Deep ripping immediately after liming – MADFIG Field Day

A sturdy bunch of farmers and growers from the Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (MADFIG) braved Antarctic-like elements to hear Joel Andrew (Map IQ) and Craig Scanlan (DAFWA) discuss a field trial investigating the benefits of deep ripping immediately after liming.

This Merredin based trial is one of the many trials in Wheatbelt NRM’s Trials and Demonstration Program.

The 'Earlier Return on Investment of Lime Using Different Incorporation Methods' trial on Andrew Crook’s farm incorporates strips of locally sourced lime and more traditional coastal limesand.

Exciting results have shown that the local source (a Morrell soil containing white carbonate nodules) has come back with a neutralising value of 72%, far higher than 50% initially thought! In the first year of the trial, surface applied lime seems to show little response visually, while the ripped only strips have produced some positive visual response. The most promising strips are those where a combination of lime application (limesand or local) and ripping has been carried out.

We keenly await the yield results and extend thanks to both the Crook family (sorry about the holes!) and Merredin DAFWA for help in setting up the trial.

In the soil pit

Deep ripped soil profile