Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA04157
REVIEW
Contents Vol 45(11)

Multi-disciplinary approaches suggest profitable and sustainable farming systems for valley floors at risk of salinity

E. G. Barrett-Lennard A D , R. J. George B , G. Hamilton A , H. C. Norman D and D. G. Masters D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Department of Agriculture, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.

B Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Department of Agriculture, PO Box 1231, Bunbury, WA 6231, Australia.

C Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, CSIRO Livestock Industries, Floreat Park, WA 6014, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: egbarrettlennard@agric.wa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(11) 1415-1424 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA04157
Submitted: 30 July 2004  Accepted: 12 November 2005   Published: 16 December 2005

Abstract

Australia’s traditional approach to salinity abatement has been to focus primarily on the control of recharge in land not at risk of salinity by incorporating deep-rooted perennial plants (e.g. lucerne, oil mallees and farm trees) into farming systems throughout the landscape. However, in the broad valley floors and sedimentary plains of Australia’s cropping regions (the areas most at risk of salinity), recharge is mainly a 1-dimensional process. Thus, offsite recharge management may have little or no impact on salinity outcomes for the areas at risk. The future of the broad valley floors will be most influenced by the management decisions of landholders in the valley floors.

To be sustainable and profitable, farming systems on valley floors need to (i) target perennial plants to the valley floors and improve soil management to dry the root-zone, decrease recharge and minimise capillary rise, (ii) increase the discharge of groundwater from valley floors using deep drains and stands of perennial plants, (iii) improve surface water management to ameliorate waterlogging, inundation and flooding, and (iv) incorporate better plants and better agronomic methods in the growth of profitable salt tolerant crops and fodder plants.

This paper will illustrate the convergence of new research and development that offers real prospects of low risk, high return farming systems for Australia’s threatened valley floors. We argue that there needs to be a major refocus by farmers, researchers and their funders in the development of profitable sustainable farming systems for valley floors.

Additional keywords: halophyte, hydrology, raised bed, saltbush, saltland pasture.


Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the thoughts of Richard Price, Michael Lloyd and Kim Diamond. Support for our research into the growth of cereals on raised beds and the nutritive value of saltbushes has been received from the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands initiative (a component of the Land, Water and Wool Program).


References


Anon.  (2003) Salinity investment framework interim report — phase 1. Report No. SLUI 32. Salinity and Landuse Impacts, Department of Environment, Perth.

Argent RM, George RJ, Dawes W (2001) Flowtube: a groundwater calculator for salinity estimation. In ‘MODSIM 2001 international congress on modelling and simulation’. (Eds F Ghassemi, P Whetton, R Little, M Littleboy) pp. 621–626. (Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc.: Canberra)

Aronson JA, Pasternak D, Danon A (1988) Introduction and first evaluation of 120 halophytes under seawater irrigation. In ‘Arid lands — today and tomorrow’. (Eds EE Whitehead, CF Hutchinson, BN Timmermann, RG Varady) pp. 737–746. (Westview Press: Colorado)

Barrett-Lennard EG (2002) Restoration of saline land through revegetation. Agricultural Water Management 53, 213–226.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | [verified 13 July 2004]

Le Houérou HN (1986) Salt tolerant plants of economic value in the Mediterranean basin. Reclamation and Revegetation Research 5, 319–341. open url image1

McFarlane DJ, Engel R, Ryder AT (1989) The location of recharge areas responsible for valley salinity in the Lake Toolibin Catchment, Western Australia. In ‘Groundwater recharge’. (Ed. M Sharma) pp. 255–268. (Balkema Publishing Company: Rotterdam)

Maas EV (1986) Salt tolerance of plants. Applied Agricultural Research 1, 12–26. open url image1

Malcolm CV, Clarke AJ, D’Antuono MF, Swaan TC (1988) Effects of plant spacing and soil conditions on the growth of five Atriplex species. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 21, 265–279.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Masters DG, Norman HC, Dynes RA (2001) Opportunities and limitations for animal production from saline land. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 14, 199–211. open url image1

National Land and Water Resources Audit (2001) ‘Australian dryland salinity assessment 2000. Extent, impacts, processes, monitoring and management options.’ (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra)

Norman HC, Dynes RA, Masters DG (2002) Nutritive value of plants growing on saline land. In ‘Proceedings of the 8th national conference and workshop on the productive use and rehabilitation of saline lands’. pp. 59–69. (Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd: Canning Bridge, WA)

Nulsen RA (1981) Critical depth to saline groundwater in non-irrigated situations. Australian Journal of Soil Research 19, 83–86.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nulsen RA (1999) Western Australia’s salinity action plan — what chance of success? In ‘Proceedings of the international conference on diffuse pollution’. pp. 85–95. (CSIRO Land and Water: Perth)

O’Connell M, Young J (2002) The role of saltland pastures in the farming system — a whole-farm bio-economic analysis. In ‘Proceedings of the 8th national conference and workshop on the productive use and rehabilitation of saline lands’. pp. 223–232. (Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd: Canning Bridge, WA)

Pannell DJ (2001) Dryland salinity: economic, scientific, social and policy dimensions. The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 45, 517–546.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pasternak D, Danon A, Aronson JA (1985) Developing the seawater agriculture concept. Plant and Soil 89, 337–348.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Peck AJ, Williamson DR (1987) Effects of forest clearing on groundwater. Journal of Hydrology 94, 47–65.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Qureshi RH, Barrett-Lennard EG (1998) ‘Saline agriculture for irrigated land in Pakistan: a handbook.’ Monograph No. 50. (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research: Canberra)

Richards RA (1983) Should selection for yield in saline conditions be made on saline or non-saline soils. Euphytica 32, 431–438.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Richards RA, Dennett CW, Qualset CO, Epstein E, Norlyn JD, Winslow MD (1987) Variation in yield of grain and biomass in wheat, barley, and triticale in a salt-affected field. Field Crops Research 15, 277–287.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Robbins L (2004) Dryland salinity and catchment management — a resource directory and action manual for catchment managers. National Dryland Salinity Program, Land and Water Australia, Canberra, ACT.

Russell EW (1973) ‘Soil conditions and plant growth.’ 10th edn. (Longman: London)

Salerian JS, Malcolm C, Pol E (1987) The economics of saltland agronomy. WA Department of Agriculture, Division of Resource Management Technical Report 56, South Perth.

Setter TL, Waters I (2003) Review of prospects for germplasm improvement for waterlogging tolerance in wheat, barley and oats. Plant and Soil 253, 1–34.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Short R, McConnell C (2001) Extent and impacts of dryland salinity. WA Department of Agriculture, Resource Management Technical Report 202, South Perth.

Smith ST (1962) Some aspects of soil salinity in Western Australia. MSc (Agric) thesis, The University of Western Australia, Australia.

Stirzaker RJ, Cook FJ, Knight JH (1999) Where to plant trees on cropping land for control of dryland salinity: some approximate solutions. Agricultural Water Management 39, 115–133.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sudmeyer RA, Adams MA, Eastham J, Scott PR, Hawkins W, Rowland IC (2002a) Broadacre crop yield in the lee of windbreaks in the medium and low rainfall areas of south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 739–750.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sudmeyer RA, Hall DJM, Eastham J, Adams MA (2002b) The tree-crop interface: the effects of root pruning in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 763–772.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thorburn P (1996) Can shallow water tables be controlled by the revegetation of saline lands? Australian Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 9, 45–50. open url image1

Trewin D (2002) ‘Salinity on Australian farms.’ Bulletin 4615.0. (Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra)

Warren BE, Bunny CJ, Bryant ER (1990) A preliminary examination of the nutritive value of four saltbush (Atriplex) species. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 18, 424–427. open url image1

Warren BE, Casson T (1992) Performance of sheep grazing salt tolerant forages on revegetated saltland. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 19, 237. open url image1

Wood WE (1924) Increase of salt in soil and streams following the destruction of the native vegetation. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 10, 35–47. open url image1

Woodall GS, Ward BH (2002) Soil water relations, crop production and root pruning of a belt of trees. Agricultural Water Management 53, 153–169.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1