Is it possible to make your farm carbon neutral?
The Mallee and Coorong Advisory Committee are inviting you to join them to find out what carbon neutrality in agriculture looks like and how to apply it to local farming systems.
Mallee and Coorong Advisory Committee Chair Roger Wickes said as the effects of climate change become evident, and the reality of border taxes becomes more likely. The pressure is on to manage carbon at a farm level.
“Come along to the Carbon and Agriculture Forum and hear about the opportunities and limitations of carbon farming from expert speakers with topics including sequestration, practice change and carbon sequestration,” Mr Wickes said.
The free half-day Carbon and Agriculture Forum is on Thursday 17 February from 12 pm-5 pm at Bowhill Sports Centre.
Forum presenter from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) Senior Soils Consultant Dr Amanda Schapel has worked on agricultural soils since 1997.
In the past decade, she has focussed on the importance of organic carbon, particularly in broadacre sandy soils, completing a PhD in 2018 on organic carbon storage in sandy soil following clay addition.
Dr Schapel has been involved in many carbon projects. These have included benchmarking soil carbon in SA agricultural soils under different soil types and management practices, collecting information to help understand what various soil tests are measuring.
Dr Schapel said she will talk about carbon terminology and how it can be confusing.
“Have you heard of carbon footprints, carbon neutrality, the ERF, carbon sequestration and emission reductions? Maybe you have, but you’re not sure what these terms mean.
“I will touch on these and describe the reasons why we are interested in measuring soil carbon. I’ll also discuss the importance of organic matter, outline the different carbon tests, and share what we know about soil carbon in South Australian agricultural soils,” Dr Schapel said.
Topics and speakers include:
Dr Mark Farrell (CSIRO) What does the future look like with carbon farming, and what science can be applied to farming?
Dr Gupta Vadakattu (CSIRO) Microbial management and regenerative agriculture in soil.
Dr Amanda Schapel (PIRSA) Carbon in your farming business, and how to accumulate carbon in your soils?
Eliza Rieger (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) What is regenerative agriculture?
Scott Hutchens (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) Preventing pests and prickles in your patch.
Hannah Spronk (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) Priority weeds in the Mallee.
Attendance is free. Secure your spot by registering online.
This forum is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and the landscape levies.
