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Soil smart: understanding your soils – SA (booklet)

This booklet from PIRSA in South Australia covers key physical and chemical properties of soil, common soil amendments, soil and plant nutrients, critical values for nutrients in dryland agriculture, soil toxicities (salinity, chloride, boron, aluminium), how to calculate fertiliser requirements and how to estimate water holding capacity. It is relevant for South Australia soils in dryland areas but the soil information is useful for other agricultural regions [PDF 2.3 MB, 26 pages]. #

Contents:
Understanding your soils
Key physical properties
Key chemical properties
Common soil amendments and their agricultural uses
Soil and plant nutrients
Critical values for major nutrients for dryland agriculture
‘Nasties’ (toxicities)
Calculating fertiliser requirements
Estimating water holding capacity

  • Audience: RSP, tertiary students, landholders, SFSG, consultants
  • State: SA
  • Author/Editor: Rural Solutions
  • Publisher: PIRSA
  • Resource Type: Booklet
  • Copyright Year: 2014
  • Not Provided
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Resource Last Updated: February 13, 2025

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This is a carefully curated database of important soil resources. The data base is not exhaustive but rather a library of what we believe are the most useful for the audience we are trying to serve – you. Where numerous items cover the same content, we have chosen the one we believe to be the best.

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SSA reminds user of these resources that they are a guide only and due to regular advances in our understanding of soil science it is important to check the suitability of the information for your purpose with an appropriately qualified professional such as a RSP.

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