Soil after the dry.
Why the first big rain runs off, and what ground cover does about it. With Dr Lin Ng, a soil scientist. 42 minutes, released 15 October 2026.
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Paddock Talk · Episode 87
Soil after the dry
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Transcript
KateWe had forty mil in an hour and watched half of it run straight off the hill. That's when I rang Dr Ng.
KateG'day, and welcome to Paddock Talk. I'm Kate, coming to you from just outside Toowoomba, and Tom's here too.
TomMorning. Well, it's morning when we record it.
TomPlanting's late this year. Most people I've talked to are waiting on another fall before they commit.
KateDr Ng, after a long dry, why does the first big rain run off instead of soaking in?
Dr NgBare, crusted soil seals over. Ground cover and roots keep it open, so the water has somewhere to go.
Dr NgCheck it with a spade, not a satellite. Dig a hole after rain and see how far down it's wet.
KateAd This part of the show is sponsored by Downs Rural Supplies. They've paid to be here, and we buy our seed from them too.
TomWe tried a multispecies cover crop on the back paddock. Some of it was a disaster, to be honest.
Dr NgThat's normal. Start with a small area, and pick species that suit your rainfall, not someone else's.
KateA listener from near Dalby asks: is it worth soil testing every year?
Dr NgFor most paddocks, every two or three years is plenty, unless you're chasing a particular problem.
TomRain gauge says twelve mil this week. Not enough, but we'll take it.
KateThat's Paddock Talk. Show notes, the transcript and Dr Ng's reading list are on our website.
Show notes.
What we covered
- Why bare, crusted soil sheds the first big rain
- Checking infiltration with a spade after rain
- What worked and what didn't in our cover crop trial
- How often to soil test
Sponsor
- Downs Rural Supplies, a host read at 22:10, labelled as an ad in the chapters and transcript. Sponsors don't see or approve episodes.
Music
- Theme: written for Paddock Talk. Other music is licensed for podcast use and listed here when we use it.
Corrections
- None for this episode. How we correct mistakes.
Smoko listening.
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