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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(3)

Fertiliser N and P applications on two Vertosols in north-eastern Australia. 2. Grain P concentration and P removal in grain from two long-term experiments

David W. Lester A B C E , Colin J. Birch B D and Chris W. Dowling A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Formerly Incitec Fertilizers, PO Box 623, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

C Back Paddock Company Pty Ltd, PO Box 823, Cleveland, Qld 4163, Australia.

D Present address: Burnie Campus, The University of Tasmania, Burnie, Tas. 7320, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: dlester@backpaddock.com.au

Crop and Pasture Science 60(3) 218-229 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08232
Submitted: 14 July 2008  Accepted: 19 December 2008   Published: 16 March 2009

Abstract

Within north-eastern Australia’s grain-production region there are few reports outlining nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertiliser effects on grain P concentration and P removal in grain. Two long-term N × P fertiliser experiments with different cultivation durations were conducted, one at ‘Colonsay’ on the Darling Downs in southern Queensland (commencing 1985 after 40 years of cultivation), and the other at ‘Myling’ on the north-west plains of New South Wales (commencing 1996 after 9 years of cultivation). Applications of N and P fertiliser independently influenced both grain P concentration and P removal for a range of summer and winter cereal and legume crops. Generally, if N fertiliser application increased grain yield, the grain P concentration decreased as grain yield increased; however, if grain yield did not respond to N fertiliser, grain P concentration was unaffected. P fertiliser applications typically increased grain P concentration. Wheat and barley grain P concentrations were generally higher in this subtropical region than reported values from temperate regions in Australia. Grain sorghum values were similar to those from subtropical areas overseas, but were greater than reported values from more tropical production zones. Mungbean and chickpea grain P concentrations were consistent with other reported values. Experimental results indicated grain P concentrations for estimating grain P removal in the northern grains region of 3400 mg/kg for sorghum, 3500 mg/kg for wheat and barley, and 4000–4500 mg/kg for mungbean.

At both sites, grain P removal was greater with summer and winter cereals than with legume crops. Larger grain yields with N fertiliser application had the largest influence on grain P removal at the Colonsay site, with an additional 23.3 kg P/ha removed from plots with 80 kg N/ha applied compared with nil N over 5 analysed crops from 1998 to 2003. Grain P removal was 20.9, 17.1, and 19.7 kg P/ha in the 3 sorghum crops at this site in this period. Thus, application of P at 10 kg P/ha.crop for this 5-crop study period did not replace P removed. In the predominantly winter-cropped Myling experiment with a shorter duration of cultivation and smaller N fertiliser response, cumulative removal was more influenced by P fertiliser, with 10 kg fertiliser P/ha.crop generally sufficient to provide replacement P. These results support findings of negative P balances recently reported for grain production in this region and suggest a need for further investigation into the implications of a continuing negative P balance on the sustainability of grain production.


Acknowledgments

The continued operation of these experiments would not have been possible without the ongoing co-operation and support from the current landholders: Noel and Jenny Peters at ‘Colonsay’, and Jack and Julia Gooderham at ‘Myling’. The initial support of the McWilliam Farming Co. and Bob Barry, farm manager at Colonsay, is also gratefully acknowledged. Many former staff members at Incitec Pivot Limited and its preceding companies, Incitec Fertilizers Limited and Consolidated Fertilisers Limited, are also acknowledged. These include Messrs Ian Virgen, Tony Good, Ben Foley, and Lyle Douglas. Analytical services for these samples have been provided by the laboratories of Incitec Pivot Ltd. The authors thank Allan Lisle at the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, for biometry support. Drs Mike Bell and Pax Blamey provided many useful suggestions on this manuscript and their input is gratefully acknowledged.


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