Salinity control by pumping and re-using groundwater: its effect on watertable levels, soil salinity and farm productivity on a dairy property in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria

The introduction of watertable control by groundwater pumping on a salt-affected dairy farm in the Goulburn Valley resulted in large increases in butter fat production. Since intensive pumping started in 1981, watertable levels showed an overall downward trend but were still subject to major fluctua...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAustralian journal of experimental agriculture Vol. 26
Main Authors Heuperman A.F, Repsys A.P, Mehanni A.H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 1986
Subjects
aguas subterraneas
capa freatica
eau souterraine
grasa de la leche
groundwater
groundwater table
luvisol
luvisoles
luvisols
matiere grasse du lait
milk fat
mixed pastures
nappe souterraine
pastizal mixto
prairie mixte
salinidad
salinite
salinity
victoria
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Summary:The introduction of watertable control by groundwater pumping on a salt-affected dairy farm in the Goulburn Valley resulted in large increases in butter fat production. Since intensive pumping started in 1981, watertable levels showed an overall downward trend but were still subject to major fluctuations caused by irrigation and rainfall. During this period butterfat production increased from about 300 to 390 kg per ha (of productive land) and yearly pasture production rose from about 560 to 650 t per ha DM. These productivity increases are attributed to both a reduction in average soil salinity in the top 60 cm of the profile from 2400 to 1200 mg total dissolved salts per kg dry soil and an increase in irrigation water use from less than 10 Mlitre per ha before to nearly 12 Mlitre per ha after pumping started.
Bibliography:P
P35
ISSN:0816-1089
DOI:10.1071/EA9860669