Managing secondary dryland salinity: Options and challenges

• Published in: Agricultural water management Vol. 80; no. 1; pp. 41 - 56
• Main Authors: Pannell, David J., Ewing, Michael A.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 24.02.2006; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Series: Agricultural Water Management
• Subjects: Agricultural and farming systems; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; annuals; Biological and medical sciences; Deficiencies. Phytotoxicity of elements. Salinity; drainage systems; dryland farming; Dryland salinity; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Environment; Exact sciences and technology; farm management; Farming system; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; history; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; literature reviews; perennials; Policy; Research and development; salt tolerance; soil salinity; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Water; water policy; Water resources; water table; Australia; Policy; Water; Dryland salinity; Environment; Farming system; Research and development; Water management; Environmental policy; Australasia; Soil plant water relation; Perennial plant; ground water; Environmental factor; arid environment; hydrogeology; Environmental engineering; agriculture; Ecological damage; aquifers; Water engineering; Anthropogenic factor; salinity; Agropastoral system; Agrosilvopastoral system; Agricultural policy; water resource management; Soil plant relation; Agroforestry
• ISSN: 0378-3774; 1873-2283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2005.07.003

Salt occurs naturally at high levels in the subsoils of most Australian agricultural land. As a result of clearing native vegetation, groundwater tables have risen, mobilising the stored salt and causing adverse impacts on farmland, infrastructure, water resources, and biodiversity. The main action required to prevent groundwater tables from rising is establishment of perennial plants, either herbaceous (pastures or crops) or woody (trees and shrubs). Recent technical and economic research has emphasised how difficult it will be to establish sufficient perennials to get control of groundwater tables. Where watertables are already shallow, the options for farmers are salt-tolerant plants (e.g. saltbush for grazing) or engineering (e.g. deep open drains). The existing options for farm-level salinity management are reviewed, with mixed but somewhat disappointing findings regarding their suitability for addressing salinity. However, there are also a number of good prospects for development of new and better options for plant-based management of salinity, and these are described.