Murchison region discussion group to help farmers improve soil water use

New Murchison region discussion group to help farmers improve soil water use

Riverine Plains is pleased to be coordinating a new project which involves the establishment of a new discussion group for farmers in the Murchison district of Victoria.

The Improving Soil to Optimise Water Use On Farm project is funded by the Australian Government through the Future Drought Fund Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program – Grants, and aims to address soil quality parameters and how these are linked to storing more rainfall for crop production.

Soil quality parameters, such as pH, CEC and soil organic carbon, can affect how much soil moisture is stored, with healthier soils being more likely to be able to store moisture for later use. The first step in improving a soil’s ability to store moisture is understanding the constraints present in the soil, then this can  be managed to improve crop production and profitability.

The project also involves the demonstration of innovative methods that protect and manage the soil resource. To this end, a local trial will be established to demonstrate stubble management as a tool to improve soil moisture retention, with the trial also acting as a focus for the discussion group through local field days and workshops.

For further information, or to register your interest in becoming a Discussion Group member, please contact Riverine Plains Project Officer, Kate Coffey, on (03) 5744 1713 or email kate@riverineplains.org.au