Next generation tools to engineer higher performing soils

WHY THIS PROJECT IS NEEDED 

Diagnosing soil constraints and deciding on the most cost-effective amelioration options can be a time-consuming and expensive process.

Currently, soil constraint identification tools are very simplistic and often unable to provide amelioration advice. However, tools that do provide amelioration advice are specific to individual amelioration and do not consider multiple soil constraints being present at once.

As such, farmers often approach amelioration decisions using generic, regional-level information — rather than using information specific to their situation.

To support an improved level of farm-specific decision making, the Soil CRC has been developing a suite of tools that can support farmers and advisors in making complex soil amelioration decisions, especially where more than one constraint exists.

Project focus 

This project is focused on developing a suite of novel decision support tools based on models and algorithms developed in previous research conducted by the Soil CRC.

Through a process of co-design and validation with next and end users, the project is integrating these models and algorithms with easy-to-use interfaces and testing their value in guiding amelioration decisions on-farm.

This testing will be achieved through a series of on farm validation sites and retrospective analysis of past soil amelioration experiments.

Riverine Plains is involved in validation and testing, via an existing trial site at Rand, and will also be involved in workshop participation, to ensure tools are easy to use.  

In summary, this project aims to: 

• Bring together new approaches and methods for modelling soil constraints developed through Soil CRC projects into a suite of decision support tools.
• Ensure these decision support tools can guide informed decision-making, while also considering that amelioration is done in the most economical way.
• Test the decision support tools and their underpinning algorithms with growers and advisors through analysis of past, current, and planned soil amelioration activities.
• Promote the new suite of soil amelioration decision support tools, so they are taken up and used.