Permanent Topdressing Experiment
This experiment has been added by the GLTEN Curators using existing published sources.
- Local identifier
- PTDE
- Years operational
- 1914—
- Objective
- The PTDE was established in 1914 to identify the long term effects of fertiliser application on pasture and animal production.
- Description
- The agro-ecological context of this site is a grazing system within a region of mixed farming at Rutherglen with an average 582 mm of annual rainfall. The site is located in north-eastern Victoria on the slopes of residual low hills and rises and surrounded by outwash slopes of the Riverine plains. These residual landforms are of older sedimentary origin and are separated from the Eastern Uplands.
- Data Access Statement
- Other
- Data license
- Other
- Data policy
- Don't know
- Organization
- Victoria State Governmentfunding agency
- People
Site: Rutherglen Long-term Agro-ecological Site
- Location
- RutherglenVictoriaAustralia
- Geographic location
- -36.108849, 146.512177
- Elevation
- 167 Metres
- Visits permitted?
- No
- Soil description
- The soil is a bleached eutrophic yellow Dermosol
- Climate description
- The average annual rainfall at the site is 590 mm with a winter dominated rainfall pattern.
- Climate properties
Variable Time period Value (range) Units precipitation 590 mm
Design period: Main period (1914—)
- Design Type
- Demonstration strip design
- Description
- Despite some modifications to management, the three treatments have remain unchanged since 1914. Pasture production, soil chemistry, and livestock data have been collected to support the production of numerous journal papers. Soil data collected post-1990 adheres to the Australian Soil and Plant Analysis Council’s proficiency standards.
- Design description
- Since the PTDE site began in 1914, three treatments of phosphorus have been applied every second year to three paddocks. Each paddock is split in half to create six plots each of 0.5 hectares. There are two management options (hay cut, and pasture grazed) for each treatment of phosphorus. There is no replication of the demonstration plots. Other treatments such as: 125 kg single superphosphate per hectare plus 1.25 kg lime per hectare applied every fourth year; 125 kg basic phosphate per hectare; and 125 kg per hectare of superphosphate plus clover, have been applied in the past but were discontinued in 1979.
- Crop
Crop Years grown natural pastures - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- superphosphate exposure
0 (0 )
Control125 (125 kg/ha)
Application frequency: every 2nd yearApplication method: top dressingChemical form: single superphosphate250 (250 kg/ha)
Application frequency: every 2nd yearApplication method: top dressingChemical form: single superphosphate- management process
hay cut
pasture grazed
- Measurements
Variable Material Units Frequency Scale Comment yield components Not specified Pasture production soil chemistry Not specified livestock data Not specified
Related publications
- Permanently Top Dressed Experiment (PTDE) - Rutherglen
- Kirsten M Barlow and Cassandra R Schefe, 2015. 100 Years of superphosphate addition to pasture in an acid soil. Proceedings of the 17th ASA Conference, 20 – 24 September 2015, Hobart, Australia