1. Managing soil water repellence in the West Midlands
Steve Davies, Giacomo Betti, Glenn McDonald, Craig Scanlan, Geoff Anderson

2. Managing Soil Water Repellence in the West Midlands
Managing repellent sandy gravels
Amelioration sand – modified one-way ploughing and long-term impacts
Soil wetting agents – new opportunities
3M ha of gravel & gravelly sand soils (16%)
Where affected repellence often severe
Bauxitic in the SW

3. Sandy Gravel, Badgingarra
l.s.d.
(P<0.05)
SWR from moderate to mild
Repellence reduced by 65%

4. Sandy Gravel, Badgingarra
Tillage increased early emergence by 60%

5. Sandy Gravel, Badgingarra
Control
Ploughed
Images taken 30th Sept.

6. Sandy gravel, Moora 300 kg 39% 200 kg 26% 130 kg 16% 130 kg 16% ~15cm

7. Amelioration - modified one-way plough

8. Badgi. deep sand - repellence

9. Badgi. deep sand – establishment

10. Badgi. deep sand – grain yield

11. Longevity of amelioration - Moora Deep ripping & spading conducted in 2011

12. Soil amelioration

13. New opportunities for soil wetters
Kojonup – loamy gravel
Meckering – pale deep sand
Control
Wetter
Wetter
Control
Banding wetters near the seed
Some wetters are compatible with liquid nutrients & fungicides

14. Soil wetters – establishment
Meckering – pale deep sand

15. Soil wetters – grain yield
Meckering – pale deep sand
Kojonup – loamy gravel
l.s.d.
(P=0.05)
l.s.d.
(P=0.10)

16. Conclusions Disc plough or shallow MBP sandy gravels
Test soil wetters – some compatible with UAN/liquids; band near seed
Amelioration benefits are lasting 5+ years resulting in high ROI’s

17. Acknowledgements
DAW00244 Delivering enhanced strategies for water repellent soils in WA - GRDC Soil Constraints West Initiative
Glenn McDonald, Grey Poulish, Derk Bakker, Trevor Bell, Liam Harte - DAFWA
Richard Devlin, Rebecca Jenkinson, Vincent Gallucio – Living Farm
Tim Boyes & Erin Cahill - AgVivo
Lethlean, Morrell, Clifton, Snell, McAlpine