Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?

Soil acidity is a major soil constraint impacting on the productivity and sustainability of Australianagriculture. While soil acidification is a natural process it is accelerated by agricultural production. Application of lime is an effective means of neutralising soil acidity. However, the cost and...

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Main Authors: Fisher, James, Gazey, C., Abrecht, D., Bowran, D.
Other Authors: Dr Murray Unkovich
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Australian Society of Agronomy 2008
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17365
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author Fisher, James
Gazey, C.
Abrecht, D.
Bowran, D.
author2 Dr Murray Unkovich
author_facet Dr Murray Unkovich
Fisher, James
Gazey, C.
Abrecht, D.
Bowran, D.
author_sort Fisher, James
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Soil acidity is a major soil constraint impacting on the productivity and sustainability of Australianagriculture. While soil acidification is a natural process it is accelerated by agricultural production. Application of lime is an effective means of neutralising soil acidity. However, the cost and availability of sources of lime in some areas, increased cost of accessing and spreading lime, variable yield responses to liming and a drive to improve the environmental sustainability of current agricultural systems have lead to interest in farming systems that are less acidifying. To date there has been little work to examine the feasibility or practicality of reducing acidification rates. We used a simple, mechanistic model to estimate the likely impact on acidification rates of a range of crop management options. Data from a factorial of runs of a simulation model were used to provide probabilistic estimates of nitrate leaching under different crop management. From these analyses we concluded that rates of acidification could only be reduced by from 5–30%. These values represent the upper limit of estimates from this analysis.
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publishDate 2008
publisher Australian Society of Agronomy
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-173652017-05-30T08:10:09Z Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems? Fisher, James Gazey, C. Abrecht, D. Bowran, D. Dr Murray Unkovich Soil acidity is a major soil constraint impacting on the productivity and sustainability of Australianagriculture. While soil acidification is a natural process it is accelerated by agricultural production. Application of lime is an effective means of neutralising soil acidity. However, the cost and availability of sources of lime in some areas, increased cost of accessing and spreading lime, variable yield responses to liming and a drive to improve the environmental sustainability of current agricultural systems have lead to interest in farming systems that are less acidifying. To date there has been little work to examine the feasibility or practicality of reducing acidification rates. We used a simple, mechanistic model to estimate the likely impact on acidification rates of a range of crop management options. Data from a factorial of runs of a simulation model were used to provide probabilistic estimates of nitrate leaching under different crop management. From these analyses we concluded that rates of acidification could only be reduced by from 5–30%. These values represent the upper limit of estimates from this analysis. 2008 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17365 Australian Society of Agronomy restricted
spellingShingle Fisher, James
Gazey, C.
Abrecht, D.
Bowran, D.
Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title_full Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title_fullStr Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title_full_unstemmed Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title_short Are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
title_sort are reduced acidification rates a feasible, achievable option for future agricultural systems?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17365