Developments in Stubble Retention in Cropping System in Southern Australia

Developments in Stubble Retention in Cropping System in Southern Australia
Author: New South Wales
Publisher:
Total Pages: 103
Release: 2013
Genre: Stubble mulching
ISBN: 9781742565682

"The Grains Research & Development Corporation has commissioned this review as an update of the Graham Centre monograph no. 1, 'Stubble retention in cropping systems in southern Australia : benefits and challenges'".-- Foreword.

Row Spacing of Winter Crops in Broad Scale Agriculture in Southern Australia

Row Spacing of Winter Crops in Broad Scale Agriculture in Southern Australia
Author: Brendan James Scott
Publisher:
Total Pages: 94
Release: 2013
Genre: Crop science
ISBN: 9781742565132

"... reviews current knowledge on the impacts on yield of widening row spacing for crops including wheat, barley, canola and lupins in southern Australia. Widening of row spacing has accompanied the adoption of conservation cropping systems with no-till and stubble retention. Row space widening has allowed sowing machinery to operate in stubble with minimal blockages caused by the retained stubble."--Foreword.

Cropping Systems for Sustainable Wheat Production

Cropping Systems for Sustainable Wheat Production
Author: Jennifer Laffan
Publisher: NSW Agriculture
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2022-12-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1760586668

This is the second edition of Cropping Systems for Sustainable Wheat Production, attractively produced with 132 full colour images providing up-to-date information for producers or anyone interested in the industry. The importance of worker and environmental safety and hazard reduction is emphasised and a sample risk assessment template is included. There is a description of the precautions to take for the range of enterprise activities: from tractor work to handling and storing grain. The advantages of technology such as Global positioning by satellite (GPS) and Differential GPS (DGPS) and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) for the broadacre enterprise are explained. GPS allows for “straight line” or tramline or controlled traffic farming (CTF) or the ability to geo-reference boundaries and points in a farm or paddock. DGPS is an even more accurate measurement of row spacing, as accurate as 10 cm and often used for CTF and RTK down to 2 cm and makes CTF easier to implement with inter-row sowing. GPS also has other advantages such as mapping the changes in yield throughout your paddock and so identifying areas where it is economic to apply more (or less) inputs such as ameliorants, seed, fertiliser or pesticides. The application of variable rate technology delivers fertiliser or herbicide in quantities as required by different sections of the paddock. This saves money and also protects the environment from unnecessarily heavy rates of product. This technology can also be used to gather paddock data using remote sensing technologies such as from satellites or UAVs (Drones). Sensitivity of imagery collected this way can help identify problems occurring before the human eye can see them and can direct the grower to issues before they become too advanced and impact on productivity. It can direct you to issues in a particular paddock that need your attention before they become too advanced and impact on productivity. Other technology described includes Green on brown weed sprays which use computers on sprayers to spray plants (weeds) on bare ground. It also includes the more sophisticated green on green technology where artificial intelligence fitted to cameras on sprayers allows herbicide application to specific weeds in a crop. Cameras scan the paddocks to recognise the weeds and then control the spraying in real time to spray only weeds and the dose required and not the whole paddock. This helps save money and protects the environment. Information from remote sensing devices locates the weed populations so that you know which paddocks to scan. The advantages and issues with minimum or no-till, controlled traffic farming (CTF) and stubble retention are also discussed.

Soil Health, Soil Biology, Soilborne Diseases and Sustainable Agriculture

Soil Health, Soil Biology, Soilborne Diseases and Sustainable Agriculture
Author: Graham Stirling
Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2016-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1486303056

Our capacity to maintain world food production depends heavily on the thin layer of soil covering the Earth's surface. The health of this soil determines whether crops can grow successfully, whether a farm business is profitable and whether an enterprise is sustainable in the long term. Farmers are generally aware of the physical and chemical factors that limit the productivity of their soils but often do not recognise that soil microbes and the soil fauna play a major role in achieving healthy soils and healthy crops. Soil Health, Soil Biology, Soilborne Diseases and Sustainable Agriculture provides readily understandable information about the bacteria, fungi, nematodes and other soil organisms that not only harm food crops but also help them take up water and nutrients and protect them from root diseases. Complete with illustrations and practical case studies, it provides growers and their consultants with holistic solutions for building an active and diverse soil biological community capable of improving soil structure, enhancing plant nutrient uptake and suppressing root pests and pathogens. The book is written by scientists with many years' experience developing sustainable crop production practices in the grains, vegetable, sugarcane, grazing and horticultural industries. This book will be useful for: growers, consultants, agronomists and soil chemists, extension personnel working in the grains, livestock, sugarcane and horticultural industries, professionals running courses in soil health/biological farming, and students taking university courses in soil science, ecology, microbiology, plant pathology and other biological sciences.

Sustainable Crop Production in the Sub-tropics

Sustainable Crop Production in the Sub-tropics
Author: Allan Lawrence Clarke
Publisher:
Total Pages: 376
Release: 1997
Genre: Grain
ISBN: 9780724259854

Resource for extension workers, scientists, educators, landcare workers and farmers. Focuses on the soil, climate and crops of the summer rainfall cereal lands of Queensland and northern NSW. Discusses degradation processes and examines farming systems in terms of sustainability. Analyses relevant research and farmer experience and provides examples from regional agriculture. Includes references and an index. All the authors are experts from organisations within the region.

Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management

Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management
Author: Katharina Helming
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2020-01-24
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3039214799

The role of soils for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is multifarious. Soils are the essential basis for food and biomass provision in support of food security (SDG 2) and energy security (SDG 7). Soil carbon sequestration is paramount for climate action (SDG 13). Soil-mediated water purification and retention, nutrient and matter cycling, and soils habitat functions are essential for maintaining ecosystem services and biodiversity (SDG 15). Healthy soils perform well in all these functions simultaneously. However, the globally increasing demand for food, fiber, and bio-based products poses massive challenges to soil health. Minimizing trade-offs between biomass production and soil health requires systemic approaches to assessment and governance of sustainable soil management in agriculture and food systems. It provides interdisciplinary insights into key questions: What are the impacts of agricultural management practices on sustainability targets in specific geophysical and socio-economic contexts? What are the opportunities and risks of future trends such as climate change, digitalization, and emerging technologies for soil management and soil health? How can institutions and governance instruments be improved to enable decision makers to take action on sustainable soil management? The book was initiated in the frame of the National German research program ‘BonaRes—Soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy’, and it is meant to trigger interdisciplinary thinking.