Potential groundwater recharge from fallowing in north-west Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Long-term rotation experiments in the Wimmera and Mallee regions of north-west Victoria, Australia, were used to measure soil water, matric potential and chloride profiles to calculate the effect of fallowing on potential recharge to groundwater. Two common but distinct soil types were investigated, a grey self-mulching clay (chromic vertisol) and a brown solonised soil (calcic xerosol). Significant differences occurred between fallow (18 months duration) and non-fallow cropping rotations in soil water content, matric potential and chloride within and below the root zone in profiles at both sites. Calculations of potential recharge show that fallowing one year in three, compared with continu..