Region's soil in spotlight at farming workshop

Last week Geographe farmers attended the Grow your Pasture Profits workshop, to better understand one of their most precious commodities: their soil.

The workshop is an important component of the Geographe Soil Testing Program, which involved soil sampling more than 7000 hectares, across 750 paddocks in the Geographe catchment.

During the event, farmers heard from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) experts about managing nutrients more efficiently on farms with the use of hands-on activities and experiments, as well as being presented with whole farm nutrient maps derived from the soil samples they collected.

Treeton farmer, Nick Healy has been involved in the soil testing program for 7 years and has seen impressive results over his 550-hectare sheep operation.

“Before soil testing with GeoCatch, we were using a blanket fertiliser approach,” he said.

“Knowing what is in our soil and what it needs, we have been able to target our fertiliser application and reduce the overall inputs, saving huge amounts of money that we can use in other areas.

“Our pastures are healthier, our livestock are healthier, and we have been able to increase our stocking rates.”

David Rogers, DPIRD Senior Development Officer, noted that the changes in farming practices are not only helping to reduce costs, but are also having a positive impact on the environment.

“We are seeing a change in farming practices as we can target what is lacking in the soil, and what is required to increase production,” he said.

This shifts the focus from spending money on unneeded fertiliser and targeting nutrient application based on individual soil tests. It also means that fertiliser loss to local waterways is reduced.”

Since 2009, GeoCatch has been conducting soil testing in the catchment contributing to an annual reduction of 3.5 tonnes of phosphorus entering Geographe Bay.

If you’d like to learn more about the GeoCatch’s sustainable agriculture program, visit www.geocatch.asn.au/soil-testing or call 0491 069 078.