Information

The effect of raised beds on soil structure, water logging, and productivity on duplex soils in Western Australia

Level 1 General description

Purpose:

To determine the effect of raised beds on waterlogging, soil structure, and productivity on duplex soils.

Methods (brief)

Five experimental sites were established, monitored, and operated over 5 years as well as 3 larger scale demonstration sites which were operated over 4 or 3 years. Treatments consisted of raised beds and a normal no-till seed bed as the control. The beds were made with a bed former after the soil had been deep cultivated.

Key findings (brief)

  • Waterlogging in the raised beds was reduced along with an increase in runoff.
  • The average grain yield increase from the beds was 18% for a variety of crops across a range of climate conditions on duplex soils.
  • The implementation of raised beds in waterlogging duplex-soil created favourable root zone conditions by reducing bulk densities and waterlogging.

Location

Woodanilling, Western Australia

Related studies

This experiment was also carried out in Badgebup, Beverly, Cranbrook, Esperance, Mt Barker, South Stirling and Toolibin

 

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