Agricultural Education Commons^™

Clearing Cloudy Or Coloured Water On Farms In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Cloudy or coloured water can be a nuisance when used for household purposes, and sometimes be unsuitable for livestock, irrigation, or crop spraying. The following is for general information only, it is recommended that people seek expert advice for treating cloudy or coloured water.

Managing Salinity: Fence And Volunteer Pasture, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

This treatment is recommended for saline sites that can support a mix of salt tolerant species and some non-tolerant pasture species, where livestock are present. It may also be the preferred solution for farmers who wish to see an improvement in their land at low cost.

The department recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Shallow Relief Drains In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Shallow relief drains are easy to construct and a cost-effective way to:

• remove accumulated surface water from depressions and low-lying land
• divert run-off from land that is prone to inundation or flooding
• remove surface water to a safe disposal area, to reduce the length of time the land is inundated or flooded
• reduce the potential for localised recharge and the development of secondary salinity
• improve the continuity of flow within the catchment along the valley floor.

Natural Revegetation And No Grazing, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The department recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Natural revegetation and no grazing are only recommended for sites that are too saline, waterlogged and/or inundated for other treatments to succeed in the south-west of Western Australia. It is also the preferred option for the lowest possible cost.

Saltland Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Saltland pastures are associations of salt and waterlogging-tolerant plants that produce fodder for grazing animals from saline and waterlogged soils. Saltland pastures can improve production from saltland sites, reduce salt movement from the site, and improve soil structure.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that saltland management is part of a whole-farm, and preferably whole-catchment, plan.

Open Groundwater Drains In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Open groundwater drains are excavated channels with sloping floors and sides and open levees, designed to intercept and drain surface (usually fresh) and groundwater (usually saline in WA) from agricultural land. These drains are most effective where the channel is dug below a water table in soils that allow good lateral drainage.

DPIRD recommends leveed groundwater drains in most cases. These should form part of a whole farm and whole catchment integrated water and salinity management program. Information on this page is a guide only. It is highly recommended that landholders considering the construction of open drains seek expert advice …

Wind Erosion After Fire In Western Australia - Frequently Asked Questions (Faqs), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

These are some common questions after serious fires in the agricultural areas of south-west Western Australia. Staff of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), agronomists and farmers with experience have contributed to the answers.

Please note that these answers are general in nature, and land managers wanting advice for a specific property will need to ask local professionals or experienced land managers.

For more information about recovering from fire and wind erosion, see the DPIRD website.

Bush And Revegetation Recovery After Fire On Farms In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

This page gives some ideas on how to reduce the risk of fires in bush and revegetation on farms, and how to speed recovery of burnt areas.

Large patches of bush in good condition will generally regenerate well after fire, with some management of weeds and grazing.

Revegetation areas are much more susceptible to fire, and recovery largely depends on the age of the revegetation and after-fire management.

Water Erosion In The South-West Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The averaged annual direct cost of water erosion to dryland farming in Western Australia is estimated to be $10 million, but the costs are much higher in years of severe summer storms.

Water erosion occurs when water flowing over the land surface moves soil particles downslope. Water erosion is a natural process, but is accelerated under agriculture, especially on cropped land. Water erosion causes loss of topsoil, reduced crop yields, damaged infrastructure, weed dispersal, eutrophication (algal blooms) and silting of dams and natural waterways.

Relief Wells For Water Resources And Managing Salinity And Waterlogging, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Relief wells can provide water resources and help reduce the severity and extent of waterlogging and salinity caused by leaky artesian systems.

A relief well is a 'free flowing' groundwater bore driven by artesian pressure. Such a bore allows groundwater to flow continuously up to the surface by releasing confined pressure stored within the aquifer at depth. This confined artesian pressure is renewed by a percentage of rainfall that infiltrates the soil profile at a higher elevation and recharges aquifers that may be a source of water for a saline seep.

Siphons For Managing Groundwater Discharge And Salinisation In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Siphons are a way of passively moving water from areas of higher hydraulic head to areas of lower hydraulic head, through a pipe. Siphons can be used to lower the watertable under a seepage site if the flow from the siphon (or multiple siphons) is greater than the flow of groundwater to the site. Siphons can reduce surface salt levels at the seepage, but the discharge needs to be to a safe disposal site.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that siphons are used as part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

Kikuyu (Cenchrus Clandestinus) For Dryland Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus) is a subtropical, perennial C4 grass that is widely used as a pasture and turf.

It has some salinity tolerance, and moderate waterlogging tolerance. Kikuyu is commonly established from seed and can also be grown from vegetative plantings, unlike marine couch, saltwater couch and Distichlis (vegetative only).

We recommend that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Samphires (Tecticornia Species) For Dryland Salinity Management In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Samphire is the common name for native plants from the genus Tecticornia (synonym Halosarcia). Although slower growing than saltbush and bluebush species, samphires have higher tolerance to saline conditions and waterlogging, and are common in waterlogged saline areas of south-west Western Australia.

Samphire is not a desirable grazing species.

Rhodes Grass (Chloris Gayana) For Dryland Salinity Management In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) is a subtropical/summer active perennial C4 grass. It is a tufted grass that sends out strong, above ground runners (stolons), allowing it to spread rapidly. This can be a great advantage on saltland where soil salinity often inhibits recruitment from seed. However, it has low salt tolerance, and low-moderate waterlogging tolerance.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Pasture Legumes And Grasses For Saline Land In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The productivity of saline and waterlogged land can be markedly increased by using salt tolerant legumes and grasses, in mixtures. The mix is particularly important for increasing the productivity and profitability of saltbush-based pastures. The information is relevant to the south-west agricultural region of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this information on the tolerance and establishment of salt tolerant legumes and grasses to improve the productivity and profitability of saline land.

Saltbushes For Dryland Salinity Management In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Saltland pastures always have a range of plant species, even in dense saltbush plantations. Saltbush will often change the watertable and surface soil characteristics enough for other plants to colonise. The understorey plants are often the most productive component of saltbush pastures.

This page provides information about each of the saltbushes that can be used in these mixed salt-tolerant pastures.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that saltland management is part of a whole farm – or preferable whole catchment – plan.

Tall Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum Ponticum) For Dryland Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) has been widely planted in Western Australia on saline land in the southern agricultural areas, on land that shows signs of salt and is not permanently waterlogged.

The information provided here assumes that tall wheatgrass is being grazed effectively by livestock.

Arid Zone Rangeland Pastures And Fire, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Fire is integral to many ecosystems in the Western Australian rangelands. Rangeland fires affect more than just pastoralists and the businesses they run: these fires affect community safety and health, regional economies, societal and cultural values of landscape, biodiversity and tourism.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this information to support pastoral managers making decisions about sustainable resource use.

Spinifex Rangeland Pastures And Fire In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Fire is integral to many ecosystems in the Western Australian rangelands. Rangeland fires affect more than just pastoralists and the businesses they run: these fires affect community safety and health, regional economies, societal and cultural values of landscape, biodiversity and tourism.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this information to support pastoral managers making decisions about sustainable resource use.

Monitoring Groundwater, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Rising groundwater is a major land degradation hazard in many areas of the South West Agricultural Region of Western Australia, and results in increased salinisation. Collecting data on the depth to groundwater and water quality over time is the only way to know whether the watertable is rising, falling or static, if water quality is changing, and the degree of salinity risk.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that groundwater monitoring is part of a whole farm, and preferably whole catchment, plan.