Salinity in

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Salinity in Australia
By Kali Fields and Dhanielle Tobias
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Salinity

• Unsuitable soil and topography
• Soil salinity is the build up of salts to such a
  point that it ruins the soil and vegetation.
• Salinity is a natural process that results from
• high levels of salt in the soils
• landscape features that allow the water table and
  salts in it to become movable
• climatic trends that favor salt build up
• Salt is a natural element of soil and water that
  is prevalent in Australia.

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Soil Salinity

• Replacing natural vegetation with shallow rooted
  crops rising groundwater levels including
  dissolved salts
• Salt transferred into crops root zones and
  wetlands, streams and rivers

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• Salinity from irrigation
• It can occur over time wherever irrigation
  occurs.
• Soil salinity makes it more difficult for plants
  to absorb soil moisture.
• Harmful effects on plant growth and final yield.
• Damage to infrastructure.
• Reduction of water quality for users.
• Soil erosion.
• One of the best examples of salinity was observed
  in Egypt in 1970 when the Aswan High Dam was
  built.

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Salinity in Australia

• Soil salinity is a major environmental issue in
  Australia.
• It is a problem in most states, but especially in
  the south-west of Western Australia.
• Some of the salts originate from marine
  sediments, but most have been deposited in
  rainfall over thousands of years.

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The Costs of Salinity in Australia

• More than 130 million of agricultural production
  is lost annually from salinity
• More than 6 million is spent every year on
  building maintenance related to salinity in South
  Australia
• Salinity causes 9 million damage annually to
  roads and highways

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More Effects

• The area of salt affected land in Australia is
  increasing at a rate of one football field/hr.
• If salinity is not effectively managed within 20
  yrs., the salt content in their drinking water
  may exceed World Health Organization standards
  for desirable drinking water in two of every five
  days
• Increased salinity could cause the extinction of
  approximately 450 species of native flowers and
  250 species of invertebrate water fauna in the
  Australian wheat belt

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• The area of salt-affected soils in 2002 was
  around 20,000 square kilometers.
• For example, the National Land and Water
  Resources Audit estimates that 5.7 million
  hectares have a high potential for the
  development of dryland salinity, and predicts
  this to rise to 17 million hectares by 2050.

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THE PLAN

• We need to focus on what solutions are available
  that are acceptable to farmers and the community
• And how we can develop the new industries that
  will be required to change the landscape
• Perennials will be the major solution to their
  problem

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Farmer Participation
We believe that farmer participation in planning,
implementation and interpretation stages is vital.
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Problems farmers have with perennials

• They think grain offers their best return in
  profits
• They have difficulty managing major changes and
  are not equipped to take risks
• They do not have the money or time to plant new
  perennials
• They do not know much about planting perennials
• These are factors that MUST be taken into account

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EDUCATING FARMERS ON

• When and where to plant perennials
• What specific plants should be planted
• What benefits come from this
• How much of their farm land can be effectively
  planted
• The future of their farm

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The Use of Perennial Species

• Until 2010, during the next four years, we will
  take action on ¼ of their worst total salinity
  area each year
• Perennial legumes for difficult soils and
  perennial grasses.
• Continuously educating on improving farming
  systems
• Improved land-use preparation. Environmentally
  practical farming systems that are more
  beneficial than present methods.

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The Benefits of Perennials

• Lower water tables
• Often boost farm profits
• Improve water management
• Reduce the rate of spread of salinity
• Good replacement of the natural vegetation that
  was removed, causing salinity

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We will provide them with

• New perennials each year until 2010
• Mainly the salt tolerant species, such as
  saltbush
• Knowledge on perennials to the agricultural
  branches of their extension

In return

• They must sign a contract saying that they will
  continuously take care of the perennials and
  continue implementing our plan
• Their extension must provide them with the
  knowledge they have gained from us

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Saltbusha.k.a. Atriplex amnicola

• A species of shrub native to the floodplains of
  the Murchison and Gascoyne Rivers
• Multi-branched
• Can get up to 12 feet wide, spreading across the
  ground
• Leaves
• bluish-green
• great variation in size and shape, often
  spear-shaped
• Very highly salt tolerant
• Great long-term survival
• Fairly drought tolerant
• Tolerates water logging once mature
• Highly favored by sheep
• Recovers well from grazing

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In Conclusion

• We will provide them with however many perennials
  are needed to make a change and the knowledge
  needed annually, until 2010
• In return, they will learn, use, and promote the
  knowledge to help stop salinity
• If we are to manage dryland salinity we must
  explore all the available options.
• Continue to listen to the farmers and let them
  have a say in the plan

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SOURCES

• Australias Salinity Problem. Australian
  Government. (2001)
• 1-4. http//www.napswq.gov.au/publications/salini
  ty.html
• Gale, Thomas. 2006. Australia Agriculture.
  Thomson Corporation. http//www.nationsencylopedi
  a.com/Asia- and-Oceania/Australia-AGRICULTURE.html
  
• Kingwell, Dr. Ross. Know How to Tackle
  Salinity. The National Dryland Salinity
  Program. (6 May 2003) 1-3. http//www.lwrrde.gov
  .au/ndsp/news.asp
• Monitoring The White Death Soil Salinity.
  Australian Academy of Science. (January 2004)
  1-6. http//www.science.org.au/nova/075/075sit.ht
  m

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