Farming the Mallee with Guidance

Table of Contents

Preface

The Novel Farming Systems project began in 2000, to test the idea that with 2 cm guidance and wide row-spacings, crop from the typical two year cereal/pasture-fallow rotation could be spread over the entire farm. The fallow benefits (disease and weed control) would be retained by sowing into the inter-row, and inter-row spraying. Total crop production would increase because the whole farm would be sown, every year. During the course of the project it was becoming evident that intensive cereal cropping could be a reality in the Mallee with existing technology and improved agronomy, and that the feasibility of intensive cereals could be enhanced with GPS guidance technology. Also, some of the technologies we were evaluating could be used on narrower row spacings than the 67 cm we were using. As a result, we changed our thinking from evaluating a ‘system’ dependent on 2 cm guidance and wide row-spacings, to evaluating individual technologies that could be adopted in any cropping system. That is the genesis of this handbook, which attempts to address each individual technology (GPS guidance itself, inter-row sowing, inter-row/band spraying, inter-row nitrogen, wide-row cropping). The handbook also considers relevant changes to the system that may be considered if adopting the technologies (intensive cropping or livestock, the economics different cropping/livestock intensity combinations, impact of timeliness on crop yield).

Front cover of 'Farming the Mallee with GPS Guidance' handbook

A dilemma in putting the handbook together has been that not everything is known; some of these technologies are quite new in broadacre cropping. Rather than just rely on what is known, where possible we have made educated guesses as to how systems work (where possible supported by other work), on the basis that some (rough) information is better than none at all. It is important to take this into account when reading the handbook.

The complete handbook is a big document, because we wanted to expose the background of our thinking, allowing others to make calculations for themselves, and come to their own conclusions if necessary. The handbook summaries briefly outline what we have found about each technology. Those interested in more detail should read the main sections of the handbook. The handbook also contains case studies of Victorian farmers who have already put these new technologies together and a ‘resources’ section that lists relevant groups and publications.

We hope it is useful.

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Preface	(PDF 579kb)
Handbook Summaries	(PDF 432kb)
Case Studies
Chapter 1: Case Study: Postlethwaites	(PDF 591kb)
Chapter 2: Case Study: Staples	(PDF 642kb)
Tools and Issues
Chapter 3: Precision (Inter-, On- or Near-Row) Sowing Summary Detail: Potential Benefits of Precision Sowing Economics of Precision Sowing Machinery and Technical Considerations References	(PDF 469kb)
Chapter 4: Band Spraying Summary Detail Band Spraying to Reduce Costs Implementing Band Spraying Novel Weed Management Techniques References Appendix A Appendix B	(PDF 471kb)
Chapter 5: Inter-Row Tactical Nitrogen Summary Detail Why Apply Tactical Nitrogen? Why Drill Tactical Nitrogen? Practical Issues Does Drilling Nitrogen Give the Same Yield Response? What are the Costs of Applying Nitrogen? How Often is the Season Suitable for Applying Nitrogen? How Often will your Soils Need Supplementary Nitrogen? References	(PDF 343kb)
Chapter 6: Wide Rows and Crop Yield Summary Detail Effect of Wide Row Spacing on Profit Managing Wide-Row Crops Problems with Wide-Row Crops References	(PDF 341kb)
Chapter 7: Costing GPS Guidance Summary Detail 10cm Autosteer Guidance Benefits Besides Overlap 2cm Guidance Additional Benefits from 2cm Guidance References	(PDF 260kb)
Changing the System
Chapter 8: Crop Intensity Summary Detail General Principles Two and Three Year Rotations Continuous Cropping in the Mallee Finding the Optimum, Production Functions References	(PDF 313kb)
Chapter 9: Livestock Summary Detail Possible Effects of Livestock on Benefits of the GPS-Cropping System Livestock-Cropping Trade-Offs Profitability of Livestock Enterprises Potention for High Stocking Rates Take-Home Message References	(PDF 262kb)
Chapter 10: Timeliness: How Much is Timely Sowing Worth? Summary Detail	(PDF 285kb)
Chapter 11: Making the Decision: Intensive Cereals, Fallow, Livestock or Break Crops Summary Issues A Model Farm Results of Economic Analysis Take Home Messages Detail Effects of Assumptions Details of Productions Functions Used in the Analysis Details of Systems References	(PDF 297kb)
Chapter 12: Resources Groups & Associations Precision Ag Machinery Manufacturers References Economics Disease Farming Systems Patures and Livestock Precision Agriculture Row Spacing Nitrogen Timeliness	(PDF 208kb)