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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

What do you see and when?

  • Increased growth and high fertility indicator weeds growing on stock camps.
  • Seen during the growing season.

What could this indicate?

Pictured: Bare ground at autumn and false breaks can favour capeweed growth.
  • High soil fertility
  • Stock empty out dung and urine, so nutrients concentrate.
  • Bare ground at autumn or overgrazing

 

What test do I do to confirm?

Pictured: Larger yet same number of leaves (right) due to higher fertility.
  • Identify if the weeds growing on the camp area thrive under high fertility.
  • Compare size of fully emerged leaf blades of the same grass species from the stock camp to the rest of paddock.

 

Complete the below quiz to continue