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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 12 of 17
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Indicator 10 – few or white nodules

What do you see and when?

  • Few or whitish nodules on legume roots
  • Observed 12 weeks after germination to early spring.

What could this indicate?

Inadequate nodulation. There could be many reasons for poor nodulation including:

  • Soil acidity and high soil aluminium.
  • Insufficient rhizobia in the soil as a result of cropping for many years.
  • Residual herbicide damage.
  • Molybdenum deficiency.
  • Sulphur deficiency.

 

What test can I do to confirm?

  • Inspect nodules. Look for many big pinkish coloured nodules rather than small white nodules.
  • Conduct nodulation score.
  • Examine cropping history as soil rhizobia declines after three years without a host.
  • Tissue test clover leaves with reference to molybdenum.
  • Test strips of sulphur and molybdenum fertiliser.

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