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

  • Fertility-selected Brahman herd on the Ord-Victoria plain.

    Monitoring rangeland condition in Western Australia

    4 November 2013

    There are many benefits from monitoring and assessing pastoral rangeland condition, and monitoring is done at several levels to meet the needs of rangeland managers, researchers and government admi

  • Soil health

    21 November 2022

    Healthy soils support the exchange of energy and nutrients, which sustains plant and animal life as well as the production and decomposition of organic matter.

  • CTF field walk in WA August 2004

    A simple guide for describing soils

    19 June 2020

    This guide helps users to describe the most important parts of a soil profile and provide an easy way to understand and explain the diversity of our soils.

  • Photograph of hand extruding a soil ribbon to estimate a texture class

    Estimating soil texture by hand

    27 February 2014

    Estimating or measuring soil texture provides valuable information about soil properties affecting crop and pasture growth. Soil texture affects the movement and availability of air, nutrients and

  • Field of bare soil ready for seeding

    Soil classification in Western Australia

    16 January 2014

    This page provides links to information on the constraints and characteristics of each soil group, soil profile images and maps showing where soil groups are located in Western Australia.

  • Taproot pinched (1) with only a single lateral root (2) penetrating the subsoil down an old root channel

    Soil aggregate stability

    4 October 2017

    Soil aggregate stability is the ability of a soil to regulate the movement and storage of air and water throughout the soil profile.

  • Using universal pH indicator to illustrate changes in soil pH through a profile

    Diagnosing soil acidity

    27 November 2013

    The only way to diagnose soil acidity is to sample the soil and test the pH.

  • Alkaline red shallow loamy duplex, Dalwallinu (left), Alkaline grey shallow sandy duplex, Midlands (centre), Alkaline grey shallow loamy duplex, Salmon Gums (right)

    Alkaline shallow duplex soil

    13 January 2012

    Sand or loam topsoil over alkaline clay subsoil at <30 centimetres (cm).

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