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.
Asidi ya udongo ni tatizo kubwa katika udongo wa kilimo wa Australia Magharibi, na takriban hekta milioni 14.25 sasa au katika hatari ya kuwa asidi. Kwa kuongezea, inakadiriwa kuwa asilimia 10 ya mipango ya kila mwaka ya mazao hupoteza kwa asidi ya udongo, ikilinganishwa na kati ya $ 300 na $ 400m kwa mwaka. Takwimu zilizotolewa hapa ni kutoka kwa mradi wa sampuli ya udongo na uchambuzi wa pH iliyotolewa na ushirikiano kati ya Idara ya Kilimo na Chakula WA (DAFWA) na Precision SoilTech kati ya 2005 na 2008. Kwa mfano, asilimia 80 ya sampuli za udongo wa juu zilizokusanywa katika ukanda wa ngano wa kati wa WA ziko chini ya kiwango cha lengo la DAFWA cha pH ya 5.5, na karibu nusu ya udongo wa chini ya ardhi pia unashuka chini ya lengo la 4.8. Utafiti wa hivi karibuni unaonyesha 80% ya udongo wa juu katika mkoa wa Kaskazini na 90% ya udongo wa juu katika mikoa ya Kusini pia ni chini ya malengo haya. Hii inaangazia faida kubwa ya uwezekano wa uzalishaji kupitia uboreshaji wa asidi ya udongo. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""kiwango cha pH cha udongo"" ni kiwango cha chini cha udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo wa udongo." Ni kuwasilishwa kama inatoa muhtasari zaidi ya kina ya asidi ya udongo katika eneo la ndani.