Agriculture Victoria land management extension officer Clem Sturmfels will host a webinar on farm dam management on Wednesday, September 11.
Mr Sturmfels said during an extended period of below average rainfall and a change of season coming, the lack of run-off into farm dams is something to keep track of.
“Farmers need saturated soils to generate run-off, the exception being when dams are located below a road or rocky hilltop,” he said.
“Ensuring soils get to the point of saturation and generate run-off at this time of the year may be a challenge due to the rapid growth of crops and pastures and increasing rates of evaporation.
“Above average or high intensity rainfall will be needed to fill dams.
“High intensity rainfall or thunderstorms can quickly fill dams, however they can pose a pollution risk and shouldn’t be relied on in a dry year.”
Agriculture Victoria manages soil moisture probes in various locations across the state.
The probes provide real time soil water content data by recording soil water content from 30cm down to 1m as a reference point for a paddock.
“The probes have been calibrated to the specific soil type in the paddocks and reflect a moisture percentage based on the maximum and minimum soil moisture available to plants,” Mr Sturmfels said.
“This has been determined by monitoring over many years and a range of seasons.
“These probes can be a useful guide to general conditions in your area, however, it is also important to check conditions closer to home.
“A more detailed assessment can be made using a post hole auger or by driving a crowbar or steel probe into the ground.”
To subscribe to the Soil Moisture Monitoring newsletter and find more information, go to the Agriculture Victoria website.
Information on preparing your farm for dry seasonal conditions can also be found on the Agriculture Victoria website.
The farm dam management webinar on Wednesday, September 11 will be held from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Mr Sturmfels will talk about dam water storage, best management techniques and discuss tools for calculating how much water is in a dam. Register at: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/event-listing/dry-season-spring-webinar-series-water-and-dam-management
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