Managing dryland salinity successfully requires treatment of both the causes and the symptoms.
Treatment of the symptoms of salinity in a local area requires a targeted and site specific approach.
There are a range of different management options that can be combined to take account of the diverse climate, soils, hydrology and agricultural practices within a region.
Rehabilitating saline land can reduce the rate at which salinity is spreading and decrease the area of land affected.
Available management options vary in type and scale and should be selected to suit the social and economic needs of the landholder and the community as well as the environmental conditions.
Other benefits of rehabilitating saline land include:
- increased production by replacing largely unproductive annual species such as sea barley grass (Hordeum marinum) with more productive perennial species;
- decreased soil erosion by maintaining ground cover;
- reduced surface soil salinity by minimising evaporation;
- improved site aesthetics and value;
- reduced saline runoff into watercourses;
- improved water quality on-site, for example, refreshing of salinised creeks and springs;
- and reduced saline discharge through use of salt and/or waterlogging tolerant trees and pasture.
Dryland salinity is an important consideration in any farm plan.
Addressing salinity on a whole farm basis ensures that measures adopted to treat salinity provide maximum benefits for the investment. Including salinity management in both farm and business plans ensures that on-ground works are prioritised and fit in with long-term farm goals.
A farm plan which manages salinity effectively should have regard to four factors: business considerations, vegetation, soil and water. These factors are discussed in detail in articles listed on our Salinity page.
Challenging the spread of salinity on your land and rehabilitating your land will increase your long-term productivity of your farming enterprise, but it will not resolve the problem completely. For further information please refer to the article Salinity is a Water Catchment issue.
