Tackling Mallee Seeps: Insights from the MSF Research Update

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast 🎙️, Chris McDonough shares insights from a Mallee Research Update in Victoria on identifying and managing Mallee seeps — areas where perched water tables bring water and salt close to the soil surface, causing ponding, crop loss and bare saline scalds.

The discussion covers the importance of early detection, understanding water-table salinity, and practical management strategies to restore affected areas. These include re-establishing living groundcover with salt-tolerant species such as puccinellia and tall wheat grass, and lowering perched water tables by intercepting and utilising excess water with perennial plants like lucerne strips. Chris also highlights a range of tools and videos available on the MSF website, including a five-step decision tree to help growers assess seep type, landscape position, severity and salinity.

Explore the Mallee Seeps project pages to learn more about identifying mallee seeps, best-practice management approaches, and grower case studies.

Project Page, Resources and Case Studies:

Mallee Seeps - Mallee Sustainable Farming

Mallee Seeps Decision Tree  - Mallee Sustainable Farming

Case studies of seeps trial sites in the Victorian Mallee - Mallee Sustainable Farming

Evaluation & monitoring methods for Mallee seeps - Mallee Sustainable Farming

Mallee Seeps Satellite NDVI Imagery - Mallee Sustainable Farming

Soils Connect (Practical Soil Management Resources):
Soils Connect | Your Hub for Soil Knowledge & Innovation

This podcast episode of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program is supported by Mallee CMA and Mallee Sustainable Farming, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government.