Tree windbreaks in the wheatbelt

Authors

Robert SudmeyerFollow
David BicknellFollow
Neil ColesFollow

Files

Publication Date

9-2007

Series Number

4723

Abstract

Windbreaks comprising trees, or tree and shrub combinations, can offer many benefits on wheatbelt farms, particularly for protection of soil, stock, crops and pastures from damaging winds and erosion. Additional benefits include reduced evaporation from farm dams, reduced groundwater recharge, their use as nature conservation corridors and habitats, increased biodiversity including predators of crop and pasture pests, fire control, tree products and improved lifestyle and aesthetics.

In other areas and farming systems such as intensive horticulture, man-made windbreaks may be used, but their higher cost makes them unsuited for broadscale agriculture. Man-made windbreaks can be effective in reducing evaporative losses from farm dams in the short to medium-term but become costly if they are engineered to withstand strong winds or last a long time.

Number of Pages

28

ISSN

1833-7236

Keywords

Windbreaks, Grain protection, Climate, Crops, Pastures, Soil, Wheatbelt region (W.A.), Western Australia

Disciplines

Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Soil Science

Recommended Citation

Sudmeyer, R, Bicknell, D, and Coles, N. (2007), Tree windbreaks in the wheatbelt. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, Perth. Bulletin 4723.