What’s top of mind for growers when it comes to soils? At this year’s Dowerin Field Days, the SoilsWest team put the question directly to farmers: “What do you need to know about plant and soil nutrition?”
The responses were diverse. Topics of interest reflected the range of complex scenarios farmers are facing throughout the growing regions. In soil health and nutrient management, growers had queries about nitrogen strategies, sulfur requirements in canola, deep potassium placement, trace elements and the role of cation exchange capacity (CEC) in nutrient retention. With crop selection and rotation, growers were interested in drought resistant varieties, legumes, pest and disease management and impacts on soil biology.
Growers raised discussions about assessing soil constraints including salinity, sodicity, non-wetting soils and compaction. In relation to decision making support, growers were interested in fertiliser decision tools to sense-check recommendations, access to critical values for nutrition requirements and online mapping platforms for soil data.
To meet this appetite for knowledge, the SoilsWest team at Murdoch University are currently developing online learning modules for soil and plant nutrition in broadacre agriculture. This project, funded by the GRDC and Murdoch University, aims to support understanding and adoption of improved soil management through informative resources for growers and seasonally relevant workshops throughout the regions.
The free online modules and workshops will launch late 2025. Register your interest to participate.
Fran Hoyle and SW WA Regional Soil Coordinator Bridget Watkins, from the SoilsWest team, were at the Dowerin Field Days, in the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) tent along with Grower Group Alliance, the South-West WA Drought Hub, the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) and the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC). Photos: SoilsWest
The Regional Soil Coordinator project provides opportunities for researchers, primary producers and community groups to collaborate and share knowledge related to soil health and management. This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust. The project is led by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, partnering with SoilsWest Murdoch University.
