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Investigating Sodic Subsoils in Central Western NSW
OVERVIEW
Objectives
Investigate if plant growth is affected by sodic subsoils in central western NSW.
Collaborate with similar Sub Soils projects across Victoria & South Australia and combine data already gathered from earlier projects.
Extend research results to farmers in central western NSW with the aim of increasing their crop production.
Key Messages
Sodicity is the major problem associated with the subsoils of central-western NSW.
Previous research in the region has documented that NSW has far above the national average of sodic soils and estimated that sodic soils cover 47% of the state.
Sodic sub-soils can cause a restriction to plant root growth and water uptake. The dispersive nature of sodic soils cause soil pores to become blocked which restricts water infiltration and aeration of the soils, which in turn also affects plant growth.
The effect of sodic subsoils on crop production has not been quantified, even though estimates have been suggested.
Current Activities
In the 2001 growing season CWFS, through the Crop Monitoring Program, identified that some crops in the region were not reaching their water limited yield potential.
Crop and soil monitoring has been conducted in farmers’ paddocks across central-western NSW in for the past 2 years.
The seven paddocks were monitored at four times over the year gathering information to determine crop and soil relationships.
The seven sites were located at Tottenham (2 sites), Parkes (3 sites), Forbes and Condobolin.
The growing season in 2004/2005 across central western NSW started quite late with sowing rains not occurring in most places until April/May.
Soil moisture was quite low over much of the year due to the dry seasonal conditions. There was little subsoil moisture at any of the sites.
Our Vision
Continue the project for its final year.
Gathering another growing season’s data from across the seven sites.
Collate results from paddock monitoring.
Produce a handout for farmers to help with management decisions for sodic subsoils in the central west of NSW.
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