Sodic soils: Soil Constraints West project – WA (Podcast)
In this GRDC podcast, Dana Mulvany (WA DPIRD) discusses a 5-year project which includes research into the impact of water harvesting on heavy sodic soils in low rainfall environments, and on crop yields. She explains what sodic soils are and how you test for them. In low rainfall areas salinity is a problem because there is not enough rainfall to flush salts through the soil profile. Water harvesting involves using clear plastic sheeting on the mounded inter-row, increasing the amount of water that reaches the furrow. This decreases the salinity of the soil solution which improves plant growth. While not yet economic for large-scale cropping, initial findings show increases in yield. More work is needed to improve the viability of water harvesting and how it can be combined with other amerliorants. However, this strategy doesn’t always pay off on some sodic soils because of the chemical and physical properties of the soil. This podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This podcast may be relevant to other regions with similar conditions (3 April 2019) [12:14]. #
This is a carefully curated database of important soil resources. The data base is not exhaustive but rather a library of the resources we believe are the most useful for the audience. Each resource has been added after careful consideration against our selection criteria, including but not limited to its scientific validity, accessibility, and readability. The library generally does not include most academic research papers but may include some open-source papers written in accessible English.
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SSA reminds users that these resources are a guide only. Our understanding of soil science is improving continuously so it is important to check the suitability of the information for your purpose with an appropriately qualified professional such as a Registered Soil Professional or a Certified Professional Soil ScientistÂ
