ODay2017

Theme 3 - Soil Health and Nutrition

Bought to you by Riverina LLS, this theme hosted by Geoff Minchin, will look at stratification issues associated with minimum tillage and the water holding capacity of your soil. Do you know enough about your soil to maximise crop and pasture performance?

pH Stratification impacts on pulse production

Helen Burns, NSW DPI

Knowing the pH profile of your soil is critical when planning to sow acid sensitive pulses like lentils, chickpeas, vetch, faba beans and peas. Soil sampling across the region has identified both increased acidification of our soils along with variation in pH depending on soil depth. Typical approaches to soil sampling (ie collection of a composite sample of soil from 0-10cm) does not pick up variation in pH in 5cm increments down to 20cm which, if low in pH, can impact significantly on nodulation and pulse crop performance.

Surface accumulation of Phosphorus & its impact on crop production

Col McMaster, NSW DPI

Critical P concentration required for winter crop production in Australia has increased since the adoption of minimum tillage practices. The combination of shallow placement of P fertiliser by drilling with the seed, and a lack of mixing by tillage has resulted in a decline of P-availability to roots. Frequent drying of topsoil in rain fed conditions, and an increasing stratified soil surface is limiting root access to applied-P.
The key aim of this project is to increase knowledge and understanding of how P stratification within the topsoil can alter critical P concentration in wheat and canola, and to establish the use of tillage to increase root access to residual P from previous seasons.

Relationships Between PAWC, Soil Physio-Chemical Properties and Landscape Position

Mark Glover, CSIRO

How well you understand your soil – its structure, chemistry and position in the landscape – impacts your ability to manage your farming system to maximise its potential. Introducing the factors of soil formation and their relationship to landscape position. Plus defining plant available water capacity, plant available water and the soil physio-chemical properties that influence them. Together these factors lead to a discussion on how these soil properties relate to landscape position, and by analogy, production potential.

Paddock Demonstrations

Adjuncts to Improve Crop Health

Kellie Jones, FarmLink

Healthy soils are crucial to plant health and growth. However, cultivation, use of agricultural chemicals and other seasonal practices can lead to soil deterioration. This year FarmLink has established a 3-year simple small block demonstration to investigate the contribution of soil amending products such as TM Agriculture soil activator by Best Environmental Technologies. Our aim is to explore options to improve soil structure and nutrition.

Sub soil pH amelioration

Richard Lowrie, NSW DPI

FarmLink is involved in a GRDC funded NSW DPI project (DAN00206) focused on correction of serious subsoil pH issues at depths of 10-30 cm through deep placement of lime and organic ameliorants. NSW DPI has designed and built a modified deep ripper (3-D Ripper) for the project which will be on display. Understanding the chemical and biological changes and crop response process when ameliorants are placed at depth is being monitored for at least five years at sites at Dirnaseer and near Binalong, which were established in 2016. The effort and expense involved in ameliorating subsoils puts increased focus on the need to address surface pH issues in an ongoing and effective manner.

Soil sampling & infield pH testing