Land resources of the Bencubbin area

Authors

Gerard J. Grealish
John Wagnon

Publication Date

1995

Series Number

12

Abstract

This survey of the Bencubbin area is part of the Agriculture Western Australia's regional land resource mapping program, and covers approximately 1.5 million hectares in the Merredin, Trayning, Koorda, Mount Marshall, Mukinbudin, Westonia and Nungarin Shires of Western Australia. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and cool winters. Land is used for winter cereal production and grazing, and about 60% is cropped each year. Wheat is the main crop and is grown in rotation with lupins, field peas, barley and medic pasture. This report provides primary and interpreted information on the character and capability of the land, for use at regional, catchment and farm levels. The five major outputs or datasets are: • a site database of soil and landforms • description of map units • description of soil series • a soil landscape map at a scale of 1:250,000 • interpretation of the data. The 1:250,000 scale map and 14 soil landscape map units at subsystem level indicate the landform pattern and enable prediction of soil property variation at a regional level. Land capability interpretations can be made for broad regional planning. For farm scale use, the survey identifies and describes 18 soil series. This provides a basis for more detailed mapping and land use interpretation. Soils are identified within a common framework throughout the region and this grouping will aid the extension of local experience and experimental research results.

Keywords

Land resources, Land capability, Soil degradation, Wind erosion, Water erosion, Soil surveys, Soil management, Profiles, Soil properties, Salinity, Land use planning, Sustainability, Western Australia, Bencubbin region (WA), Merredin, (WA : Shire), Trayning (WA : Shire), Koorda (WA : Shire), Mount Marshall (WA : Shire), Mukinbudin (WA : Shire), Westonia (WA : Shire), Nungarin (WA : Shire)

Disciplines

Agriculture | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Soil Science

Recommended Citation

Grealish, G J, and Wagnon, J. (1995), Land resources of the Bencubbin area. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, Perth. Report 12.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/land_res/12

Maps

Maps are not included as part of the complete document download. If this report contains a map, it will be available in the individual parts list below.