Saxmundham Rotation I

  • Experiment Code: S/RN/1
  • Experiment Site: Saxmundham
  • Objectives: To test N, P, K and manure treatments on crop rotations on a heavy sandy clay loam site. More recently to look at crop responses to P and K, and their interactions with N on high-yielding wheat cultivars.
  • Description: Two rotation experiments were started at Saxmundham in 1899 by East Suffolk County Council. The experiments consisted of four blocks so that a fully phased typical Norfolk 4-course rotation could be grown. The Rotation I experiment had a factorial test of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium plus bone meal and farmyard manure. Rothamsted assumed control of the experiments in 1965 and reviewed and modified the experiments. Rothamsted relinquished the site in 2010. The site is currently supported by The Morley Agricultural Foundation and delivered by NIAB.
  • Date Start: 1899
  • Date End: Ongoing

Key Contacts

  • Sarah Perryman

  • Role: Data Managers
  • Organisation: Rothamsted Research
  • Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
  • Andrew Gregory

  • Role: Principal Investigator
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7123-0784
  • Organisation: Rothamsted Research
  • Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
  • Margaret Glendining

  • Role: Data Manager
  • ORCID: 0000-0002-6466-4629
  • Organisation: Rothamsted Research
  • Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
  • Nathan Morris

  • Role: Principal Investigator
  • Organisation: Rothamsted Research
  • Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
  • David Clarke

  • Role: Principal Investigator
  • ORCID: 0000-0002-3905-5725
  • Organisation: Rothamsted Research
  • Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom

Funding

  • The e-RA database, including the published datasets generated from it, is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI) , which also includes the Long-Term Experiments, the Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network.
  • The RLTE-NBRI is supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017); BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022); BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028)).

Keywords

Experimental Design

Description

  • Four blocks of ten plots each, with a four-course rotation, with different crops grown in each block each year. Originally the crops of a typical Norfolk four-course rotation (roots, spring barley, legume and winter wheat. Different fertilizer and manure treatments in the 10 plots.

Design

  • Period: 1899 - 1965
  • Experiment Design Type: Randomized complete block design
  • Number of Blocks: 4
  • Number of Plots: 40
  • Number of Replicates: 4

Crops

Crop Years Grown
Wheat
Root Vegetables
Barley
Feed Legumes

Crop Rotations

Rotation Crops
Norfolk Rotation (1899 - 1962) Wheat > Root Vegetables > Barley > Feed Legumes

Factors

Factors are the interventions or treatments which vary across the experiment.

Fertilizer Exposure

Application: Whole Plot

Levels
Level Name Amount Years Frequency Crop Method Chemical Form Notes
Farmyard Manure 15 t/ha -
Bone Meal 0.5 t/ha -
Nitrogen 100 kgN/ha - sodium nitrate
Phosphorous 40 kgP/ha -
Potassium 63 kgK/ha - potassium chloride

Factor Combinations

Factor Combinations are the combination of factors applied to different plots on the experiment.

Factor Combination Time Coverage Notes
D -
BM -
N -
P -
K -
O - No fertilizer
PK -
NK -
NP -
NPK -

Description

  • The four-course rotation of wheat, sugar beet, barley and beans was continued until the 1969 harvest. In 1970 the northern half of each plot was sown to lucerne and the southern to a grass ley mixture.

Design

  • Period: 1966 - 2010
  • Experiment Design Type: Randomized complete block design
  • Number of Plots: 10
  • Number of Replicates: 4
  • Number of Harvests per Year: 1

Crops

Crop Years Grown
Alfalfa
Winter Wheat
Barley
Faba Beans
Sugar Beet
Grass Leys

Site: Harwood's Piece - Saxmundham

  • Experiment Site: Saxmundham
  • Description: The Saxmundham experimental site is currently supported by The Morley Agricultural Foundation and delivered by NIAB.
  • Visit Permitted?: No
  • Visiting Arrangments: None
  • Elevation: 36 Metres
  • Geolocation:    52.220964, 1.466048

Soil

  • Type: Eutric Gleysol
    Sandy clay loam developed over drift over Chalky Boulder Clay, Beccles Series.
There are currently no prepared datasets online for this experiment. However, there may still be data available but requiring curation. For more information please contact the e-RA curators.

License

Creative Commons License These media (images and videos) are available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.

Images

Key References

2019

  • Poulton, P.R. and Glendining, M.J.(2019) "Saxmundham Rotation II experimental details, 1969-1986", Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research
    DOI: 10.23637/srn2-details1969-01
  • Johnston, A.E. and Poulton, P.R.(2019) "Phosphorus in Agriculture: A Review of Results from 175 Years of Research at Rothamsted, UK", Journal of Environmental Quality, 48, 1133-1144
    DOI: 10.2134/jeq2019.02.0078

2016

  • Johnston, A.E. , Poulton, P.R. , White, R.P. and Macdonald, A.J.(2016) "Determining the longer term decline in plant-available soil phosphorus from short-term measured values", Soil Use and Management, 32, 151-161
    DOI: 10.1111/sum.12253

2014

2013

  • Johnston, A.E. , Poulton, P.R. and White, R.P.(2013) "Plant-available soil phosphorus. Part II: the response of arable crops to Olsen P on a sandy clay loam and a silty clay loam", Soil Use and Management, 29, 12-21
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2012.00449.x

2011

  • Johnston, A.E. and Poulton, P.R.(2011) "Response of cereals to soil and fertilizer phosphorus", HGCA Research Review 74 ,

1987

1986

  • Goulding, K.W.T. , Poulton, P.R. , Thomas, V.H. and Williams, R.J.B.(1986) "Atmospheric deposition at Rothamsted experimental station, Saxmundham experimental station and Woburn experimental station, England, 1969-1984", Water Air and Soil Pollution, 29, 27-49
    DOI: 10.1007/bf00149327
  • Johnston, A.E. , Lane, P.W. , Mattingly, G.E.G. , Poulton, P.R. and Hewitt, M.V.(1986) "Effects of soil and fertilizer P on yields of potatoes, sugar beet, barley and winter wheat on a sandy clay loam soil at Saxmundham, Suffolk", Journal of Agricultural Science, 106, 155-167
    DOI: 10.1017/S0021859600061864

1984

  • Goulding, K.W.T. and Talibudeen, O.(1984) "Thermodynamics of K-Ca exchange in soils. I. Effects of potassium and organic matter residues in soils from the Broadbalk and Saxmundham Rotation I Experiments.", Journal of Soil Science, 35, 397-408
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1984.tb00296.x

1979

  • Goulding, K.W.T. and Talibudeen, O.(1979) "Potassium reserves in a sandy clay soil from the Saxmundham Experiment: Kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamics", Journal of Soil Science, 30, 291-302
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1979.tb00986.x

1972

1971

  • Williams, R.J.B. and Cooke, G.W.(1971) "Results of the Rotation I experiment at Saxmundham,", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1970 , Part 2 , 68-97
    Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1970p2-68-97

1970

  • Mattingly, G.E.G. , Johnston, A.E. and Chater, M.(1970) "The residual value of farmyard manure and superphosphate in the Saxmundham Rotation II Experiment,", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1969 , Part 2 , 91-112
    Get from eRAdoc: ResReport1969p2-91-112

1968

  • Cooke, G.W.(1968) "The Saxmundham Experiments. Weather", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1967 , , 235-237
    DOI: 10.23637/ERADOC-1-120

1967

  • Cooke, G.W.(1967) "The Saxmundham Experiments. Weather and cultivations", Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1966 , , 248
    DOI: 10.23637/ERADOC-1-14

1966

  • Trist, P.J.O. and Boyd, D.A.(1966) "The Saxmundham rotation experiments. Rotation, I.", Journal of Agricultural Science, 66, 327-336
    DOI: 10.1017/S0021859600063620
  • Boyd, D.A. and Trist, P.J.O.(1966) "The Saxmundham rotation experiments: Rotation II, 1899-1952", Journal of Agricultural Science, 66, 337-339
    DOI: 10.1017/S0021859600063632

1941

  • Oldershaw, A.W.(1941) "Experiments on arable crops at Saxmundham", Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, 102, 136-155
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For further information and assistance, please contact the e-RA curators, Sarah Perryman and Margaret Glendining using the e-RA email address: era@rothamsted.ac.uk