June 10, 2015
The Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) announced funding today to support seven land managers working on new soil health projects on their farms in the South Burnett.
The aim of the projects is to find ways to make the region’s soils healthier, more productive and more resilient while at the same time protecting the environment and reducing erosion.
BMRG Project Officer Ann McKenzie said all the projects were on cropping lands, and covered a range of soil health improvement strategies.
These including modifying planters to work with minimal soil preparation; purchasing global positioning systems; and adding lime or gypsum to improve soil structural problems.
“Queensland Government funding, managed by BMRG, recognises that healthy soil is crucial to keeping our cropping areas productive and protecting our environment,” Ms McKenzie said.
“A healthy soil contains good quantities of plant residues (organic matter), is easy to cultivate, and is what can be referred to as well structured – that is, the soil particles hold together in a way that allows rain in quickly and is able to hold the moisture.
“These soils are resilient.”
Healthy soils also require less preparation before planting, will hold onto moisture longer in dry times and can have more rainfall on them before the water will run off.
Excessive runoff can cause erosion, as well as taking nutrients into creeks and rivers.
Ms McKenzie said farmers are keen to maintain and improve the health of their soil, but find the times challenging from a financial point of view.
“These grants are for up to $5000, with all farmers putting in at least this amount and some contributing more than twice or three times the government funding,” she said.
“The outcomes of the projects will be reduced soil compaction, improved crop stubble retention, reduced tillage and improved soil structure.
“A key farming practice, which is being adopted through the use of GPS technology, is permanent tractor and machinery travel lines through the farm known as controlled traffic.
“This reduces the area in the paddock which is compacted or damaged by machinery wheels.”
