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SOILS N E W S
A U S T R A L I A N SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE
NO. 35
SEPTEMBER 1973
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE
Office Bearers of Federal Council and Branches 1973-4
FEDERAL COUNCIL
President Dr. C.H. Williams
Vice President Dr. M. Mulcahy
Secretary Dr. J. Loveday
Treasurer Dr. A.V. Blackmore
CSIRO Division of Soils,
Black Mountain, Canberra,
A.C.T. 2600.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Dr. D.E, Smiles
Mr. P. Bleeker
Mr. J.R. Sleeman
NEW SOUTH WALES
CSIRO Division of Land Use
Research, P.O. Box 1666,
Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601.
President
Secretary
Treasurer
QUEENSLAND
President
Secretary
Treasurer
RIVERINA
Mr. C.A. Hawkins
Dr. T.S. Abbott
Dr. T.S. Abbott
Mr. Ian Fergus
Mr. R. Reeve
Mr. I. Little
N.S.W. Department of
Agriculture, P.M.B. 10,
Rydalmere, N.S.W. 2116.
CSIRO Division of Soils,
Cunningham Laboratory,
St. Lucia, QLD. 4067.
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Dr. R.R. Storrier
Mr. G.J. Osborne
Mr. G.J. Osborne
Agricultural Research Institute,
Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. 2650.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
President
Secretary
Treasurer
VICTORIA
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Dr. D.G. Lewis
Dr. A.M. Alston
Mr. M.E. Matheson
Mr. A. Webster
Mr. U. Hagel
Mr. U. Hagel
Waite Agricultural Research
Institute,
Glen Osmond, S.A. 5064.
C/- Soil Conservation Authority,
378 Cotham Road,
Kew, VIC. 3101.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Mr. J. Jago
Mr. J.W. Bowden
Mr. R.C. Young
Government Chemical Laboratories,
30 Plain Street,
East Perth, W.A. 6000.
Department of Agriculture,
Jarrah Road,
South Perth, W.A. 6151.
Department of Soil Science
and Plant Nutrition,
University of W.A.,
Nedlands, W.A. 6009.
SOILS NEWS
The Newsletter of the Australian Society of Soil Science
Number 35 September 1973
CONTENTS
Page
President's Letter 2
News Items
No Affiliation with A.I.A.S. 3
Moscow Congress 3
A.J.S.R. 3
Moscow Congress - Tax Deductions 4
Membership Changes 5
Symposium - Sulphur in Australasian Agriculture 6
Federal Council Notes 7
Definitions from the Terminology Committee 11
News from the Branches 13
Summaries of Talks 20
Soils News is issued solely to financial members of the Australian
Society of Soil Science and is an informal news service of that
body. It is published twice a year. The statements printed in it
are not for citation elsewhere, and there are no reprints. Letters,
articles, notices, reviews and news items from members are welcome
and should be sent to:
Dr. D.J. David,
Hon. Editor,
Soils News,
CSIRO, Division of Plant Industry,
P.O. Box 1600,
CANBERRA CITY, A.C.T. 2601.
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NEWS ITEMS
NO AFFILIATION WITH A.I.A.S.
At its meeting on 17 August Federal Council resolved that
'in view of the closeness of voting, and the small percentage of
members casting a vote, the status quo should be maintained i.e.
that there be no affiliation with A.I.A.S. at this stage'.
MOSCOW CONGRESS
Federal Council has received no information about the 10th
International Congress of Soil Science, Moscow, other than that in
the recent Bulletins of I.S.S.S. Bulletin No.41 sets out travel
and visa arrangements and advises all intending participants to
contact the Intourist office of their country.
Cooks World Travel Service act as agents for Intourist. They
have offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and
Hobart. Their Sydney address is 175 Pitt Street (phone 254401).
It should be noted however that Qantas and Cooks have agreed
to act jointly to make all travel and visa arrangements so that an
approach may be made to either. A travel folder produced jointly by
Cooks and Qantas will shortly be mailed to all members.
A.J.S.R.
The Editorial which appeared in A.J.S.R. Volume 11, No.1, 1973
is reprinted here in full for the benefit of those members who may
not have seen it. The President in his letter makes reference to
this Editorial. The Society has been advised that from 1974 A.J.S.R.
will be sold at a new price of $5.00 per volume, with a special
discount of $2.50 for members of the Society. The Journal is to be
given a new look, with new cover, title page and so on, but it will
retain its present general form.
Editorial
'The Advisory Committee of the Australian Journal of Soil Research
and the Board of Standards have considered modifications to the editorial
policy of the Journal. They are designed to extend the coverage of the
soil sciences, to broaden acceptibility of the Journal as a medium of
publication by soil workers, and to promote interest in the Journal
in Australia and overseas. The changes have been approved in the hope
that they will lead to appreciable growth of the Journal, while at the
-3-
same time maintaining the standards of earlier years.
First, it will be noted that there has been an addition to the
statement inside the front cover, making specific reference to the
acceptability of papers on "soil mechanics, hydrology, geochemistry,
and certain aspects of environmental research". The full statement
makes clear the broad coverage by the Journal of soil science disciplines.
It is now also firm policy that the Journal will accept papers of local
or regional geographic emphasis, and those of an ecological kind.
Papers describing an apparatus or techniques will be. accepted when
they present a new principle or a significant modification of known
methods, or constitute the first paper of a series. This is an important
departure which will appeal to many soils workers.
The policy on reviews has also been clarified. Papers that do no
more than summarize knowledge in a field will not normally be acceptable.
Articles or essays of a conceptual, critical, or interpretative kind,
and those which stimulate further work, have interdisciplinary emphasis,
or are integrative in style will be welcomed. It is hoped that contributors
will be tolerant as this new policy is developed. We certainly wish to
avoid a situation in which "summary type" papers are presented or in which
reviews make up an excessive part of the Journal. It is not proposed to
seek reviews by invitation.
Short Communications will be accepted, provided they are in the
nature of complete papers of limited scope, and not just random scraps
of information.
Papers presented at a Symposium, or organized groups of closely
related papers, may be published together, along with a Chairman's summary.
All papers, whether methodology, review, short communication, or
conference, will be subject to the same refereeing procedures as in the
past. Thus, while the Journal is to be of extended scope, there will be
no change in the standards already established, principally by Australian
contributors and referees.
We hope that the Australian Journal of Soil Research will be a
growing influence in the progress of soil science and will command
increasing support, both as a medium of publication and as a source of
information for soils workers, especially, though by no means exclusively,
those in Australia.
MOSCOW CONGRESS - TAX DEDUCTIONS
The following is a reply from the Taxation Commissioner in response
to a request for information about tax deductibility of expenses to attend
the Moscow Congress.
-4-
"The question is governed by section 51 of the Income Tax
Assessment Act which, so far as is relevant, authorises the allowance
of a deduction for expenditure, not of a capital, private or domestic
nature, incurred by a taxpayer in gaining or producing his assessable
income. It is accepted, as a general principle, that when a taxpayer
is engaged in a profession or skilled occupation, expenditure incurred
by him in maintaining or increasing his knowledge or ability in that
particular profession or occupation may qualify for deduction under
this section.
On the understanding that he was following his occupation at
the time, expenditure incurred by a member of your Society in connection
with his personal attendance at the Moscow Congress would fall within this
acceptable principle. Accordingly, fares to and from Moscow, accommodation
expenses and other expenditure associated with the member's attendance
at the Congress would be deductible where his visit was for the sole
purpose of attending the Congress.
On the other hand, if the member's stay in the U.S.S.R. was for
a period greater than that necessary to attend the Congress and
associated tours, the extent to which expenditure, including fares,
incurred by him in connection with the visit is deductible could be
determined only in the light of the established facts of each particular
case. In some cases, as, for instance, where attendance at the Congress
is merely incidental to a private tour, it may not be reasonable to
regard any part of the expenditure as incurred in gaining or producing
the assessable income and as deductible in an income tax context.
On the other hand, there may be cases where an apportionment
of the expenses, i.e. between 'private' and income-producing activities,
might be appropriate. This is a matter which can be finally determined
only when all the relevant facts are known. In any event, private
expenditure on sight-seeing or entertainment would fall outside the
deductible field as would expenses incurred on behalf of a wife or
other relative who accompanied the taxpayer on the trip.
It will he appreciated from the above that it will be necessary
for a member to support any deduction claimed by him in respect of
his attendance at the Congress with a statement setting out the itinerary
and purpose of his U.S.S.R. visit and, under appropriate headings, the
nature and amount of the expenditure incurred.''
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES (January-June 197 3)
The following have been approved for admission to membership:~
Mr. C.R. Betteridge (NSW) Mr. J. Blackwell (Riverina)
Mr. C. Hird (NSW) Mr. S.F. Glanville (Qld)
Mr. E.H. Hoult (NSW) Mr. G.E. Rayment (Qld)
Mr. B.M. Schafer (NSW) Mr. M.J. Wright (SA)
Mr. H.A. Polach (ACT) Mr. R.C. Jeffery (WA)
Mr. A.M. Rowley (WA) Mr. B.J. Codling (WA)
Mr. G.D. Williams (WA) Mr. P.E. Wilson (WA)
The following resignations were accepted with regret:-
Ms. J. Corbett (NSW) Ms. K. Rohrlach (NSW)
Mr. G.A. Hooper (Vic) Mr. P.L. Newland (NSW)
Dr. P.H. Groenveldt (ACT)
The following members have been removed from membership under By-law 4:
Mr. B.K. Laryea (NSW)
Mr. A.S. Bhatti (WA)
SYMPOSIUM - SULPHUR IN AUSTRALASIAN AGRICULTURE
Members and others are reminded that this Symposium will be held
in the Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre, Australian National University on
19-21 February, 1974. Accommodation for participants has been secured
at Bruce Hall in the A.N.U. and a Registration Office will be established
there. The Registration Fee is $50. Please address enquiries to:
Mr. K.D. McLachlan,
CSIRO Division of Plant Industry,
P.O. Box 1600,
CANBERRA CITY, A.C.T. 2601.
A summary of the programme appears in Issue No.34 of Soils News.
-6-
FEDERAL COUNCIL NOTES
SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 30 JUNE 1973
PRESIDENT Dr. C.H. Williams
VICE-PRESIDENT Dr. M. Mulcahy (proxy Mr. R. Wetselaar)
BRANCH PRESIDENTS
A.C.T. - Dr. J. Freney
N.S.W. - Mr. C.A. Hawkins (proxy Dr. P.H. Walker)
QLD - Dr. D.G. Edwards (proxy Dr. P. Stevens)
Riverina - Mr. W.A. Muirhead (proxy Dr. C.L. Watson)
S.A. - Mr. R.J. French (proxy Mr. B.E. Butler)
Victoria - Mr. A. Webster (proxy Dr. T. Talsma)
W.A. - Mr. J. Jago (proxy Dr. D.J. David)
Hon. Secretary - Dr. J. Loveday
Hon. Treasurer - Dr. A.V. Blackmore
Hon. Auditors - Dr. D.J. Cosgrove
Mr. H.A. Haantjens
MEETINGS
Four ordinary meetings of Council were held during the year.
SOILS NEWS
Dr. D.J. David, Hon. Editor produced September issue of Soils News,
and in his absence overseas Mr. D. De Marco produced the March issue.
MEMBERSHIP
Thirty-six (36) new members were admitted to the Society, 11 resigned,
2 members died, and 3 were removed from the register under By-law 4.
COMMITTEES
Monograph Committee: Though no report has been received, the
Committee has been active in assembling the chapters being contributed
for the book on soil factors in crop production in a semi-arid environ
ment .
Standing Committee on Terminology of Soil Science: This committee
under the chairmanship of Dr. G.G. Beckmann was reappointed and it has
continued its job of determining current Australian usage of soil terms.
Student Prize Management Committee: Mr. G.B. Stirk accepted the
task of reconvening this Committee for 1972-3. The essay topic agreed
upon "Discuss the relevance of current education in Soil Science to your
future professional career", has been circulated to appropriate Universities
and Colleges. _7_
Committee on Water Quality in Australian Rivers: Dr. C.L. Watson
undertook to convene a committee from the Riverina Branch to survey the
position with regard to the collection of records of levels of solutes,
suspended solids and bed loads in Australian river systems. The committee
comprises besides Dr. Watson, Mr. S. Pels, Mr. M. Stannard and
Dr. E. O'Loughlin.
Stratigraphic Nomenclature: A committee is being formed to liaise
with the Geological Society regarding definitions of formal soil strati-
graphic units.
Prescott Medal Committee: Dr. A. Peck has agreed to fill the
vacancy on this committee, along with Dr. P.H. Walker and Dr. R.R. Storrier.
The first medal was awarded to Dr. C.G. Stephens and the present
ation was made by Emeritus Professor J.A. Prescott in Adelaide on
16 November 1972.
AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE IN SOIL SCIENCE
This will be held at La Trobe University beginning 28 February 1974.
Attendance is to be limited to about 120 people. The general topic of
Soil Fertility will be under discussion.
ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES
A subcommittee of Federal Council has sought views on the future
organization of conferences. Further information is being sought from
A.A.C. about its policy,
MAKING THE SOCIETY AN INCORPORATED BODY
The Treasurer has investigated the requirements for becoming
incorporated, and Federal Council has been asked to proceed with the
necessary steps. The first of these will be to hold a ballot of all
members to make necessary constitutional changes.
AFFILIATION WITH A.I.A.S.
A plebiscite was held to elicit opinion on whether the Society
should affiliate with A.I.A.S. Of a total membership of 514, only 147
replies were received, 69 in favour, 66 against with 12 informal. It
has been proposed that support is not sufficient to change the present
position of non-affiliation, and Council's endorsement of this is being
sought.
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
It was agreed that a lengthy precis of each Presidential address
should be put in Soils News.
-8-
SOCIETY EDITOR
A motion asking Federal Council to reopen its discussions on the
desirability of having a Society Editor was narrowly lost.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF SOIL RESEARCH
The new policy of the Journal, giving it a wider scope than
previously, has been outlined in an editorial of the Journal and will
be commented upon in Soils News 35. Dr. J. Loveday has been renominated
for a further 3 year term as the Society's representative on the Advisory
Committee of A.J.S.R.
REPUBLISHING SOIL SURVEY BULLETINS
A test case prepared by the Riverina Branch has been forwarded to
the Executive of CSIRO for consideration.
ALTERATION OF BY-LAWS
By-law 1 was amended so that applicants for membership be obliged
to lodge the appropriate subscription fee with the application.
By-law 26 (Prescott Medal Award) was amended to overcome some
shortcomings which had become apparent after the first award.
By-law 23 was altered so that the Annual Report be forwarded to
all members rather than the minutes.
J. Loveday
Honorary Federal Secretary
5 July 1973
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TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1 JULY 1972 TO 30 JUNE 1973
The number of members paying Federal subscriptions and contributing
to the Journal and the International Society has increased this financial
year: totals of 541, 199, and 231 represent increases of 85, 59, and 51
unit-subs respectively. Total general funds amount to $3301 at 30.6.73
compared to $3179 a year earlier. In addition 83 back copies of the
Journal are still held by the Society, despite attempts to dispose of
them at 50 cents each. The Special Monograph Account has increased in
the period, by way of interest, to $3451.
The following table gives details of membership and subscriptions
for the year.
Paid Not Branch Total New Financial Branch Total New Financial
A. C . T .
69/70 70/71 71/72 72/73 73/74
A. C . T . 56 7 0 0 0 54 1 1
N . S . W. 64 8 0 3 3 54 2 12
0/seas 25 0 1 1 3 15 2 8
Qld. 94 4 0 4 44 85 0 10
Riverina 39 4 0 2 4 31 0 8
S.A. 103 6 0 2 1 92 0 9
Vic. 67 1 0 0 4 63 0 5
W.A. 64 6 0 2 14 47 7 9
512 36 1 14 73 44.1 12 62
Notwithstanding the rather large number of members unfinancial, the
economic status of the Society is satisfactory.
Copies of the complete financial statement, kindly audited by
Dr. Cosgrove and Mr. Haantjens, have been sent to all Branch offices for
consultation by any members seeking the details.
A.V. Blackmore Honorary Federal Treasurer
-10-
DEFINITIONS FROM THE TERMINOLOGY COMMITTEE
Please send comments or criticisms to Dr. G.G. Beckmann, CSIRO
Division of Soils, Cunningham Laboratory, Mill Road, St. Lucia,
Queensland, 4067.
TOTAL POTENTIAL OF SOIL WATER
The amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure water
in order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesimal quantity
of water from a pool of pure water, at a specified elevation and at
atmospheric pressure, to the soil water (at the point under consideration).
The total potential of soil water consists of the following:
Matrio or Capillary Potential:
The amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure water
in order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesimal quantity
of water from a pool containing a solution identical in composition to
the soil water at the elevation and the external gas pressure of the point
under consideration, to the soil water, it being arranged that the soil
under consideration be free of any vertical load and be constrained to
change bulk volume one-dimensionally (vertically).
Gravitational Potential:
The amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure water
in order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesiraal quantity
of water from a pood containing a solution identical in composition to the
soil water at a specified elevation and at atmospheric pressure, to a
similar pool at the elevation of the point under consideration.
Osmotic Potential:
The amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure water
in order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesiraal quantity
of water from a pool of pure water, at a specified elevation and at
atmospheric pressure, to a pool of water identical in composition to the
soil water (at the point under consideration), but in all other respects
being identical to the reference pool.
Overburden Potential:
The amount of work that must be done against the earth's gravitational
field, per unit quantity of pure water in order to transport reversibly
and isothermally an infinitesimal quantity of water from a pool containing
a solution identical in composition to the soil solution at the elevation
and the external gas pressure of the point under consideration to the soil
water. The amount of work done depends on the total weight of wet soil
above the point under consideration (together with any surface load) and
on the soil type at the point.
-11-
Pneumatic Potential:
The amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure
water in order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesimal
quanity of water from a pool containing a solution identical in composition
to the soil solution at the elevation of the.point under consideration at
atmospheric pressure, to a similar pool subject to a gas pressure equal to
the gas pressure on the soil water.
Submergence Potential:
The submergence potential at a point below a water table is defined as
the amount of work that must be done per unit quantity of pure water in
order to transport reversibly and isothermally an infinitesimal quantity of
water from a pool containing a solution identical in composition to the
soil solution at the elevation and external gas pressure of the point under
consideration, to the soil water, it being arranged that the water at the
point under consideration is free of any overburden load.
SOIL WATER POTENTIAL
The sum of matric and overburden potentials.
PSYCHROMETRIC POTENTIAL
The sum of matric, overburden and osmotic potentials.
SUCTION
The conceptual definitions of total potential and its various components
given above adequately define the energy status of water in soils. Since pure
water at standard atmospheric pressure is used as a reference, the potentials
of water in unsaturated soil is commonly negative. It is therefore convenient
to introduce the concept of a "suction" which is defined as equal to the
equivalent potential, but with the opposite sign.
QUASI-CRYSTAL
A region of parallel alignment of individual alumino-silicate lamellae
in montmorillonite.
WATER STABILITY
A measure of the resistance of soil aggregates to break-up by water.
VOID RATIO
The volume of voids (pores) per unit volume of soil particles.
-12-
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Branch notes
Three meetings of the South Australian Branch were held in the last
six months.
On 23 March 1973, Mr. D.W. Armstrong discussed "Problems encountered
in disposing of animal wastes on the land" and Mr. W.E. Matheson spoke on
"The use of Bolivar effluent for irrigation". Dr. J.M. Oades discussed the
"Use of C-14 in studies of soil organic matter" on 3 May 1973.
At the Annual General Meeting on 21 June 1973, the retiring President,
Mr. R.J. French, addressed the Branch on "Planning research for better land
management".
Personal notes
Professor C M . Donald, who recently retired from the Chair of
Agriculture of the University of Adelaide, has been honoured with the
title of Emeritus Professor.
Dr. A.W. Fordham is currently working with Dr. U. Schwertmann in
Munich.
Dr. D.A. Barber, ARC Letcombe Laboratory, England, arrived in
August to spend several months in the Microbiology Department at CSIRO
Division of Soils.
Dr. D. Farrell returned to CSIRO Division of Soils in June after
working for four years in the United States of America.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Branch notes
Since the Annual General Meeting in June this year one meeting has
been held. In August Mr. R. Wetselaar spoke on "Why band nitrogen
fertilizers in soil?". Other talks given since the last issue of Soils
News are:-
February 8 - "The nutrient profile and crop growth"
Dr. J.R. Simpson
February 22 - "Chemical regulation of plant protein"
Dr. S.J. Ries
-13-
March 23 - "Soil physics goes west"
Dr. A.J. Peck
April 5 - "Allocation of soil profiles by
discriminant analysis"
Dr. R. Webster
April 19 - "Some impressions of soil research
in Canada"
Dr. R. Brewer
May 3 - "Magnesium nutrition of tobacco"
Mr. A. Pinkerton
A highlight of last year's activities was a visit by the N.S.W. and
Riverina Branches of the Society from May 16-18. Nineteen Sydney visitors
and eight Riverina visitors spent the Wednesday and Friday inspecting the
relevant CSIRO divisions at Black Mountain. On the Thursday an excursion
to the Kosciusko area was held for the visitors. A joint meeting was'
held on the Wednesday evening during which two films of agricultural
interest were shown.
Personal note
During March 1973, J.R. Freney visited research institutions in
Vancouver, B.C.; Saskatoon, Sask.; Winnipeg, Man.; St. Paul, Minn.;
Raleigh, N.C.; Urbana, 111.; Ames, Iowa; Lincoln, Neb.; Logan, Utah;
and Honolulu, Hawaii. During the visit to Logan he presented a paper
at an International Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry.
RIVERINA
PRESIDENT'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 1973
(W.A. Muirhead)
The Riverina Branch of the Australian Society of Soil Science held
four meetings during the 1972-3 year. All meetings were well attended
and the guest speakers covered a wide range of subjects.
The first meeting for the year was held at Wagga and took the form
of a symposium on the topic "Soil Classification and the Community".
Six speakers examined the subject from the viewpoint of the research
worker, irrigator, student, farmer and conservationist. The meeting
highlighted the need to make soil maps and information relevant to plant,
soil type response, more widely available.
Three speakers addressed the Deniliquin meeting on subjects ranging
from nutrient recycling in the arid zone to advances in glasshouse design.
This meeting reflected the wide range of subjects dealt with at the
Griffith and Leeton meetings.
-14-
This year the Riverina Branch initiated a number of projects at both
the branch and National level. As a result of a paper presented at the
time of the last Annual General Meeting, the Federal Council formed a
Committee to survey the position with regard to the collection of records
of levels of solutes, suspended solids and bed loads in Australian river
systems. The Wagga meeting highlighted the need for easier access to
soil survey data. A submission was made to Federal Council concerning
the need to republish certain soil survey publications. As a result of
this action, it is likely that CSIR Bulletin 118 will be republished in
a modified form.
At the Branch level, information is being sought to prepare a
bibliography of soil and related studies in the Riverina region.
This Branch was ably represented at Federal Council meetings by our
proxy, Dr. Chris Watson. During the year, 1 was able to attend two of
the four Federal Council meetings held in Canberra. This provided an
opportunity to personally express the views of the branch on a number of
topics under discussion and also gain some insight into the operation of
the Federal Council. I hope that the incoming president will have the
same opportunity to attend these meetings and this branch should be
prepared to meet any expenses involved in travelling to Canberra.
The N.S.W. Branch organized an excursion to Canberra to visit those
Divisions of CSIRO involved in soil research. Members of this Branch
were invited to join the excursion. About ten members were able to attend
and fully appreciated the opportunity to become better acquainted with
the current soil research being carried out by the Canberra groups.
In conclusion I would like to express my thanks to the Committee
members who were active in organizing meetings at their various centres.
It is a pleasure to acknowledge the Branch's debt to both our able
secretary/treasurer and acting secretary/treasurer. The additional
activities undertaken by the Branch has resulted in extra work for them
which they have carried out both thoroughly and enthusiastically.
VICTORIA
Obituary
FRANK PENMAN 1905-1973
Frank Penman M.Sc. (Melbourne), F.R.A.C.I., M.A.I.A.S. joined the
Analytical Branch, now the Division of Agricultural Chemistry, of the
Victorian Department of Agriculture in 1927. Initially Assistant Research
Chemist and subsequently Research Chemist, he was appointed Deputy Chief
Chemist in 1948. During the Second World War he was seconded to the
Ministry of Munitions from August 1940 to October 1944.
-15-
Early in 1950, he left the Department of Agriculture to become
Chief Irrigation Officer of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.
Late in the same year he accepted the position of Officer-in-Charge of
the CSIRO Commonwealth Research Station at Merbein. In 1954, he was
appointed Senior Officer-in-Charge of CSIRO Irrigation Research Stations,
comprising those at Merbein and Griffith. He returned to Melbourne in
1961 to act as consultant to the CSIRO Executive on irrigation and
drainage - a position he occupied until his retirement in March 1970.
Frank joined the Department of Agriculture at a time when its
scientific services were being reorganized and developed. Furthermore,
his appointment coincided with a period when the scientific study of the
soil was receiving impetus in Australia through the influence of
Professor J.A. Prescott, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the Waite
Agricultural Research Institute. It was not unexpected, therefore, that
Frank became concerned very early in his career with the study of soils
in relation to agricultural problems. In the pre-war years, he made
notable contributions to the understanding of moisture regimes and
fertility trends in soils under cereal culture, but most of his colleagues
will remember his as an internationally recognized authority on the
irrigation and drainage of soils.
Frank's long association with irrigation agriculture began at
Woorinen in 1928 when an embryo Division of Soils of the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research jointly with the Department of
Agriculture commenced survey of the irrigated horticultural settlements
along the Murray River in Victoria. Under his leadership, these co
operative soil surveys were extended into the Kerang and Murray Valley
irrigation areas. He is author and co-author of a number of these soil
survey publications and other soil studies.
The early soil survey work led to his becoming closely associated
with irrigators' organizations where he was held in high regard for his
scientific knowledge and insight into the problems and practical needs of
irrigation. Later, at the CSIRO Irrigation Research Stations, he developed
a strong interest in hydrology and the control of watertables and soil
salinity by pumping from aquifers.
He served on numerous committees, a few examples being the Nyah -
Woorinen Enquiry Committee, the Technical Advisory Committees to Farmer-
controlled research farms at Kerang and Swan Hill, the Victorian Irrigation
Research and Promotion Organization, and the inter-departmental Irrigation
Research and Advisory Services Committee.
Frank was Australian representative on the International Commission
on Irrigation and Drainage and was president of the national committee.
In 1956 he was sent as Australian delegate on a I.C.I.D. tour of the
U.S.S.R. to study irrigation projects. He is co-author of "Irrigation,
Drainage and Salinity", an international source book sponsored by
FAO/UNESCO.
-16-
He was a member of both the Australian and the International Society
of Soil Science.
J.K.M. Skene
Branch notes
In the last six months three meetings were held at the Soil Conservation
Authority.
Dr. T. de Meester, Reader in Soils at Wageningen, Netherlands, spoke
on "Soils of Arid Asia Minor - the relationships between their features
and structural stability".
Professor N.P. Timofeeff, Chairman of the Department of Geography at
the State University of New York, Binghamton, U.S.A., spoke on "Classification
and Ordination of Environmental land Units by Multivariate analysis of Sample
Data".
Mr. Alex Mitchell, Chairman, S.C.A., spoke on "Soil Conservation and
Catchments in Iran and Ethiopia".
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Branch notes
An informal symposium on "Soil and Tissue Testing", was held at the
W.A. Department of Agriculture on 26th and 27th February, 1973 and is
reported in this issue. Contributors included Dr. J.D. Colwell from CSIRO,
Canberra and Alan Smith from the N.S.W. Department of Agriculture, Wagga.
Dr. C.A. Parker addressed the Society on the topic, "Root Diseases
and Soil Fertility", on 16th April, 1973.
Dr. R.H. Mazzuchelli from the Exploration Division of Western Mining
Corporation Limited Kalgoorlie gave a talk entitled "The Role of Soil
Sampling in Mineral Exploration", on the 2nd July, 1973.
Personal notes
Professor J.P. Quirk, Director of the Institute of Agriculture,
University of W.A., was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of
Science.
Dr. C.A. Parker recently returned from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he
presented an opening paper to the Unesco conference on "The Global Impact
of Applied Microbiology".
-17-
Alan Smith has completed a thesis entitled "The Kinetics of
Dissolution of Some Phosphates Occurring in Soils", and has returned
to the N.S.W. Department of Agriculture in Wagga.
QUEENSLAND
Branch notes
Several well-attended General Meetings were held in the first half
of 1973. On February 21st a meeting was held at Quantum Laboratories and
included talks by Mr. D.J. Parry on the scope of the Laboratories'
activities with particular reference to agriculture, soil and geochemical
testing and Mr. G. Sherrington on technical aspects of analysis and
equipment. Of particular interest was the fast neutron activation
analysis facility. On April 17th at the Cunningham Laboratory
Professor E.J. Britten presented a talk entitled "Environmental Management
Pollution and Soils". Mr. R.C. Bruce of the Agricultural Chemistry Branch
D.P.I, presented a talk entitled "Soils and Soil Fertility on the Wet
Tropical Coast" at the meeting held 6th June.
The joint A.I.A.S.-A.S.S.S. field trip to North Stradbroke Island
on 28th April was attended by 49 people. The party was shown rehabilitation
of sand-mined areas both in foredune and high dune areas further inland.
Members welcomed the opportunity to see the problems first hand and assess
the effectiveness of rehabilitation methods.
The Annual General Meeting held at the Cunningham Laboratory on 11th
July was preceded by a dinner. The main business of the evening was the
Presidential address of Dr. D.G. Edwards entitled "Flowing Solution Culture -
a Revolution in Plant Nutrition".
Personal notes
Dr. S.A. Waring recently returned from a visit to Indonesia to look
at. soil fertility in relation to tropical pastures. The visit included
some of the more underdeveloped areas such as Suloawesi (Celebes) and
Kalimantan (S. Borneo) where there is considerable potential for soil
fertility improvement. Mr. F. Chippendale retired as Director of the
Agricultural Chemistry Laboratories of Queensland Dept. of Primary
Industries in May 1973.
The new Agricultural Laboratories of D.P.I, at Meiers Road, Indooroopilly
were officially opened on 28th June by the Minister for Primary Industry
(Mr. Sullivan). The new Director following Mr. Chippendale's retirement is
Mr. T. Beckmann, and Assistant Director Mr. B.J. Crack. Officer in charge
of the Plant Nutrition Section is Mr. R.C. Bruce.
-18-
NEW SOUTH WALES
Branch notes
In March the Branch held a symposium entitled "The Social Responsibility
of Soil Scientists Today". There were three speakers, Dr. S.W. Gentle
(N.S.W. Department of Environment), Mr. R.W. Condon (Western Lands Commission
of N.S.W.) and Mr. C.A. Hawkins (N.S.W. Department of Agriculture). The
meeting was well attended and lively discussion followed the speakers'
remarks.
An excursion to Canberra was held in May. The main purpose was to
visit CSIRO laboratories to learn of the work being done there and to discuss
matters of mutual interest with CSIRO officers. In addition there was a one-
day trip to the Kosciusko region to study Alpine soils and vegetation and an
evening meeting with the A.C.T. Branch. Thanks are due to the A.C.T Branch
Committee Members for their assistance with organization and for their
hospitality.
The A.G.M. for the year was held in June. Mr. C.A. Hawkins gave the
Presidential Address entitled "Developments in Soil Testing in N.S.W. since
1960".
Personal notes
During a recent trip overseas Mr. J.H. Bull spent some time inspecting
Soil Testing Laboratories.
Dr. P.M. Cornish, formerly Senior Tutor Demonstrator in the Department
of Soil Science, University of Sydney, is now a Forest Hydrologist with the
Forestry Commission of N.S.W.
Dr. M.D. Melville recently completed his Ph.D. at the Department of
Soil Science, University of Sydney and is now lecturing in Geography at the
University of New South Wales.
Mr. J. Gallagher left the N.S.W. Department of Agriculture in May and
is presently overseas.
-19-
SUMMARIES OF TALKS
EFFICIENT USE OF WATER IN AGRICULTURE
(By T.J. Marshall to the S.A. Branch)
A selection from topics covered in two meetings convened by the
International Society of Soil Science in September 1971, formed the basis
for this talk on control of water in irrigation, drainage, and dryland
agriculture. The meetings were on "Soil-water physics and technology"
(Commissions I and VI at Rehovot, Israel) and "Pseudogleys and gleys -
Development and use of hydromorphic soils" (Commissions V and VI at
Stuttgart, West Germany).
About 200 million hectares of land are irrigated throughout the world
and an Indian estimate suggests a possible future area of about 500 million
hectares (an area two-thirds that of Australia). An independent but compatible
Russian estimate of the amount of water that will be used for irrigation has
been set at 7,000 km3 by the year 2,000. However with growing industrial and
urban demands there is increasing competition for water and there will be
increasing pressure to improve efficiency of conveying, applying and using
water in agriculture. At present less than two-fifths of the water provided
for irrigation is found to be actually used by crops in a number of irrigated
regions investigated recently in western U.S.A. Cures for this rather common
extravagance lie in charging more realistically for water, improving lay-out
and methods, and developing a better control of the required amount and the
proper incidence of irrigation.
Underground drainage is difficult to detect and measure in soils that
are not equipped with artificial drains. One method is to use a tracer such
as tritium as was done in a Black Forest trial visited in a tour from Stuttgart.
Another reported on at both meetings is to maintain suction and water content
measurements and, from the results obtained for entire profiles, analyse the
amount of downward movement. Measurements of downward flow that were under
taken by the Division of Soils, CSIRO to assess recharge of shallow groundwater
in the Mt. Gambler district made use of lysimetry, natural abundance of
tritium in the water, and analysis of water table fluctuations very successfully.
Methods used experimentally in the Negev Desert, Israel, for growing
fruit trees and pastures without aid from conventional irrigation are of two
kinds. One relies on the diversion of occasional run-off from barren hills
on to a planted area. In the other the trees are widely spaced and each has
a collecting area allotted to it from which water is shed fairly readily by
the crusted loessial soil. These and other trials in Israel are of much
interest but there is no present likelihood that they will be followed up
commercially.
One day of the Israel Meeting was devoted to an Invitational Panel and
the several review papers presented at it have been published by Academic
Press under the title "Optimizing the soil physical environment toward greater
crop yields" (Editor, D. Hillel). Proceedings of both the Stuttgart and
Rehovot meetings are to be published also.
-20-
FIELD EVIDENCE OF DECLINE IN PRODUCTIVITY WITH SECOND
ROTATION PINE PLANTATION
(By R. Boardman to the S.A. Branch)
The method of site classification into productivity classes extending
over the whole range of growth with Pinus radiata was described and the
characteristics of the yield tables, derived in association with the
productivity classification, were illustrated.
The productivity decline was expressed in volume measurement of the
stem wood production and was directly related, as a problem, to the aim of
harvesting a sustained yield of fibre as a renewable raw material resource.
The first evidence of a decline in production was apparent from maps
of productivity classes for the same areas growing the two crops in succession.
Examples were shown.
Investigations soon established that lower productivity was not normally
accompanied by obvious symptoms of ill health or unthriftiness. About 80% of
second rotation plantations were growing at a slower rate than their predecessors
did. They were, generally, of a vigour, colour and health equivalent to first
rotation plantings of the same age and growth rate. Normal appearance did not
imply that there had been no decline in productivity with time between rotations.
The trends of stem growth in volume appeared to be the same for plantings in
the same productivity class regardless of whether they were first or second
rotation.
It was found that really reliable comparisons could only be made for
stands in both rotations when there was some quantitative evidence available
from the same pieces of ground. Investigations of mensurational data from
80 plots of this type were examined for correlation of productivity differences
between rotations with various environmental factors including soil type,
intensity of slash burn and the length of time between the felling of the first
crop and the replanting operation, regarded as a fallow period. The evidence
showed that the decline in productivity affected all productivity classes to
about the same degree with the exception of the very poorest associated with
major nutrient deficiencies, principally of phosphorus.
With man-made forests the problem has been aggravated through the use
of management practices which lead to the harvesting of the crop about two-
thirds of the way through the growth trend to the asymptote of wood production.
Consequently it is not clear whether there is a decline in site potential or
simply a decline in production with time but which is associated with a
asymptotic limit which has remained unchanged.
The development of stands in the early years, up to nine years of age,
was virtually not documented when the problem was first defined. Subsequent
studies of stands, in which nutrient deficiencies are not present, have shown
-21-
that growth rate in the first five years is reduced drastically in the
second rotation stands at a time when the potential for growth on individual
stems is very great, when it is three or four times that available when the
trees are older in close canopied stands. It has also been discovered that
management practices can have a marked effect on growth trends during this
free-growth stage and current investigations are examining cultivation and
nutritional methods of enhancing growth rate.
Meanwhile the reasons for the reduced growth rate are not obvious and
it appears that several interacting factors are producing a complex situation
not necessarily similar in components in all places.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN DISPOSING OF ANIMAL WASTES ON THE LAND
(By D.W. Armstrong to the S.A. Branch)
The disposal of wastes from intensive livestock production enterprises
is a problem, as disposal is expensive for scant return. A number of methods
of disposal have been and are being used, including drying, the use of lagoons,
and land spreading.
Land spreading offers the safest and most practical method of disposal,
provided that the waste is applied to land at rates which allow most of the
nitrogen to be used in the soil-plant system. At this rate of application,
very little nitrogen should remain and be available for leaching.
Excess applications of animal waste can cause the following problems:-
(1) Runoff of water from disposal areas may transport the
waste into surface waters, causing pollution of the
water.
(2) In the soil, nitrogen from the waste is mineralized to
nitrates. Nitrates are readily leached, and a number
of examples of ground-water pollution by nitrates from
animal wastes are available.
(3) Waters with greater than 45 mg 1 to 100 mg 1 of
nitrates are toxic to many farm animals, and human
infants can be affected by nitrates in waters if the
nitrate concentration exceeds 45 mg l-!.
(4) Luxury uptake of nitrogen by plants can reduce the
quality of the crop, e.g. lettuces. Nitrate in
fodders can be toxic to stock if the concentration
exceeds 0.3% of the dry weight.
(5) Fodders contaminated by land applications of waste
can be sources of disease infection. Ingestion of
contaminated forage has been related to the trans
mission of several diseases and parasites.
-22-
GEOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF MERCURY
(By D.J. Swaine to the A.C.T. Branch)
There has been an increasing interest in mercury since the further
realization of its potential danger to health in certain situations. General
advances in analytical chemistry have improved the methods for determining
mercury, so that data are available even for concentrations at the parts per
billion level (1 ppb=l part in 109=1 ng/g). Published data for mercury in a
wide range of natural materials will be discussed.
The geochemistry of mercury is concerned with its cycle in nature, and
this requires basic data for rocks, soils, coals and waters. The forms in
which mercury exists and the laws governing its distribution are also relevant.
Another important aspect is the fate of mercury in sediments, where methyl
and dimethyl mercury may form.
During sampling and analysis, special precautions must be taken to avoid
contamination. The volatility of mercury and some mercury compounds is also
an important factor. Possible sources of contamination in the laboratory and
in the environment will be indicated by considering the uses of mercury.
Reliable data are essential for an understanding of the geochemistry of
mercury, and for a proper perspective of its general role.
WHY BAND NITROGEN FERTILIZERS IN SOIL?
(By R. Wetselaar to the A.C.T. Branch)
The chain of events which occurs when a solid nitrogen fertilizer is
banded in soil was discussed with reference to detailed laboratory and field
experiments done also by John Passioura, Derek Rose, and Paul Jakobsen. In a
one-dimensional situation the dissolution of fertilizer proceeds as the square
root of time, resulting in a nitrogen profile invariant with zt-^ (z = distance
from fertilizer, and t = time). Extrapolation from a one-dimensional (e.g.
surface placed fertilizer) to a two-dimensional situation (e.g. banded
fertilizer) can be made with some confidence.
After dissolution and diffusion of a banded fertilizer the nitrifying
organisms are confronted with a bell-shaped distribution of nitrogen
concentrations ranging from near zero to over 5,000 p.p.m. The effects of
these concentrations of nitrification were studied in zero-dimensional
incubations, the results of which indicate that osmotic suction, pH, and
ammonium concentration can inhibit nitrite and/or nitrate formation, and
suggest that band spacing can to some extent be used as- a nitrification
inhibitor.
The effects of banded fertilizers (in laboratory and field studies)
on roots were great and the resulting root patterns suggest that optimum
utilization can be made by the plant. This seems to be borne out by field
experiments, the results of which were given.
-23-
IRRIGATION LAYOUT AND WATER USE
(By J.A. Thompson to the Riverina Branch)
Furrow irrigated row cropping requires the use of specialized machinery -
row crop planters, toolbar and listers and/or bed shapers, inter-row cultivating
gear etc.
With the advent of wheat production quotas many producers turned to
summer grain crops to supplement farm incomes. Crops included maize and grain
sorghum and more recently sunflower and soybean. Could these crops be grown
successfully on flat irrigated layouts and with conventional wheat machinery?
Three years experiments at the Agricultural Research Station, Leeton
have shown that grain yields from a border check layout are at: least equal to
those from the furrow irrigated row crop layout. Maize and grain sorghum
were used as test crops. Two soil types were involved - a grey semi-self
mulching clay and a red duplex soil (15-20 cm clay loam overlying a very
heavy clay).
Water use is defined as irrigation + effective rainfall - surface
drainage ± change in soil stored moisture to 200 cm depth. Drainage below
this depth would have been relatively minor. Water use was similar for both
species (the cultivars chosen had practically identical flowering and
maturity dates) and layouts.
Water use efficiency was high in 1970-71 and 71-72. Lower yields and
greater water use reduced efficiency in 72-73. Maize was a more efficient
grain producer than sorghum. Both species had similar efficiencies for
total above ground dry matter production.
It was interesting to note that American Class A pan evaporation from
emergence to commercial harvest (14% moisture) was 110 cm in all years.
Numbers of days involved were 138, 151 and 118.
EFFICIENT USE OF WATER BY LUCERNE
(By J.W. Read to the Riverina Branch)
The uptake of water by plants depends on the correct functioning of the
roots and particularly the root hairs. An adverse root environment affects
the efficiency of water use.
In a field experiment water was applied to four cultivars of lucerne
at intervals of 10.2 cm and 5.1 cm evaporation from a U.S. 'A' class
evaporimeter. A control plot was not irrigated. The cultivars were
Hunter River, Siro Peruvian, Du Puits and Lahontan, and the experiment was
conducted from October through to February 1973.
-24-
The duplex soil had 10-15 cm loam overlying a heavy red clay.
Except when deep cracks developed due to drying, water infiltration was
impeded by the clay subsoil.
The water use efficiency measured as kg DM per ha per cm applied
water was greater for the control plots even though the absolute yield in
these plots was low. Lahontan and Hunter River were more adaptable to
irrigation than Siro Peruvian and Du Puits.
The meeting discussed the possible changes that would occur immediately
after flood irrigation. Anaerobic conditions might exist in which the
concentration of CO2 in the root zone might be toxic. High temperatures at
the same time would increase the susceptibility of the roots to excess CO2.
In the non-irrigated plots, however, the soil was aerated through cracks
that developed.
Most of the discussion centered on the chemical changes that occur
due to the lack of oxygen or indirectly through changes in microbial
activity. In a supplementary pot experiment the level of manganese was
shown to rise sharply when the length of flooding was increased from 8
to 14 days. The Mn concentration in plant tissue increased by 100% due
to irrigation. During the short time after flood irrigation when the soil
is completely saturated the efficiency of water uptake may be reduced.
Irrigation timing was discussed in relation to the reduced root
functioning up to 15 days after cutting.
Generally the discussion highlighted the complexity of interacting
systems related to efficient root function.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DUTCH AND VICTORIAN
APPROACHES TO LAND - APPRAISAL
(By F.R. Gibbons to the Victorian Branch)
What are the features which are useful in a system of land-appraisal?
By considering the concepts of conservation, classification and of the
integrated approach, it seems that five features, amongst others, are
useful:
* data on many land-characteristics and their relationships;
* a range of kinds of land use;
* a knowledge of the relationships of inputs (land-features,
materials, skills) and outputs (products of the land);
* a knowledge of land-processes and hazards;
* socio-economic data at a late stage in the appraisal.
-25-
In the Dutch approach, pre-eminence amongst land-characteristics
is given to soils and the water-table, and a sophisticated system of
mapping with an intrinsic system of classification is used. Many kinds
of land use are considered - arable farming with different crops, grazing,
building and recreation. A strong point of their approach is the attempt
to link soil-features with productivity in each of these various forms of
use. Both empirical and rational methods are used to identify the chief
soil-limitations involved under the various circumstances encountered.
In some situations, the methods cannot be applied in a completely objective
way because of the difficulty of quantifying the terms used and of deter
mining their relationships and the required levels of each. In other
situations, the methods are objective throughout. Except for the almost
ubiquitous high water-table, the hazards of land-use are not emphasized in
the Dutch approach. Socio-economic factors are important - the kind of
production for an area of land is nearly always determined by them, and
the purpose of the information about soils is to show what limitations must
be removed, - i.e. the management practices and their cost.
In the Soil Conservation Authority's approach, a wider range of land-
characteristics is considered, and particularly their relationships, so as
to be able to make predictions over large areas and to surmise some of the
ecological processes. Again, many types of land-use are considered, but
in assessing the capability of the land for them, the methods are largely
empirical and with some guess-work. However, the hazards involved in
various kinds of land-use receive much attention, with an effort to work
out the mechanisms. This information is used to contribute to decisions
made, not only about the safe management practices, but also about the
best kind of production. In this, however, there is inadequate emphasis
on socio-economic factors.
These various differences can be linked with the differences between
the two countries. The one is smaller, densely populated, with variable
soils, temperate climate and land at a premium; the other is bigger,
sparsely populated with a wide range of land-types subject to deterioration
and wondering what next to do with them.
By combining some features of both approaches a more generally-
applicable scheme can be devised.
THE ROLE OF SOIL SAMPLING IN MINERAL EXPLORATION
(By R.H. Mazzucchelli to the W.A. Branch)
Both internationally, and within Australia, the sampling and analysis
of soils has assumed great importance within the sphere of mineral exploration.
The basis for and results of such studies is described by reference to case
histories in Western Australian exploration. The factors affecting the
planning, conduct and interpretation of geochemical soil surveys are mentioned,
and methods used in detailed investigation of geochemical dispersion processes
are described. The fundamental importance of landscape pattern recognition
in the application of geochemical soil surveys is stressed.
-26-
SYMPOSIUM ON SOIL AND TISSUE TESTING
(Summary by N.J. Halse of a symposium held in
February 1973 by W.A. Branch)
Dr. M.D. Carroll introduced the subject of soil and tissue testing
with a discussion of the traditional steps in making a recommendation.
Emphasis was placed on the interpretation step and though questioning
the success of the multiple regression approach, the need to include
factors other than the analytical result of a test was also stressed.
Some method of obtaining feedback information should be built into
any soil test system. He concluded that soil and tissue tests should
be better than alternative methods of making fertilizer recommendations.
In his discussion of soil and tissue testing sampling procedures,
Phil Southern pointed out that any commercial soil or tissue test must
be practical. The use of farmer sampling, shallow soil cores and whole
plant tissue samples would therefore almost certainly be involved.
Problems of paddock variation and the question "to bulk or not to bulk?"
were discussed at some length.
The use of farmer sown trials and large plots to overcome the
differences between experimental and whole farm results was discussed
by Alan Smith when he described the current N.S.W. Department of
Agriculture programme of soil testing to determine phosphorus require
ments of wheat. This programme is investigating the relative merits
of soil test, district agronomist and farmer's choice as methods of
predicting fertilizer requirements. If the trial results and economic
evaluation procedures are accepted as a true measure of optimum
fertilizing practice, then the soil test gave less losses and less
differences from the best rate to apply, but the district agronomist
was more profitable overall because he tended to over fertilize and
the loss function favours such practises.
Dr. W.J. Cox described the W.A. Department of Agriculture programme
to develop a soil test for potassium on pastures and how local levels
fitted in with those determined in other States. The question of putting
a value on pasture production was raised but not resolved.
Soil testing for nitrogen was discussed though there are few
data available as yet in W.A. The N.S.F.P. programme apparently shows
that there is a mediocre relationship between soil nitrogen and grain
yield in W.A.
Trace element soil testing has also received very little attention
in W.A. probably because of the long lasting effect of trace element
fertilizers applied almost universally to the well defined regions of
deficient soils.
-27-
Dr. J.D. Colwell emphasized the point that a soil test should
be related directly to the fertilizer required and not to derived
parameters of yield such as relative yield. The unavoidable problems
of biological variation are common to any experimentally derived
prediction service and as such cannot be used to denigrate soil testing.
A soil test is cheaper than one or a series of fertilizer trials.
The advantages of using orthogonal polynomials and Bulgarian technicians
was discussed at some length.
The problem of evaluating pasture data was discussed by Dr. D. Bennett.
Because of the low success rate obtained in trials measuring animal response
to superphosphate in Australia, he saw a modelling approach replacing
grazing trials. He then went on to discuss the large number of considerations
involved in deciding what the optimum fertilizer rate is. The simple
marginal cost and return analysis is not related to the practical decision
making process. Factors such as pricing under uncertainty, limited funds,
opportunity cost and residual returns to current fertilizer dressings must
all be considered.
Bill Bowden revived several questions for more detailed discussion.
What is the best method of comparing different fertilizer prediction methods?
In what form should a recommendation leave a soil testing laboratory?
Should it be a fertilizer rate of a response curve to be interpreted by an
adviser conversant with the individual farmer's economic situation? To
what extent do farmers use soil testing advice?
The theory of plant tissue testing was presented by Professor
J.F. Loneragan. He pointed out the differences between mobile and
immobile nutrients in a plant and the effect these differences had on
sampling and interpretation of results. Tissue testing can only provide
information for fertilizing next years crop but it is a very important
diagnostic tool.
This point was emphasized by Mr. L.T. Jones discussing tissue testing
in vineyards and Mr. J. Cripps who dealt with tissue testing in orchards.
Fertilizer costs are only about 3% of total production costs for apples
and so tissue testing is valuable in determining which nutrient is
deficient rather than in deciding precisely how much is required.
Following a discussion of the critical levels for both animal and
plant production of several nutrients in W.A. pasture species by
Ron Glencross, Mel Nairn discussed animal tissue testing as a diagnostic
technique. After detailing several case histories involving the diagnosis
of nutrient deficiencies using identifiable symptoms or blood and tissue
analysis, Dr. Nairn concluded that the dose response experiment was by
far the best approach. Animal and plant tissue testing may be some guide
but may at least equally as often misguide the observer.
-28-
SOILS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF SURINAM
(By A.W.L. Veen to the Queensland Branch)
The coastal plain of Surinam (formerly Dutch Guiana) consists of
three separate landscapes. The holocene Young Coastal Plain is still
being built up by deposition of marine muds, derived from the Amazon
river sedimentary load transported along the coast by the Guiana current.
The soils are heavy clays in various degrees of ripening. Acid sulphate
soils have developed upon reclamation due to the initial high pyrite
content of soils whose geogenesis took place in a micro-environment
characterized by mangrove vegetation.
The pleistocene Old Coastal Plain has a more complicated origin.
Geogenesis took place in two main stages. Lower Coropina deposits were
subject to intensive soil formation and were subsequently abraded by
renewed marine transgression. The latter was accompanied by formation of
siderite in the truncated soil. This carbonate of iron serves as a marker
for the top of the lower Coropina deposits. The Upper Coropina deposits,
clay and sand, were formed and the sea withdrew again. Soil formation
started with the first of three cycles. Between this cycle and the
current one, illuviation of clay took place. The destruction of this clay
led to cementation of the B horizon in the podzols, and to the formation
of an oxic horizon in the well-drained soils.
The third landscape is the Nandery. Red and yellow oxisols and
giant podzols occur in an intricate pattern which is not fully understood.
It is possible that the sediments correlate with tertiary sands and clays
underlying the Coropina in the Old Coastal Plain and overlying the
bauxite.
ANALYTICAL SERVICES OF QUANTUM LABORATORIES PTY. LTD.
(By D.J. Parry and G. Sherrington to the Queensland Branch)
In outlining the scope of Quantum's operations, Mr. Parry indicated
that the laboratory provided analytical services not only for the agricultural
sector but also for mining and industry. Of the agricultural operations,
soil testing was initially envisaged as being the major service provided by
the laboratory, but demands in this area are now secondary to those for plant
and stockfeed analysis. Requests for soil tests from architects, engineers,
landscape gardeners and golf clubs are often as frequent as those from
farmers. Mr. Parry, in outlining Quantum's approach to soil testing,
indicated that there were now few problems in the sampling and analysis of
soil samples for farmers although there was a need for standardization of
methods between laboratories. The major problem in soil testing continued
to be that of interpretation of the soil test value. Here, feedback from
the farmer was considered an important aspect in developing a useful soil
testing service.
-29-
Other aspects of Quantum's services involve analysis of seed crops
for oil and water, while a major proportion of the laboratories' resources
is devoted to analysis of stockfeed for such components as protein, lysine,
Ca, P, T.D.N, and trace elements.
The technical aspects of the analytical operations were reviewed by
Mr. G. Sherrington. Specific ion electrodes for measurement of NH/ + ,
NC>3~, K + and Ca^ are used extensively for soil and plant analysis.
Elemental analysis of soils, rocks and plant material can be accomplished
with an X-ray fluorescence unit while nuclear magnetic resonance is
employed for oil and water analysis in seeds. The analytical workhorse
of the laboratory is an atomic absorption spectrophotometer which is used
for routine elemental analysis down to trace levels. Attachments have
been developed which enable the instrument to be used for solution spectro
photometry, and for the measurement of nanogram quantities of mercury.
Probably the most exciting analytical tool in the laboratory is the
fast neutron activation facility. With this apparatus, samples are non-
destructively irradiated with fast neutrons, the resulting unstable
elements producing radiation characteristic for the particular element.
The method is currently being used for analysis of a range of elements
including N, P, K, F, Cu, Al, Si, and Mo.
PLANT GROWTH SIMULATION
(By J. Morgan to the N.S.W. Branch)
Due to their complex nature, the quantitative analysis of biological
systems has been restricted to small aspects in the past.
The advent of the digital computer has made attempts to quantify whole
biological systems a possibility. This means that attempts can be made to
integrate or build back information derived from studies which have concen
trated on detail of parts of the system without accommodating the whole
system. Such a system may be exemplified by a wheat plant community. We
are attempting to study and predict the effects of any change in the major
components of the soil and environment by building an additive model which
simulates the growth of a wheat plant - in daily cycles - commencing with a
seed and proceeding through the various phases of ontogeny. Growth is
described in terms of the weights of the various morphological components -
roots, leaves, stems, ears, etc. It is converted into length or area where
necessary and is generated as the outcome of supply of sugars, soil nutrients
and water and the demand for these, being the genetically limited potential
growth at a given temperature. If and when operational, the model may be
useful in predicting the effects of changes in soil nutrients and water,
root distribution etc. on the growth of a wheat crop. However, our knowledge
is most deficient, in this area and this may well limit the usefulness of the
model.
-30-
DEVELOPMENTS IN SOIL TESTING IN N.S.W. SINCE 1960 (PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS)
(By C.A. Hawkins to the N.S.W. Branch)
Since 1960 a great deal of attention has been given to soil testing,
both in research and application. Commonwealth and State Research
organizations aided by private firms have done research, several fertilizer
firms have set up testing services, the number of samples tested has risen
sharply and the scope of the tests has broadened.
This growth coincided with rising fertilizer consumption in the
50's and 60's, with a generally buoyant agriculture up till the late 60's
and followed a run of good seasons in the 50's.
The N.S.W. Department of Agriculture tested 1,300 samples in 1958/59;
last year 5,000 were tested under conditions of restricted staff. More
spectacularly, the numbers tested by fertilizer firms grew from practically
none in 1960 to over 30,000 in some years.
In the Department of Agriculture texture, pH, electrical conductivity
and occasionally phosphorus were the tests in 1960. Today, depending on
the problem, Bray No. 1 and modified Olsen phosphorus, phosphorus sorption,
exchangeable and non-exchangeable potassium, exchangeable calcium, magnesium
and sodium, buffering capacity, total nitrogen, manganese and aluminium
may be done as well.
The growth depended heavily on a serious search for reliable bases of
interpretation after more than 50 years of scepticism. Of course scepticism
and controversy still exist, but despite this the practice continues to
grow.
THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF SOIL
SCIENTISTS TODAY
(N.S.W. Branch Symposium)
1. Dr. S.W. Gentle:
The term 'social responsibility' implies that we look outside the
narrow sphere of professional expertise. The fact that a look outside does
not always reveal what we would like to see, is perhaps one motivation for
taking the step today in putting on this style of meeting. Soil scientists
are not particularly notorious for being unaware of what is going on
extraneous to their fields of work but are notorious for doing little to
alter some of the motivating forces. This is due to self-evident righteous
ness in the midst of a pagan throng of pressure groups, political influences
and general societal trends which they choose to discount as being too
poorly informed to merit serious argument with a true, unmuddied soil
scientist.
-31-
The social responsibility of the soil scientist is to communicate
his argument in terms of today's society. For all those within the
specialized disciplines of soil science the challenge is to make their
specialities relevant to other specialized fields of science and social
science, and, through the combined approach, to society at large.
2. Mr. R.W. Condon:
The soil scientist has social responsibilities in such fields as
soil conservation and land administration. In the latter field, for
example, there is a need to be generous in the matter of land settlement,
it being more desirable to have seven prosperous farmers than ten or
twelve struggling for a living.
It is the role of the soil scientist to keep the community properly
informed on the issues involved. In so doing conflicts may arise between
one's responsibility to the community and one's responsibility to oneself
and one's employer.
3. Mr. C.A. Hawkins:
Despite technological advance, agriculture will continue to be man's
main source of food. Fertilizers, particularly phosphorus, will be
indispensable to feed rising world population, yet consumption of finite
"mineable" nutrient elements will rise steeply and, if not checked, the
phosphorus "blip" on the time scale (for example) will be smaller and
briefer than that for fossil fuels.
Soil scientists ought to examine seriously ways of eking out
nutrient supplies and of recycling nutrients.
To take phosphorus, N.S.W. applied 65-70,000 tons P to crops and
pastures in 1968/69, half of this to wheat, yet exports on average
about 10,000 tons P annually, mostly in wheat, which if one assumes a
long term recovery of 20% of applied P, is about twice that recoverable
on wheat lands.
One accessible concentration point for P is sewage. For instance,
Sydney discharges 2-3,000 tons P annually in sewage (half from detergents)
in 190 x 10 gallons water daily. Diversion inland of the spring-summer
outfall only would irrigate 55,000 acres and apply 4-6 cwt superphosphate
equivalent per acre or alternatively 2 cwt super equivalent per acre to
110-165 x 103 acres.
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National Printers Pty. Ltd. — 9/73.
