
%0 Journal Article
%A Lorimer, M. S. 
%A Douglas, L. A. 
%T Effects of management practice on properties of a Victorian red-brown earth. 2. Wheat root distribution and grain yield
%J Soil Research
%D 2001/02/06
%V 39
%N 2
%P 307-315
%K 32 P, soil limitations, root diseases, crop rotations.
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/SR96067
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/SR96067 
%X The effects of 5 management practices (native forest, native pasture, phalaris pasture, crop-pasture rotation, and continuous cropping), applied prior to sowing wheat seeds, on the distribution of wheat roots and associated grain yields were studied. The grain yield from the 5 treatments decreased in the following order: crop-pasture rotation &#62; native pasture &#62; phalaris pasture &#62; native forest &#62; continuous cropping, and this was directly related to the distribution of the wheat roots in the respective treatment plots. A high incidence of root disease in the phalaris pasture plots severely restricted root distribution and grain yield despite the apparent &#8216;ideal&#8217; soil conditions for plant growth. The implications of current land management practices, which lead to the formation of plough-pans and reduced root penetration into the subsoil, are discussed in terms of future wheat production on this soil type. 
