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Sample Depth Sample Size
Top Soil 1200
Mid Soil 3
Sub Soil 2

Wheatbelt NRM Soil Acidity Data

Soil acidity is a significant problem in Western Australian agricultural soils, with an estimated 14.25 million hectares currently or at risk of becoming acidic. Furthermore, it is estimated that 10% of annual cropping programmes are lost to soil acidity, equating to between $300-400m per year.

The data presented here are from a project of soil sampling and pH analysis delivered by a partnership between the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) and Precision SoilTech between 2005 and 2008. Approximately 80% of the topsoil samples collected in the central wheatbelt of WA are below DAFWA target pH level of 5.5, and nearly half of the subsurface soils also fall below the target of 4.8. Recent research suggests 80% of topsoil in the Northern region and 90% of topsoils in the Southern regions are also below these targets. This highlights the significant potential gains to production through the amelioration of soil acidity.

The pH data shown here are collected from sites that fall within a 25km radius of the soilquality.org.au soil sample sites. It is presented as it provides a much more detailed overview of soil acidity in the local area.