Soil workshops give farmers apportunity to improve productivity

Landholders interested in improving their soil health can take advantage of a series of workshops to be delivered by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in December and January.

Course organiser, NSW DPI project officer Dave Waters, said it was planned to hold the four-part series of workshops ‘Healthy Soils, Healthy Landscapes’ at locations including Deniliquin, Holbrook, Albury, Corowa and Mulwala.

He said the courses would enable landholders to recognise different soil structures and textures, and develop the skills to manage their soils and improve their triple bottom line.

"At the end of the course landholders will have a better understanding of their soils; be able to interpret their soil test results; maximise fertiliser input efficiency; calculate lime and gypsum rates for their soils; improve crop and pasture growth; and understand the importance of carbon for soil health," he said.

The workshops are being managed by Murrumbidgee Catchment Authority (CMA) and are a key part of its investment in improved natural resource management.

The project is funded by Murrumbidgee CMA, Australian Government and NSW Government under National Heritage Trust II. It operates in partnership with the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Lachlan CMAs and Environment ACT.

Mr Waters said Workshop 1 looked at land capability and the influences on farms of geology, landforms and soil profiles. Participants will be provided with a corer and GPS to take the soil samples. They can test up to four paddocks at two depths at the subsidised rate of $35 a paddock, or $40 with trace elements.

Workshop 2 focuses on soil surface condition, soil texture, structure, stability, water holding capacity and how they relate to root growth and soil carbon.

Workshop 3 focuses on the chemical properties of soils in relation to plant growth soil carbon levels and soil physical characteristics. Attention will be paid to constraints of growth and benchmarks appropriate to landholders’ enterprises.

Workshop 4 brings together information from the previous workshops to develop management options.

The timeframe for the workshops is roughly two hours for workshops 1 and 2, and four hours for Workshops 3 and 4.

To find out more contact:

  • Mr Waters on (02) 6938 1991 or 0427 434 524, or
  • Karl Andersson on (02) 6938 1629 at NSW DPI Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.

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