With drought conditions worsening across the southern region, farmers are facing an increasing risk of dry saline land, also known as ‘magnesia country’, spreading and causing further damage. To support farmers and advisers in managing this growing issue, the Dry Saline Land Decision Tree has been launched, offering practical, farmer-tested strategies to prevent these patches from getting worse.
Dry Saline Land: A Growing Concern in Drought
As the drought persists, dry saline land is becoming more widespread. This type of land degradation occurs when salts from subsoil layers rise to the surface through evaporation, a process that intensifies during hot, dry weather. Without enough rain to flush the salts back into the soil, they accumulate, making the land too toxic for crops to grow. As bare patches expand, the loss of productive land is accelerating, threatening both short-term yields and long-term soil health.
In depth soil testing of salinity levels at demonstration sites has shown that the risk is greatest when soil is left bare. Without cover, evaporation rates increase, drawing even more salts to the surface and further impacting on soil health. This season’s drought is exacerbating the issue, making it more critical than ever to take proactive steps to manage dry saline land.
Solutions from the Field
The Dry Saline Land Decision Tree draws on real-world solutions tested by farmers across South Australia, Victoria, and western New South Wales. It provides clear, actionable steps that farmers can take to protect their land, including:
Establishing & Maintaining soil cover – with straw and mulches to reduce evaporation and break the capillary rise of salts to the surface.
Ameliorating the saline topsoil – covering the surface with sand to improve germinating conditions and encourage the establishment of ground cover.
Opportunistic management of seasonal rainfall – recommendations for immediate action once good rainfall conditions returns.
Using salt-tolerant varieties – selecting varieties most likely to establish in saline soil conditions.
The project, funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, features 48 demonstration sites with multiple partners (Mallee Sustainable Farming, Ag Innovation & Research EP, Northern Sustainable Soils and SARDI) working collaboratively to test these approaches across diverse conditions. By learning from these sites, farmers can apply the most suitable strategies for their land, helping to limit the spread of dry saline patches and promote crop establishment even in challenging seasons.
Visit the Decision Tree Today
Farmers and advisers are encouraged to explore the ‘Dry Saline Land Decision Tree’ with useful resources, including videos and podcasts to offer practical advice for managing dry saline land as well as the ‘Mallee Seeps Decision Tree’ where seeps are also an issue. With these tools, farmers can take proactive steps to protect their farms from the devastating impacts of saline land conditions, ensuring more resilient and productive farming systems for the future.
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