Soils

Western Australia’s agriculture sector needs access to quality soil that can sustain long-term productivity and growth. The department is leading the way in developing management practices to maximise soil productivity and minimise land degradation. The department also provides technical information on managing soil constraints, including acidity, water repellence, subsoil compaction, erosion along with nutrient management. We also support agriculture through soil and land condition monitoring, condition assessment and providing management strategies and tools to improve soil condition.

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Articles

  • Map showing a number of catchments in south-west Western Australia

    Whole farm nutrient mapping

    3 July 2014

    The whole farm nutrient mapping procedure described here applies to pastures in the greater than 600mm rainfall zone of south-west Western Australia.

  • Controlled Traffic Farming with sprayer on permanent tramlines

    Developing a controlled traffic (tramline) farming system

    6 January 2011

    Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a farming system built on permanent wheel tracks where the crop zone and traffic lanes are permanently separated.

  • Spreading lime onto spring pasture at South Bodallin.

    Applying lime

    27 November 2013

    If you are deep-ripping, ploughing or spading to remove subsurface compaction or another constraint, it is a good idea to incorporate lime in the same operation.

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    Critical nutrient levels for canola in Western Australia

    1 November 2017

    This page contains information about managing nutrition in canola crops in Western Australia.

  • Cockchafer damage cereal roots

    Cockchafer damage to broadacre crops

    14 October 2013

    Cockchafers belonging to the genus Heteronyx are typically not regarded as a pest of agriculture. However, two have been seen as occasional pests, with H.

  • Harvested field pea crop

    Field pea stubble: Wind erosion control and grazing management

    24 April 2013

    Extensive wind erosion of field pea stubble often follows grazing over summer and autumn. Semi-leafless field pea varieties have reduced lodging, improved pod-height and reduced pod-shatter.

  • Field day with growers discussing benefits of managing soil acidity at Holt Rock

    Benefits of maintaining an appropriate pH profile

    27 November 2013

    Liming to recover an acidic soil to an appropriate pH can result in significant production benefits, however a response to liming indicates that previous production has been lost due to an acidic t

  • Modified deep-ripper used to inject lime at depth

    Complementary strategies to liming

    27 November 2013

    The rate of soil acidification due to agriculture can be reduced but not eliminated. Liming will always be needed to prevent the soil from becoming too acidic.

  • Combine harvester operating in a cereal crop

    Causes of soil acidity

    3 December 2013

    Soil acidification occurs naturally very slowly as soil is weathered, but this process is accelerated by productive agriculture.

  • pH changes in a soil profile illustrated by universal pH indicator

    Soil pH

    3 December 2013

    A small decrease in soil pH represents a large increase in soil acidity.

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