Information

The effect of sheet erosion on wheat yield and quality

Level 1 General description

Purpose:

To provide information on the magnitude of production loss of wheat that could be expected as a result of sheet erosion.

Methods (brief)

The study was implemented across five Research Stations within the NSW wheat belt. The study was implemented on 2 blocks within each site and comprised of three treatments:

  1. Control – no soil removed
  2. Three inches of surface soil removed
  3. Six inches of surface soil removed

Three replicates of each treatment were randomized on each of the two blocks. The first block had a wheat-fallow-wheat rotation and the second, a fallow-wheat-fallow rotation.

Key findings (brief)

  • The removal of top-soil depressed wheat yields and brought about a decline in wheat quality. When 3 inches of soil was removed wheat yields dropped by 20 to 50% and protein percentage of the grain by 5 to 20%.

Location

Soil Conservation Research Station – Inverell.

Related studies

The same study was carried out on the following Research Stations: Wagga, Cowra, Wellington and Gunnedah.

 

Level 2, level 3, level 4 and level 5