Overview
Soil Management in Cropping Systems During Drought
Drought severely impacts soil health in cropping systems, reducing productivity, increasing erosion risk, and creating long-term physical, chemical, and biological soil constraints. As climate change increases drought frequency and intensity, proactive soil management is essential to protect agricultural productivity and rural community resilience.
This guide outlines key short- and long-term practices for managing soils before, during, and after drought. During drought, maintaining ground cover, avoiding tillage, and targeting resources to reliable paddocks helps prevent wind erosion and preserve soil structure. Immediately after drought, it’s vital to soil test, re-establish cover quickly, manage fertiliser use, and account for residual herbicides, salinity, and water repellence. Crop selection and sowing strategies must adapt to changed soil conditions, such as compaction and microbial imbalances.
Longer-term resilience is built by increasing organic matter, improving pH, addressing subsoil constraints, and tailoring interventions to sandy soils. Techniques like clay spreading, subsoil manuring, and reducing water repellence all play roles in developing drought-tolerant soils. Managing erosion with vegetation, stubble retention, and physical barriers ensures protection until recovery is underway.
By adopting a proactive, evidence-based approach, landholders can sustain productivity, reduce input waste, and improve soil’s ability to withstand future dry spells.
