MALLEE Sustainable Farming says when you are spending big on soil amelioration, every pass of the ripper counts.
That’s why the GRDC national grower network project Optimising Soil Amelioration in Typical Mallee Soils set out to answer a big question: “How do we get the most bangs for our bucks when deep ripping”?
In 2024 the MSF trial site at Copeville, South Australia, where UniSA’s Chris Saunders and Frontier Farming Systems had set up a ripping trial to compare different tine configurations, but final results were not available then.
The only data was force measurements, fuel use and some promising visual differences between treatments.
But now, with harvest done and dusted, the results are in – and MSF said they are results worth talking about.
The Setup
The trial compared:
* Standard ripping.
* High efficiency ripping (lower draft, wider spacing, less steel).
* Maximum loosening setups.
* Ripping with inclusion plates.
* And a commercial Bednar ripper as a farmer practice comparison.
Each setup was measured for its power requirements, soil loosening impact, and most importantly, its effect on barley yield in a tough, low rainfall year.
What was learnt?
The control plots (no ripping) came in at around 0.73 t/ha. From there:
* Standard ripping jumped to 1.36 t/ha.
* High efficiency ripping pushed yields up to 1.51 t/ha.
* Maximum loosening ripping delivered 1.49 t/ha.
* The Bednar ripper increased yield to 1.2 t/ha.
* But ripping with inclusion plates stole the show, reaching 1.71 t/ha.
While the inclusion plates weren’t a core part of the project, they clearly made a difference in this deep sand paddock, where non-wetting soils were a known issue.
It’s not just about yield, it’s about ROI
When Frontier Farming Systems crunched the numbers on partial gross margins, the high efficiency ripper came out on top.
It delivered the best return per hectare when you factored in fuel, labour, and machinery costs.
Here’s the breakdown:
* Standard ripping: +$66/ha.
* Maximum loosening: +$82/ha.
* High efficiency ripping: +$109/ha.
The key takeaway? If you can get the same or better yield from a ripping setup which uses less power and fewer tines then you’re way ahead.
Key messages for growers
* You don’t always need a bigger tractor. Smarter tine setup might get you the same result without the extra capital spend.
* Dry seasons still respond. Even in low rainfall, the ripping treatments made a clear difference in yield.
* Inclusion plates are worth watching. They’re not widely available yet, but in deep sand, they can be a game-changer.
For more details go to msfp.org.au/projects/optimising-soil-amelioration-costs/
