Using wetting agents to improve water penetration in repellent orchard soils

2017 | Julie Godwill, Elizabeth Mace, Bhupinder Kaur and Petar Bursac | Future Orchards® Northern Victoria trial report

This proof-of-concept trial investigated the use of a soil wetting agent or surfactant to improve water entry and distribution in dry or water-repellent orchard soils in the Goulburn Valley. The issue is especially relevant where irrigation water pools or bypasses dry soil rather than wetting the active root zone evenly.

The trial compared treated and untreated soil in several apple and pear blocks and included contrasting soil types such as clay loam and sandy clay. Water movement was assessed using soil cores, measurements of vertical penetration and photographic records shortly after application and again after 24 hours.

The report provides a practical demonstration framework for growers considering wetting agents as part of irrigation management. Its value is less about promoting a single product and more about showing how soil repellence can be diagnosed and how treatment effects can be checked in the orchard before broader adoption.