Changes in land management practices have reduced wind erosion in the cropping areas of far south-western NSW, Australia
John F. Leys
A B C * , Tanisha Shields D , Sean R. Murphy E and Terry Koen F
A Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B Land and Water – Black Mountain, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
C Science, Economics and Insights Division, Department of Planning and Environment, Gunnedah, NSW 2380, Australia.
D Department of Regional New South Watles Local Land Services, Balranald, NSW 2715, Australia.
E NSW Department of Primary Industries, Calala, NSW 2340, Australia.
F Formerly of Science, Economics and Insights Division, Department of Planning and Environment, Cowra 2794, Australia.
The Rangeland Journal - https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ22028
Submitted: 10 April 2022 Accepted: 6 December 2022 Published online: 9 March 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Rangeland Society.
Abstract
Since the mid-1970s, approximately 250 000 ha of rangelands in semi-arid far south-western NSW, Australia, have been converted to cropping land use, resulting in substantial wind erosion. Wind erosion is of concern because of its adverse impacts on soils, agricultural production, aviation, energy supply, human health and ecosystem function. Over recent decades, multi-faceted extension programs have promoted sustainable land management practices to reduce wind erosion. Repeated biannual paddock surveys were undertaken between 2003 and 2022 to determine (1) the best land management practices (BMPs), that is, those that would reduce erosion while maintaining productivity and profitability, and (2) whether the use of the BMPs changed over time. The BMPs that reduce wind erosion included chemical fallow, standing stubble, and perennial pastures. Between 2003 and 2022, the proportion of sites with BMPs increased from 14% to 75%, and the proportion of sites with wind erosion fell from 23% to 9%. Practices that reduced ground cover and led to frequent erosion have declined, including tilled pasture, tilled stubble and grazed stubble. In drier years, livestock grazing crop stubble exacerbated the erosion hazard. In an attempt to understand where landholders obtain their information for land management practice change, the Western Local Land Services (LLS) conducted a social benchmarking survey in 2020 that indicated that the LLS was the third source of information for practice change after neighbours and other landholders, and stock and station agents. Although the LLS is a source of information, this study could not determine a causal link between LLS programs and practice change. Further research is required to test whether extension programs can reduce the overgrazing of stubble.
Keywords: best management practices, fallowing, ground cover, land use change, soil erosion, stubble management, surveys.
References
ABARES (2014) ‘Land management practice trends in Australia.’ ABARES, Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, ACT, Australia. Available at https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/ABARES_2014_LandManagementPracticeTrendsAustra.pdf [accessed 30 November 2022]ABARES (2016) ‘The Australian land use and management classification Version 8.’ CC BY 3.0. (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences: Canberra, ACT, Australia)
ABS (2009) ‘Land management and farming in Australia.’ (Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/webpages/Adobe+Reader?opendocument [accessed 6 July 2022]
ABS (2011) ‘Land management and farming in Australia.’ (Australian Bureau Statistics: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&46270_2009-10.pdf&4627.0&Publication&66AEFF495F6D2421CA2578B50011DA0C&&2009-10&21.06.2011&Previous [accessed 6 July 2022]
Anderson RD, Erlandsen SA, Cooke JW Sonogan RMC (1992) Conservation tillage: 2 Monitoring. In ‘People protecting their land’, 27–30 September 1992, Sydney, NSW. (Eds PG Haskins, BM Murphy) pp. 19–24. (International Soil Conservation Organisation)
APDIM (2021) ‘Sand and dust storms risk assessment in Asia and the Pacific.’ (Asian and Pacific Centre for Development of Disaster Information Management (ESCAP): Tehran, Iran) Available at https://apdim.unescap.org/knowledge-hub/sand-and-dust-storms-risk-assessment-asia-and-pacific [accessed 6 July 2022]
Aragnou, E, Watt, S, Nguyen Duc, H, Cheeseman, C, Riley, M, Leys, J, White, S, Salter, D, Azzi, M, Tzu-Chi Chang, L, Morgan, G, and Hannigan, I (2021). Dust transport from inland Australia and its impact on air quality and health on the eastern coast of Australia during the February 2019 dust storm. Atmosphere 12, 141.
| Dust transport from inland Australia and its impact on air quality and health on the eastern coast of Australia during the February 2019 dust storm.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program (2010) ‘Status of land management practices activities of the Australian collaborative land use and management program.’ (Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.awe.gov.au/sites/default/files/abares/aclump/documents/Status%20report_FINAL.pdf [accessed 6 July 2022]
Australian Government (1995) ‘Decade of landcare plan.’ (Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/sitecollectiondocuments/natural-resources/landcare/communiques/decade_plan_overview.pdf [accessed 6 July 2022]
Australian Government (2008) ‘Caring for our country: Business Plan, 2009-2010.’ (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at http://www.nrm.gov.au/publications/books/pubs/business-plan.pdf
Barson M, Mewet, J, Paplinska J (2012) ‘Land management practice trends in Australia’s broadacre cropping industries.’ (Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at http://nrmonline.nrm.gov.au/catalog/mql:2866 [accessed 6 July 2022]
Bureau of Meteorology (2022) ‘Recent and historical rainfall maps.’ (Commonwealth of Australia: Melbourne, Vic., Australia) Available at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&map=decile&period=12month®ion=nat&year=2013&month=03&day=31 [accessed 30 November 2022]
Butler, P, McDonough, C, and Leys, J (1994). Diesel, dollars and dust - overcoming wind erosion in the S.A. [South Australian] Murray Mallee. Australian Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 7, 4–8.
Chappell, A, Webb, NP, Leys, JF, Waters, CM, Orgill, S, and Eyres, MJ (2019). Minimising soil organic carbon erosion by wind is critical for land degradation neutrality. Environmental Science & Policy 93, 43–52.
| Minimising soil organic carbon erosion by wind is critical for land degradation neutrality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Condon RW (1983) Planning land use for cropping and grazing in semi-arid regions: the application of clearing and cropping entitlements to Western Lands Leases. In ‘ANZAAS Congress. The role of science in land use planning’, pp. 1–6. (The Australian & New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science: Adelaide, SA, Australia)
D’Emden, FH, Llewellyn, RS, and Burton, MP (2008). Factors influencing adoption of conservation tillage in Australian cropping regions. The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 52, 169–182.
| Factors influencing adoption of conservation tillage in Australian cropping regions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Forward G (2009) ‘Manual of proposed national minimum standards for roadside erosion survey.’ (Government of South Australia: Adelaide) Available at https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4776758 [accessed 6 July 2022]
French, RJ (1993). Changes in cropping systems at the boundaries of the pastoral and cropping zones in southern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 15, 117–132.
| Changes in cropping systems at the boundaries of the pastoral and cropping zones in southern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Karfs, RA, Abbott, BN, Scarth, PF, and Wallace, JF (2009). Land condition monitoring information for reef catchments: a new era. The Rangeland Journal 31, 69–86.
| Land condition monitoring information for reef catchments: a new era.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lal, R (2001). Soil degradation by erosion. Land Degradation & Development 12, 519–539.
| Soil degradation by erosion.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Laycock J, Griffin T, Carter D (2010) ‘Roadside survey database, User Manual Version 2.’ (WA Department of Agriculture and Food: Perth, WA, Australia) Available from the author at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, WA, Australia.
Leys JF (1990) Blow or grow? A soil conservationist’s view to cropping Mallee soils. In ‘The Mallee Lands: a conservation perspective’, 1990, Adelaide. (Eds JC Noble, PJ Joss, GK Jones) pp. 280–286. (CSIRO Australia: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)
Leys, J, and McTainsh, G (1994). Soil loss and nutrient decline by wind erosion: cause for concern [Mallee, New South Wales]. Australian Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 7, 30–35.
Leys, J, Craven, P, Murphy, S, Clark, P, and Anderson, R (1994). Integrated resource management of the Mallee in South-Western New South Wales. Australian Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 7, 10–19.
Leys, JF, Heidenreich, SK, Strong, CL, McTainsh, GH, and Quigley, S (2011). PM10 concentrations and mass transport during ‘Red Dawn’ – Sydney 23 September 2009. Aeolian Research 3, 327–342.
| PM10 concentrations and mass transport during ‘Red Dawn’ – Sydney 23 September 2009.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Local Land Services (2021) ‘Social benchmarking project: landholder survey.’ (Local Land Services: Buronga, NSW, Australia) Available at https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/1302441/Western-LLS-Landholder-Survey-2021-Final.pdf [accessed 6 July 2022]
Love, BM, Leys, JF, Strong, CL, and McTainsh, GH (2019). Dust climatology of Mildura, Victoria, Australia: transport direction. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 44, 1449–1459.
| Dust climatology of Mildura, Victoria, Australia: transport direction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Martínez-Mena, M, Carrillo-López, E, Boix-Fayos, C, Almagro, M, García Franco, N, Díaz-Pereira, E, Montoya, I, and de Vente, J (2020). Long-term effectiveness of sustainable land management practices to control runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient loss and the role of rainfall intensity in Mediterranean rainfed agroecosystems. CATENA 187, 104352.
| Long-term effectiveness of sustainable land management practices to control runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient loss and the role of rainfall intensity in Mediterranean rainfed agroecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McCord AK, Payne RA (2004) ‘Report on the condition of agricultural land in South Australia.’ (Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation: Adelaide, SA, Australia) Available at https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/science/kb-conditionofaglandinsareport.pdf [accessed 6 July 2022]
Murphy S (2009) ‘A field database for roadside survey of soil erosion.’ (NSW Department of Primary Industries: Tamworth, NSW, Australia) Available at the author at NSW Department of Primary Industries, DPI Agriculture.
National Committee on Soil and Terrain (Australia) (2009) ‘Australian soil and land survey field handbook.’ 3rd edn. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)
Pannell, DJ, Marshall, GR, Barr, N, Curtis, A, Vanclay, F, and Wilkinson, R (2006). Understanding and promoting adoption of conservation practices by rural landholders. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 1407–1424.
| Understanding and promoting adoption of conservation practices by rural landholders.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Piper, S, and Huszar, PC (1989). Re-examination of the off-site costs of wind erosion in New Mexico. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 44, 332–334.
Rezaei, M, Sameni, A, Fallah Shamsi, SR, and Bartholomeus, H (2016). Remote sensing of land use/cover changes and its effect on wind erosion potential in southern Iran. PeerJ 4, e1948.
| Remote sensing of land use/cover changes and its effect on wind erosion potential in southern Iran.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scott JF, Farquharson RJ (2004) ‘An assessment of the economic impacts of NSW Agriculture Research and Extension: conservation farming and reduced tillage in northern NSW.’ (NSW Department of Primary Industries: Tamworth, NSW, Australia) Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23514760_An_Assessment_of_the_Economic_Impacts_of_NSW_Agriculture_Research_and_Extension_Conservation_Farming_and_Reduced_Tillage_in_Northern_NSW [accessed 30 November 2022]
The R Foundation (2023) ‘The R Project for Statistical Computing’. (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria) Available at https://www.R-project.org
Tozer, P, and Leys, J (2013). Dust storms: what do they really cost? The Rangeland Journal 35, 131–142.
| Dust storms: what do they really cost?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Val JD (1999) ‘The Pre-clearing Natural Vegetation of the Southern Mallee Planning Region.’ (Department of Land and Water Conservation: Buronga, NSW, Australia) Available at https://datasets.seed.nsw.gov.au/dataset/the-pre-clearing-natural-vegetation-of-the-southern-mallee-planning-region-vis_id-10445a78a [accessed 6 July 2022]
