Potential groundwater recharge from fallowing in north-west Victoria, Australia

https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-3774(95)01185-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Long-term rotation experiments in the Wimmera and Mallee regions of north-west Victoria, Australia, were used to measure soil water, matric potential and chloride profiles to calculate the effect of fallowing on potential recharge to groundwater. Two common but distinct soil types were investigated, a grey self-mulching clay (chromic vertisol) and a brown solonised soil (calcic xerosol).

Significant differences occurred between fallow (18 months duration) and non-fallow cropping rotations in soil water content, matric potential and chloride within and below the root zone in profiles at both sites. Calculations of potential recharge show that fallowing one year in three, compared with continuous cropping on the vertisol, has increased the downward flux of water by 6 mm year−1 over a 72 year period. On the xerosol, over an 8 year period, potential recharge estimates ranged from 11 to 56 mm year−1 from fallowing one year in three and every second year, respectively, compared with a pasture-wheat rotation.

References (45)

  • P.G. Cook

    Estimating regional groundwater recharge in the western Murray basin for inclusion in a groundwater model

    CSIRO, Division of Water Resources, Centre for Groundwater Studies, Report No. 11

    (1989)
  • P.G. Cook et al.

    The effect of soil type on groundwater recharge on the Mallee region

    CSIRO, Division of Water Resources, Centre for Groundwater Studies, Report No. 28

    (1990)
  • P.G. Cook et al.

    Changes in groundwater recharge resulting from clearance of Mallee vegetation

  • J.W. Cooke et al.

    The effect of fallowing practices on the growth and yield of wheat in south-eastern Australia

    Aust. J. Exp. Agric.

    (1985)
  • W.R. Evans
  • R.G. Fawcett et al.

    A filter-paper method for determining the moisture characteristics of soil

    Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb.

    (1967)
  • R.A. Fischer

    Responses of soil and crop water relations to tillage

  • R.J. French

    The effect of following on the yield of wheat. I. The effect on soil water storage and nitrate supply

    Aust. J. Agric. Res.

    (1978)
  • G.W. Gee et al.

    Groundwater recharge in arid regions: review and critique of estimation methods

    Hydrol. Process.

    (1988)
  • E.L. Greacen et al.

    Procedure for the filter paper method of measuring soil water suction

    CSIRO, Division of Soils, Divisional Report No. 108

    (1989)
  • J.B. Griffiths et al.

    Water use of wheat in the Victorian Mallee

  • D.C. Herpich et al.

    Investigation of soil, crop and management factors affecting dryland salinity in the Mallee using simulation models

  • Cited by (32)

    • Exploring long-term impacts of different crop rotation systems on sustainable use of groundwater resources using DSSAT model

      2022, Journal of Cleaner Production
      Citation Excerpt :

      Our results showed that H7 had the lowest impact on accumulative groundwater table depth changes indicating fallow cropping systems can reduce the groundwater level decline. The main reason for this might be account for fallow practice not only reduce the irrigation amount, but also increase the groundwater recharge (Oconnell et al., 1995). Furthermore, the tillage practice during the non-fallowing season, the soil were heavily disturbed and significantly have less potential recharge of 2.2–3.8 mm year−1 compared with fallow cropping systems.

    • Modification of a spatially referenced crop model to simulate the effect of spatial pattern of subsoil salinity

      2010, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
      Citation Excerpt :

      Average actual evapotranspiration (water use) for a wheat crop across 14 locations in Victorian southern Mallee ranged from 150 to 350 mm (Nuttall et al., 2003a) and from 197 to 304 mm near the study paddock (Dixit and Chen, 2010b). There is no irrigation used in the area and capillary rise is not an issue due to significant depth of the water table (30–50 m) (O’Connell et al., 1995). In dryland regions with annual rainfall between 250 and 600 mm, saline subsoils having electrical conductivity of saturation extract (ECe) values between 2 and 16 dS/m can dramatically affect crop production through osmotic effects during dry periods (Rengasamy, 2002).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    2

    Email:@ oconnellmCwally.agvic.gov.au

    1

    Present address: Department of Agriculture, Energy and Minerals, Institute for Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture, Ferguson Road, Tatura, Vic. 3136, Australia.

    View full text