Head Office:

Suite 3/318 Pakington St Newtown VIC 3220

Postal: PO Box 8047

Newtown VIC 3220

P: 03 5229 0566

F: 03 5229 4426

office@sfs.org.au

ABN 54 093 170 631

A non-profit organisation using practical research for farmers.

Real world research and real world results for higher rainfall farmers.

Geelong  |  Streatham  |  Hamilton  |  Gippsland  |  Tasmania | Head Office
 

 

  

 

 

Enquiries, information and comments to:

 

Mark McDonald

Southern Farming Systems

P: 03 5229 0566

F: 03 5229 4426

E: office@sfs.org.au 

Tim Johnston
Healthy Soils Agronomist (Grains)
Dept of Primary Industries, Victoria
Cnr Little Malop & Fenwick Sts
(PO Box 103)
Geelong, 3220.

tim.johnston@dpi.vic.gov.au

 

MEDIA RELEASE:  Soil Structure Day Great Success - 19th Sept 2007

Managing Soil Structure with Professor Gordon Spoor (UK) - event flier

 

Useful links:

 www.healthysoils.gov.au

 www.dpi.vic.gov.au/vro

 www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soilhealth

 

 

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms is a programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry through the Natural Heritage Trust, in partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation and managed by Land & Water Australia.

 

Project Objectives:

  • Improve farmers’ capacity to manage soil health issues

  • Identify appropriate soil management strategies, both at a landscape and industry level

  • Enhance, develop and deliver data and information packages for farmers

  • Develop and promote industry based training packages

 

SFS will use 4 paired demonstration sites to characterize and monitor four different farming practices:

  • Precision Agriculture

  • Stubble Retention

  • Biological Farming

  • TBA

 

Southern Farming Systems, in collaboration with DPI Victoria, will be able to deliver much of the existing soil health information through farmer and adviser workshops in the higher rainfall zone. We want to make these workshops as relevant and time effective as possible. A market needs analysis has already identified the following areas of concern.

 

Key Soil Health Issues as identified by SFS members:

  • Declining organic carbon

  • Declining fertility levels

  • Compaction

  • Erosion

  • Low pH

  • Salinity

  • Sodicity

  • Waterlogging and anaerobic conditions

  • Nutrient run off

  • Chemical use that may reduce soil microbial activity

  • Soil structure management

  • Crop and animal management

  • Soil biology interactions

  • Subsoils

  • Water – stored water, organic matter and waterlogging

 

Are we on the right track? Are there soil health issues on your property that are not on this list? What topics would you most like to learn about?

 

Please forward any comments, questions or suggestions to Lou Ferrier, lferrier@sfs.org.au .

 

 

Photos:

 

Soil pit at Precision Agriculture Site - Shelford

DPI Healthy Soils Agronomist, Tim Johnston testing soil respiration

 

  

DPI Healthy Soils agronomist, Tim Johnston out in the field

Jeremy White, DPI Precision Ag. Agronomist soil testing at Shelford