Nearly one hundred farmers participated in soil health workshops delivered for the first time as part of Healthy Estuaries WA. Farmers wanted more holistic soil health information to build on the farm-specific soil fertility and nutrient management information they receive as part of our soil testing program.
Improving soil health can support long-term pasture quality, resistance to disease, and pest management, increasing the health of crops and animals. It also saves farmers money by cutting fertiliser costs, correcting soil pH, and keeping nutrients on the farm and away from waterways that feed into our estuaries.
Soil health expert and agroecologist David Hardwick from Soil Land Food led the workshops in all seven Healthy Estuaries WA catchments, alongside local catchment partners and Dr Deborah Holtham from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).
At the workshops, farmers looked at their soil test results and compared them to soil biochemical health benchmarks, so they could assess soil health and identify any potential soil constraints. Farmers were particularly interested in the relationship between pH and aluminium, enabling them to identify any aluminium toxicity issues.
Participants were given free soil health assessment kits which included a Holistic Assessment of Soil Health (HASH) 1 Manual and equipment needed for farmers to regularly monitor their property’s soils on their own.
Farmers practiced using the equipment in the kits, taking additional field measurements for ground cover, water infiltration, aggregate stability, pH, topsoil depth, and soil organisms. Results were recorded on a scorecard that easily highlighted any constraints to address.
Expressions of interest to participate in our next round of the soil testing program will open between June and July 2025, be sure to keep an eye out for them in our latest news and Facebook page.
For more information about soil testing to support better fertiliser decisions, visit our program page.
