A multivariate framework for interpreting the effects of soil properties, soil management and landuse on water repellency

Recent research relating the incidence of water repellency in soils of south-western Australia to other soil attributes, soil management, and overuse is reviewed. Repellency and soil attribute relationships are multivariate in nature. Multiple regressions can explain up to 63% of the variation in water repellency. Water repellency is found to be: more common on sandy soils; reduced with application of clay and fine inorganic material; less severe in cropped soils compared with pasture soils; and generally more severe in soil under natural vegetation than in agricultural use (i.e., a natural feature, rather than a result of land degradation due to farming). Field texture data from soil surveys can be used to predict the risk of water repellency development, providing a basis for optimal management.