Nitrogen and WUE toolYield Prophet

Does it have a ‘fit’ in the West Midlands Region

NAMI funding partners:

Facilitator: Harm van Rees, Birchip Cropping GroupGrower Panel: Jeff Fordham, Andrew Kenny, Peter Negus

What is Yield Prophet?Harm to insert

Aim: To test the Yield Prophet tool to determine its relevance and usefulness to growers of the West Midlands region in determining the most efficient and effective nitrogen strategy

Trial: Replicated plot trial established in 2010 and 2011 on gravel at Badgingarra Research Station. Compared three Nitrogen strategies to see which was the most productive and which was most profitable: Farmer strategy; Yield Prophet strategy; and control strategy

On-farm demonstrations: Four farmers were given access to the Yield Prophet tool for the 2011 season. This incorporated:•Classifying one soil type on their property into Yield Prophet•Providing training to farmers in how to use yield prophet, in particular N reporting function.•Using yield prophet reports to determine Nitrogen requirements for the demonstration paddock (or half paddock- two farmers did this)•Collecting yield data and farmer experience.

Classifying a soil from scratch

WMG estimate $3,000- $3,500 per site

Site 1Soil: Red sandy earth (Dandaragan 905)Location: Regans FordFarmer: Peter Negus

Site 2Soil: Yellow deep sand (Moora 901)Location: West MooraFarmer: Ben McTaggart

Site 3Soil: Yellow brown shallow loamy duplex (Badgingarra 902)Location: BadgingarraFarmer: Andrew Kenny

Site 4Soil: Brown deep sand (Badgingarra 904)Location: East BadgingarraFarmer: Jeff Fordham

Site 1Red sandy earth

Site 2Yellow deep sand

Site 3Yellow/brown shallow loamy

duplex

Site 4Brown deep sand

The cropCrop & Variety: Magenta Calingiri Calingiri CalingiriSeeding date: 2 June 8 June 31 May 3 JuneSeeding rate 100kg 100kg 95kg 85 kgThe seasonGSR: 556mm 330mm 497mm 433mmRainfall decile at 31 October 6 3 5 3

NitrogenInitial N status As at 11 April

85kg 35kg 99 kg 31 kg

YP N applied 82kg 77kg 113 kg 106 kgYieldYP simulated yield for soil type 2.8 t/ha 2.2 t/ha 6.7 t/ha 4 t/ha

Actual yield for soil type 3 t/ha 1.2 t/ha 4.85 t/ha 3.67 t/ha

Paddock average- Yield across all soil types in paddock

3 t/ha 1.5 t/ha 4.85 t/ha 2.8 t/ ha