THE EFFECT OF CULTIVATION ON THE PROPERTIES OF A RHODOXERALF FROM THE WHEAT SHEEP BELT OF NEW-SOUTH-WALES

Adjacent cultivated and never-cultivated areas of land were compared for a variety of chemical and physical properties to determine the effect of traditional cultivation practices on an Australian Rhodoxeralf. Those properties which changed most as a result of clearing and cultivation were pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, nitrogen and profile macroporosity. These changes are due to various processes including soil mixing, fertilizing, crop-growing and an altered water balance. The heterogeneity of the sites was also investigated in order to ascertain the effect of cultivation on the natural variability of the soil. The cultivated soil was found to be much less diverse than the adjoining virgin soil. Whether this is of ultimate benefit to crops is open to conjecture.