Slightly saline irrigation: you can water, you cannot water the same way every time

What you see in the field

You can water, but not watering after watering. A sketch — don’t fertilise from the picture alone.As soon as it dries, salt stands on the surface. A sketch — don’t fertilise from the picture alone.

Tap to enlarge. The caption says what to photograph. Missing field photos are marked as to-be-added.

Why it looks like this

The field looks like this because the root cannot take water or nutrients the usual way. Fix the soil condition first — drainage, salt, acidity, compaction or a salt of fertiliser — then a thin feed. Rates live in the range on this page; confirm with a local station and the label.

Easy to mix up

• Looks like “Fertiliser burn”

  Fertiliser burn is a just-applied history; brackish water is an irrigation history.

• Looks like “Disease wilt”

  Disease is patches; salt injury follows the watering in a sheet.

Do this / don’t do that

1. 1Compare the worst plants with a neighbour ridge. Photograph whole plant, close-up and soil surface before you add fertiliser.
2. 2Match roots, leaves and the soil surface to this guide. If they do not line up, do not copy a bag count.
3. 3Use the rate range on this page only as a range. Confirm with a local station and the product label.

Rate range

These are ranges. Confirm with your local extension station and the product label.

When you see After a few irrigations, test. If the leaf and the soil disagree, test before you pour.

Lesson video