A National Soil Quality Monitoring Framework
- Researcher's Name:
- Associate Professor Daniel Murphy
- Organisation:
- The University of Western Australia
- Email:
- daniel.murphy@uwa.edu.au
- Phone:
- 08-6488-7083
- Fax:
- 08-6488-1050
- Project Code:
- UWA00138
- Contract Start:
- 24/5/2010
- Contract End:
- 29/4/2015
Summary
This project specifically addresses Theme 1 of the Soil Biology Initiative. - Monitoring soil quality for better decision making.
Growers need monitoring tools that directly measure soil biology (or provide a reasonable surrogate measure) so they know they are heading in the right direction with their systems and practices. These measures need to be regionally relevant, land use and soil type specific and able to be related to crop performance measures.
As part of the www.soilquality.org.au monitoring program growers can access regionally specific data on soil biological, chemical and physical constraints to production. This information is provided in a number of formats including a 'traffic light' snap shot that highlights the main issues for concern in a region. The traffic light system is based on expert panel recommendations for critical values for each indicator housed in the web site.
A grower can also benchmark their own data against grower group and regional averages. Together with tailored soil health workshops and computer training this empowers growers to make better informed management decisions with respect to production and longer-term soil sustainability.
The soil quality data on the web site is supported with information fact sheets and calculators which enable 'what if' scenarios to be tested so as to highlight favourable soil quality management decisions.
Top date the soil quality data sets are Western Australian focused. The main objective of this project is to develop this monitoring and web site approach as a national platform to aid the Australian grains industry with better management decisions and to provide the necessary data/information on soil biology (in association with soil chemical and physical data).
Background
Growers need monitoring tools that directly measure soil quality (or provide a reasonable surrogate measure) so they know they are heading in the right direction with their systems and practices. These measures need to be relevant to the region, specific to land use and soil type, and able to be related to crop performance measures or overall soil fertility.
As part of the www.soilquality.org.au monitoring program growers will be able to access regionally specific data on soil biological, chemical and physical constraints to production. This information is provided in a number of formats including a ?traffic light? snap shot that highlights the main issues for concern in a region. The traffic light system is based on expert panel recommendations for critical values and is housed on the website.
Growers can also benchmark their own data against grower group and regional averages. Together with tailored soil quality workshops and computer training this empowers growers to make better informed management decisions with respect to production and longer-term soil sustainability.
The soil quality data on the web site are supported with information fact sheets and calculators which enable ?what if? scenarios to be tested so as to highlight favourable soil quality management decisions.
Implications
Delivery of this information is focused on findings being reported throught the www.soilquality.org.au web site and associated regional soil quality workshops. This will involve the engagement and training of state soil quality champions who will be equipped to expand these activities into the future.
Objectives
The main outcome of this project will be to extend the current www.soilquality.org.au web site approach (soil quality analysis and extension of findings) as a national soil monitoring platform. This information will aid the Australian grains industry with better management decisions that are underpinned by soil biology, chemistry and physics.
By achieving this we will remove the barrier to adoption of management solutions that enhance soil biology and overall soil quality while maintaining economic viability.
This will be assessed by the level of grower engagement in on-farm soil quality monitoring and use of the web site to obtain soil quality related information and assessment of beneficial management practices.
As this is a national project benefits will be seen across the Australian grain production zones.
Outcomes
1. State soil quality champions will be engaged.
Soils are being collected from targeted regions within each state for analysis of a range of biological, chemical and physical soil properties which relate to identifying constraints to plant growth and/or soil fertility. In the first instance this is occurring in association with the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and GRDC funded Soil Carbon Research Program - this collaboration will enable more extensive site and soil characterisation and provide added-value to both programs.
2. Database of soil quality measurements for the Australian grains regions generated and populated into a national version of the soil quality web site.
The current WA version of the soil quality web site (www.soilquality.org.au) is being extended as a national platform. This includes the development of a 'traffic light' system for each indicator so that landholders know if they are heading in the right direction with their systems and practices.
3. Improve regional knowledge and awareness of soil biological quality as it relates to grain production and profitability through workshop attendance and web site hits.
Soil quality results will then be presented back to landholders and the wider community through a series of regional workshops and extension activities.
Research
The main objective of this project is to develop the www.soilquality.org.au web site approach as a national soil monitoring platform to aid the Australian grains industry with better management decisions and to provide the necessary information on soil biology, chemistry and physics.
Project outputs:
1. State soil quality champions will be engaged.
Soils are currently (2010 and 2011) being collected from each state for analysis of a range of biological, chemical and physical soil properties which relate to plant growth. To date this has occured in association with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and GRDC funded Soil Carbon Research Program - this collaboration will enable more extensive site and soil characterisation and provides added-value to both programs.
2. Database of soil quality measurements for the Australian grains regions generated and populated into a National version of the soil quality web site.
We are also in the process of programming www.soilquality.org.au as a National platform. This includes the development of a 'traffic light' system for each indicator so that landholders know if they are heading in the right direction with their systems and practices. The www.soilquality.org.au web site is currently active for WA. Latter in the year and through into 2012-2014 other states will be launched with regional data sets.
3. Improve regional knowledge and awareness of soil biological quality as it relates to grain production and profitability through workshop attendance and web site hits.
Soil quality results will then be presented back to land holders and the wider community through a series of regional workshops and extension activities.
Publications
Soil microbial biomass – Interpretation and consideration for soil monitoring (2011) V. Gonzalez-Quiñones, E.A. Stockdale, N.C. Banning, F.C. Hoyle, Y. Sawada, A.D. Wherrett, D.L. Jones and D.V. Murphy. Soil Research, 49: 1-18.
Journal impact factor 1.007
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Take home messages
• Soil quality is currently being measured in grain-producing areas across Australia.
• This monitoring program and associated website www.soilquality.org.au is providing the Australian grains industry with a unique resource on soil quality including soil biology, chemistry and physics.
• Each grower’s soil quality information is housed on the soil quality...
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