Farming for Sustainable Soils – Soil Health in 5 Steps

Local Soil health is on the improve with action taken by local farmers with support by North Central CMA.  A group of over 20 farmers is contributing local experience to develop skills for sustainable soils management.A dozen plots of cover crop species and mixes are being installed during March 2015 and a broad range of soil analysis are being analysed to assess the range of attributes provided in three of our key local soil types.

Measuring soil success - the earthworm. Feb 2015.

Soil health is one of those areas where a farmer’s direct action contributes to sustainability of the soil resource and profitability of the farm operation.  So, if you are a local landholder, consider these 5 points.

First, organic matter. If you've got it, keeping it maintained will mean the difference between sustainable soil and a desert. We need to put a premium on soil organic matter as a component of farmland sale prices or lease rates.

Second, maintaining a regular regimen of soil testing is critical to maintaining high-quality land.

Three, tillage goes a long way in sustaining or robbing soil of quality over time. The less soil is disturbed, the better the crops will sustain themselves.

Four, cover crops provide a green solar collector, putting down live roots and providing habitat.

Five, improving soil health can make food production more resilient to weather extremes, and improve the health of water and wildlife.

Local landcare in practice.

Micronutrients – Why Seed Coat

Zinc deficiency in wheat

Micronutrients, or trace elements, play an important role in plant growth and human health. While trace or micro refers to the amount required, they are no less important that the macro elements of N, P , K and S. 

Internationally, scientific and humanitarian groups are working on crops to ensure micronutrient availability in a range of crops and locations. Zinc, as one example, is a major concern due to deficiency of this element  in regions where our primary food crops are grown and the direct link to brain function and learning that has been recorded.  

Soil and foliar applications are common methods of micronutrient addition. What concerns me is the value of micronutrient availability at seeding for strong initial growth, shown to be the precursor of good crop production. Whilst modern machinery ensures good seed / nutrient placement, micronutrients generally remain  a challenge due to soil moisture content, organic matter levels, nutrient interactions, and soil type.

Micronutrient seed coating is an efficient application option. In recent times we have seen high analysis micronutrient make this a more efficient and practical method of application, and may be included with other ameliorants, such as beneficial  biology, biostimulants and other trace elements.

The potential of micronutrient seed treatments for improving crop growth and grain weight have been researched internationally and show enrichment is increasing as products are well suited to this type of application.

Micronutrient application through seed treatments has been shown  to improve stand establishment, advance phenological events, and increase yield and micronutrient grain content.  In most cases, micronutrient application through seed treatment perform better or similar to other application methods.

IPM MasterClass

Micronutrients – Management in Soils and Crop

16^th April 2015

Adelaide Hills, SA
REGISTRATION:        www.ipmmasterclass.com