Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Understanding soil
New South Wales farmers are learning to understand how the way they manage their soil affects the productivity and conservation of their most precious resource. And they're also finding out how to understand soil test results better.
A study by Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and partner catchment management authorities has shown that soil health is an issue in their areas.
Funding
The Australian Government has provided more than $1.5 million to help landholders explore the issue more thoroughly. From this funding, the Healthy Soils, Healthy Landscapes project was developed in 2005.
In-kind support has come from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Murrumbidgee CMA.
Activities
The project involves landholders capturing soil data within the Murrumbidgee, Murray, ACT and Lachlan catchments to diagnose and solve soil problems.
Murrumbidgee CMA Catchment Officer Peter Beal said the project was running extremely well.
“We have 45 groups with over 700 landholders taking soil samples across four catchment areas,” Peter said. “In addition, we provide landholders with the opportunity to learn about the impact of their farming practices on the soil structure”
NSW DPI has developed a four-part workshop to help farmers learn about soil, groundcover and land capabilities.
“Given that we only started the workshops in August 2005, the participation has been fantastic,” NSW DPI Tumut Project Manager Brett Upjohn said. “Over 700 farmers have completed the course, and there are a couple of hundred on the waiting list.”
Farmers provide four paddock samples including top and sub soils. These are then analysed and farmers taught what the results mean. Help is provided with management plans if the soil needs improving.
Achievements
Participants are initially surveyed to determine their prior knowledge of soil health. They are surveyed again at the completion of the four stages of the workshops and the difference in knowledge is noticeable.
“More than 80 per cent of participants have told us their knowledge of soil processes has increased following their attendance at the workshops,” Brett said.
More than 9,000 soil samples have been collected since the project began. The data is entered into two databases, one of which is maintained by NSW DPI. Collated data is entered into the New South Wales Department of Natural Resources database, SALIS, for future soil programs.
The data gives government, community and land managers a spatial view of soil conditions and where additional soil management resources and expertise needed.
More information
- Peter Beal, Murrumbidgee CMA Catchment Officer: (02) 6953 0716
- Murrumbidgee CMA
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