Investigating the value of companion cropping systems of chickpea and cereals for improved crop and fallow water use efficiency.

Grains growers in Australia have successfully implement retained stubble farming systems to reduce evaporative water loss on their farm systems, with cereal stubble retaining water at close to double that of grain legume stubbles over the fallow periods. This project will evaluate the value that different companion cropping scenarios of chickpea and cereals can play in overcoming the poor fallow efficiency of stand alone grain legume stubbles in accumulating stored soil water in the summer dominated rainfall regions of central Queensland and south western Queensland.