Stubble management and limitations for frost prone landscapes; Victorian Mallee

Authors: Kelly Angel¹, Sarah Jackson² and Ben Biddulph².

¹Birchip Cropping Group, ²DPIRD

Funded By: GRDC Frost Initiative DAW00241 and DAW00260

Project Title: Advancing profitable farming systems – frost risk management

Peer Review: Rebecca Smith (Living Farm)

Key Words: frost prone landscapes Vic Malle

Key Messages

• Reducing stubble loads can reduce the severity and duration of frost events under certain conditions. However, under the situation of multiple and severe frost events the influence of stubble is less defined and stubble reduction does not reduce frost damage.

• In the Mallee, most stubble management practices carried out prior to seeding to increase stubble incorporation or breakdown (cultivation, slashing) did not reduce stubble loads enough to reduce frost severity and duration due to slow breakdown.

• Stubble management in frost prone areas is not about complete removal of stubble, but reducing it to a level that minimises your risk.
• In the Mallee at moderate yield potential (<2.5t/ha), reducing stubble loads at seeding under moderate frost events, to a level roughly equivalent to your grain yield potential is a good rule of thumb to reduce frost risk.