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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Identifying critical determinants of soil water repellency in an Australian dryland farming system
Soil & tillage research, Vol.255, 106794
2026
Abstract
Soil water repellency (SWR) poses a significant challenge in agriculture by reducing the soil’s ability to absorb water, thereby limiting water infiltration and negatively impacting crop yields. Numerous studies have shown multivariate relationships between the expression of SWR and soil particle size and organic carbon contents. However, the biological effects on soils are often considered in isolation. In this study, we explored the relationships between SWR and various physicochemical and biological properties of 30 soil samples from ten non-irrigated, dryland farms in South Australia, using correlation analysis and Random Forest modelling. Ethanol droplet tests were used to quantify SWR, and key soil properties including clay content, total organic carbon (TOC), pH, total nitrogen, microbial activity (measured via dehydrogenase activity, DHA), and dissolved iron (dFe) were assessed. Soils were grouped into low (Group 1, mean SWR 0.5 M) and high (Group 2, mean SWR 3.0 M) SWR categories based on clear differences in measured SWR values. Significant differences between groups were observed for clay, TOC, dFe, and DHA. Random Forest analysis identified clay and pH as the strongest predictors in Group 1. In Group 2, the model didn’t explain SWR variation. DHA had minimal influence on model performance.
Details
- Title
- Identifying critical determinants of soil water repellency in an Australian dryland farming system
- Authors/Creators
- Naveeda Majid - Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), College of Science, Engineering and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, AustraliaMd Mezbaul Bahar - Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), College of Science, Engineering and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, AustraliaRichard Harper - Murdoch University, Centre for Crop and Food InnovationBrian Hughes - South Australian Research and Development Institute - SARDI, Nuriootpa Research Centre, Nuriootpa, SA 5355, AustraliaRavi Naidu - Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), College of Science, Engineering and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Publication Details
- Soil & tillage research, Vol.255, 106794
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V.
- Number of pages
- 8
- Identifiers
- 991005806850007891
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation; Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Agricultural Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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