Back to Training package

Visual indicators of soil condition

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
Item 6 of 17
In Progress

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)

Complete the below quiz to continue