As harvest winds down in the Mallee and planning for the 2014 cropping season gets underway, growers are being reminded to make their soil health a priority over the summer months.
For today’s highly professional grain growers, the traditional ‘quiet time’ after harvest is a thing of the past. To ensure the best start to the coming season, when the header leaves the paddock, summer weed control becomes a focus, as should maintaining soil health.
According to the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA), as well as being good for the environment, healthy soils are critically important to sustainable agricultural productivity; and maintaining ground cover over summer is one way to achieve this.
As well as minimising wind erosion, soil organic matter has an invaluable secondary role in supporting and stabilising soil structure, increasing water retention, storing nutrients, building diversity, resilience and resistance to disease and buffering chemical behaviour.
However, how this organic matter is managed significantly influences what ends up incorporated into the soil. This includes: choice of vegetation and crop; rates of harvest and removal; soil surface management; the use of additives; and the intensity and types of tillage practices.
Mallee CMA research suggests that at least 50 per cent of ground cover is needed to protect the soil from wind erosion (depending on soil type) between harvest and establishment of the next year’s crop.
Wind erosion has been identified as one of the four key soil condition factors affecting agricultural productivity, resilience and the quality of ecosystem services provided by rural lands and is considered the highest priority affecting the Mallee.
Satellite imagery of the Mallee – gathered and examined by Mallee CMA over 12 years – showed that areas that were less likely to have sufficient ground cover (less than 50 per cent) to protect the soil after harvest, produced poorer crops. These findings were supported by roadside and in-paddock data collected during summer.
BCG, in conjunction with Mallee CMA, has recently commenced a project aimed at increasing farmer knowledge and understanding about soil health and post-harvest farm practices that can help keep soils health over summer.
Over the coming months, BCG will host information sessions and workshops and produce relevant publications designed to increase the skills and knowledge of land managers.
Growers interested in taking part in upcoming soil health events or wanting more information can phone Ciara Cullen at BCG on 03 5492 2787. This project is funded through the Mallee CMA.
