Landcare - Umuwa Project 2

Pitjantjatjara Council staff had worked with Land Conservation staff on the Warburton project with their own equipment in February 1992 and again on the Umuwa project in March 1993. They were now able to use this experience and continue establishing demonstration plots for Aboriginal people to learn from.

In March 94 it was decided to conduct more trials at site 3 in the Ernabella creek floodout area. Nine spirals were ploughed next to the road, south of those ploughed the year before. A seed mix of ennapogon avenaceus, e. polyphyllus, panicum decompositum and astrebla pectinata in saw dust was made and planted on each spiral. Old man saltbush (atriplex nummularia) was also planted.

It was also decided to hand plant acacia murrayana, a. ligulata and a. victoriae on the spirals. These seeds were scarified using boiling water. The seeds were covered for twenty minutes with water which had been boiled. After drying in the sun the seeds were then planted on the spirals at site three.

Picture 1. View of the seed bed into which the grass seeds, old man saltbush and scarified acacia seed were planted. Iron wood (acacia estrophiolata) trees were growing in the demonstration plot (March 94).

Picture 2. Many of the grasses germinated, grew and set seed within the first year of completing stage two however only a few of the acacia seeds germinated (March 95).

Picture 3. After twelve months the ruby dock is still dominant with a thin covering of grass through the area (March 95).

Picture 4. The demonstration plot at site three has been dramatically transformed over a period of eight years with the ruby dock being replaced with buffel grass (cenchrus ciliaria). The buffel grass was growing further upstream in the Ernabella creek in 1993. In 1996 there was no sign of buffel grass growing in this area. The project adviser for this project was overseas for a number of years and revisited the site in February 01. The furrows of the spiral have caught the seed allowing the grass to establish and now it is everywhere. There were still no signs of acacia plants in February 01.

The direct seeding work at site three proved to be very interesting as well as unpredictable.

The conclusions were:

1. More work has to be done re- the germination and growth of acacias.
2. Buffel grass is a much stronger grass than the local grasses.
3. Ruby dock can be replaced with buffel grass.
4. Soil surfaces which are normally devoid of vegetation can be revegetated after having spirals or staggered furrows ploughed into them.
5. More work has to be done to solve the problems of establishing grasses, shrubs and trees on light sandy soils.

This work is totally dependent on local rainfall which is very unpredictable in Central Australia and revegetation results are better on heavier soils than the lighter soils. As the work continues more strategies will emerge making revegetation work easier.