
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ward, P. R . 
A1  - Dunin, F. X. 
A1  - Micin, S. F. 
T1  - Water balance of annual and perennial pastures on a duplex soil in a Mediterranean environment
JF  - Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
JO  - Aust. J.  Agric. Res.
Y1  - 2001
VL  - 52
IS  - 2
SP  - 203
EP  - 209
KW  - lucerne, water use, salinity, deep drainage, evapotranspiration.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/AR99081 
N2  - Dryland salinity in southern Australia is largely due to inadequate water use by annual agricultural crops and pastures. Perennial pastures, such as lucerne, have been proposed as a possible means of increasing water use whilst maintaining flexibility in agricultural rotations. In a trial located on a duplex soil near Katanning, Western Australia, lucerne and subterranean clover pastures both used water at rates indistinguishable from potential evapotranspiration during the winter and early spring of 3 consecutive years (1995&#8211;97), and completely exhausted water stored in the A horizon. Lucerne, through a deeper rooting pattern and by maintaining activity in the summer and autumn, used approximately 50 mm more water than the annual pasture during each 12-month period. This resulted in reduced deep drainage below 1.2 m in the 1996 season (30 mm compared with 80 mm under annual pasture). With average regional groundwater recharge in the range 10&#8211;50 mm, the reductions in drainage observed under lucerne show promise in reducing the regional impact of dryland salinity. 
ER  -

