Water content of a red-brown earth subjected to a range of agronomic vegetation options in south-eastern Australia

Abstract

The management of ground water recharge in south-eastern Australia relies on the formulation of agricultural practices that utilise rainfall before it moves below the root-zone. Annual cycles of soil water content were therefore measured in a red-brown earth subjected to 5 fallow-free crop sequences, to 2 crop sequences that included fallow, and to 3 pastures. Changes in soil water content induced by wheat, barley, lupin, pea, safflower, canola, and fallow were compared with those of annual pasture and 2 monocultures of the deep-rooted perennials phalaris and lucerne in 3 years of study. Mean minimum soil water content (0