AGRIBUSINESS

New App to help combat salinity in WA

WESTERN Australian farmers have a new online tool to help rehabilitate salt-affected land.

Staff writer
WA farmers now have access to a new App to help with salinity management.

WA farmers now have access to a new App to help with salinity management.

The Saltland Genie web-based App brings together eight decision support tools to help landholders implement solutions on salt-affected land.

Dryland salinity affects about 1.75 million hectares of public and private land in the south-west of WA, resulting in lost agricultural productivity.

Saltland Genie, launched last week at the Wagin Woolorama event in WA, was developed by Great Southern-based natural resource management group Gillamii Centre and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

When using the tool, farmers and landholders can enter their water and soil salinity measurements to help find practical solutions, access information about on-site implementation and estimate the return on planned rehabilitation investment.

There are details on suitable plant species for salt-affected land, farmer case studies and a water salinity calculator to determine safe drinking water requirements for sheep and cattle.

The Saltland Genie project is supported with funding from the WA Government's State NRM Program.

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis, said: "Dryland salinity is a critical issue on Western Australian farms, reducing the growth of pastures and crops and affecting the biodiversity, water resources and remnant vegetation.

"The Saltland Genie online tool makes resources readily available for farmers to rehabilitate and improve the productivity of salt-affected land.

"The website collates 30 years of producer and science driven results, bringing together decision making tools and on-farm experiences to help find practical management options to overcome salinity."

For more details, visit: https://www.saltlandgenie.com/

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