Soil Science Commons^™

Land Evaluation Standards For Land Resource Mapping : Assessing Land Qualities And Determining Land Capability In South-Western Australia, Dennis Van Gool, Peter J. Tille, Geoff Allen Moore

Resource management technical reports

This report describes the standard method for attributing and evaluating conventional land resource survey maps in the south-west agriculture region of Western Australia so that strategic decisions about the management, development and conservation of land resources can be based on the best information available. The standards described are similar to the land suitability assessment (stage one of the two stage) methods described by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO, 1976, 1983).

Goodlands Oil Mallee Study : Drill Completion And Preliminary Hydrogeological Interpretation, D L. Bennett, Russell John Speed, Peter Taylor, Joint Venture Agroforestry Program (Australia), Western Australia. Department Of Conservation And Land Management

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Study Of The Boddington Townsite, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

A study of the groundwater beneath the Boddington townsite was carried out in April 2002. The aim was to assess the salinity risk to the townsite infrastructure and to accelerate the implementation of effective salinity management for the town. The study consisted of field reconnaissance, a drilling program, expansion of a groundwater-monitoring network installed in March 2001, and groundwater monitoring.

Agricultural Resource Priorities And Recommendations For The Avon River Basin Natural Resource Management Strategy, Paul D. Galloway, C E. Mcconnell, D W. Cummins, K Ohlsen

Resource management technical reports

This report for the Avon Natural Resource Management Strategy provides an assessment of the current status of land resources throughout the Avon River Basin in Western Australia. It identifies the sub-regions and landscape components of the area and the land resource assets. The greatest threats are salinity, soil acidification, subsurface compaction, waterlogging, water and wind erosion, and biosecurity.

Gibson Oil Mallee Study : Drill Completion And Preliminary Hydrogeological Interpretation Report, John Andrew Simons, Peter Taylor, D L. Bennett, Western Australia. Department Of Conservation And Land Management

Resource management technical reports

Oil mallees are being planted in Western Australian wheatbelt farms with the expectation that they will reduce land salination by lowering watertables as well as providing income from combinations of eucalyptus oil distillation, power generation, activated carbon production and carbon sequestration in the future.

Greenough Region Catchment Appraisal, Angela Stuart-Street, M Clarke

Resource management technical reports

This report discusses a range of options for the Greenough region, which is comprised of eight shires including the Shires of Northampton, Chapman Valley, Mullewa, Greenough, Morawa, Irwin, Mingenew and Three Springs, and also the city of Geraldton. A range of options for reducing land degradation is discussed. Factors such as soil type, annual rainfall, enterprise mix and financial structure are also considered.

Tonebridge-Frankland Area Land Resources Survey, Angela Stuart-Street, National Landcare Program (Australia), Natural Heritage Trust (Australia)

Land resources series

This report presents the results from soil and landform mapping at a scale of 1:100,000 in the Tonebridge-Frankland area of Western Australia. One map representing the Tonebridge (2229) and Frankland (2329) map sheet areas, covering approximately 511,000 hectares accompanies the report on a CD-ROM. The Tonebridge-Frankland survey area covers major parts of the Warren-Tone and Frankland-Gordon River catchments. It also covers the upper catchments of the Kent and Deep Rivers, a small part of the Blackwood River catchment in the north western corner, as well as the Lake Muir-Unicup sub-catchments. The Tonebridge-Frankland survey falls within the Manjimup, Katanning and Albany …

An Inventory Of Rangelands In Part Of The Broome Shire, Western Australia, W E. Cotching

Technical Bulletins

The inventory of rangelands in part of the Broome Shire in Western Australia was undertaken by DAFWA between 1989 and 1990. It describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The survey of part of the Broome Shire …

Silcrete Hardpan In The North-Eastern Wheatbelt : Hydrological Implications For Oil Mallees, D L. Bennett, Russell Speed, Adrian Goodreid, Peter Taylor

Resource management technical reports

Silcrete is a brittle, intensely indurated rock comprising primarily quartz grains cemented with siliceous allophane. It occurs at 1.5 to 7 metres deep and is often several metres thick and extremely hard, requiring excavation. This Report discusses the extent of silcrete layers in the north-eastern wheatbelt area of Western Australia, the effects of silcrete on water absorption by the soil, and the effects of this physical obstacle on the growth and expansion of oil mallee trees of the region.

Managing Grey Clays : To Maximise Production And Sustainability, Greg Hamilton, Peter Fisher, Matt Baimbridge, Jennifer Bignell, Jessica Sheppard, Rod Bowey

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin discusses the identification, understanding and management of grey clay soils in the south-west of Western Australia.

Mole Drainage For Increased Productivity In The South West Irrigation Area, D L. Bennett, Richard George, Bill Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

Heavy soils, with low rates of soil-water movement, such as those found in the South-West Irrigation Area (SWIA), require closely spaced (2-6 m apart) subsoil drainage systems to provide sufficient water movement to control the effects of salt-waterlogging on pastures. Such close spacing using traditional buried pipe or tile drainage systems is impractical. As a result, mole drainage systems, used in other parts of the world for over 50 years, have gained popularity in the SWIA in recent years.

This Bulletin Farmnote reports the current ‘best-bet’ mole draining technique for SWIA conditions gathered from observations over a number of years …

Wagin-Woodanilling (Zone 5) : Catchment Appraisal 2005, K Ohlsen, T Schulz, T W. Mathwin, Gina Pemberton, Henry Brockman, J Firth, Mitchell Davies, Heather M. Percy

Resource management technical reports

The aim of this report is to assess the current extent of salinity and other natural resource degradation issues and provide landholders with the best current management options to address natural resource management issues and enhance sustainable agricultural production.

Natural Resource Management Issues For The South Coast Regional Strategy, B Nicholas

Resource management technical reports

This report has been prepared by the Agricultural Resource Management Program of the Department of Agriculture to assist SCRIPT (South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team) in preparing the regional strategy. It records the key natural resource management issues threatening agricultural land on the south coast of Western Australia. Managing agricultural land effectively should be a priority in reducing the risks of land degradation on all assets-productive agricultural land, biodiversity and waterways.

Upper Yilgarn Catchment Appraisal 2005, Keith Ohlsen, Susan Murphy-White

Resource management technical reports

Soil degradation on farmland reduces agricultural production and will often lead to damage to natural resources such as remnant vegetation and waterways, as well as to infrastructure, including roads and townsites. This report provides current information on the land degradation status for the Upper Yilgarn Catchment area in Western Australia by outlining: condition of the soils, hydrology, natural vegetation, farming systems and agricultural production and risks to natural resources.

Key Grazing Levels (Foo Targets) For Pasture And Sheep Management, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Food On Offer (FOO) is the amount of pasture in front of an animal, and is measured in kilograms Dry Matter per hectare. Managing pastures to key grazing levels - or FOO targets - can result in improved production of grazing systems in Mediterranean environments which are characterized by slow winter growth, peak spring growth and dry summers. These targets vary according to what production response is required.

This information sheet illustrates key target FOO for sheep grazing annual pastures during autumn and spring.

South East Humps Focus Catchment Report, A Hollick

Resource management technical reports

This report provides a record of the activities carried out by the Lockhart Focus Support Team and the Catchment Group. It covers the results of the investigations and a summary of the group's catchment plan for the South East Humps Catchment east of Hyden in Western Australia. It covers the current best available information on soils, groundwater hydrology, surface water control, alternative crops and pastures, and revegetation options.

South Yarding Focus Catchment Report, A Hollick

Resource management technical reports

This report provides a record of the activities carried out by the South Yarding Focus Support Team and Catchment Group. It covers the results of investigations and summarises the group's catchment plan of South Yarding, Western Australia, based on the best available information on soils, groundwater hydrology, surface water control, alternative crops and pastures and revegetation options.

Soil-Landscape Mapping In South-Western Australia : An Overview Of Methodology And Outputs, Noel R. Schoknecht, Peter J. Tille, B R. Purdie

Resource management technical reports

This report provides an overview of the soil-landscape mapping program for south-Western Australia. It outlines the techniques and standards used in describing the soil-landscape as well as the outputs of the mapping program and their uses.

Wetland Basins For Saline Drainage Water Disposal Bodallin And Elachbutting Catchments, Eastern Wheatbelt, Western Australia, P De Broekert, N Coles

Resource management technical reports

This report provides an assessment of two large deep drainage schemes within the lower reaches of the Bodallin and Elachbutting Catchments nearby Merredin in Western Australia, wherein groups of isolated wetland basins have been utilised for evaporative saline drainage water disposal. In both cases, the storage capacity of the basins has been exceeded, leading to flooding and death of the surrounding native vegetation.

Technical Assessment Of Natural Resource Management Threats And Options In The Northern Agricultural Region Of Western Australia, Lorinda Hunt, G Patterson, Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (Wa)

Resource management technical reports

Analysis of the risk of soil, land and water degradation within the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia. Natural resource issues discussed include: acid groundwater, acid sulfate soils, climate change, dryland salinity, flooding, herbicide resistance, non-wetting (water repellence), nutrient loss and eutrophication, remnant vegetation decline, soil acidity, soil fertility decline, soil structure decline, subsurface compaction, waterlogging, wind erosion and soil contamination.

The Use Of Bauxite Residue To Control Diffuse Phosphorus Pollution In Western Australia – A Win-Win-Win Outcome, Robert Summers, Mark Rivers, Martin Clarke

Conference papers and presentations

The Department of Agriculture, Western Australia has been working with Alcoa World Alumina Australia Ltd for more than ten years investigating the potential to use bauxite refining residues as soil amendments for the poor, acidic, sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain in south west Australia. Regional waterways, especially the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary, have historically been susceptible to nuisance algal blooms fed by phosphorus in run-off from farmland and urban areas. Extensive laboratory, field and catchment-scale trials have shown the ability of soil amendment with fine bauxite refining residue (now trademarked in this context as Alkaloam™) to reduce …

Lower Yilgarn Catchment Appraisal 2003, D G. Cummins

Resource management technical reports

This report summarises current information on risks and impacts to agricultural production and natural resources within the Lower Yilgarn Catchment. It also identifies suitable options to manage such risks. The report has been divided into three sections : the natural resource base, the catchment risks and management options and impacts. Rapid Catchment Appraisal aims to document salinity risk and management options by addressing all threats to the natural resource base.

Groundwater Trends In The North Stirling Pallinup Sub-Region, Ruhi Ferdowsian, Lisa Crossing

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions. This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management in the agricultural district of the North Stirling Pallinup sub-region.

This sub-region encompasses the Stirling Range National Park, the North Stirling Basin to the north-east of the Park, and the middle and upper catchments of the Pallinup River. Almost 90% (500,000 ha) of the sub-region's alienated land has been cleared for agriculture, and salinity has been identified as an important issue.

Soil-landscape zones are …

Groundwater Trends In The Fitzgerald Biosphere Sub-Region, Adam Lillicrap

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region into six sub-regions. The Fitzgerald Biosphere sub-region is located in the centre of the South Coast region of Western Australia (Figure 1). It is bounded by the Pallinup River to the east, Jerdacuttup River to the west, and includes the catchments of the Gairdner, Fitzgerald and Phillips Rivers. The sub-region encompasses the Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve and just over half (730,000 ha) has been cleared for agriculture.

This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management in the soil landscape …

Groundwater Study Of The Narrogin Townsite, Edward K. Crossley

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater study was carried out in the townsite of Narrogin, Western Australia, in April 2002. The study consisted of a drilling program to install a network of groundwater monitoring bores. This report contains background information for the town and its catchment, the climatic, geological and hydrogeological investigations, and conclusions on the town's salinity risk and recommendations for improved water management.

Groundwater Trends In The Central Agricultural Region, S Ghauri

Resource management technical reports

This report provides an update of groundwater data and interpretation for each of the hydrozones of the central agricultural region in Western Australia.

Subsurface Acidity, Mike Bolland, Chris Gazey, Amanda Miller, Dave Gartner, Julie-Anne Roche

Bulletins 4000 -

Productive agriculture increases the concentration of hydrogen ions in soil, which acidifies the soil.

Aluminium is a component of many soil constituents, including clays and oxides, and is also present on the surfaces of soil organic matter. As the concentration of hydrogen ions in soil increases, soil pH decreases, and aluminium starts to dissolve from the soil constituents, increasing the concentration of aluminium ions in soil solution.

As the concentration of aluminium ions in the solution increases, the aluminium in the soil solution becomes increasingly toxic to plant roots, reducing root growth. The smaller amounts of plant roots explore a …

Narrogin Townsite Test Pumping Results 2003, Louise Hopgood

Resource management technical reports

Test pumping of a production bore in Narrogin took place for 24 hours in August 2003. Data generated by the test pumping was analysed along with groundwater monitoring, climate and geological data. Laboratory analyses of water samples from the production bore indicate very high levels of salinity and hardness which may lead to severe scaling and corrosion of pumps, pipes and pipe fittings.

Groundwater Study Of The York Townsite, Edward K. Crossley, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia. Rural Towns Program

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater study was carried out in the townsite of York in April-May 2002. The prupose was to collect information on local groundwater systems that could be used to develop a salinity management strategy. The study included a driling program, which established a network of monitoring bores. Seventy-seven monitoring bores were installed at 32 sites as well as a production bore for testing aquifer properties.

Soil Survey Of Vasse Research Station, Western Australia, M R. Wells, N L B Richards

Resource management technical reports

This soil survey of the Vasse Research Station properties was carried out at the request of the Division of Plant Production of the Agriculture Western Australia. The survey followed a preliminary examination and mapping of soil series in the area by Mr T. Stoneman in 1982, after which it was concluded that more detailed survey work was required to assist farm management and research experimentation.

The research station consists of two blocks, referred to here as the main block (Sussex Locations 1475, 1439, 2128, 2138, 2137, 2136, 2129, 2130, 2119, 2118, 2126 and 2125) and the hill block (Sussex Locations …