Report card on sustainable natural-resource use in the agricultural regions of Western Australia
Noel SchoknechtDepartment of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, 6151 WA, Australia; Email: noel.schoknecht@agric.wa.gov.au
Soil Research 53(6) 695-709 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR14267
Submitted: 25 September 2014 Accepted: 7 May 2015 Published: 11 September 2015
Abstract
A ‘Report Card’, which summarises the current knowledge of the status and trend in land condition in the agricultural areas of the south-west of Western Australia, was published in 2013 by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. The Report Card draws on best available evidence from government and industry on the current condition and trend of 10 soil- and water-related natural resource themes relevant to agriculture, and discusses the implications of these results for the agricultural industries. The report also discusses the three main factors driving the performance of the land, namely climate, land characteristics and land management. The first two factors are largely out of the control of land managers, but in a drying and warming climate of the agricultural areas of Western Australia, land-management practices need to be able to respond to these changing conditions.
The paper briefly explains the methodologies used to assess the seven soil-related themes in the Report Card and summarises the major findings. The results indicate that, for soils, the situation and outlook for our natural resources is mixed. Although there has been progress in some areas, such as managing wind and water erosion, the status and trend in many indicators of resource condition, such as soil acidity, soil compaction and water repellence, are adverse. The predicted growth in global demand for food and fibre brings many opportunities to the Western Australian agri-food sector but also challenges, especially in light of the Report Card findings. One of these challenges is our need to achieve agricultural productivity growth while ensuring our natural resources are healthy and resilient.
Additional keywords: land management, resource condition monitoring, soil condition, soil hazard, soil trend, sustainability indices.
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