Effect of raised bed cropping on soil physical properties (GRDC and Southern Farming Systems)

Raised beds have been adopted as a farming system by many farmers in the high rainfall (>500 mm/annum) zones of southern Australia to try and improve winter crop production. However there is limited knowledge about why raised beds are beneficial for crop production, with limited data available on the soil physical properties of these systems. This research project is focused on investigating soil physical properties of raised beds and other systems of land use including conventional cultivation and pasture. Work is being done on the basaltic soils of the Western District of Victoria, an area where cropping has struggled to develop. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of soil properties under raised bed cropping, including soil water (content, potential, retention, transport), soil strength and macropore structure. Regular communication and cooperation exists between this project and similar work by Southern Farming Systems and the Department of Primary Industries Victoria (Vic DPI).

Funded by: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), UM.

Research Team: Mr Jack Holland (UM), Emeritus Professor Robert E. White (UM), Dr Robert Edis (UM).

Contact for further information: Mr Jack Holland, j.holland3@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au