Bj. Scott et al., Aluminium tolerance and lime increase wheat yield on the acidic soils of central and southern New South Wales, AUST J EX A, 41(4), 2001, pp. 523-532
Acidic soils constrain wheat yield in some parts of central and southern Ne
w South Wales. This paper describes research designed to evaluate the usefu
lness of aluminium (Al) tolerance, manganese (Mn) tolerance and the interac
tion of lime use and Al tolerance in improving wheat yields.
Closely related pairs of wheat lines with tolerance and sensitivity of Al a
nd Mn were bred. Carazinho (a Brazilian wheat cultivar) was used as a sourc
e of Al tolerance in a backcrossing, recurrent selection program to introdu
ce tolerance into an Egret background (a locally adapted Australian cultiva
r). Aluminium tolerance was determined using the haematoxylin root tip test
and Mn tolerance was determined using a subirrigated gravel bed system. Ei
ght pairs divergent in tolerance of Al were evaluated for their yield on 3
acidic soil types in 5 field experiments. Grain yield increased in Egret-de
rived lines when Al tolerance from Carazinho was introduced. Yield from the
Al-sensitive genotypes (averaged over the 8 pairs) compared with the Al-to
lerant genotypes was 0.43 to 0.98 t/ha and 0.88 to 1.38 t/ha respectively o
n an acid earthy sand in central western New South Wales (Binnaway) in 2 se
asons, and 1.08 to 1.96 t/ha and 1.29 to 1.88 t/ha on an acid podsolic soil
in southern New South Wales (Borambola).
On a moderately acidic red earth site (pH(Ca) 4.8) at Wagga Wagga, no such
advantage accrued to the Al-tolerant group with the average yield for the s
ensitive and tolerant pairs being 5.00 and 4.78 t/ha, respectively. Mangane
se tolerance was assessed in only 1 of these experiments (Borambola) using
6 pairs of lines tolerant of Al but with contrasting Mn tolerance. No advan
tage of Mn tolerance was apparent at this site.
At Binnaway the tolerant and sensitive lines responded to lime application
with the tolerant lines yielding on average about 0.42 t/ha of grain more t
han the sensitive lines even when 5 t/ha of lime was applied. At Borambola
the tolerant lines yielded 0.59 t/ha of grain more than the sensitive lines
when no lime was applied. With lime application this difference in perform
ance disappeared and Al-tolerant and sensitive lines yielded equally. At th
e Wagga Wagga site, the addition of lime did not affect the yield of the se
nsitive lines, while the tolerant lines showed a yield depression of 0.32 t
/ha of grain with lime application.
Three different relationships between lime application and Al tolerance wer
e observed. While 2 relationships fit with our previous understanding, grai
n yield depression resulting from the combined use of Al tolerance and lime
at our least acidic site remains poorly understood.