Climate Smart – NUE Trial 2025-2027

Background

Western Australian baseline emissions output data from broadacre properties shows the higher rainfall zones in the Albany region (400-600mm annual rainfall) are approximately 30% less efficient than the medium rainfall zone and almost 50% less efficient than the low rainfall zone (Aglytica/Farmanco, 2022). This is largely driven by much higher and often inefficient fertiliser use (due to rainfall, soil types, higher production potential). With the potential for either market premiums or market access issues on the horizon, it is imperative that farmers address emissions and nitrogen use efficiency using sound and locally validated scientific data. Long-term rotational and nitrogen use efficiency data is lacking for our region and this project hopes to fill this gap – providing real data from trials on soil types unique to the region to build farmer knowledge and awareness. We are really keen that trial treatments are co-designed so that they realistic and based on practice of local farmers. It’s also not often we get the opportunity for funding long enough to run rotational trials.

Project Aim

To build farmers' knowledge and capacity so they can manipulate rotations and nitrogen management strategies to increase nitrogen use efficiency and reduce emissions from grain crop production on commonly occurring soil types in this highly productive region, while not compromising (or at least better understanding the compromise) on profitability.

Field Trial

The field trial phase of the project will be run over three seasons. Each trial will feature two rotation treatments and three N treatments (one of which needs to be a Nil Nitrogen). These will be fully phased, meaning every crop within the rotation will be grown every year, to ensure environmental conditions won’t overtly influence the overall outcomes of the trial. For example, you don’t want to have a drought in your only legume phase of the rotation, and have it negatively impact the overall nitrogen and sustainability outcomes of the three-year rotation.