4627.0 - Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2013-14 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/07/2015   
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This document was added or updated on 13/10/2015.

SOIL MANAGEMENT
In 2013-14

NATIONAL AND STATE/TERRITORY

    • During 2013-14 approximately 22,600 agricultural businesses (or 17.6% of all agricultural businesses) applied soil enhancers to their land, an increase of 3.8% from 2011-12.
    • While Victoria recorded the largest number of agricultural businesses applying some form of soil enhancer (6,300 businesses), Western Australia applied soil enhancers to the largest area of land (1.7 million hectares).
    • Of the soil enhancers used by agricultural businesses during 2013-14, lime and/or dolomite was applied to the largest area of land with 2.1 million hectares. This is an increase of 342,000 hectares, or 19.7%, from 2011-12 and was driven by a 38.2% increase in the area applied in Western Australia.
    • During 2013-14 gypsum application increased by 10% from 2011-12, with approximately 6,000 businesses applying gypsum to 987,000 hectares.
    • Victoria recorded the largest area to which gypsum was applied (340,100 hectares) and the largest number of businesses applying it (2,300 businesses).

Graph Image for Soil management

Footnote(s): (a) Includes ACT (b) Data reported as zero value may not be available for publication. See data cubes for further information

Source(s): Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2013-14

AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS (AAE)

    • A national increase in the area of lime and/or dolomite applied during 2013-14 was driven by a 320,000 hectare increase from 2011-12 in its application in Wheatbelt West (AAE 15), where lime and/or dolomite were applied to 946,000 hectares.
    • A national increase in the area of gypsum applied during 2013-14 was also driven by an increase in Wheatbelt West (AAE 15), with that region’s application area increasing by 70,500 hectares since 2011-12 to 203,000 hectares.

Percent of agricultural businesses using soil enhancers, 2013-14
Image:  Map of agricultural businesses using soil enhancers. 2013-14