DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12741391
title: Hyper Yielding Award Wheat Paddock Data 2020-2023

description: This dataset compiles data recorded on wheat paddocks that were part of Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia's Hyper Yielding Awards paddock program, between 2020 and 2023.

The Hyper Yielding Awards program aimed to share and celebrate the experiences of growers that were trying to grow high yielding crops. The data was fed back to growers as agronomic benchmarks and also compared with estimates of potential yields. This helped to stimulate discussions around management decisions such as variety choice, nutrient and disease management, and environmental yield potential.

In this case, the data has been gathered to provide test cases for a future yield gap analysis, whereby yields simulated by the improved APSIM-wheat model will be compared to actual yields (a component of GRDC Project FAR2304-002RTX).

The data was collected, stored and managed in an online portal developed by Federation University's Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI; https://cerdi.edu.au) in conjunction with Jon Midwood of TechCrop Services. Where possible, direct exports from the portal's reporting function have been provided, with appropriate filtering. The reports were originally developed for checking data related to the awards, and did not always include all information collected. Where direct exports from the underlying database were required, these are indicated separately. Thus far the data has been quality checked for the purposes of the Awards Program (Jon Midwood).

We will be continuing to collate and check information about the paddocks as we build associated simulations. This repository represents progress to date.

Sharing/access information (D-3.1*)

The data has not been published previously in peer-reviewed literature.

If you plan to publish work based to any substantial degree off this dataset, FAR Australia, Jon Midwood and others involved in its collection would appreciate being offered the opportunity to be involved early. Our aim is to make a constructive contribution to the work and be included as a co-author.

Some reports on the program can be found online, by searching for GRDC update papers that mention the project code FAR2004-002SAX (later changed to FAR2004-002RTX), and a subset of the data (portal exports of 2022 and 2023) can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12730108.

Data and file overview (D-3.2)

Data files

The data is provided in .xlsx files organised according to whether they were exported from the HYC portal interface, or provided by CeRDI directly from queries on the underlying database.

Database exports:



Trial_site_coarse.xlsx contains the location and description of the primary key: trial_site_id, an integer between 9 and 599. 

Trial_site_season.xlsx contains the management history of each paddock.

Trial_event.xlsx contains notes made on each paddock; any peculiarities on particular crops are noted here.

Growth_stage.xlsx contains crop development observations by cultivar. There is a portal export but it does not separate different cultivars.

Apal_batch_sample.xlsx and generic_soil_sample.xlsx contain soil sample data. There is a portal export but it does not report date taken (or received).


HYC Portal exports:



Yield_sow date_stubble.xlsx contains sowing and harvest dates, machine harvest yield, and some sowing configuration/stubble management information.

All input application rates.xlsx contains a record of operations and inputs.

Trial results.xlsx contains all data recorded by project officers on the crops (eg. hand harvests) in replicate.

Harvest yield components.xlsx contains averages from Trial results.xlsx

Soil and grain test data.xlsx contains the results of grain nutrient testing (and selected soil information from the database export).


To protect the privacy of growers, exact GPS locations have been rounded to the nearest 0.05 degree (trial_site_coarse.xlsx) or removed (trial results.xlsx). Coordinates with increased precision can be supplied on provision of an adequate justification.

Methodological information (D-3.3)

Data was first downloaded from the CeRDI portal using the reporting functions, with the filter set to "Wheat". Exports for individual years have been collated into single files. Data missing from the portal exports was detected by attempting to reconstruct the fundamental data needed to simulate and check simulations on paddocks, and cross-checking against data visible in the online portal. Following several iterations with the assistance of CeRDI, the dataset has arrived at its current state.

Information about collection of the data is given in https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12730108.

No special software should be required, and standards/calibration information is not currently available beyond what is reported for each trial.

Environmental/experimental conditions (D-3.4)

There has been no quality assurance procedure performed on the data beyond the work done by Jon Midwood preparing for the HYC Awards. Further checking of data will be a subject for the FAR2304-002RTX project.

In addition to Jon Midwood (TechCrop) and staff of FAR Australia, data has been collected with the assistance of staff from the following groups:



Vic and Tas - Southern Farming Systems; https://sfs.org.au

NSW - Riverine Plains; https://riverineplains.org.au

SA - MacKillop Farm Management Group; https://mackillopgroup.com.au

WA - Stirlings to Coast; https://scfarmers.org.au


Data-specific information (D-3.5)

The data spreadsheets are generally self-describing, but units are omitted in some cases:

apal_batch_sample.xlsx: no units given (file provided for dates)

Trial_site_season.xlsx: Yields: t/ha, row spacing: mm, machine widths: m, sowing rate: kg/ha, thousand seed weight: g, germination rate: %, plant population: per m2, available water content and rainfall: mm (soil depth not specified but assume 1 m matching national soil grid estimates used in portal).

All input application rates.xlsx: Nutrients given in kg nutrient/ha.

Harvest yield components.xlsx: Yields, dry matters in t/ha. Harvest index in %, Heads in per m2, Protein % (moisture basis unknown; likely as-is), Test weight kg/hectolitre, Screenings %, Row spacing at harvest mix of cm and mm,

Soil and grain test data.xlsx: colwell P, K: mg/kg, ecec0_10: cmol/kg, organic_carbon: %, grain nutrient contents: % for N, P, K, S, mg/kg For Cu, Zn, Mn.

 

*D- references refer to the GRDC RD&E Data Capture and Storage Guidelines for Research Partners, Version 2.0

https://grdc.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/584259/GRDC-RD-and-E-Data-Capture-and-Storage-Guidelines-for-Research-Partners-V2.0.pdf