Key Messages

• Higher wheat yields were achieved for some treatments that included Mid Row Banding (MRB) of Nitrogen (N) at the South Stirlings site, but not at the Kendenup trial in 2020.

• At the responsive South Stirlings trial, the combination of MRB applications of N and top-dressed N yielded significantly higher than all other treatments.

• MRB of N at both seeding and tillering yielded significantly less at South Stirlings than either combination of MRB and top-dressed N applications.

• The two highest yielding treatments at South Stirlings, which included MRB and top-dressing of N, had greater N efficiency because they yielded more from the same applied N units (109.5).

Background

Research indicates only 42% of the fertiliser applied is utilised by the crop with the remaining leached, volatilised or washed away. Mid-row banding (MRB) of nitrogen at seeding and tillering reduces the contact that N has with the atmosphere leading to reduced volatilisation and a reduced likelihood of rainfall runoff washing it away before it can be utilised. Benefits from mid-row banding include the same or higher yields from 20-30% less nitrogen being applied, improved nitrogen use efficiency and reduced acidification rates with the main aim of improving profitability.

Method

Two trial sites were setup in 2020, a small plot trial in South Stirlings and a broadacre site at Kendenup. Seeding was completed with the help of Direct Seeding and Harvest and mid-row banding and top-dressing was completed with the help of CSBP. Mid-row banding at seeding was completed by using the seeder to place urea in rows then going back and seeding between those rows. Top-dressing at seeding was done by spreading urea over the plots. The mid-row banding at tillering was done with CSBP’s trial machine with Flexi-N streamed behind a disc and top-dressing Flexi-N was done with by using streaming nozzles on a hand boom.

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