The SOILpak series aims to provide a range of best soil management practices to optimise crop and pasture yields.

SOILpak is intended for:

• managers who want to learn more about how to manage their soil
• consultants and extension officers who wish to become more skilled in advising their clients on soil management.

The table of contents appears below.

Contents

Preface

Part A. Introduction
       A1. About this manual
       A2. The ideal soil for dryland farming
       A3. District soil management problems

Part B. Quick help
       B1. Trouble-shooting guide
       B2. Using stubble to manage topsoil
       B3. More ways to improve topsoil
       B4. Avoiding damage to topsoil by livestock
       B5. Subsurface soil and subsoil management after harvest
       B6. Controlling traffic to prevent compaction
       B7. Soil acidity and the need for lime
       B8. Salinity
       B9. Choosing crop/pasture rotations
       B10. Applying nutrients to the soil
       B11. Successful seedling establishment
       B12. Managing variable paddocks
       B13. Soil management and the environment
       B14. Case studies

Part C. Diagnosing soil condition
       C1. Soil pit digging: where, how and when?
       C2. Features of the SOILpak soil description sheet
       C3. Soil moisture (before tillage), soil texture and available water
       C4. Soil structure assessment
       C5. Structure assessment after soil modification
       C6. Stubble
       C7. Salinity assessment
       C8. Other tests
       C9. Using soil moisture data to assess soil condition

Part D. Practical soil management: after the diagnosis
       D1. Maximising water use efficiency
       D2. Erosion control
       D3. Avoiding soil structure problems
       D4. Improving soil structure
       D5. Achieving a suitable pH
       D6. Avoiding salinity problems
       D7. Machinery for soil management
       D8. Nutrient management

Part E. Background information
       E1. Soil used for dryland farming in Central Western NSW
       E2. Compaction processes
       E3. Hardsetting and crusting
       E4. Effects of sodicity and salinity on soil structure
       E5. Clay minerals
       E6. Organic matter and soil biota
       E7. Plant growth in response to soil structure and temperature
       E8. Water movement
       E9. Property planning

Appendixes
       1. Sources of information
       2. Further reading
       3. More case studies are needed
       4. Unit conversion
       5. Glossary
       6. Supply of SOILpak soil description sheets

Index