Identifying the legacy effects on canola and/or wheat following pulse crops

Funded by Ag Grow Agronomy and GRDC

NGN forums at Narromine and Barellan identified that growers are interested in better understanding the legacy effects pulse crops provide for following wheat or canola.

Some of the effects of pulse crops on following wheat or canola include increased soil nitrogen from a net increase in N balance in the legume phase, reduced soil borne disease pressure for following wheat (Take-all and Crown-rot), a reduced grass weed seed bank (mostly ryegrass) and higher soil water status post pulse. Growers in lower rainfall environments are interested in better quantifying these benefits so improved accounting of the pulse contribution can be determined.

This 3 year project aims to help determine the legacy benefits of a pulse crop to the following crop in the rotation and in particular which pulse species leaves the best legacy in terms of nitrogen benefit, disease pressure, water use efficiency as well as crop sequence gross margins.