The economic value of saltland pastures in a mixed farming sytem in Western Australia

Dryland salinity increasingly is affecting large tracts of agricultural land in Australia. In response, technologies are being developed to allow farmers to make productive use of saline land. One option is the use of salt tolerant pasture systems for grazing and localised recharge management. In this study, a whole-farm bio-economic model of the farming system in a salt-affected agricultural region of Western Australia is applied to assess the role and profitability of saltland pastures in the mixed crop and livestock farming system that typifies the region. The results of the analysis show that, across a range of scenarios, saltland pastures suited to moderately saline environments offer the twin advantages of improved profit and reduced recharge that will slow the impacts of salinisation. In practice, for an individual farm the optimal area of saltland pasture is likely to vary according to farm landscape characteristics and market conditions. Key profit drivers for the saltland pasture system are identified, its desirable association with lucerne to reduce recharge is highlighted and priorities for future R&D are discussed.