The Healthy Soils Project
Soil condition and health is one of the key influences on pasture growth?
| Publication date: | 18 October 2022 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grain-fed Cattle, Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Goat, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Southern Australia, Northern Australia, NSW, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Eastern Australia |
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Summary
Soil condition and health is one of the key influences on pasture growth and therefore affects the ability of producers to address feed gaps, maintain pasture production to meet the requirements of animal production, and management of the natural resource base. It was one of the four themes addressed in MLA’s Feedbase Adoption Plan (FAP). The healthy soils package project was targeted at producers designed to improve producer’s skills in soil assessment and management.
Objectives
The project objectives of the healthy soils package were:
• Produce and distribute a simple visual assessment tool (poster) to diagnose possible soil constraints.
• Create, or signpost to, detailed information linked to the simple visual assessment that provides greater levels of information.
• Determine if a phone/tablet based diagnostic app is feasible/desirable.
• Build skills and confidence of producers (and their advisors) to assess (using visual assessment and soil testing) and apply the appropriate products to improve soil health (address soil constraints). The skills and confidence will be built using a range of learning approaches and tools that appeal to different temperament types.
Key findings
The process of using indicators for visual learning of soil condition has high appeal to producers and is supported by the use of good images which provides a valuable legacy resource. This resource has been used in multiple formats including the creation of a learning module to assist with producer training. Pilot soil discussion groups showed success in building the skills and confidence of producers.
Benefits to industry
Improving producers' recognition of visual indicators and what it means for their soil condition will lead to better diagnosis of soil constraints, possibly more soil testing to ensure correct diagnosis and improved soil management. The exposure of 149 core producers through the program and another 204 through open days, plus many others through web based resources and case studies, is important in addressing soil constraints.
MLA action
Due to the high interest in healthy soils it is a recommendation that MLA need to take an active role in promoting science backed soil management information and that conventional agriculture can create healthy soil systems that leads to highly productive pastures.
Future research
Discussion groups are thought not to be the best delivery method for producer skill development. Increasing skills remains a focus of MLA training, therefore smaller short course modules are suggested as a feeder course into PGS training packages but need to also stand alone as a training method. Recommendations to simplify the five easy steps to P tool and do a future redesign to include other macro nutrients and soil constraints such as soil acidity and sodicity will reduce complexity, and make the tool more useful and comprehensive
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For more information Contact Project Manager: Andrew Morelli |
