The value of healthy soil

Across Eyre Peninsula, we have 15 main soil groups ranging from calcareous soils, hard red-brown soils over alkaline sub soils, deep loamy textured soils, and deep sands to ironstone soils.

Each soil type and its position in the landscapes presents its own opportunities and challenges for management. For example, calcareous soils generally have inherently low fertility and limit the availability of phosphorus and trace elements, lighter sandy soils are inherently prone to wind erosion, and loamy soils on steep slopes can be prone to water erosion while poorly structured soils in low rainfall areas can express patches of dry saline land.

Whilst many of these soil management issues result from inherent soil characteristics, these risks can be exacerbated by human activity. For example, the risk of wind erosion is increased where surface cover levels are low which can result from cultivation, poor seasonal conditions for crops or overgrazing.

We’re involved in a statewide soils project that aims to equip land managers with an understanding of the latest soil science plus how test results can help with on-farm actions to improve soil health or constraints.

Brett Masters from EP Ag Research is working with us on this project and has been presenting soils management information in soil pits to farmers during crop walks at Edillilie, Elliston, Franklin Harbour and Verran.

Brett has also been providing technical soils management information to landholders and advisors among a few other projects with Ag Innovation and Research EP.

Next year demonstration sites will be established to look at improving soil cover and possible fertiliser carryover/availability following a dry year. Brett will also host some pre-seeding events in March and a soil pit field walk with Franklin Harbour landholders.

If you have any queries about interpreting soil test results for agricultural production or managing soils issues in the region, Brett can be contacted on 0427 899 328.