Break crops can provide over 1 t/ha of extra wheat over the three subsequent seasons

Although cereal-intensive cropping has been demonstrated to be productive in the Mallee, there are situations where grass weeds, disease and high fertiliser costs may necessitate a break crop option. This trial was designed to evaluate the effect of a range of break crops and pasture over a range of mallee soils over 3 years of subsequent wheat. In replicated field trials at the Karoonda (Lowaldie) site, break crops including legume, rye, brassica and pasture were grown in 2009 and 2010 and followed by consecutive wheat crops until 2013. Wheat yield following these breaks were compared with a continuous wheat treatment. All treatments were applied at four positions in the landscape: hill (deep sand), mid-top, mid-slope and swale (heavy flat).