Soil Wise is a collaborative project to help farmers and land managers improve their soil health and nutrient management. The aim is to promote best practice sustainable agriculture so that farmers can increase productivity and profitability, whilst protecting and improving the condition of natural resources.
Soil Wise will develop extension activities, such as educational material, field days, workshops and webinars, to achieve two outcomes:
- Outcome 1 – Increased adoption of best practice sustainable agriculture.
- Outcome 2 – Increase the capacity of land managers to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.
Soil Wise will:
- promote the benefits of soil testing to inform soil management decisions
- improve soil testing knowledge and skills among land managers and farmers
- increase the capacity of land managers and farmers to interpret soil test results
- support land managers and farmers to undertake land management practices to improve soil health
- encourage land managers and farmers to contribute soils data to relevant national databases
- facilitate collaboration and communication between soil scientists, extension officers, advisers, natural resource management and farming systems groups, land managers and farmers
- establish fertiliser trials across south-west WA over a range of soil types with contemporary pasture species, with a focus on best management practice for phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and sulphur.
The project will be delivered over three years (2022-2024) in the Peel-Harvey, Leschenault, Geographe, Hardy Inlet, Wilson Inlet, Torbay Inlet and Oyster Harbour catchments, and will extend to the surrounding high rainfall grazing catchments.
Soil Wise is a collaborative project, in partnership with various individuals, groups and organisations. It is supported by a Project Reference Group that will provide direction and oversight; a Technical Reference Group that will develop and oversee fertiliser trials; and a Communications and Extension Group to develop key messages and products.
For further information or to get involved with Soil Wise, please email estuary@dwer.wa.gov.au
Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
This project is part of the National Soil Strategy – a 20-year plan outlining how Australia will value, manage and improve its soil. For more information: National Soil Package - DAWE