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Soil and Nutrition, 28 Aug 2023
Researchers ponder options for managing dispersive soils
Dispersive soils present a multitude of issues – poor permeability, high soil strength, surface crusting, waterlogging, alkaline pH, salinity and boron toxicity. When managing these soils, the aim is to get enough water into the soil profile to leach transient salinity deeper into the soil profile and, in doing so, increase the plant-available water. For decades, gypsum has been the ‘go-to’ treatment to improve soil structure and soil water-holding capacity on dispersive soils.
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Soil and Nutrition, 11 Jul 2023
Laterite reefs and outcrops – the case for novel amelioration
A novel form of soil amelioration is opening rocky laterite country for more efficient farming in Western Australia. Specialist equipment is being deployed to pulverise this rock and Scott Young at Cuballing has found it has both direct and indirect benefits to his cropping operations.
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Soil and Nutrition, 28 Jun 2023
Gravel soil explored in new ebook launched at national conference
A synthesis of the latest science and best practice guidance for gravel soil is now available in a free interactive ebook launched yesterday by SoilsWest at the 2023 Soil Science Australia National Conference in Darwin.
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Soil and Nutrition, 23 Jun 2023
Making better use of your lime budget
Applying enough lime to manage acidity in a smaller area has advantages over applying low lime rates across more hectares. The longer-term effect from using a higher lime rate as part of a ‘treat it properly’ strategy is higher yields for longer and better cash flow.
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Soil and Nutrition, 30 May 2023
Clay soil amelioration shows promising results
Results from a trial incorporation of organic amendments into clay soils will see further research undertaken across commercial growing environments in Gippsland. Yield results demonstrated improved worm populations in the topsoil and increased pasture dry matter yield across three plots where subsoil organic amendments were added.
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Soil and Nutrition, 25 May 2023
Case studies show the value of proactive soil protection
Practical tactics to protect soils from wind erosion using ground cover are being packaged and distributed through a series of on-farm case studies
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Soil and Nutrition, 24 May 2023
Fertilising the system, not just the crop, can build soil organic matter
The frustration of seeing no change in soil carbon after 20 years of stubble retention prompted one CSIRO scientist to ask ‘Why?’
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Soil and Nutrition, 17 May 2023
Trials to fine-tune canola-on-cereal stubble strategy
A new project is examining issues around canola establishment into high cereal stubble loads in the Wimmera, Victoria
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Soil and Nutrition, 12 May 2023
Stripper-disc systems in the high-rainfall zones
High stubble loads in the high-rainfall zones have proven challenging for the adoption of stripper-disc systems
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Soil and Nutrition, 11 May 2023
Computer model helps clarify taller stubble impacts
Computer simulations are being run to extrapolate likely impacts on a farming system’s soil–water balance arising from taller stubble produced by stripper headers