Optimising Plant Establishment 2021 Inverleigh Faba Bean Experiment

Data from the 2021 crop establishment trial at Inverleigh, VIC. The trial compared the establishment of Bendoc CL faba bean at different densities, under a conventional seeder (Vaderstad Rapid) and under a precision seeder (Vaderstad Tempo). The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led by the University of Adelaide, with the experimental trial and local data collection managed by Southern Farming Systems (SFS).

Files:2021 SFS faba bean.xlsx

Experiment setup:Experiment managed by Southern Farming Systems (SFS). The trial was organised as a randomised complete block design with 4 treatments (conventional seeder vs precision seeder, and target plant densities 10 and 20 plants/m2), arranged spatially in a single column with 16 rows, 4 replicates, and 16 plots total. The variety of faba bean used for this trial was Bendoc CL.

Variables recorded:establishment count (plants/m2), seedling depth (mm), interplant distance (cm), peak biomass (t/ha), yield (kg/plot), corrected yield at 8% moisture (t/ha), 1000-grain weight (g)

Data collection and assessment:The paddock was sown on 28/04/2021. Plant emergence counts were made on 12/05/2021, 18/05/2021, 21/05/2021, 24/05/2021 and 02/06/2021, with a final establishment count made at each plot, averaged over 12 counts per plot. Seedling depth was measured from the seed to soil surface for 5 seedlings per plot. Interplant distance was measured for each plot. Peak biomass was averaged over top, middle and lower biomass. At harvest, the yield was recorded in kg/plot and also corrected to 8% moisture content, and the 1000-grain weight (g) was recorded.