| 1. Why is
Landmark involved in the Salinity CRC?
2. How will Landmark's clients benefit from
this involvement?
3. What is the solution to dryland salinity?
4. How are Landmark staff involved in CRC
activities?
5. Are there formal study programmes on dryland
salinity and related natural resource management subjects
available to me?
6. Can dryland lucerne reduce recharge?
7. Is tall wheat grass an environmental weed?
8. What are magnesia patches?
9. Is there financial help available for
establishing perennial pastures?
10. Where is the best place to establish
perennial vegetation for salinity control?
More
information?
1.
Why is Landmark involved in the Salinity CRC?
Dryland Salinity is Australia's greatest environmental
challenge. It is already impacting on the productivity
and profitability of many landholders. Each year, more
land and more landholders are affected.
Landmark became involved as the commercial partner of
the CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity
(Salinity CRC) from its inception.
Landmark’s national network provides the CRC with
a valuable tool for communicating with primary producers.
At the same time, it enables Landmark to make a valuable
contribution to the dryland salinity problem. It also
gives the company access to leading-edge research and
the researchers working on dryland salinity issues.
The CRC is focussed on profitable solutions to dryland
salinity utilising perennial plants and woody species.
It is therefore a good ‘fit’ with Landmark’s
business activities and its services to its clients.
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2. How will Landmark's clients
benefit from this involvement?
Landmark staff, in conjunction with CRC research partners,
will communicate to farmer clients a better understanding
of dryland salinity and how it can be managed to allow
increased animal, cropping and pasture production, as
well as reducing land degradation.
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3. What is the solution to dryland
salinity?
There is no 'silver bullet' solution. Each location
needs to be managed according to its circumstances and
production options. We know that water must be managed
- i.e. water tables, water movement above and below the
ground.
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4. How are Landmark staff involved
in CRC activities?
Landmark has conducted a series of dryland salinity workshops
for many of its staff, particularly agronomy staff. These
workshops have been conducted in conjunction with CRC
partners. Now, a major CRC lucerne project is being conducted
across four states in conjunction with Landmark. This
project will also provide field days and workshops for
primary producers.
Landmark staff have access to the CRC internet and contact
with CRC partners in order to have the latest information
on dryland salinity available to them and their producer
clients.
As Landmark staff are constantly in touch with primary
producers, they are in a unique position to provide feedback
on salinity issues to CRC partners.
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5. Are there formal study programmes
on dryland salinity and related natural resource management
subjects available to me?
The CRC is finalising programs with full details being
announced shortly.
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6. Can dryland lucerne reduce recharge?
In lower rainfall areas (less than 550 mm), lucerne has
the capacity to use as much rainfall as native vegetation,
and significantly reduce recharge. The actual water use
of dryland lucerne will depend on its performance subject
to establishment success, soil constraints and management
practices.
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7. Is tall wheat grass an environmental
weed?
In South Australia, the environmental weed risk for tall
wheat grass (Thinopyrum ponticum) has been assessed as
high for the Upper South East region, and medium for Kangaroo
Island and the Northern and Yorke Agricultural Districts.
A detailed factsheet “Environmental weed risk in
dryland salinity management” is available from the
website http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au
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8. What are magnesia patches?
In South Australia, magnesia patches refer to dry saline
land, salty land that is not caused by a shallow saline
watertable. Magnesia patches are more commonly found in
low rainfall areas, and can be treated by mulching, or
establishing salt-tolerant plants. A wet start to the
season can enable a crop to be established over magnesia
country, if the salt is flushed down the profile. Recharge
reduction with dryland lucerne has little effect on ameliorating
magnesia patches.
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9. Is there financial help available
for establishing perennial pastures?
Various incentive schemes exist to support establishment
of perennial pastures. Contact your nearest catchment
or NRM authority/agency. In South Australia, funding support
for dryland lucerne has been up to $40/ha in several regions,
with assistance also available for establishing salt-tolerant
perennial grasses, woodlots and native vegetation.
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10. Where is the best place to
establish perennial vegetation for salinity control?
Salinity is a groundwater-driven process, so some understanding
of the underlying groundwater flow system (GFS) is necessary
to determine those locations where establishing perennials
will increase water use and help control salinity. Where
detailed salinity catchment plans exist, the priority
areas for establishing perennial vegetation have been
identified, according to recharge potential and salinity
risk.
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More information
To find out more about Landmark’s involvement with
the Salinity CRC, go to the Salinity CRC website www.crcsalinity.com.au
or contact Landmark’s Salinity Project Manager,
Kevin Graham, on 07 3842 7732 or email kevin.graham@landmark.com.au
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