact:
DNRE, Bill Fuller
T: 5152 0600
or
Leo Hamilton Rural consulting
T: 5156 6862
Project details
Objectives:
Perform fertilizer trials with phosphorous and potassium) fertilisers and assess pasture and animal production responses. Investigate the role of calcium and boron deficiencies in sub clover seed set.
Hypotheses:
Phosphorus and potassium fertilizer treatment improves clover content, and that calcium and boron deficiencies reduce sub clover seed set.
Basis of trial:
Nutrient availability affects clover growth. This trial seeks to investigate whether calcium and boron deficiencies impacts sub clover seed sets.
Trial Site Details:
Trials were established on 14 focus farms in autumn 1997 and 1 in spring 1996. Monthly soil inspections and soil analysis were undertaken. (Results reported on in 2008)
All areas of Gippsland recorded a much drier year than normal. Most locations received 2/3 average rainfall
| Location | Soil type | 1997 Rainfall (mm) | Av. Rainfall (mm) |
| Bairnsdale | Loam (Grey) | 414 | 650 |
| Buchan | Loam(Grey) | 487 | 800 |
| Cann River | Loam(Grey) | 678 | 920 |
| Ensay | Loam(Grey) | 448 | 600 |
| Fish Creek | Loam (Grey) | 692 | 980 |
| Flynn | Loam (Grey) | 550 | 680 |
| Kongwak | Loam (Grey)/Loam (Black) | 736 | 935 |
| Lang Lang | Loam (Grey) | 534 | 860 |
| Maffra | Loam (Brown) | 370 | 610 |
| Orbost | Loam (Grey) | 643 | 800 |
| Stratford | Loam (Brown) | 404 | 575 |
| Tarwin Lower | Loam (Grey) | 651 | 950 |
| Trafalgar | Loam (Grey) | 628 | 99 |
| Warragul | Loam (Grey) | 740 | 1130 |
| Yarram | Loam (Grey) | 496 | 735 |
Trial Design Details
An area is divided into 4 one hectare paddocks using electric fencing. Each area was limed and received the trace element molybdenum.
Because of the mobility of potassium under grazing, animals were rotated.
Summary of key messages/findings of trial:
Significant responses to nutrients occurred (at 10 sites). Phosphorous was the main limiting nutrient.
No animal responses to treatments occurred in the first year of the grazing trials.
Stock rotated after trial plots were reduced to 1200 kg DM / hectare.
Livestock Body weights recorded (not specified in report)
Crop production measure in kg DM / day / hectare. Total spring production also recorded (Tonnes DM / hectare)Graphical harvest yields are provided in the technical report
Treatment Results
Variation in Soil C with time and management influence:
The following measurements are provided in the report.
| Location | Organic carbon |
| Bairnsdale | 2.4% |
| Buchan | 3.2% |
| Cann River | 2.7% |
| Ensay | 1.4% |
| Fish Creek | 7.8% |
| Flynn | 3.2% |
| Kongwak | 9.6%/11% |
| Lang Lang | 3.4% |
| Maffra | 2.6% |
| Orbost | 2.7% |
| Stratford | 2.3% |
| Tarwin Lower | 4.2% |
| Trafalgar | 2.9% |
| Warragul | 4.6% |
| Yarram | 2.4% |
Variations in soil pH with time and management influence:
The following measurements are provided in the report.
|
Other soils treatments:
Significant responses to nutrients occurred (at 10 sites). Phosphorous was the main limiting nutrient.
No animal responses to treatments occurred in the first year of the grazing trials.
Variation in productivity/profitability with time and management influence:
Spring production measurements taken, but no baseline established therefore cannot draw a conclusion.
Methods:
Treatments
| Location | Grazing (Live weight) | Test Strips |
| Bairnsdale | ü | |
| Buchan | ü | |
| Cann River | ||
| Ensay | ü | |
| Fish Creek | ü | |
| Flynn | ü | |
| Kongwak | ü | ü |
| Lang Lang | ü | |
| Maffra | ü | ü |
| Orbost | ü | |
| Stratford | ü | |
| Tarwin Lower | ü | |
| Trafalgar | ü | |
| Warragul | ü | ü |
| Yarram | ü |
Soil analysis were taken pre-fertilizer application, nutrients applied and monthly inspections made by the relevant farmer group to assess responses
At each site on separate paddocks a high and low fertilizer treatment was applied to enable animal production comparisons to be made. Records of livestock movement, livestock body weights, pasture growth and pasture composition were taken to provide the comparison.
Soil Sampling:
Soil testing before treatments applied and annually before topdressing.
Fifteen Plate meter readings taken per treatment (twelve calibration cuts taken to allow for good correlation to the metre readings)
- pH (CaCl2)
- P (Olsen)
- K (Colwell)
- S (KCL)
Animal Productivity Measures
Stock rotated after trial plots were reduced to 1200 kg DM / hectare.
Livestock Body weights recorded (not specified in report)
Crop production measure in kg DM / day / hectare. Total spring production also recorded (Tonnes DM / hectare)
|
Location |
Spring Production (T DM/ha) |
|||||
|
250kg/a super potash |
500kg/a super potash |
None |
P + other |
|||
|
Bairnsdale |
None applied |
|||||
|
Buchan |
Significant response recorded to phosphorus when used with Mo |
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|
Cann River |
No measurements |
|||||
|
Ensay |
No measurements |
|||||
|
Fish Creek |
4.01 |
4.06 (P45 + K + S +traces) |
||||
|
Flynn |
Responses to phosphorus when used with K and Mg |
|||||
|
Kongwak (New paddock) |
8.31 |
8.82 |
2.07 |
1.75 (P30 + K84) |
||
|
Kongwak (Crop paddock) |
7.96 |
10.93 |
||||
|
Lang Lang |
6.09 |
6.02 (P45 + K + S + traces) |
||||
|
Maffra |
No responses |
Responses for P+S and P+S+K+Mb |
||||
|
Orbost |
.34 |
0.41 (N) 0.82 (N +K) 0.213 (P 0.05) |
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|
Stratford |
No significant response to P |
|||||
|
Tarwin Lower |
Responses to superphosphate or Prolong |
|||||
|
Trafalgar |
Responses to superphosphate or Prolong |
|||||
|
Warragul (Paddock 27) |
4.26 |
4.12 |
Responses to superphosphate or Prolong |
|||
|
Warragul (Paddock 28) |
7.4 |
7.2 |
||||
|
Yarram |
Responses to superphosphate or Prolong or triple super |
|||||
Graphical harvest yields are provided in the technical report
Botanical composition measurements taken in August annually
Estimates of herbage consumption made and recorded after stock removed.
Reportage:
How results have been reported:
Technical Report
How can a copy of any relevant reports be obtained:
Stuart White, DPI
Leo Hamilton
Level of review of results:
Internal Review
Next steps
Specific trial recommendations are made with regard to calibration of equipment and site selection.
Specific trial recommendations include:
- Taking care when harvesting sites with high fertility (record visual responses)
- Record clover content of each treatment
- Record herbage magnesium levels
- Top dress all sites before autumn
Grazing trials should record:
- Botanical compositions (Winter and Spring)
- Pasture availability before and after grazing
- Animal live weights (Spring)
- Stocking rates and grazing rotation length
Project Partners
