Abstract
The effect of 2 tillage practices (zero v. conventional), fertiliser application (nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc), and pulse–cereal rotation on changes in soil mineral nitrogen, plant-available water in the soil, grain yield and protein, and key soil fertility parameters (total nitrogen, organic carbon) in the Central Highlands of Queensland were examined between 1991 and 1998. Four pasture treatments (perennial legume, perennial grass, annual legume and legume–grass mixes) were included in January 1995, following previously unsuccessful attempts to grow lucerne and annual medics. The experiment was conducted as an opportunity cropping system on an open downs soil at Gindie that is representative of a large proportion (70%) of soils in the Central Highlands. Tillage practice did not affect the amount of mineral nitrate or the plant-available water content of the soil at planting, except in 1991 and 1998 when plant-available water content was higher under conventional tillage than zero tillage. However, zero tillage improved grain yield in 2 of 4 years (wheat in 1992; sorghum in 1996), increased uptake of nitrogen in every crop and produced greater grain protein levels in both wheat crops grown than conventional tillage. There were grain responses to nitrogen + phosphorus fertilisers (wheat in 1991 and sorghum in 1997). Grain protein was increased with applications of nitrogen regardless of whether phosphorus was added in 3 of the 4 crops planted. Sowing a pulse did not significantly increase grain yields in the following crop although it did increase soil mineral nitrogen at planting. Soil nitrate remained low in control (P0N0) plots (<39 kg N/ha) when crops were planted each year but increased significantly (average 84 kg N/ha) following a long fallow of 3.5 years resulting from drought. Plant-available water content of the soil at sowing was lower where chickpeas had been grown the previous season than with wheat. Neither tillage practice nor fertiliser application affected soil organic carbon or soil total nitrogen concentrations in the topsoil. However, all pasture treatments improved soil total nitrogen compared with continuous cropping, and with the exception of annual pasture legumes, also improved soil organic carbon after only 2 seasons. Largest improvements in soil fertility (total nitrogen and organic carbon) occurred with perennial species. It was concluded that zero tillage practices can have beneficial impacts on grain yields as well as minimising environmental degradation such as soil erosion in this region. However, if soil fertility levels are to be maintained, or improved, perennial pasture rotations will need to be used as current levels of fertiliser application or rotations with pulses had no significant beneficial effect.
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Claims 19
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage did not change soil nitrate at planting.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Tillage practice did not affect the amount of mineral nitrate or the plant-available water content of the soil at planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil water at planting did not generally differ by tillage.
- Treatment
- Tillage practicee0
- Outcome
- plant-available water content of the soile0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Tillage practice did not affect the amount of mineral nitrate or the plant-available water content of the soil at planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional tillage had more plant available water in 1991 and 1998 than zero tillage.
- Treatment
- conventional tillagee0
- Outcome
- plant-available water contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- zero tillagee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“in 1991 and 1998 when plant-available water content was higher under conventional tillage than zero tillage.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zero tillage improved wheat grain yield in 1992.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- zero tillagee0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- 1992e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“zero tillage improved grain yield in 2 of 4 years (wheat in 1992; sorghum in 1996)”
Claim · model-written summary
Zero tillage improved sorghum grain yield in 1996.
SorghumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“zero tillage improved grain yield in 2 of 4 years (wheat in 1992; sorghum in 1996)”
Claim · model-written summary
Zero tillage increased nitrogen uptake in every crop.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“increased uptake of nitrogen in every crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Zero tillage increased grain protein in both wheat crops.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Outcome
- grain protein levelse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- conventional tillagee0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“produced greater grain protein levels in both wheat crops grown than conventional tillage.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen plus phosphorus fertilizer raised wheat grain yield in 1991.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- nitrogen + phosphorus fertiliserse0
- Outcome
- grain responsese0
- Qualifier
- 1991e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were grain responses to nitrogen + phosphorus fertilisers (wheat in 1991 and sorghum in 1997).”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen plus phosphorus fertilizer changed sorghum grain in 1997.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were grain responses to nitrogen + phosphorus fertilisers (wheat in 1991 and sorghum in 1997).”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen increased grain protein in three of four crops regardless of phosphorus.
- Treatment
- applications of nitrogene0
- Outcome
- Grain proteine0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 3 of the 4 crops plantede0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Grain protein was increased with applications of nitrogen regardless of whether phosphorus was added in 3 of the 4 crops planted.”
Claim · model-written summary
Pulse sowing did not significantly increase subsequent crop grain yield.
- Treatment
- Sowing a pulsee0
- Outcome
- grain yields in the following crope0
- Direction
- did not significantly increasee0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Sowing a pulse did not significantly increase grain yields in the following crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Pulse sowing increased soil mineral nitrogen at planting.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“although it did increase soil mineral nitrogen at planting.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil nitrate after long fallow increased to an average 84 kg N/ha.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Soil nitrate remained low in control (P0N0) plots (<39 kg N/ha) when crops were planted each year but increased significantly (average 84 kg N/ha) following a long fallow of 3.5 years resulting from drought.”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant available soil water was lower following chickpeas than wheat.
- Taxon
- chickpeas
Cicer arietinume0 - Outcome
- Plant-available water content of the soile0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- wheate0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant-available water content of the soil at sowing was lower where chickpeas had been grown the previous season than with wheat.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage and fertilizer did not affect topsoil organic carbon or total nitrogen.
- Treatment
- tillage practicee0
- Outcome
- soil organic carbon or soil total nitrogen concentrationse0
- Direction
- Neithere0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Neither tillage practice nor fertiliser application affected soil organic carbon or soil total nitrogen concentrations in the topsoil.”
Claim · model-written summary
All pasture treatments improved soil total nitrogen relative to continuous cropping.
- Treatment
- all pasture treatmentse0
- Outcome
- soil total nitrogene0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Comparator
- continuous croppinge0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“all pasture treatments improved soil total nitrogen compared with continuous cropping”
Claim · model-written summary
Pasture treatments except annual legumes improved soil organic carbon after two seasons.
- Outcome
- soil organic carbone0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- after only 2 seasonse0
- Comparator
- annual pasture legumese0
Not reportedTaxonTreatment
Verbatim
e0“with the exception of annual pasture legumes, also improved soil organic carbon after only 2 seasons.”
Claim · model-written summary
Perennial species produced the largest gains in total nitrogen and organic carbon.
Verbatim
e0“Largest improvements in soil fertility (total nitrogen and organic carbon) occurred with perennial species.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend perennial pasture rotations to maintain soil fertility.
Verbatim
e0“perennial pasture rotations will need to be used”
The same questions in other papers
tillage · yield · SorghumResults differ
101 papers in the same direction as this paper · 17 in the opposite direction · 4 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- negative
- negative
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See all 123 papers →tillage · yield · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
1,115 papers in the same direction as this paper · 257 in the opposite direction · 41 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
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1,410 papers more in this group
See all 1,414 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.