Farming systems to manage salinity. Farmer directed research, development and extension. Research results 2001

Authors

Richard Olive, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

Publication Date

2001

Series Number

Miscellaneous Publication 20/2001

Publisher

Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

City

Perth

ISSN

1326-4168

Abstract

More and more of Western Australia's agnicultural lands are becoming saline. Currently it is estimated that about 18 milliion ha of land are affected to a greater or lesser degree by salinity causing production losses estimated at about $70 million a year.

Unless ways are found to halt and reverse the salinisation of land it is estimated that another 4.4 million ha could become saline over the next 50 years.

Grain growers and the Federal Government, through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). are investing $12 4 million in R&D across Australia to develop productive solutions to the salinity challenge. The GRDC is a core partner in the National Dryland Salinity Program which ensures our activities are well coordinated with those of other funding agencies. The projects reporting results in this publication are part of that investment, which also involves funds from Department of Agriculture Western Australia and Land and Water Australia.

Grower participation throughout the research process is critical to ensure that the systems developed are seen by industry as credible and profitable and. therefore. rapidly adopted.

Ultimately, farmers will need to adopt improved and different farming practices and so the philosophy underpinning the GRDC's is to find profitable solutions. We can only expect the wide scale adoption of systems that reduce groundwater recharge, if farmers themselves are also better off.

No single solution is likely to solve the salinity challenge across southern Australia. To manage salinity. farmers will need to piece together a mosaic of better farming practices, more deep-rooted perennials, engineering solutions and other new management tools like precision farming technology

Number of Pages

64

Keywords

Salinity, Farmers, Scientists, Researchers, Western Australia, Warm season crops, Low recharge cropping systems

Disciplines

Agribusiness | Agricultural Education | Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Climate | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Hydrology | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Plant Biology | Soil Science | Water Resource Management

Comments

UPDATE 2001

Summary of results

Low Recharge Cropping Systems Project

Million Hectares for the Future Project

Warm Season Crops

Recommended Citation

Olive, R. (2001), Farming systems to manage salinity. Farmer directed research, development and extension. Research results 2001. Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Perth. Report Miscellaneous Publication 20/2001.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/lr_publishedrpts/52

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