Tools to help manage complex soil constraints

WHY THIS PROJECT WAS NEEDED

Farmers face multiple, complex soil constraints that are difficult and costly to diagnose, assess and ameliorate.

Most decision support systems (DSS) do not allow for complex soil constraints in their modelling. When this project was established, models and DSS used in Australian agriculture had a limited ability to represent a diversity of soil constraints and how these constraints interact to affect crop and pasture production. Essentially, only nitrogen fertility and soil water dynamics in dryland environments were well represented.

This project aimed to improve already existing and widely used DSS (ARM Online, Yield Prophet and Soil Water App) by developing soil constraint modules to increase the reliability of predictions that could be used in the paddock. Ultimately, this will help farmers and advisers to formulate interventions and new management strategies to improve productivity.

Riverine Plains undertook an advisory role within this project to ensure the revised decision support tool was relevant to the region, easy to understand, and added value to farmers.

In short: This project aimed to improve decision support tools for soil management, especially where complex soil constraints exist. Ultimately, this will help farmers and advisers to formulate new management strategies to improve productivity.

Project background

The Soil CRC was formed in 2017 to bridge a gap between soil scientists and farmers, and to ensure that soil performance is increased, both in the short term and long term.

Riverine Plains is an associate within the CRC and has been involved with many projects, ranging from social research to field trials. Our involvement is helping to guide projects and ensure they have real-world application.

This project follows on from the scoping study of soil models, tools and data: Current state of play, future directions and setting up for longevity and a legacy from the CRC for High Performance Soils.

Project focus

Focusing on DSS with existing user bases aimed to ensure early and rapid adoption and provide enhanced decision support to the agricultural industry for addressing complex soil productivity and constraint challenges that limit farm productivity. 

Incorporating developments into existing DSS ensured that the project had a direct payoff to Australian farmers, to enable them to identify efficient strategies to address soil constraints to production for their specific circumstances.