The effect of subterranean clover and Wimmera ryegrass pasture in controlling surface run-off from four-acre catchments near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria

Abstract

Certain hydrological changes that followed the introduction of subterranean clover and Wimmera rye-grass in the catchments at the Parwan Experimental Area have been studied. The methods wed in the analysis are outlined and the application of the findings to agricultural practice is discussed. The improved pasture was shown to decrease the amount of surface run-off on both northerly and southerly aspects. The action of this pasture in controlling erosion was gauged by its ability to reduce peak flows. On the northerly aspect significant reductions of these peak flows occurred during the winter and spring but not in the summer and autumn. On the southerly aspect, however, the introduced species did not appear to be as effective in the reduction of peak flows. In one instance both in volume and the peak, run-off was significantly greater from the improved catchment than from the control catchment.