Salinity, sodicity and related properties of soil and water in the sugarcane growing regions of Australia

The data was collected to devise rapid diagnostic tests for determining sodicity and salinity of soil and irrigation water in the sugarcane growing districts of Australia. At 250 locations across all the main sugarcane growing regions of Australia, except the Wet Tropics (i.e. Bundaberg, Burdekin, Herbert, Mackay, Mareeba and Proserpine regions), apparent electrical conductivity of the soil was measured using an electromagnetic induction meter, and soil samples were taken to 0.75 or 0.80 m depth in 0.100-, 0.125- or 0.250-m increments. The samples were analysed for 1:5 soil:water extract pH, electrical conductivity and sodium concentration (with a subset also analysed for Ca, Mg and K concentration); exchangeable cations; field texture and dispersion index. 141 irrigation water samples from the Burdekin region (channel and bore samples) were analysed for electrical conductivity, cation concentrations and alkalinity. The data set contains all the primary results.
Software/equipment used to create/collect the data: See analytical methods in Nelson PN, Lawer AT, Ham GJ. 2002. Evaluation of methods for field diagnosis of sodicity of soil and irrigation water in the sugarcane growing districts of Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40, 1249-1265. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR02028
Software/equipment used to manipulate/analyse the data: Microsoft Excel