Soil

A 12 month trial on a cotton farm just outside the rural town of Goondiwindi Queensland in Australia has shown it’s possible to divert large amounts of cotton textile waste at end of life from landfill with no harm done to soil health or cotton yields. Project collaborators are confident that with a solid business plan and more research, returning shredded cotton products to cotton fields could soon offer benefits to soil health, and a scalable solution to the massive global problem of textile waste.

“Comparing soil health in sugarcane growing districts to soil health in pasture, horticulture and cropping regions shows just how unique those sugarcane soil systems are. Many cane growers may not have measured their soil health before but with commodity prices remaining strong in this regulated market, we’re seeing cane growers becoming increasingly interested in soil health" : Rob Dwyer, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers agronomist.

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Bernice Shepherd. For many of us, getting into the garden is a healing and grounding activity, a balm for the soul. But after devastating floods and relentless wet weather, what was once a beautiful sanctuary or productive food garden has become a muddy, stinky quagmire, no good for growing anything.

An invited presentation by Associate Professor Matthew Harrison from the University of Tasmania presents a summary of recent research in climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation for the agriculture sector. Questions are welcome.

Shaun Ossinger, Patricia Gill. A Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee project, Green waste towards net zero, will target the conversion of Denmark’s green waste into biochar ... Instead of burning the green waste at Denmark’s Waste Transfer Station or transporting it to Albany’s Hanrahan Road tip, WICC is seeking solutions that benefit farmers and the community.

Nicoli Barnes, UTas. It has been suggested that biochar improves animal health and liveweight gain. It has also been suggested that biochar reduces enteric methane and, by increasing carbon content in the manure, may improve soil carbon over time. Together these effects would theoretically reduce whole farm emissions. In an MLA-funded research programme, we are testing this theory using in a farm experiment near Deloraine, Tasmania.

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, has helped Northern Rivers farmers turn rotting flood waste into a healthy by-product for soil improvement, through a partnership with Multikraft Probiotic Solutions. Multikraft’s MicroBalance product was last week sprayed by helicopter onto 33 farms in northern New South Wales.

Logan City Council has opened an innovative new facility that turns human waste into energy and fertiliser ... The facility, which is the first of its kind in Australia, blasts sewage with extremely high heat to turn it into a product called biochar. Biochar can be used for a variety of purposes including as a fertiliser for the agricultural industry. It also has potential applications in the building industry.

Research conducted by the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE) has developed recycled content technologies that can turn cities and farmlands into Sponges that can adapt to more frequent flooding and drought events to reduce the risk they present to our communities ... May 1st to 7th marks International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in Australia.

GRDC Agronomy Solutions Director Sean Mason ... says the use of pre-season soil testing results from within paddock zones together with test strips can fine-tune fertiliser recommendations and ensure growers are getting the most bang for their fertiliser buck.

“Despite all our achievements, we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains.” A quote often attributed to long time US radio presenter, Paul Harvey, this quote succinctly captures the critical importance of our topsoil. What is topsoil, how is it formed and how do we improve it?

Scientists are working with a Victorian almond grower to trial an orchard redevelopment practice that is reducing the industry’s carbon footprint in the United States. ‘Whole Orchard Recycling’ involves chipping trees and incorporating them into the orchard soil prior to planting new trees. It replaces the traditional practice of burning the trees once they have been removed from the orchard.

Phil Mulvey, Carbon Count CEO, expands further on the need for strong policy frameworks, on regenerative farming practices, carbon sequestration, profitability and other issues arising from the whitepaper, “Change at our feet – Australian agriculture’s role and responsibility in mitigating climate change”.

A new whitepaper has been released which seeks to identify the challenges that stand between Australia and netzero2050, and suggests ways the Australian agriculture industry can take a leading role in reaching global targets.

“Book 7 focuses on the impact, expression, diagnosis and management of water repellence in agricultural soil, supported by evidence-based case studies and farmer experiences”: SoilsWest co-director and Murdoch University Associate Professor Frances Hoyle.