Excerpt from Soils CRC Website.
Drought can damage soils, reducing yield after the drought breaks. The deterioration in soil condition can have wider economic, social and environmental effects on entire communities. Practices that protect the soil, reduce the impact of erosion or assist recovery to regain the productive capacity of soil, help to manage the effects of drought. Under most climate change scenarios, droughts will become more common in many grazing areas of Australia.
The impact of drought on soils and on productivity and profitability can be mitigated through careful management of soils during drought, immediately following drought and in between droughts by developing more resilient soils. This fact sheet summarises the key messages for farmers for managing soils during and after drought in grazing systems. They should be refined locally for best application.
During Drought
- Reduce wind erosion risk by removing stock early and maintaining ground cover levels. Avoid grazing failed crops to maintain as much ground cover as possible.
- Avoid grazing failed crops to maintain as much ground cover as possible.
- Establish permanent stock containment areas for lot feeding during drought. When used strategically, containment areas take the pressure
off land during dry periods or late starts. - Avoid overgrazing native and exotic perennial grass stubs as this will significantly slow regeneration.
- Target investment to protect the most reliable paddocks.
- Consider sowing quick growing crops or annual pastures to provide soil cover and act as a break crop where pasture needs re-establishment.
- Practice no-till or sod seeding techniques for pasture establishment.
