Earth Sciences Commons^™

Buntine-West Wubin And West Maya Catchment Management Report, William Oldfield, Natalie Hunt

Natural resources published reports

Buntine West/Wubin land Conservation District was formed when a number of landholders wanted to extend and join on to some existing deep drains. At first the group concentrated on the deep drains with some farmers joining on anda project to connect the drains up througha naturally occurring saline area and to run the main drain into a salt lake system. Funding was attained for 50% of the project and farmers with drains paid for the rest. It was considered unfair for landowners whose land this drain went through to pay all the cost as it was not draining arable land. …

The Effect Of Organic Matter On Maximum Compactability Of Soil, Grant W. Thomas, Gerald R. Haszler, Robert L. Blevins

Soil Science News and Views

Bulk density is the weight of a given volume of soil expressed by soil scientists as grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3). The higher the bulk density, the lower the volume of soil occupied by pore space, that volume of soil in which air and water reside. Because of this, there is much interest on the degree to which soil can be compacted.

The Proctor test is a means of determining the maximum bulk density that can be attained in a soil sample. This "maximum compactibility" is widely used on highways and building foundations but has had little use in agricultural …

Land Management Report For The Kent River Catchment, Sue Kelly

Natural resources published reports

The Kent River Catchment is located in the South-West of Western Australia, approximately between latitudes 34° 15' and 35° 10' South and longitudes 116° 45" and 117° 50° East. The north-eastern boundary of the catchment stretches to the Albany Highway at Tenterden, and from there the catchment curves towards Rocky Gully before continuing to the South Coast (Figure 1.1.1). The catchment is located within the Shires of Cranbrook, Plantagenet and Denmark.

The Kent River Catchment is part of Basin 604, which is the Water Authority descriptor for the Kent, Bow and Kordabup River catchments collectively. Basin 604 has a total …

Soil Information Sheets For Ravensthorpe And Part Of The Jerramungup Agricultural Areas, Tim D. Overheu, Landcare Western Australia.

Agriculture reports

The soil information sheets produced for the Ravensthorpe Land Conservation District provide an easy reference guide to the soils for part of the Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe agricultural areas, and provide land use and soil management recommendations. Soil data are shown on the front of the sheet, and land use and land management information is given on the back. The information should be used as a guide, and encourage the user to seek further information through the relevant people and organisations.

Discussion And Measurement Of Soil Erosion In Iceland, Kimberly Jane Richardson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Soil erosion has occurred since the beginning of time. It is a natural process, but one that has been increasing at an alarming rate. Once soil is eroded--whether it is blown out to sea or washed down a river to sedimentize a lake--it is lost. It is almost impossible to reestablish similar soil components and characteristics in a given system. Since soil and vegetation reestablishment is expensive, the prevention of soil erosion by controlling its causes has become the most cost-effective reclamation effort.

After spending six months in Iceland, I wrote this paper on the unique erosion problems facing that …

A Comparison Of No And N20 Production By The Autophic Nitrifier Nitrosomonas Europaea And The Heterotrophic Nitrifier Alcaligenes Faecalis, Iris C. Anderson, Mark Poth, Julie Homstead, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Soil microorganisms are important sources of the nitrogen trace gases NO and N₂O for the atmosphere. Present evidence suggests that autotrophic nitrifiers such as Nitrosomonas europaea are the primary producers of NO and N₂O in aerobic soils, whereas denitrifiers such as Pseudomonas spp. or Alcaligenes spp. are responsible for most of the NO and N₂O emissions from anaerobic soils. It has been shown that Alcaligenes faecalis, a bacterium common in both soil and water, is capable of concomitant heterotrophic nitrification and denitrification. This study was undertaken to determine whether heterotrophic nitrification might be …

Soil Sampling Made Easier, Mike Bolland, Mike Baker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A new rotary blade soil sampler has taken the hard work out of collecting soil samples from Western Australia's hard-setting soils to test for soil phosphorus levels .

Conceived and developed by Department of Agriculture technical officer Mike Baker, it should enable soil testing to be more widely adopted. Fortunately, the soil calibration tests that were developed using pogo samples can also be used for the new sampler.

Improving Sustainable Production From Water Repellent Sands, Paul Blackwell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The agricultural management of water repellent ( non-wetting) sands is difficult, and production from them is mostly low. However, there are ways to make them more productive.

Furrow sowing and the incorporation of dispersive clay are two likely methods to make these soils easier to manage, more productive and more profitable than they are now.

This article discusses several aspects of our research on water repellent sands. In addition, some of the costs and benefits of alternative management strategies are outlined.

Estimation Of Relative Pesticide Leaching In Nebraska Soils, P. J. Shea, L. N. Mielke, W. D. Nettleton

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

A computational procedure (RIPS, Relative Index for Pesticides and Soils) was developed as a conservative estimator of pesticide leaching and groundwater contamination based on soil and pesticide properties, and water table depth. RIPS values offer guidance in pesticide selection and identify situations where a detailed site-specific evaluation should be conducted.

Factors Affecting Crop Response To Liming, Kenneth L. Wells, J. L. Sims

Soil Science News and Views

Soil acidity levels directly affect the rate, kinds, and degree of chemical reactions which take place in soil. Crops respond to varying degrees to these chemical reactions. For the most part, these reactions affect the solubility of mineral elements in soil and the activity of the soil's biological processes. As a result, the availability of many plant nutrient elements is regulated by soil acidity. The level of availability of plant required nutrients can be adequate, deficient, or toxic to the plant, depending on the nutrient, soil acidity, and the crop. That is why measurement of soil acidity is regarded by …

Developing Efficient Crop Production Systems, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

Land is initially the most limiting resource to consider in setting up a farm system aimed at maximizing returns. This is because soil, its topographical features, and its physical and chemical properties are largely fixed. There is little which can be done about them except to manage soil fertility and control erosion. Over the long run, crop production from any land tract will be directly influenced by the nature and character of the soils in that land tract. For this reason, the most basic step in initiating or redesigning a farming operation is to get an evaluation of the soil …

Evaluation Of Gamma Ray Attenuation For Measuring Soil Bulk Density Part I. Laboratory Investigation, Xiwen Luo, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Gamma ray attenuation was evaluated as a means of determining soil bulk density. Experiments were conducted using clay, silt, and sandy loam soils wherein samples were compacted to uniform densities at various moisture contents. We determined the attenuation characteristics of dry soil to be independent of soil texture while being significantly different from that of water. Comparison of gamma density measurements with known soil sample densities indicated that the gamma gauge provided reliable measurement of soil bulk density, provided that the effect of soil moisture on attenuation was accounted for and the manufacturer-prescribed calibration procedure was followed daily. Further, we …

Evaluation Of Gamma Ray Attenuation For Measuring Soil Bulk Density Part Ii. Field Investigation, Larry G. Wells, Xiwen Luo

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A field investigation was conducted at sites near Lexington and Central City, Kentucky, to evaluate the use of gamma ray attenuation for measuring soil bulk density. Experiments were conducted whereby the gamma gauge was calibrated by various means and compared with volumetric cores collected from the field soils. Calibration by the manufacturer’s recommended procedure was determined to be as accurate as more rigorous laboratory calibration or calibration via regression of soil bulk density data, provided that the effect of soil water on gamma attenuation is correctly considered. We also developed a linear regression equation to correct for the occurrence of …

Environmental Radiocesium In Subarctic And Arctic Alaska Following Chernobyl, M. Baskaran, J. J. Kelley, A. S. Naidu, D. F. Holleman

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Radiocesium (¹³⁴ Cs and ¹³⁷ Cs) concentrations were measured in soil, plant and wildlife samples from subarctic to arctic Alaska. Concentrations of ¹³⁷ Cs ranged from below detectable or low levels in whale and fish samples to as high as 242 Bq/kg in lichen. For all potential human food items, the radiocesium concentrations measured in this study were below accepted permissible levels for human consumption. Chernobyl-derived radiocesium concentrations ranged from below detectable or low levels in all arctic samples (soil, sediment, lichen, whale, fish and caribou) to 32 Bq/kg in subarctic moss. Therefore the distribution and subsequent deposition of Chernobyl-derived …

Managing Soil Content Of Nitrate Nitrogen, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

The concerns about leaching of fertilizer nitrogen (N} into groundwater which were raised in the late 1960's were largely silenced during the 1970's as our agricultural economy was massively expanded. But since the early 80's they have been raised again to the point that national legislation (the Clean Water Act) was put into place to bring purity of the nation's water supplies into compliance with EPA-established standards. Beyond the apprehension largely about nitrate (NO₃) levels in groundwater, the groundwater issue today also includes concerns about pesticides. At the current time, the public is apprehensive about drinking water and …

An Introduction To The Soils Of The Narrogin Advisory District, T C. Stoneman, Department Of Agriculture And Food, National Soil Conservation Program (Australia)

Bulletins 4000 -

Descriptions, illustrations and notes on eight common soils / compiled by T.C. Stoneman.

Manual Of Field Techniques In Hydrology, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia. Division Of Resource Management

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Land Management Manual. Merredin Advisory District, F. Frost, M Howell

Natural resources published reports

Farming by soil type recognizes that each major soil unit has specific land use capabilities. 'When developing a farm management programme, understanding and appreciating the productive potential and degradation hazard of each soil unit ensures that production systems can be developed which are 'sustainable. The aim of this land management manual is to describe the climatic and geological features of the district and provide definitions of each of the major soil units and 'current management recommendations. The material is designed to be used as an information base for farm planners.

Thes oil units described are for the Merredin advisory district …

Effectiveness Of Surface Application Of Phosphorus And Potassium On Yield Of No-Till Corn Grown On Soils Testing Low Or Medium Below A Depth Of 3 Inches, Grant W. Thomas

Soil Science News and Views

When crops are grown continuously under no-tillage or very minimum tillage, there is a tendency for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) to become concentrated at or near the soil surface. This occurs when P and K fertilizers are broadcast on the surface and not mixed with the soil as would occur with plowing. The result is a stratification of P and K such that the surface few inches become very high in those nutrients, but soil test levels remain largely unaffected below that. The question is whether high yields of no-till crops can be obtained under these conditions.

Soils Of The Kojaneerup Annex Of The Mount Barker Research Station, P A. Findlater, P G. Muller

Resource management technical reports

The aim of the study was to provide soils information for the development and the planning of field experiments at the Kojaneerup annex of the Mt Barker Research Station. The annex has been established to develop stable farming systems and lies approximately 15 km south of the eastern end of the Stirling Ranges in the south-west of Western Australia. Soils on the annex were identified and mapped using a combination of grid and free survey methods. The soil map boundaries are accurate to within 50 metres either side of the boundary.

Based on a number of CSIRO soil surveys in …

Land Capability Study Of The Shires Of Mandurah And Murray, M R. Wells

Land resources series

No abstract provided.

Tests With A Product Having Alleged Value For Increasing Plant Available Water In Soil, Gale Dunn

Soil Science News and Views

Currently, there are a number of products being marketed for agricultural and horticultural use that have tremendous water absorbing properties. Some of these products are polyacrylamides which are synthetic compounds with chemical and physical properties which allow them to absorb large amounts of water relative to their dry weights. The implied advantage for use of such materials is that they can absorb more water than the soil itself, and acting like a sponge, hold more plant available water in the root zone.

Managing Soils For Optimum Crop Production, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

The major resources which must be manipulated to develop a farm operation are LAND, LABOR, CAPITAL, and MANAGEMENT. Of these four broad categories of resources, LAND is the one which imposes constraints which ultimately determine the productive capacity of the individual farming system developed. This is because land is a fixed resource from the standpoint of the nature and amount of it available for developing a specific farming system. In this regard, the allocation of LABOR, CAPITAL, and MANAGEMENT should be directly linked to LAND productive capability in order to economically optimize the farming system developed. In other words, the …

Soil Factors Affecting Flood Runoff On Agricultural Catchments In Western Australia, D J. Mcfarlane, J R. Davies

Resource management technical reports

Reviews methods of including soil properties in flood runoff-predicting equations. Concentrates on practical methods that can be routinely used by soil conservation technicians for flood prediction rather than complex research models. A case is made for collecting soil data from the gauged catchments which are relevant to a perceived runoff mechanism and are capable of being routinely applied in simple flood prediction methodologies.

General Soil Map Of Nebraska, Mark S. Kuzila, Ann M. Mack, J.R. Culver, Steven J. Schaefer

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Potassium Mineralogy Of Kentucky Soils, Anastasios D. Karathanasis

Soil Science News and Views

Feldspars and mica minerals are the two primary natural sources of potassium for most agricultural soils in Kentucky. Potassium feldspars are common mineral constituents of loess deposits in western Kentucky. Mica minerals, although dominant in shales, are also found in variable quantities in siltstone, sandstone and limestone parent materials of soils in the other regions of Kentucky. Because most of the soils in the western Coalfields and western Pennyroyal, and to a lesser extent in eastern Pennyroyal and Bluegrass, are covered by a loess cap of variable thickness, their surface mineralogy has been influenced by the feldspar-rich mineralogy of the …

Using Residual Soil Fertility Effectively, Grant W. Thomas

Soil Science News and Views

During the past 30 years, the use of commercial fertilizer in Kentucky has resulted in increases in the levels of phosphorus and potassium in soils. As might be expected, the soil test levels are higher with tobacco than with any other crop. but all soils for all crops show increases in fertility levels. Comparisons between 1975 and 1985 (the latest year available) show the proportion of samples sent to the University of Kentucky that are medium or high in soil test phosphorus has increased considerably. Even more striking is the decrease in very low values of phosphorus.

Soil Microbes And Biotechnology, M. Scott Smith

Soil Science News and Views

There is nothing new about attempts to develop and market microbial products for crop or soil improvement. Several types of microbes have been sold for a variety of agronomic purposes for many years. With the important exception of rhizobial inoculants. these have been generally unsuccessful. Recently however. the scientific revolution in genetics and molecular biology, the need for low cost agronomic inputs. and widespread concern for environmental safety have tremendously stimulated research and commercial activity on microbial products. Claims that cheap, effective microbial inoculants can be developed for pest control, detoxifying pollutants, providing plant nutrients and improving soils have been …

Lands Of Brighter Destiny: The Future Of The Public Lands, Elizabeth Darby Junkin

The Public Lands During the Remainder of the 20th Century: Planning, Law, and Policy in the Federal Land Agencies (Summer Conference, June 8-10)

4 pages.

The Soils Of South Carrabin Research Station -Light Land Annex, Henry Smolinski, G G. Scholz

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.