Using Conservation Agriculture to improve water use efficiency in

wheat crops on the Branson farm in South Australia.

Mark Branson (B.AppSc (Agric), 2005 Nuffield Scholar,)

The Branson’s Family FarmArea: 1200ha

StockportLower North of South Australia

Rainfall: 425mm to 525mm

Dryland Farming System

Stockport

Crops Grown (80%)- Durum and Bread Wheat- Malting Barley- Canola- Faba Beans- Field Peas- Pasture Seeds

Sheep–(20%)

Self Replacing Merino Flock

And a Prime Lamb Flock

Clover and Duel Purpose Cereal

Pastures

Water Use Efficiency (WUE) over 23 years in wheat

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

1988-931990-941991-951992-961993-971994-981995-991996-001997-011998-021999-032000-042001-052002-062003-072004-082005-092006-10

5 Year Period

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e Y

ield

(T

/Ha)

50.00

55.00

60.00

65.00

70.00

75.00

80.00

85.00

90.00

95.00

100.00

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e %

Po

ten

tial

Y

ield

Yield (T/Ha)

% Potential Yield

Linear (% Potential Yield)

French/Schultz Potential Yield Model for Wheat

Potential Yield = (GSR-110)*20

ie. If GSR = 350mm

Potential Yield = (350-110)*20 = 4800kg/ha

French/Schultz Potential Yield Model for Wheat

Potential Yield = (GSR-110)*20Potential Yield = (350-110)*20 = 4800kg/ha

If actual yield was 4000kg/ha

Then % potential yield = 4000/4800 = 83%

Ie the Water Use Efficiency is 83%

WUE over 23 years

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

1988-931990-941991-951992-961993-971994-981995-991996-001997-011998-021999-032000-042001-052002-062003-072004-082005-092006-10

5 Year Period

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e Y

ield

(T

/Ha)

50.00

55.00

60.00

65.00

70.00

75.00

80.00

85.00

90.00

95.00

100.00

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e %

Po

ten

tial

Y

ield

Yield (T/Ha)

% Potential Yield

Linear (% Potential Yield)

WUE from 1988 to 2005

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

1988-93

1990-94

1991-95

1992-96

1993-97

1994-98

1995-99

1996-00

1997-01

1998-02

1999-03

2000-04

2001-05

5 Year Periods

5 Y

ear

Av

erag

e Y

ield

(T

/ha)

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

5 Y

ear

Av

erag

e %

Po

ten

tial

Y

ield

(%

)

Yield (T/Ha)

% Potential Yield

Linear (% Potential Yield)

WUE annual increase of 1.1%

Years from 1988 to 2001Farming system changes

• Introduction of Grain Legumes and Oilseed crops.

• Introduced new wheat varieties.

• Nitrogen based fertilizers introduced.

• Stubble retention enforced.

• No-Till introduced.

WUE from 2002 to 2010

3.00

3.50

4.00

2002-06

2003-07

2004-08

2005-09

2006-10

5 Year Period

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e Y

ield

(T

/Ha)

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

5 Y

ear

%

Po

ten

tial

Yie

ld (

%)

Yield (T/Ha)

% Potential Yield

Linear (% Potential Yield)

WUE annual increase 2%

Years from 2002 to 2010Farming system changes

• No-Till enforced

• Precision Agriculture introduced

• Controlled Traffic introduced

• Introduction of using animal manures as an additional carbon source

• Growing as many high carbon crops as possible

• Inter – Row sowing introduced.

WUE from 2002 to 2010

3.00

3.50

4.00

2002-06

2003-07

2004-08

2005-09

2006-10

5 Year Period

5 Y

ear

Ave

rag

e Y

ield

(T

/Ha)

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

5 Y

ear

%

Po

ten

tial

Yie

ld (

%)

Yield (T/Ha)

% Potential Yield

Linear (% Potential Yield)

WUE annual increase 2%

My Farming System in 2011

No-Till

Sowing Equipment- JD 8200 Tractor (200hp)- CASE PTX – 600 32’Barr, 9” Alternate spacing- Horwood Bagshaw 3*2000L quad box, electric drives- Auto CutOff.

Controlled Traffic

Sowing equipment 1/4 width of Sprayer

2.2M Spacing

9.8m sowing equipment

39.2m Sprayer

Compaction

• When using random traffic in a field, at least 50 % of the field is driven over.

• Most of the compaction damage is done in the first pass.

Precision Agriculture

Mainly VR Nutrients, Seed, and Weed Management.

Autosteer - RTK 2cm Guidance

Inner Row Sowing

Spray Equipment

-Millar Nitro 3275-4wd, High Clearance-39 M Boom-RTK 2cm Autosteer and Autosection Cutoff- Ideal for Controlled Traffic

Header

- Case 7120- 30ft Honey Bee Draper Front- Chopper- 15T Chaser Bin- AFS Yield Monitor

Yield Monitor

Durum Wheat

• Last year Faba Beans• No Nitrogen applied till flag leaf

emergence, mainly for protein.• Deep N test at sowing of 0-60

165N/Ha

Durum Wheat

Thanks