Improving soil to optimise water use
Riverine Plains is coordinating a new project which involves establishing a new discussion group for farmers in the Murchison area.
The Improving Soil to Optimise Water Use On Farm project is funded until 2023 by the Australian Government through the Future Drought Fund Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program – Grants, and aims to address soil quality parameters and how these are linked to storing more rainfall for crop production.
Riverine Plains project officer Kate Coffey said soil quality parameters such as pH, carbon exchange capacity and soil organic carbon could affect how much moisture was stored in soils, with healthier soils more likely to store moisture for later use, such as during a dry spring.
“The first step in improving a soil’s ability to store moisture is understanding the constraints present in the soil, and this can be done using yield and EM38 mapping, followed by soil testing to ground-truth or confirm the presence of the soil limitation,” Ms Coffey said.
“Once a constraint, such as subsoil acidity, has been identified it can then be managed through lime application or other methods to improve crop production and profitability.”
The project aims to increase awareness and knowledge around the identification of key local constraints, such as sub-soil acidity, and also involves the demonstration of innovative methods that protect and manage the soil resource.
To do this, a local trial will be established to demonstrate stubble management as a tool to improve soil moisture retention, with the trial also acting as a focus for the discussion group through local field days and workshops.
“Overall, the project will provide farmers with a better understanding of their soils and knowledge of how soil can be managed to improve production and water retention, which will ultimately help improve resilience for future droughts,” Ms Coffey said.
■ For further information, or to register your interest in becoming a discussion group member, phone Kate Coffey on 5744 1713 or email kate@riverineplains.org.au