Soil Quality
Fact Sheets - Water Repellency
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- Water Repellency 273 Kb PDF
Summary
Water repellent soils occupy more than 5 million hectares of western and southern Australia (Roper 2004). Decomposition of hydrophobic (or water repelling) waxy materials originating from plant residues can coat soil particles preventing the infiltration of water into the soil profile (Van Gool & Moore 1999). Soils with a small surface area (e.g. sand) are more prone to water repellency as it takes less hydrophobic material to coat individual particles, compared to silt or clay. The result of water repellency is generally uneven water distribution in the soil profile which leads to patchy and uneven plant emergence. Moving from an alternately wet and dry soil can make it difficult to control the depth of sowing causing further problems with establishment (Blackwell 1996). Water can remain ponded on the soil surface to be evaporated or lost as runoff. Lack of plant cover and heavy autumn or summer rains can result in significant runoff and erosion on sloping sites.
Related Soil Tests
- Water Repellency
