Media release no.
A new leakage calculator that indicates to farmers how much recharge their land is contributing to watertables and salinity is getting an enthusiastic response from grower groups. The calculator, which should be widely available in WA next year, is an outcome of the Million Hectares for the Future project, funded by the National Dryland Salinity Program. Agriculture Western Australia project manager Dr Bill Porter said seven farmer groups in WA were testing the calculator, which consists of a set of tables and simple calculations. Dr Porter said the leakage calculator should lead to better management options in the fight against salinity. The leakage calculator provides landholders with a tool to estimate how different soil types, crops, pastures and other changes in land use impact on leakage.