Optimising Plant Establishment 2020 Hart Chickpea Experiment

Data from the 2020 crop establishment trial at Hart, SA. The trial compared the establishment of chickpea at different target seeding rates, under a conventional seeder and under a precision seeder. This experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led by the University of Adelaide, and the experiment and data collection were managed locally by the Hart Field-Site Group.

Files:2020 Hart Chickpea.xlsx

Experiment setup:Experiment managed locally by the Hart Field-Site Group. The trial was organised as a split plot design, with 3 whole plot treatments (conventional seeder, precision seeder, and perfect placement (i.e. handthinned plots curated to consistent interplant distance after plant emergence)), and three subplot treatments for the seeding rate (15, 25 and 35 plants/m2). The design was arranged spatially in a single column (3 bays long) and 36 rows, 4 replicates, 36 plots in total.

Variables recorded:stubble (%), stubble (t/ha), establishment count (plants/m2), seedling depth (mm), interplant distance (cm), GS75 biomass dry matter (t/ha), harvest biomass wet weight (g), harvest biomass dry weight (g), harvest index, yield (t/ha), 300 seed weight (g)

Data collection and assessment:The paddock was seeded on 14/05/2020, with a pre-seed stubble assessment on 13/05/2020. Plant emergence counts were made on 18/06/2020, 29/06/2020 and 14/07/2020 to assess establishment. Seedling depth in mm was also measured on 14/07/2020 for plots in bay 1, with five measurements made per plot and averaged. Interplant distances were recorded at each plot in cm. NDVI was measured on five separate occasions: 30/06/2020, 14/07/2020, 24/07/2020, 03/08/2020 and 13/08/2020. Biomass cuts were made on 24/09/2020 at Growth Stage 75 and the dry matter weight recorded, and harvest maturity cuts were made on 29/10/2020 to assess weight and harvest index. The crop was harvested on 09/12/2020, with the yield (t/ha) and 300 seed weight recorded. Additionally, some photos were taken of the trial and stubble during the crop growth, and these are available embedded in the xlsx file.