Impact of fertiliser on wheat emergence under dry conditions

With larger seeding programs, increased summer weed control to conserve soil moisture and more variable autumn rainfall patterns, more growers Australia-wide are moving toward dry sowing.On upper Eyre Peninsula in 2017 and 2018, seed was placed in the soil for many weeks with limited soil moisture, some seed still germinated but the delayed plant emergence often resulted in a lower plant establishment. This raised questions by growers about the soil factors which reduce germination and establishment.This article summarises a pot trial which assessed the impact of DAP placement on wheat establishment on three different soil types; a red loam (Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC)) and two grey calcareous soils (Streaky Bay and Cungena).