Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

PROFITABLE, SUSTAINABLE SALTLAND PASTURES? GET REAL!
INTRODUCTION
Saltland has received negative publicity over the
last decade, mainly for two reasons. Firstly,
research results of feeding trials in the early 1990s
indicated that saltbush alone had little feed value.
As a result, the media trumpeted that “saltbush is
useless!” Secondly, doubt had been cast on the
ability of saltbush and other halophytic perennials
to use significant quantities of groundwater.
In 1997, a group of farmers and researchers
formed the Saltland Pastures Association (Inc.)
to demonstrate that, in a practical whole farm
situation, saltland is a profitable sustainable
resource which can be developed.
This paper details the experiences on one farm,
“Bundilla”, which is typical of the broad valley
floors in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia. It
discusses the options available in the late 1980s
and gives reasons for a revegetation approach
being taken. Information is provided on the types
of revegetation, the production obtained and the
environmental and other benefits achieved, to
show the profitability and sustainability of saltland
pastures. As well, it will briefly discuss further
opportunities available for animal production from
saltland, in both extensive and intensive production
systems, and explore other productive uses of
saltland and saline water.
“BUNDILLA” – AN EXAMPLE
“Bundilla” was originally selected in the early
1920s when the district was opened for
settlement, but only a small area was cleared at
that time. By the late 1950s, most of this had
regrown. From 1960 to 1968, “Bundilla” was
progressively cleared of most of the native
perennial vegetation, with only non-arable areas
Michael Lloyd 1
1 Chairman, Saltland Pastures Association (Inc.), “Bundilla”, Private Mail Bag, Lake Grace WA 6353
– 1 –
Lloyd
(such as granite outcrops and a few small lakes)
and shelter areas left uncleared. Typical of the
broad valley floors in inland Western Australia,
“Bundilla” has large areas of low-lying duplex soils.
By the mid 1970s, salt began to appear in areas
that, 15 years earlier, had grown above average
wheat crops.
Over the next 15 years, increasing salinisation
reduced the arable area on “Bundilla” from 1,800
Ha to fewer than 1,000 Ha.
It was clear that something had to be done. The
traditional solution was to either sell to a
neighbour or buy more land. For a variety of
reasons (not the least of which was my stubborn
nature), it was decided to stay and attempt to
solve the problem, to try and get some production
from the saltland.
OPTIONS
Three options were considered:
a) Drain or Pump
The drainage/pumping option was considered too
expensive for the potential benefit. Together with
the high cost was the fact that the very tight,
water-holding clays may not transmit significant
quantities of groundwater laterally. As one farmer
put it: “If water will not flow laterally out of a dam
into the surrounding soil, why would it flow out of
the surrounding soil into a drain?” Difficulty in
property management, increased fencing costs and
aesthetics also played a part in the decision not to
proceed with this option. Was it solving the
problem, or just transferring it downstream for
someone else to deal with? Legal implications also
existed with the disposal of the saline
groundwater. When enquiries were made in the
late 1980s, it was discovered that there were a