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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(2)

Surface soil acidity and fertility in the central-western wheatbelt of New South Wales

C. M. Evans A B E and B. J. Scott C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A NSW Agriculture, Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, Condobolin, NSW 2877, Australia.

B Current address: PO Box 280, Condobolin, NSW 2877, Australia.

C NSW Agriculture, Agricultural Institute, PMB, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.

D Current address: EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Faculty of Science and Agriculture, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: goodev@bigpond.net.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(2) 184-197 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA04165
Submitted: 2 August 2004  Accepted: 1 July 2006   Published: 23 January 2007

Abstract

Documentation of the chemical fertility status of the soils is sparse for the western and central-western wheatbelt of New South Wales, Australia. We examined properties of the surface soils (0–10 cm) from central-western NSW by collating two published and nine unpublished datasets of soil analyses representing about 2800 soil samples. The emphasis was on the red soils used extensively for cropping. The surface soils of central-western NSW have low phosphorus (47% of soils) and sulfur (70% of soils <5 mg S/kg using KCl-40 analysis) status and commonly have organic carbon contents of about 1%. Surface soil acidity was a substantial problem with 56% of soils (0–10 cm) having a pHCa <5.0. Sodic and dispersive soils are also of concern in this area and these soils have received little attention or research. Approximately 5% of surface (0–10 cm) soils had an exchangeable sodium percentage of ≥6% (sodic). Salinity of surface soils was of minor significance compared with other soil problems in the area, although isolated areas occur. These results indicated that lime applications in this area are likely to benefit crop and pasture production. Additional use of phosphorus and sulfur fertilisers and agricultural practices which increase or maintain organic carbon will also need to be adopted to improve pasture and crop production. The use of gypsum and/or lime on sodic soils may also need to be addressed. As a priority, we suggest that the benefits of lime application to crop yield be examined. The application of lime to the 0–10 cm soil depth should ultimately arrest acidification of the subsurface soil (10–20 cm depth) through downward movement of the lime effect. Further examination of gypsum applications to dispersive sodic soils and the evaluation of sulfur deficiency in the field for pastures and canola are also priority areas of likely agricultural relevance.

Additional keywords: aluminium, exchangeable cations.


Acknowledgements

This research was funded by NSW Agriculture through Acid Soils Action and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). We thank the people who provided data used in this paper. In particular, the following group leaders and/or data collectors: Ali Bowman, Yin Chan, Lloyd Charles, Anthony Fanning, Greg Gibson, Tanya Ginns, Scott Golding, Jenene Kidston, Mark and Karen Leary, Libby Roesner, Bill Schumann, Linda Stockman, Rick Young, the people involved with Central West Farming Systems, the local NSW Agriculture agronomists and former agronomists, Neil Durning, Paul Lukins, Ken Motley and Keith Woodlands, and the farmers who provided their soil test results. Thanks to Geraldine O’Neill who spent many hours carrying out data entry and analysis, to David Freckelton who produced Figure 1 and to Keith Helyar and John Brockwell for their comments on the manuscript.


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