Comparative water use by Dorycnium hirsutum-, lucerne-, and annual-based pastures in the Western Australian wheatbelt

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay W. Bell ◽  
Megan H. Ryan ◽  
Geoff A. Moore ◽  
Mike A. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Dryland Salinity ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Additional Water ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Successive Maximum ◽  
Western Australian

Dryland salinity in southern Australia has been caused by inadequate water use by annual crops and pastures. The purpose of this study was to compare the water use of annual pastures and Medicago sativa L. (lucerne) with Dorycnium hirsutum (L.) Ser., a potential new perennial forage species. The soil water dynamics under bare ground, annual legume-, lucerne-, and D. hirsutum-based pastures were compared at 2 sites in the low- (Merredin) and medium- (New Norcia) rainfall wheatbelt of Western Australia between September 2002 and February 2005. Soil under D. hirsutum was drier than under annual pastures by 8–23 mm in Year 1, 43–57 mm in Year 2, and 81 mm in Year 3. Lucerne used little additional water (<19 mm, n.s.) compared with D. hirsutum and profile soil water content was similar under both species throughout the experiment. At Merredin, annual pastures used water to a depth of 1.0 m, whereas under both D. hirsutum and lucerne in the first 3 years after establishment the successive maximum depth of water use was 1.0, 1.8, and 2.2 m. At New Norcia, additional soil water was extracted by lucerne and D. hirsutum at depths <1.0 m and no difference between treatments was detected below 1.0 m. Biomass of D. hirsutum pasture harvested in autumn contained minimal annual components and was 15–50% of that produced by lucerne- or annual legume-based pastures. D. hirsutum and lucerne plant density declined each summer (25–80%), but D. hirsutum density was lower than lucerne due to poorer establishment. Nonetheless, the comparable water use of lucerne and D. hirsutum suggests that D. hirsutum could make reductions in recharge similar to those of lucerne in the Western Australian wheatbelt.

Using soil, climate, and agronomy to predict soil water use by lucerne compared with soil water use by annual crops or pastures

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 347 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Ward ◽  
S. F. Micin ◽  
F. X. Dunin
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Buffer Size ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Matter Production

The incorporation of perennials in general, and lucerne in particular, into farming systems of southern Australia has been proposed as a possible means to slow or stop the spread of dryland salinity. In order to be effective, lucerne roots must remove substantially more water from the soil than roots produced by annual crops and pastures. The term ‘buffer’ is used here to denote the extra water storage created by lucerne in addition to that normally created by an annual crop or pasture. In trials across southern Australia, lucerne has proved variable in its ability to create a buffer. In this research, we established 3 new trials, and collated results from current and published trials across Australia, to determine the effect of various edaphic (soil pH, texture, depth, and density for A and B horizons), climatic (average and actual seasonal rainfall), and agronomic (lucerne age, plant density, dry matter production, and rooting depth) factors on buffer size created by lucerne. Data from 26 trials were analysed, representing 84 site × year comparisons. The mean lucerne buffer for all comparisons was 91 mm, and increased with lucerne age. Buffers were generally greater for heavier-textured soils, but standard deviations of the means were large. Within a broad soil type, regression equations were developed to predict buffer size from climatic, edaphic, and agronomic factors, with r2 values ranging between 0.96 and 0.84, and standard errors ranging between 40 and 44 mm. For all soil types, average summer rainfall (but not actual summer rainfall) was a significant component of the regression, suggesting that management of the lucerne stand, in terms of maintaining leaf area during summer, may have an important role in buffer development.

Modelling soil water dynamics and crop water use in a soybean-wheat rotation under chisel tillage in a sandy clay loam soil

Geoderma ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 327 ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukhtar Ahmad ◽  
Debashis Chakraborty ◽  
Pramila Aggarwal ◽  
Ranjan Bhattacharyya ◽  
Ravender Singh
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Clay Loam Soil ◽  
Sandy Clay Loam ◽  
Crop Water Use ◽  
Loam Soil

Water use, competition, and crop production in low rainfall, alley farming systems of south-eastern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Unkovich ◽  
Kerrin Blott ◽  
Alex Knight ◽  
Ivan Mock ◽  
Abdur Rab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Alley Farming ◽  
Annual Crop ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Perennial Shrubs

Annual crops were grown in alleys between belts of perennial shrubs or trees over 3–4 years at 3 sites across low rainfall (<450 mm) south-eastern Australia. At the two lower rainfall sites (Pallamana and Walpeup), crop grain yields within 2–5 m of shrub belts declined significantly with time, with a reduction equivalent to 45% over 9 m in the final year of cropping. At the third, wetter site (Bridgewater), the reduction in crop grain yields adjacent to tree belts was not significant until the final year of the study (12% over 11 m) when the tree growth rates had increased. The reductions in crop yield were associated with increased competition for water between the shrub or tree belts and the crops once the soil profile immediately below the perennials had dried. At all 3 sites during the establishment year, estimates of water use under the woody perennials were less than under annual crops, but after this, trends in estimates of water use of alley farming systems varied between sites. At Pallamana the perennial shrubs used a large amount of stored soil water in the second summer after establishment, and subsequently were predominantly dependent on rainfall plus what they could scavenge from beneath the adjacent crop. After the establishment year at the Walpeup site, water use under the perennial shrubs was initially 67 mm greater than under the annual crop, declining to be only 24 mm greater in the final year. Under the trees at Bridgewater, water use consistently increased to be 243 mm greater than under the adjacent annual crop by the final year. Although the shrub belts used more water than adjacent crop systems at Walpeup and Pallamana, this was mostly due to the use of stored soil water, and since the belts occupied only 7–18% of the land area, increases in total water use of these alley farming systems compared with conventional crop monocultures were quite small, and in terms of the extent of recharge control this was less than the area of crop yield loss. At the wetter, Bridgewater site, alley farming appeared to be using an increasing amount of water compared with conventional annual cropping systems. Overall, the data support previous work that indicates that in lower rainfall environments (<350 mm), alley farming is likely to be dogged by competition for water between crops and perennials.

Soil water regimes of rotationally grazed perennial and annual forages

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Twerdoff ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
V. S. Baron ◽  
E. Mapfumo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Use Efficiency

To maintain a sustainable agricultural system, management practices such as grazing must ensure adequate soil water for plant growth, yet minimize the risk of soil erosion. The objective of this study was to characterize the soil water regime of perennial and annual forages under three grazing intensities (heavy, medium and light). The study was conducted at the Lacombe Research Station, Alberta, on an Orthic Black Chernozem of loam to silt loam texture. The forages used were smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L. 'Carlton'), meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius L. 'Paddock'), a mixture of triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack 'Pika') and barley (Hordeum vulgare L. 'AC Lacombe') and triticale. Soil water measurements were conducted between April and October of 1994 and 1995 using a neutron scattering hydroprobe to a depth of 90 cm. Surface (0–7.5 cm) soil water was more responsive to grazing intensity than soil water accumulated to various depths. For all grazing treatments and forages, both surface soil water and accumulated soil water generally fluctuated between field capacity and wilting point during the growing season. Although plant water status was not determined, no visual permanent wilting of forages was observed during the study. Differences in evapotranspiration (ET), as determined by differences in soil water were evident among forage species but not grazing intensities, with perennials having high ET in spring and annuals having high ET in summer. Estimated values of water-use efficiency (WUE) were greater for perennials than for annuals and grazing effects on WUE were minimal. From a management perspective, grazing of annuals and perennials altered soil water dynamics but still maintained adequate soil water for plant growth. Key words: Evapotranspiration, forages, grazing intensity, water-use efficiency

Adaptation and potential contribution of temperate perennial legumes to the southern Australian wheatbelt: a review

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. S. Dear ◽  
G. A. Moore ◽  
S. J. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Alkaline Soils ◽  
Dryland Salinity ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Perennial Legumes ◽  
Herbaceous Perennial ◽  
Pasture Plants

Deep-rooted perennial pasture plants can play an important role in solving the environmental problems of rising watertables, dryland salinity and soil acidification in the wheatbelt of southern Australia. These problems are attributed to the extensive clearing of perennial native vegetation and its replacement with shallow-rooted winter-growing annual crops and pastures. Deep-rooted, herbaceous perennial legumes, particularly lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), are seen as making an increasing contribution in the cropping zones where high rates of symbiotic nitrogen fixation and increased water use are high priorities. This paper reviews the current use and the potential of a range of temperate perennial legumes for the wheatbelt of southern Australia. The genera examined include Medicago, Hedysarum, Trifolium, Onobrychis, Lotus, Galega, Astragalus, Lathyrus, Anthyllis, Psoralea, Dorycnium, Lespedeza and Securigera. There is considerable scope to expand the use of lucerne; however, there is also a need for alternative perennial species to increase biodiversity and to fill niches where lucerne is less suited. Based on current knowledge, the species with the most promise to complement lucerne include sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) on alkaline soils, strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L.) in wet or mildly saline niches and Lotus and Dorycnium spp. on waterlogged and/or acid soils.

Water use of wheat, barley, canola, and lucerne in the high rainfall zone of south-western Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heping Zhang ◽  
Neil C. Turner ◽  
Michael L. Poole
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grain Filling ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Significant Difference

Water use of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) was measured on a duplex soil in the high rainfall zone (HRZ) of south-western Australia from 2001 to 2003. Rainfall exceeded evapotranspiration in all years, resulting in transient perched watertables, subsurface waterlogging in 2002 and 2003, and loss of water by deep drainage and lateral flow in all years. There was no significant difference in water use among wheat, barley, and canola. Lucerne used water at a similar rate to annual crops during the winter and spring, but continued to extract 80−100 mm more water than the annual crops over the summer and autumn fallow period. This resulted in about 50 mm less drainage past the root-zone than for annual crops in the second and third years after the establishment of the lucerne. Crop water use was fully met by rainfall from sowing to anthesis and a significant amount of water (120−220 mm) was used during the post-anthesis period, resulting in a ratio of pre- to post-anthesis water use (ETa : ETpa) of 1 : 1 to 2 : 1. These ratios were lower than the indicative value of 2 : 1 for limited water supply for grain filling. High water use during the post-anthesis period was attributed to high available soil water at anthesis, a large rooting depth (≥1.4 m), a high proportion (15%) of roots in the clay subsoil, and regular rainfall during grain filling. The pattern of seasonal water use by crops suggested that high dry matter at anthesis did not prematurely exhaust soil water for grain filling and that it is unlikely to affect dry matter accumulation during grain filling and final grain yield under these conditions.

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