Delivering agronomic strategies for managing water repellence in Western Australia

Water repellence is a widespread problem mostly affecting soils with low clay content or high organic matter levels in the topsoil, in the medium to high rainfall zones. The expression of water repellence appears to be increasing due to an increase in cropping frequency, drier and earlier sowing, minimum tillage and reduced break of season rainfall. Soil water repellence results in uneven wetting of the soil profile and in poor, delayed and staggered emergence of crops, pastures and weeds and reduced productivity. Management options include improved furrow sowing methods, soil wetting agents, one-off deep cultivation and clay spreading or clay delving. Partnering researchers from DAFWA, CSIRO and Murdoch University are working together to identify mechanisms and develop strategies to increase infiltration and subsequent use of rainfall to improve plant establishment and increase plant yields. Collaboration with key grower groups including SEPWA, Southern Dirt, Mingenew-Irwin, West Midlands as well as the University of South Australia and the University of Western Australia.