Woburn Intensive cereals

Local identifier
W/RN/13
Years operational
1966—1990
Objective
To study the effects of intensive cereal cropping on yield, incidence of soil-borne pathogens and organic matter in the soil.
Description
On Woburn Stackyard I field, on the site of the previous Woburn Continuous Wheat and Barley experiments (W/XW/6 and W/XB/6). An experiment comparing winter wheat and spring barley grown continuously and in rotation was started in 1967. A five-course rotation of 1-year grass ley, potatoes and three years of either wheat or barley.
Data Access Statement
Available online with registration
Data Access Notes
Contact the e-RA curators; era@rothamsted.ac.uk
Data license
CC BY
Data policy
Yes (not online)
Organization
Rothamsted Research
research organisation
People
Dr Margaret Glendining
data manager
Rothamsted Research
Intelligent Data Ecosystems
Dr Andrew Gregory
experiment manager
Rothamsted Research
Protecting Crops and the Environment

Site: Intensive cereals, Woburn Stackyard I

Type
research station field
Local code
W/RN/13
Location
Husborne Crawley
Bedfordshire
United Kingdom
Geographic location
52.0003, -0.6149
+−
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation
89 Metres
Visits permitted?
No
History
Continuous wheat and barley from 1876-1961, mirroring the Broadbalk wheat and Hoosfield barley experiments. Many fallow years from 1927-1961. 1962 spring oats with basal fertiliser N. 1963 fallow. 1964 spring beans. 1965 and 1966 fallow.
Management
Site managed conventionally, with standard tillage across all plots.
Soil type
Eutric Rubic Arenosol
Soil description
Sandy loam, Stackyard series.
Climatic type
temperate oceanic climate

Design period: Woburn Intensive Cereals (1966—1990)

Design Type
Split-plot
Description
Continuous wheat or barley and each phase of a five-course rotation of 1-year ley, potatoes and three years of either wheat or barley, with 4 N rates.
Design description
2 blocks of 6 whole plots each split into 4 sub-plots (8 in certain years). Wheat in one block, barley in the other. Sub-plots received 4 N rates. Sub-sub-plots received with and without MgO as Epsom salts (wheat only).
Number of plots
6
Number of subplots
4
Number of replicates
1
Number of harvests per year
1
Crops
CropYears grown
spring barley
winter wheat
grass leys
potatoes
Crop Rotations
barley rotation  1966—
  • 1
    grass leys
  • 2
    potatoes
  • 3
    spring barley
  • 4
    spring barley
  • 5
    spring barley
wheat rotation  1966—
  • 1
    grass leys
  • 2
    potatoes
  • 3
    winter wheat
  • 4
    winter wheat
  • 5
    winter wheat
Factors
Factor name
Factor levels
nitrogen fertilizer exposure
4 rates of N fertilizer. 63 v 126 v 188 v 251 kgN/ha wheat. 50 v 100 v 150 v 200 kgN/ha barley.
magnesium nutrient exposure
Magnesium as Epsom salts applied to sub-sub-plots on wheat blocks only, 1968 and 1969. 0 v 182 kg MgO.
Measurements
VariableMaterialUnitsFrequencyScaleComment
yield componentsAll cropst/haannuallyGrain and straw yields at field moisture content, approximately 85% dry matter. Grass yields (1 year ley). Potato yields, tubers
crop varietyAll cropsannuallyAlso sowing and harvest dates.
disease assessment dataNot specifiedEyespot and Take-all assessment on wheat and barley.
soil organic carbonNot specified

Related publications

  • Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn, 1876-1974. 1. History of the Field, Details of the Cropping and Manuring and the Yields in the Continuous Wheat and Barley Experiments
  • Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn,1876-1974. III. Effects of NPK Fertilizers and Farmyard Manure on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Organic Phosphorus
  • Experiments made on Stackyard Field, Woburn,1876-1974. II Effects of Treatments on Soil pH, P and K in the Continuous Wheat and Barley Experiments
  • Details of the Classical and Long-term Experiments 1968-73.