Research
Partnering with a range of leading research and extension organisations.
Increased soil carbon by accelerated humus formation from crop residues
Funding
This project was funded through the Australian Government Department of Agriculture’s Clean Energy Future Plan- Action on the Ground program
Collaborations
This project is led by Riverine Plains Inc with support from both FAR Australia and the Precision Agriculture Laboratory, University of Sydney
Term
2012 – 2015
The project aimed to trial and demonstrate innovative on-farm practices that could increase the sequestration of carbon (C) located in soil under cereal crops, through accelerated residue decomposition and nutrient management to increase humus production. It has also aimed to quantify relative changes in soil carbon and N2O emissions due to post-harvest fertiliser application.
The key findings of this project were:
- Over two years of measurements, soil carbon (C) values had not significantly increased with fertiliser or stubble treatments.
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions increased when fertiliser was applied onto stubble post-harvest.
- While the effects of fertiliser addition on grain yields were inconsistent, stubble management was important in determining yield across all sites.
Riverine Plains Inc is currently compiling the farmer version of the final report.