Australia has some of the oldest, most fragile and hostile soils in the world. Soil acidity, sodicity, salinity and compaction are major constraints that we must address to drive further yield improvement and ensure long-term sustainable intensification of food production. Continuous cropping systems present potential for soil organic matter decline in soils that have generally low levels of organic matter and in a world that is looking for opportunities to sequester more carbon. This challenge is about unlocking the full potential of our soils. How do we find new ways to tackle the chemical, biological and physical barriers holding us back, tap into soil nutrient reserves, build soil organic carbon and biological activity in our soils?
Subsoil amelioration by co-application of amendments with multiple modes of action can address key physicochemical constraints across the Australian grain belt. While these strategies are costly upfront, the long-term gains in water-use efficiency and productivity can offer strong economic returns. Priority research and multidisciplinary team efforts are needed to develop cost-effective options, including turning urban and on-farm waste into valuable ameliorants, leading to higher adoption.
We are already working on a cost effective subsoil amelioration system which addresses all the points laid out in the section. But because we are farmer led and not researchers, we do not get any access to funding. Which is strange, a farmer led approach has potentially a much greater chance to succeed due to the grounding effect of being developed on a farm. Why no include farmer innovators into access to funding ? We're happy to include any researcher to validate outcomes etc.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation