Farmers in Victoria are encouraged to closely monitor their soil moisture and dam water levels over the coming months to ensure water availability is included in future planning.
Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer, Clem Sturmfels said during an extended period of below average rainfall and a change of season coming, the lack of runoff into farm dams is something to keep track of.
‘Farmers need saturated soils to generate runoff, the exception being when dams are located below a road or rocky hilltop.
‘Ensuring soils get to the point of saturation and generate runoff at this time of the year may be a challenge due to the rapid growth of crops and pastures and increasing rates of evaporation. Above average or high intensity rainfall will be needed to fill dams.
‘High intensity rainfall or thunderstorms can quickly fill dams, however they can pose a pollution risk and shouldn’t be relied on in a dry year’, said Mr Sturmfels.
Agriculture Victoria manages soil moisture probes in various locations across the state. The probes provide real time soil water content data by recording soil water content from 30cm down to 1 metre as a reference point for a paddock.
‘The probes have been calibrated to the specific soil type in the paddocks and reflect a moisture percentage based on the maximum and minimum soil moisture available to plants. This has been determined by monitoring over many years and a range of seasons’, said Mr Sturmfels.
‘These probes can be a useful guide to general conditions in your area however it is also important to check conditions closer to home. A more detailed assessment can be made using a post hole auger or by driving a crowbar or steel probe into the ground.’
