NGN - Soil water repellence in sand, sandy duplex and gravel soils in the Geraldton and Kwinana West region
Tender ID: 548932
Tender Details
Organisation:
Tender #:
PROC-9177035
Status:
Closed
Publish Date:
02 February 2024
Closing Date:
01 March 2024
Tender Description
General non-wetting soils - Growers are seeing non-wetting becoming an issue over larger areas of paddocks. Due to the changes growers are asking if they should start looking at amelioration tactics and different ameliorants and treatments to manage non-wetting and what is the return on investment (ROI) of this amelioration or treatment? Solving non-wetting issues is very important for crop germination and establishment, and has other secondary benefits such as weed competition. This issue is of greatest concern for the sandier and gravel areas of this region.
Outcome: By 2026, 30% of the growers in the Geraldton and Kwinana West Port Zone will have increased knowledge of management techniques to overcome non-wetting issues.
Outputs:
Output 1.
Title: By 2024 and 2025, benchmarking od current grower practice and a forecast of grower adoption will be complete.
Description: Project to include benchmarking of current grower practice with the inclusion of a ‘standard grower practice control’ treatment in each validation trial. On demonstration of improvement opportunities through the validation trials, project to evaluate potential impact and grower adoption post project completion.
Output 2.
Title: By March 2026, an economic analysis of trials will be completed.
Description: An economic analysis of all treatments will be conducted to understand the costs of the trial implementation and profitability of each practice.
Output 3.
Title: By May 2024 and 2025, two (2) demonstration sites will be implemented with management options that overcome non-wetting in the Geraldton and Kwinana West Port Zones.
Description: 5 - 6 treatments to be selected with the assistance of local growers. Treatments could include:
- Use of wetters
- On row, near row and angled (5 degrees off straight)
- Mouldboard ploughing
- Speed tiller
- Spading
- Top down machine
- Delving
Measurements will include, but are not limited to:
- comprehensive soil testing and characterisation
- germination and establishment counts
- weed counts
- MED tests
Trial reports and data to be uploaded to On Farm Trials (OFT) website5