Soil modification effects on soil properties and crop growth

R. E. Tonkin1, D. Davenport2, A. Schapel3

1 Rural Solutions SA, PO Box 469 Murray Bridge, SA, 5253, rebecca.tonkin@sa.gov.au
2 Rural Solutions SA, PO Box 1783 Pt Lincoln, SA, 5606, david.davenport@sa.gov.au
3 Rural Solutions SA, Lenswood, SA, 5240, amanda.schapel@sa.gov.au

Background
Sandy soils in South Australia often have problems with water repellence, low fertility, low
water holding capacity and low organic carbon levels. They also have high erosion risk from
wind and water. Adding clay to these soils may change soil properties leading to improved
growth of crops or pastures. Farming operations are made easier, and the altered soil texture
and increased soil cover also reduces erosion risk.
Methods used to add clay to sandy soils include clay sourced from a pit and spread onto the
soil surface, delving clay from below the sand layer up to the surface using a heavy tined
implement, and spading clay either from below the sandy layer or from clay spread onto the
surface. The deep tillage inherent in delving and spading can also have beneficial effects
from breaking up hard pans and mixing topsoil into deeper layers in the soil that may
improve root growth.

Aim
A trial was set up in the South Australian Mallee to look at the effects that delving and
spading had on the soil properties and crop growth of a typical shallow sand over clay soil.

Method
A trial was set up in February 2010 comparing delving, spading, and delved + spaded
treatments with a control. The delved treatment used a purpose built delving machine with
four delver tines at 90cm spacing, with the delving depth adjusted to approximately 50 cm
(working depth varies with the clay depth). The spaded treatments used a 4m wide Farmax
spading machine, working to approximately 30-40 cm. The site was then planted to a cereal
crop as per district practice and the crops monitored for health, dry matter production and
yield throughout the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Soil samples were taken in March 2011 and analysed for clay, silt and sand content (particle
size analysis), organic carbon (Walkley-Black), pH, phosphorus (Colwell), potassium
(Colwell), exchangeable cations, carbonates, sodium, chloride and boron.

Results
Dry matter production and yield was consistently higher in the modified plots.
The soil profile was completely changed from that of the original soil. Soil texture was
altered significantly by the mixing of clay through the sandy topsoil. Organic carbon and
nutrient levels changed through the soil profile.

Conclusions
Modifying sandy soils using delving or spading can lead to long-term changes in soil
properties and increases in productivity. However, care must be taken when implementing
such measures as the changes are irreversible.