Soil carbon
Soil carbon directly impacts the chemical, physical and biological health of the soil by influencing factors such as infiltration, soil moisture/nutrient holding capacity and by supporting the healthy development of microbial communities.
Soil organic carbon exists as:
- living carbon: plant roots, microbes, earth worms and other living components of the soil ecosystem; these play the important role in cycling carbon in the soil
- labile carbon: decomposing plant and animal material such as composts and mulch. A portion of labile carbon will be broken down by microbes and provide nutrients for plants or feed microbial communities. A small percentage may become stable soil carbon.
- stable soil carbon: results from exudates provided by soil microbial communities, these communities are reliant on living plants to provide basic sugars for the cycling process. Humus also forms from older decayed organic carbon.
- resistant organic carbon: inert materials such as charcoal provide a habitat for soil microbial communities.
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board is working with land managers and farming groups to demonstrate and implement management strategies which act to increase soil carbon. Through increasing our soil organic carbon we aim to increase the resilience of our soils and better safeguard our region for the future.
For more information click on the below links for reports and fact sheets on soil carbon.
Publications
- Regenerative Agriculture in Low Rainfall Zones Literature Review
- Riverland Soil Improvement Trials annual report 2023
- Point Pass Agricultural Bureau - Soil Smart Book
- Healthy Soils Australia
- Soils for Life
- Soil carbon baseline SA Murray-Darling Basin region
Fact sheets
- Soil organic carbon basics
- Increasing organic carbon in the SA Murray-Darling Basin region
- Soil carbon sequestration
- Fact sheets labile carbon
Regional soil carbon baseline
Videos
2023 AgForum - Farming in a changing world - What works in the Mallee?
2022 AgForum - Carbon and Agriculture: Is it possible to make your farm carbon neutral?
Holistic grazing with Dick Richardson
- Introducing holistic grazing management principals to address soil pasture and animal health issues (Dick Richardson)
- 'Woodlands Run', Finniss SA
- 'Candlebark', Kuitpo SA
Scratching the Surface: soil biology in agriculture forum
- Principles and strategies to create symbiosis and synergism, the presentation covers the nuts and bolts of pasture-based, beyond-organic regenerative farming. (Joel Salatin)
- How to increase carbon and water holding capacity through applying a biological approach to on farm management. (Walter Jehne)
- How to best manage agricultural systems through optimising the relationship between soil microbes and production outcomes. (Associate Professor Tim Cavagnaro)
- How biologicals are integrated into current agricultural systems and the on-farm economics of biologically based systems (Panel discussion)
- Introducing holistic grazing management principals to address soil pasture and animal health issues (Dick Richardson)
- Understanding the best economical solutions to improving your soil health and production through soil biological testing. (Dr Ash Martin)
- Forum wrap up and highlights
The Soil Story narrated by Larry Kopald (Healthy Soils Australia)
More information
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board
Unit 5-6, Level 1 Sturt Centre, 2 Sturt Reserve Road, Murray Bridge SA 5253
08 8532 9100