Changes in soil water content under annual, perennial, and shrub-based pastures in an intermittently dry, summer-rainfall environment
G. M. Lodge A B , M. A. Brennan A , S. Harden A and S. P. Boschma AA Industry & Investment NSW, Primary Industries, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, 4 Marsden Park Road, Calala, NSW 2340, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: greg.lodge@industry.nsw.gov.au
Crop and Pasture Science 61(4) 331-342 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP09258
Submitted: 9 September 2009 Accepted: 18 January 2010 Published: 12 April 2010
Abstract
Soil water content (SWC) was monitored in an intermittently dry environment in 2003–08, for the following pasture types: perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Skippy), lucerne (Medicago sativa cv. Venus), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica cv. Atlas PG), a lucerne/phalaris mixture, digit grass (Digitaria eriantha ssp. eriantha cv. Premier), and old man saltbush (Atriplex nummalaria). Perennial ryegrass and phalaris pastures persisted until late winter–early spring 2005 and, after that time, were maintained as degraded annual grass pastures and bare fallows, respectively.
For all pasture types, mean SWC was generally higher for the 0–0.9 m soil depth than the 0.9–2.1 m (63 v. 51 mm of water per 0.2 m soil layer). At a soil depth of 0–0.9 m, few significant differences in SWC occurred among pasture types. However, significant differences among pasture types were recorded in SWC at depths of 0.9–2.1 m for these perennial-based pastures with low herbaceous plant densities. At this depth the SWC of lucerne/phalaris was lower (P < 0.05) than that of perennial ryegrass and phalaris pasture types in March 2005 (Day 500), and that of the degraded annual grass pasture in August 2006 (Day 1000) and December 2007 (Day 1500). Overall, maximum extractable water was highest (P < 0.05) for digit grass and old man saltbush pasture types (~180 mm) and lowest for the bare fallow (99 mm). Estimates of root depth were highest (2.0 m) for the lucerne/phalaris pasture type.
Additional keywords: neutron moisture meter, maximum extractable water, root depth, bulk density.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Brian Roworth in establishing and maintaining this experiment, and the co-operation of the landholders, Angus and Tiffany Faulks. Funding was jointly provided by the Future Farm Industries CRC (formerly the CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity) and Industry & Investment NSW (formerly the NSW Department of Primary Industries).
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