Soil cracks outlast drought
The research suggests water should be applied less intensely following drought to help the cracks close. Image: SilverV/iStockphoto Deep cracks in soil that appear during long dry spells can remain open underground even after they have visibly sealed on the surface, a new study has found.The results could have important implications for agricultural management around the timing and intensity of water and pesticide applications.“These soils are very fertile and provide the most productive agricultural land in Australia,” said lead author Dr Anna-Katrin Greve, a postdoctoral fellow with UNSW’s Connected Waters Initiative.“Lower water application intensity will give soil cracks time to close and more frequent irrigations could prevent the soil cracks from reforming.”These cracks, which form during extended dry periods, provide “preferential pathways” allowing water to flow much faster than it would through non-cracked soil.This means nutrients and pesticides are rapidly transported beyond the crops’ root-zone, said Greve, and if the plants can't...