A number of different organic compounds have been identified. There is some evidence from long-term trials in the West Midlands and on the south coast of Western Australia that continuous cereal cropping may reduce repellence, providing the soils are not severely repellent. However, there are many agronomic disadvantages of continuous cereal cropping. Blue lupins, Lupinus consentinii, definitely increase the severity of water repellence. A sandplain paddock growing blue lupins continuously for about five years will develop moderate to severe repellence.
Sheep camps tend to be more water repellent because of the accumulation of organic matter.
The waxy substances in plants are not effectively broken down by their passage through the sheep. The soil property which is closely linked to susceptibility to water repellence is the surface area. For instance, coarse sands can be more repellent than fine sands when the same amount of organic matter is added. Coarse sand has a lower surface area than the same weight of fine sand. Clay has a very much larger surface area than sand, because it consists of much finer particles.