P.
No
Moisture probes cont..
Can spaded chicken
manure improve Mallee
soils?
Mallee Challenge
update
Highlights from 2014
and 2015 projects
Mallee soil –past and
present
New Horizons Karoonda
trial results
What are the SAMDB NRM moisture
probes telling us about season 2015?
T
here are many NRM weather station and moisture probe sites set up
across the Mallee region. Some have been in operation for over 3 years,
indicating drained upper limits (DUL) of soils after significant rainfall
events, and crop lower moisture limit (CLL) at the end of each growing season.
Each site has probes in different soil types, with the aim to give farmers a network of
good local reference points of plant available water (PAW) that can be accessed at
any time through the internet.
Onion weed control trial
results
While the system is still being tested, analysed for accuracy and applicability, and
new sites are being established, the following is a brief summary of information
gained from 3 sites this season.
PIRSA Animal Health
Update
Pinnaroo
Pinnaroo received 26mm in the
January rainfall, which showed very
little moisture penetration below the
30cm sensor. Much of this was
maintained through summer weed
control. There was only a slight
increase in soil moisture at 20cm
after the 39mm across numerous
events in April, suggesting most of
View of the capacitance probe set up as
installed at the Pinnaroo and Lowaldie sites.
this rainfall stayed in the topsoil for
seeding. The probes suggest that there may be only 15mm PAW at present on
these soils, with similar levels on the slightly loamier rise.
Through May/June/July it is estimated that evaporation and evapotranspiration through crops can amount to
soil moisture loss rates in the Mallee of approximately 0.4mm/day or 12mm/month, depending on crop
maturity and daily temperatures. This would suggest that these crops will certainly be looking for some good
follow up rains soon.
Figure 1. Pinnaroo Heavy Flat site, 0-50cm moisture readings from April 2014 until May 13, 2015.
Lowaldie
The Lowaldie site (east of Karoonda) recorded 70mm rainfall in January. In the deep sandy soils this was shown to
penetrate to 90cm and generally fill the soil profile, but most of this moisture was lost over the summer period.
The April rains of 28mm caused increases in soil moisture to 50cm. With these sandy soils poor water holding capacity, there would appear to be less than 10mm of PAW available at present.
On the heavier soil the January rain lifted moisture levels to about the 50cm sensor level, while the April rains
only penetrated to about 20cm due to the clayey texture. The present PAW was estimated to about 20mm at this
probe site, mainly as a result of the summer rainfall.
Waikerie
The Waikerie site has had the least amount of rainfall with 21mm in the January event followed by 36mm across
April. This site did show some benefit from November 2014 rainfall. The summer rainfall penetrated to approximately 20cm on the heavy and medium loam soils. The April rains reached a depth of about 30cm on the heavy
and loamy soils, and 40cm on the deep sands.
At each of these probe sites the soil PAW was only estimated to be around 10mm, meaning these farmers will
definitely be looking for some good rains very soon. Shallow stone will be at high risk in particular this season in
this area.
NRM Weather Stations – a great resource for all Mallee farmers!!
All farmers are encouraged to be accessing important weather information, such as rainfall, wind speeds, temperatures, delta T, etc. from their nearest NRM weather station sites. This increasing network of stations is quite
unique to our region, and is an incredible resource that can be accessed to assist with management decisions for
spraying, harvest and livestock. Information is now updating to the internet every 15mins.
To check for your local stations and access the information go to: http://www.aws-samdbnrm.sa.gov.au/
Page 2
Can spaded chicken manure improve Mallee sands?
T
he Lowbank Agricultural Bureau was successful in
securing an innovations grant through the SA MDB
NRM to look at improving the productivity of sand
hills using chicken manure, which has become more available and affordable due to the increase in chicken farms in
the area.
In early April about 10 group members gathered to help
spread manure at rates of 3 and 6 t/ha, along with plots of
high granular fertilizer and trace elements, clay spreading
and deep ripping, as well as some biological treatments.
About half of the plots were spaded in to 40cm (which is
like a big rotary hoe) to try and give the cereal roots more
of a reason to easily access and utilize deep moisture and
nutrients, as has been achieved in the New Horizons project at Karoonda.
Lowbank Ag Bureau members organising the trial activities
The costs of treatments have generally been kept to a level
that even with a 0.5t/ha yield increase there will be a return
on investment in 1, 2 or 3 years.
This is an exciting project, experiencing terrific support from
the Lowbank Ag Bureau members, and is expected to result
in very practical findings that the farmers will be keen to act
on if successful.
New support for Loxton and
Waikerie farmers
Spreading the chicken manure
There is also one plot that has about 12t/ha spaded, and
another “Kitchen Sink” plot which is a combination of almost all treatments, just to see what potential responses
can be achieved. The project expanded with the Bureaus
Mallee Challenge grant to include plots of winery waste
and grape marc.
Each farmer scale plot is 15m wide and runs for 400m, over
two sand hills, through loamy soil as well, and the trial is
fully replicated. The site was EM38 mapped, which will allow for a better comparison of yield results which should
be analysed over the next five years to assess the long
term benefits of each treatment.
Moisture probes will help to monitor the depth of rainfall
penetration and crop water use under various treatments.
Sowing at a new Mallee Sustainable Farming Demonstration site
at Loxton has just finished. True to MSF form the site showcases
a range of interesting trials with a number of partners, including
CSIRO, SARDI, SAGIT and GRDC. The site has been generously
made available by Bulla Burra Collaborative farming.
Trials will investigate the next steps in introducing break crops
into SA Mallee farming systems and hope to address farmers’
key questions in the low rainfall Mallee, such as:
What break crop or pasture will do best in my particular farming system, environment and soil types?
How should I manage the break phase to adequately reduce
constraints and improve profit of that phase and subsequent
phases?
With the support of the SAGIT two new field trials have been
sown at Loxton and another site in Waikerie to look into answering these questions. The first is a Best Bet Break Crop trial
to compare a range of break crops suitable for farming systems
and the second is a Break crop management trial. For selected
break crops, the trial will explore agronomic management techniques of interest to the local growers.
Importantly these trials and treatments will be developed in
collaboration with local farmers through the Mallee Sustainable
Farming Loxton Research Site Reference Group and the Low
Bank Ag Bureau.
Checking the spading
depth of approximately
40cm on the sand hill
Anybody interested to see the sites and understand what they
tell us during the growing season will get a chance as part of the
MSF field day program in September. MSF will report back on
the end of season results through its annual Tri-State forum and
Research Compendium in February.
To stay in touch with this and MSF’s other four major field day
sites drop into www.msfp.org.au.
Mallee Challenge Update
T
he Mallee Challenge project, using farmer scale
paddock trials to assess the application of latest
technologies or to tackle key local issues, has
2015 Projects
Gypsum to Improve Sodic Clays at Cambrai
gained continuing NRM funding to continue this vital work
This project will assess the effects of 3t/ha and 5t/ha gypsum
amongst 9 Mallee farmer groups. Some of last years’
spread across a poorly producing area due to heavy sodic clay in
findings and this years’ projects are as follows:
the topsoil. Crop growth, yield and quality will be measured
across the range of soils that have been mapped using EM38
2014 Brief Highlights




and soil tested. This will help farmers re-assess the value of
Notill into pasture ground worked successfully at two
gypsum in these environments and more accurately evaluate
sites in the southern Mallee, generally showing no
the situations and economic impact of gypsum application using
disadvantage to worked ground, and in some area,
tools such as EM38.
improved yields.
Nitrogen Value of Break Crops
Vetch consistently showed the highest levels of N
Two sites are continuing to add to our knowledge of the
carryover compared to other break crops at numerous
carryover nitrogen produced by different break crops in Mallee
sites around the Mallee, adding between $65-$100 of
environments. As this is being measured in real farmers
extra N to the following crops. Nitrogen on the sands
paddock scale situations, and because nitrogen dynamics can
was generally only 25%-40% of the loamy flats, no
vary considerably between seasons, it is important that
matter what break crop was used.
information is assessed over a number of years.
VRT paddocks showed clear responses to targeting
At Wunkar, following last year’s farmer scale pulse trial, N was
higher inputs into mid-slope sands, while responses
measured on the sands and loamy flats in late March this year.
on deep sands were often uneconomic, and heavy
While there were some frosted areas last year affecting some
soils often gained no value from increased nitrogen.
crop growth, the general results were that on average:
Understanding soil moisture dynamics and yield

just mean there was more to mineralize after the April
One site showed excellent yield responses to post N
rains.
application, based on this information. Others have

clearly shown the abysmal soil water holding capacity
mineralization measured after adjoining cereal), and
recharge and will need more than just good agronomy
to improve. The appropriate application of certain
moisture probes in heavier soil types is still under
generally outperformed vetch brown manure ($44/ha).

ha above cereals.
been carried out at numerous sites.
foliar applications of trace elements. While most
showed jumps up from marginal plant tissue levels for
zinc, one site in particular appeared to have a clear
yield advantage due to the application. As a result,
Lentils, although yielding poorly last year, still produced the
next highest N levels (at $51/ha) while peas averaged $43/
review given some of the ground testing that has
Numerous northern Mallee sites last season trialed
Vetch reaped for grain still gave the highest N carryover,
equal to $56/ha of urea (above the natural soil N
of some non-wetting sands that are contribute to

N levels at this time were far less than last year. This may
potential using moisture probes can be beneficial.

Chickpeas, while generally yielding the best across the site
last year, averaged $34/ha, while lupins only averaged $17/
ha, having been the worst hit with frost. Both chickpeas
and lupins showed low N carryover in measurements at
other sites last season.
SARDI are now conducting a trace element trial in the
More N assessment are currently being assessed from farmers
paddock at Wunkar.
break crops at Pinnaroo.
Page 4
Page 4
Urea vs SOA and timing of application.
assess management tools such as variable rate technologies
The Paruna site aims to continue last year’s paddock scale
to help economically maximize grain quality in various
fertilizer trial across soil types, including comparisons of
situations.
Urea and SOA application, to help determine if the extra
Continuing projects
sulphur application is significant and economic, and on what
The No-till into Pastures project will continue into the
soil types. Trace element application will also be retested at
pasture management phase this season at Parrakie, to try
this site.
and maximize grazing value using vetch, while using various
Splitter Boots vs Narrow Points
methods to keep brome grass and skeleton weed under
At Karoonda a farmer is setting up splitter boots on one side
control for the following cereal.
of his seeder to help assess whether the increased seed bed
The deep ripping fertilizer placement into deep sand trial
utilization can improve crop establishment, weed
from 2014 at Karoonda (by lifting every second tine and
competition and yields. The paddock has been EM38
sinking the air-seeder into 35cm) will be monitored for
mapped which will allow direct comparisons according to
growth and yield this year to assess the long term benefits
soil type.
of the various treatments.
Fertilizer Management for increasing malt barley and high
For more info on Mallee Challenge projects contact
protein wheat across soil types.
Chris McDonough on 0408085393 or Eliza Rieger of
Paddocks at both Lameroo and Alawoona will be looking to
SAMDB NRM on 0408416684.
Mallee soil—past and present
R
esults of an analysis of Mallee soils based on soil
tests taken over a six-year period in the 1990s and
between 2009-2014, has shown a dramatic
change in soil organic carbon content.
is finding a positive equilibrium.
Soil organic carbon acts as a binding substrate holding soil
nitrogen and phosphorus within the soil profile; in turn this
improves the efficiency of fertilizer application as the soil is
The project was initiated by the SAMDB NRM Board,
better able to hold onto valuable nutrients such as soil
through funding from the Australian Government’s National
phosphorous (P).
Landcare Programme.
Comparing soil available P between decades there is an in-
The results highlight a general increase in soil organic car-
creasing concentration of P within Mallee soils, moving
bon (OC) throughout the decades, from an average of 0.78%
from 4% to 18% in the 30-40ppm range while decreasing
in the 1990s to 0.9% in 2009-2014. These results coincide
from 15%-5% in the <10ppm range. With continued high
with dramatic changes in tillage practices.
rates and frequency of P application in the current continu-
The adoption of no-till or minimum till has led to a domino
ously cropped paddocks, it is important to continue to in-
effect of beneficial soil chemical and physical change.
crease soil OC content to ensure P is retained within the
Increased soil cover has decreased soil erosion and in-
soil profile, available for plant growth and development.
creased soil microbial activity and soil aggregate stability.
With evidence of positive change to soil chemistry over the
The culmination of these changes is likely to have influenced
past two decades Mallee farmers have managed to find a
the slight increase in soil organic carbon currently found in
balance between moving towards an intensified system of
our soils. Although non-consistent elements such as varia-
continuous cropping but also maintaining soil organic
tion in tested paddocks exists between the decades; the
carbon content.
overall nature of the results suggests the soil organic carbon
Page 5
Page 5
New Horizons trials show promising results
T
he New Horizons Trial site at
Karoonda has provided some
promising results in its first
year.
The soil type at the site is a grey shallow
sand grading to orange leached sand,
overlying orange brown clay 30-60cms
below the soil surface. For the trials,
clay, organic matter and nutrients have
been mixed (spaded) into the top 40 cm
with the aim of increasing the crop’s
Soil profile at the
root depth and density.
Karoonda trial site
Despite the damage of frost and the dry
spring, some of the treatments yielded
over triple that of the control (0.55 t/ha).
The best grain yield of 2.05 t/ha was from
the spaded +organic matter+ nutrition
treatment. The only treatment that did not
give a grain yield significantly more that
the control was the shallow clay treatment
where clay was only mixed to 10 cm (note
the control represented district practice).
Crop growth, measured as dry matter production in early August, showed the crop’s
potential that was damaged by the frosts
and dry spring. The spaded +organic
matter + nutrition dry matter production of
2.21 t/ha was 4 times that of the control
(0.56 t/ha).
There was not a consistent trend between treatments
and the effect of protein and screening. The grain protein
and proportion of screenings varied with the highest protein achieved on the clayed + spaded + organic matter +
nutrition treatment (14.1%) and the lowest (12.3%) on
the shallow clay + deep nutrition treatment. The control’s
protein percentage was 13.2%.
The highest proportion of screenings (5.7%) was from the
shallow clay treatment and the lowest (2.8%) from the
spaded + nutrition treatment while the control’s screenings percentage was 4.4%.
Across the three New Horizons trial sites (Karoonda,
Cadgee in the South East and Brimpton Lake on Eyre Peninsula), spading
generally increased yields with organic matter further boosting yields.
However, there is no clear reason yet
for why these treatments worked –
does spading itself reduce compaction, enabling better root growth or
does it mix nutrients deeper into the
profile, effectively increasing the soil
volume that roots can draw nutrition
from?
For more info contact Rural Solutions
SA Murray Bridge, 85392112.
Page 6
SAMDB Mallee pasture onion weed
control trial 2014
C
oncerns over the spread of onion weed into pas-

The use of spray oil with Ally at 15 gms/ha rate was slightly more effected than wetting agent with Ally at 15 gms/
mix for control in pasture.
ha rate.
The trial undertaken in the Caliph District last year showed:


ture, led to a trial to identify the best herbicide

No significant differences were noted for the control of
A mixture of Paraquat (1 Litre/ha), Ally (5gms/ha) and
onion weed between the wetting agent (LI 700) and the
spray oil (1%) provided good (80%-90%) control of on-
spray oil (Crop Shield) with Ally at 10 gms/ha and 5 gms/
ion weed and saffron thistle. This treatment also re-
ha rates.
duced spear grass seed heads.
The trial will be repeated in 2015 with the “best bet” herbi-
Paraquat (2 litres/ha) provided good control (80%-90%)
cides as indicated by the 2014 trial findings. There will also be
of onion weed and saffron thistle. This treatment was
some different herbicide options included in the trial.
more effective in supressing spear grass heads than the
Paraquat, Ally and spray oil mixture.

Paraquat (1 litre/ha) provided good (80%-90%) control
Close-up of the Paraquat (1 litre/ha) application
on onion weed and saffron thistle. The impact on grass
seed heads was fair (65%-80%).

Logran provided good (80%-90% ) control of onion
weed at 30gm/ha rate.

Ally provided fair (65%-80%) control of onion weed at
the 15 gm/ha rate.

The onion weed was less affected by the lower rates of
Ally (5gms/ha and 10gms/ha) and Logran (15gms/ha).

Bluebush (Maireana spp) were impacted to some
extent by all rates of Ally, Logran and Paraquat.

Paraquat provided useful control of saffron thistle as
well as onion weed.
The trial is supported by South Australian Murray-Darling
Basin Natural Resources Management Board, through
funding from the Australian Government’s National
Landcare Programme.
Control strip with paraquat application on either side
Page 7
PIRSA Animal Health Update
P
IRSA is always interested in reports of unusual diseases, sicknesses or deaths in livestock, including
poultry and wildlife. One day this could be the early signs of a new or emerging disease. PIRSA
Animal Health staff Dr Jeremy Rogers (0427 608 133) or Ella Duldig ( 0408 897 583) can be
contacted or ring the emergency hotline 1800 675 888. PIRSA will respond or may be able to subsidise the
investigation by your private veterinarian, but we need to hear from
you.
In the past few months we have investigated some serious incidents
including :

120 merino ewes suddenly dying after a drenching incidentprobably a chemical contamination

Weaner cattle dying in the Keith area –
ongoing investigation

Calves dying in lower Lakes area – possible rotavirus infection

Sheep dying in a feedlot near Mannum- polioencephalomalacia
(PEM)
A sheep showing signs of PEM

Distemper diagnosed in some puppies at Berri – this is a rare
disease nowadays but these pups may have contracted the disease
from wild foxes (which can carry the disease). Distemper is fatal to affected dogs and vaccinations
for dogs that may be exposed to wild dogs & foxes is recommended.
The Popular PIRSA sheep Diseases handbook is being updated and reprinted so hopefully will be available for producers after June 2015.
Ella Duldig is the new Animal Health Officer based at Murray
Bridge while Amelia Gillen is on maternity leave. Please contact
Ella if you have any Animal Health or Biosecurity issues that she
might be able to help with.
PIRSA staff were very involved in the Sampson Flat and other fires in SA
earlier this year, assisting producers after the fires in assessing livestock damaged by the fires.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Although PIRSA has taken all reasonable
care in compiling this publication neither
PIRSA nor its officers accept any liability
resulting from the interpretation or use of
the information set out in this document.
Information contained in this document is
subject to change without notice.
Page 8
COPIES ON THE WEB!
www.msfp.org.au
Mallee Matters Volume 4, Issue 2
Mallee Matters is edited and compiled by
Tanja Morgan Project Services
P : 0429 395 918
E: [email protected]
2015