SOILS OF MARLBOROUGH

Abstract

Marlborough is a particularly interesting province because it is the meeting ground for the soils and the farming from the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The central Awatere and Wairau districts have a landscape succession of coastal plains, downlands, hills, inland basins, and mountain slopes with similar soils, crops, and grassland usage to Canterbury. East and west of these districts the Kaikoura and Sounds regions have extensive areas resembling those of Wellington and Wairarapa hill country in soils, grassland farming, and forestry. Further contrast to the soil pattern is added by soils formed from basaltic, ultrabasic, and limestone rocks, which outcrop over small areas. After more than 100 years of settlement the land use has become related generally to the soils, but the connection could be much closer and to greater benefit, if the soil differences were better known and applied to the selection of farm practices. With the wide range of soil occurring in Marlborough, landowners need an understanding of their soils to select where best to apply experience from other districts and how to modify their practices to suit changing economic conditions.