Land Water and Wool Case Studies: Chris Walton, Yealering

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FOR 25 years, Chris Walton has tried almost everything to control salinity on his Yealering farm in WA’s Upper Great Southern region. He reached a critical point in the mid-1990s when, alarmed by the worsening problem, he spent $100,000 in three years on salinity. “I reckon about a third of it was wrong,” Mr Walton said.

“We have to find better solutions that are accurate because no-one can afford that anymore.”

Mr Walton’s quest for quantifiable solutions to salinity led to his involvement in a five-year, on-farm research trial under Land, Water and Wool – a $20 million national program which aimed to boost the sustainability and profitability of wool growers.

Mr Walton is excited by the trial’s results and claims for every dollar spent, a sevenfold return is achievable through timely intervention on salt-affected land.