LA MANAGEM NT MANUAL S ire of Inglewood Written and Compiled by Members of THE INGLEWOOD SHIRE BICENTENNIAL LAND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE EDITOR G. J. CASSIDY Published by the Inglewood Shire Bicentennial Land Management Committee Library Netlional of Australia Card Number and ISBN 0 7316 u.i33 9 ~Australia 1788-rel\ This publication has been funded by grants from The National Soil Conservation Programme and the Australian Bicentennial Authority to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988 Ill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The committee acknowledges the continuing support of Members of the Inglewood Bicentennial Land the Inglewood Shire Council in providing meeting venues and Management Committee were as follows: secretarial services. Noel Biggs "Woodsprings" Inglewood The support of members of the Queensland Department Bruce Carey Soil Conservation Services Branch, of PrimaryIndustries, in particular Messrs. Tom Crothers and Old DPI Bruce Carey of Soil Conservation Services and Mr. Graham Linden Charles "Angle C" Inglewood Harris, Agriculture Branch, has been vital to the committee's Ross Chester Master Q'land Dept. of Forestry Inglewood success. Des Cowley "Wongalea" Inglewood John Crombie "Weyunga" Gore Also acknowledged is the valuable assistance of:­ Tom Crothers Soil Conservation Services Branch, Mr. Malcolm Taylor, Forester at Inglewood - for his contri­ Old. DPI bution and advice ian Dawson "Talbragar" Inglewood Dr. Tom Kirkpatrick, Queensland National Parks and Wildlife, Gordon Donovan "Kiltymaugh" Omanama for assistance in preliminary editing Frank Duggan '' Carawatha' ' Inglewood Dr. Colin Owen - for information on Tree Planting. Ron Elsley "Karara" Yelarbon Bruce Finlay "Emu Plains" Texas Members of the committee who contributed to chapters Max Fitzgerald "Glenelg" Cement Mills in this manual are: Russell Garthe Old Dept. Forestry Inglewood John Greacen, Noel Biggs "Woodsprings" Inglewood Secretary "Brooklyn" Cement Mills Bruce Carey Soil Conservation Services, Old DPI Graham Harris Old DPI Inglewood John Crombie "Weyunga" Gore Don Keith, Chairman Coolmunda Dam Inglewood Tom Crothers Soil Conservation Services Branch, Jock Lee "Dunblane" Yuraraba Old DPI Hugh Middleton "Smithlea" Texas lan Dawson "Talbragar" Inglewood Richard Slack "Avonwood" Oman ama Gordon Donovan "Kiltymaugh" Omanama Ron Teese, "Silverdale" Texas Max Fitzgerald Cement Mills "Glenelg" Deputy Chairman and Treasurer John Greacen "Brooklyn" Cement Mills Dan Wilkie "Glen Lovely" Yelarbon Graham Harris Agriculture Branch, The committee wishes to acknowledge the assistance Old DPI, Inglewood • Don Keith Coolmunda Dam Inglewood of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, and that Hugh Middleton "Smithlea" Texas of Lionel Coxen in particular, for the provision of the Richard Slack ''Avonwood'' Omanama photographs in this manual. Ron Teese "Silverdale" Texas Maps were made available by the Queensland Depart­ ment of Primary Industries. IV INTRODUCTION A request by the Inglewood Shire Council for suitable Agriculture requires us to modify the environment very projects to marks the bicentenary of white settlement in significantly. In doing so, landowners must be careful to Australia provided the incentive for the formation of the maintain a balance. There is clear evidence of drastic environ­ Inglewood Shire Community Bicentennial Land Management mental damage in a number of areas of Australia, causing Committee. Interested members of the community felt such severe production losses e.g. land lost to crop production on a project could provide benefits that would last well beyond the Eastern Darling Downs through soil erosion; large areas the celebration year. It would be an appropriate way to mark of land lost for grain production in Western Australia due to the bicentenary. The aim of tbe Committee is: "To promote salinity. Generally, losses in our shire are not as dramatic, the highest level of sustainable productivity of shire lands, but the evidence suggests that they are widespread. Together by identifying land degradation problems, and by promoting they are very significant. and instigating practical solutions." The production of this manual has been, for members, a goal which was a focus for activities undertaken during the four years of the The chapters in this manual deal with the conservation committee's life. of the soil and its fertility; also enhancement or maintenance of production by weed and pest control. Hand in hand with In identifying and seeking solutions for land degradation these is the conservation of native animals and plants. Indeed the health and variety of wildlife will probably be a continuing problems within the shire, members retained a clear under­ standing of the need for these to be viable within the con­ test of our ability to maintain a balance in modification of the straints that confront our rural community. The Committee environment. Landholders have, in most cases, an affinity has ensured therefore that all information was scrutinised by with native animals, birds and plants; they acknowledge a practical farmers and graziers. All farmer and grazier responsibility to maintain them at a proper level. organisations in the shire have members on the Land Management Committee. Although not official representatives The desire of many producers to retain an adequate of their organisations, their membership is representative of habitat for wildlife, much of which is beneficial to their the broad range of rural enterprises and districts of the Shire. enterprise, is reinforced by the significant areas of state forest Reinforcing those who are practical farmers and graziers have in the shire. As well as providing significant economic benefit been the Queensland Department of Primary Industries to the shire through the timber industry these forests ensure members. They have provided a high level of technical advice continued reproductive success for many species of native and participation. wildlife. The Inglewood Shire community is almost totally dependant on primary production and associated services This manual brings together the best information for its viability. The diversity of enterprises in the shire, along available to committee members, both from their own with a comparatively favourable climate, have provided a experience and from critical analysis of management cushion against the severe downturns experienced by some practices tested by others. The commitee acknowledges that other rural communities. Shallow, fragile soils with limited new techniques, varieties of plants, and evolving manage­ fertility are, however, one feature of the district that calls for ment practices will continue to enhance land management careful management. Control of the land degradation as time goes by. As a result some information will become problems identified and addressed in this manual is essential dated. This manual will, however, provide a sound guide on if our community is to remain viable through the third century which to base future decisions, and a sound base on which of white settlement. improved management practices can be built. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............... .V Chapter 1: THE CLIMATE AND ITS EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE .............................. Rainfall distribution and variability . 1 • Seasonal evaporation . 6 • Temperature .. 6 • Wind .................. • . 15 The effect of floods 15 • Chapter 2: SOILS AND LAND CAPABILITY OF INGLEWOOD SHIRE . 18 Soils .................... ....... .............. ........ 18 • Land capability ............ ..... ....................... ..................... 18 • Chapter 3: SOIL EROSION IN INGLEWOOD SHIRE .. 25 Erosion of grazing lands .. .... 25 • Erosion of cultivated soi ls . .... 27 • Losses of riverbank soils through flooding .............. ...... ....... ...... ....... ...... 29 • Chapter 4: STABILISING GULLY EROSION ... .............. 31 Chapter 5: THE IRRIGATED ALLUVIAL SOILS - PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS .... 34 One irrigator's viewpoint .. 34 • Characteristics of the irrigated soils .. 34 • Land use and the irrigated soils .. ... 36 • Soil limitations to irrigated cropping ... ........... ....... ... 37 • Overcoming soil limitations ...... 37 • Crop and pasture rotations .. 42 • Recommendations for long term management . ........... 43 • Chapter 6: IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING THE PASTURES OF INGLEWOOD SHIRE ... 44 Native pastures and their management .............. 44 • Improved sown pasture ............ ................ .......... ....... 46 • Chapter 7: TREE MANAGEMENT ON SHIRE LANDS .... ............ ........ 48 The balance between trees and forage production .... 48 • Optimum levels of tree retention .... ...... 52 • Sources of fodder . .............. ... 52 • Commercial value of native forests .............. .... 53 • Trees as sources of honey ........... 54 • Tree establishment ........ .. 54 • Trees and shrubs of Inglewood Shire ..... • . ....... ...... 55 Chapter 8: THE CONTROL OF UNWANTED TIMBER. 66 Methods of chemical control 66 • Mechanical clearing ........... 67 • Chapter 9: SHIRE WEEDS AND THEIR CONTROL .. 69 Planning weed control .... 69 • Weeds of Inglewood Shire .. .... ................. ... 69 • The control of some specific weeds .. 74 • Contacts for weed control information ..... 84 • Chapter 10: NATIVE AND INTRODUCED FAUNA - ALLIES AND PESTS ..... 87 Preservation of native fauna 87 • Mammal and bird pests .. ........... .. 87 • VI CHAPTER 1 THE CL/MA TE AND ITS EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE The Inglewood Shire experiences a dry sub-humid a specific period from