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Visual indicators of soil condition

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  1. Pasture growth

    In the paddock
    1 quiz
  2. Indicator 1 - dark green patches
    1 quiz
  3. Indicator 2 - yellowing pastures
    1 quiz
  4. Indicator 3 - grass dominant pasture
    1 quiz
  5. Indicator 4 - stock camps
    1 quiz
  6. Indicator 5 - reduced summer growth
    1 quiz
  7. Indicator 6 - lucerne stunting
    1 quiz
  8. Sub-Clover and Legume Nodulation
    Plants and pastures
  9. Indicator 7 - small, dark green leaves
    1 quiz
  10. Indicator 8 - bronzing of sub-clover
    1 quiz
  11. Indicator 9 - stunted sub-clover plants
    1 quiz
  12. Indicator 10 - few or white nodules
    1 quiz
  13. Soil Characteristics
    Soil surface and clover roots
  14. Indicator 11 - soil surface
    1 quiz
  15. Indicator 12 - soil disturbance
    1 quiz
  16. Weeds as Indicators of Soil Condition
    High fertility indicators
    1 quiz
  17. Low fertility indicators
    1 quiz
Item 6 of 17
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Indicator 5 – reduced summer growth

What do you see and when?

  • Areas that stay green during summer but have reduced growth.
  • Bare patches remain damp and white salt crystals may be visible on soil surface.
  • Different plants growing to the rest of the paddock.
  • Best seen in late spring.

What could this indicate?

  • Salinity caused by a salty water table less than two metres from the soil surface
  • Freshwater spring

What test can I do to confirm?

  • Soil test with reference to electrical conductivity (EC).
  • Identification of individual plant species to confirm their salt tolerance.

Pictured below: Examples of salinity indicator plants.

Buckshorn plantain
(Plantago coronopus)

Sea barley grass
(Hordeum marinum)

Yellow buttons
(Cotula coronopifolia)

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