A comparison of wheat and canola water use requirements and the effect of spring irrigation on crop yields in the Murray Valley

Samuel Huxley Stuart North

Research output: ThesisMasters Thesis

473 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

To reduce this risk and ensure a sufficient response to spring irrigation, the following is recommended: 1. sow early - to avoid high temperatures later in spring and to reduce the number of irrigations required 2. grow canola for irrigation on better soil types “ hard soils restrict root growth and water supply to the crop. High evaporative demand and high temperatures in spring combine to limit yield potential on poor soils. Canola was able to extract more water from deeper in the soil profile than wheat. The most profitable strategy for canola is therefore likely to be to use it to de-water soil profiles and grow it after rice. Further work is required to show whether this is agronomically feasible and whether the results from this study are applicable to a wider range of rice-suitable soils. It was also shown that more water was removed from the soil profile when crops were deficit irrigated in spring, irrespective of crop type.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationMaster of Applied Science
Awarding Institution
  • Charles Sturt University
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Eberbach, Philip, Co-Supervisor
  • Thompson, John, Co-Supervisor, External person
Award date01 Aug 2007
Place of PublicationAustralia
Publisher
Publication statusPublished - 2007

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