ABSTRACT

In Canterbury, New Zealand, there has been a widespread conversion of dryland sheep grazing to more intensive irrigated dairying. We determined the effects of these land uses on soil physical properties, and water release characteristics, on adjacent sites: a centre-pivot sprinkler-irrigated dairy farm site, a dryland sheep site, and a non-grazed, non-irrigated control site. Despite the Pallic Soil being well drained, greater soil compaction occurred at the dairy site than at other sites, to at least 30 cm depth. The dairy site typically had significantly lower total porosity and macroporosity, and greater bulk density and volumetric water content, than the other sites. Available water capacity varied but was greater at the dairy site (0–30 cm) than at the sheep site and control site. Further research is required across more farms and soils to confirm these results in other conditions.

摘要

在新西兰的坎特伯雷，旱地绵羊放牧已广泛转变为更集约化的灌溉奶牛场。我们确定了这些土地利用对相邻场地土壤物理特性和水分释放特性的影响：中心枢轴喷灌奶牛场场地、旱地绵羊场地和非放牧、非灌溉控制场地。尽管 Pallic 土壤排水良好，但与其他地点相比，奶牛场的土壤压实程度更大，至少达到 30 厘米深。与其他场地相比，乳品场地通常具有明显较低的总孔隙率和大孔隙率，以及较高的体积密度和体积含水量。可用水容量各不相同，但奶牛场 (0–30 cm) 的水容量大于绵羊场和对照场。