PDS: Unlocking Red Gum Plains Soil Capacity

Summary

Soils in Gippsland present many challenges for the regions red meat produces. Constraints including water repellence, subsoil acidity, sub soil compaction, and poor water and nutrient holding capacity reduce our soils capacity to harness and store our variable rainfall and applied nutrients to stabilize and increase feed production for livestock and fodder enterprises. For the regions producers this impacts the farms’ ability to be productive with the average rate of KG of beef or lamb per hectare being produced sitting at well below the state average. The capacity of the regions soils to harvest and store water and nutrients affects all dry land agricultural producers in this region.

The aim of this Co-contributor PDS project is to significantly increase producer awareness and adoption of a the scientifically proven practice of soil amelioration techniques by demonstrating at commercial scale the ability for soil amelioration practices to increase water and nutrient holding capacity of soils, biodiversity and resilience to climate extremes and there for increase practice change and red meat productivity in Gippsland.

Objectives

By December 2027, in the Gippsland region of Victoria, this PDS will establish 4 demonstration sites, and engage 10 core producers and 40 observer producers to:

1. Demonstrate and assess the commercial practicality and economic reality of soil ameliorants to increase: 
   • Soil water and nutrient holding capacity measured by increases in soil organic matter, water infiltration and utilisation,  
   • The productivity of common feedbases on Gippsland dryland farms measured by yield and quality data  
   • The farm production capacity increases possible with the use of soil ameliorants measures by kg of meat producer per hectare   
2. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the relative economic performance of the ameliorant treatments on feed base productivity compared to existing soil structures  
3. Implement a series of skills and training development activities to increase the knowledge skills and confidence of 40 core and observer producers in soil amelioration practices, increasing soil organic matter and targeting an incremental program of soil structure improvement activities.   
4. 75% of core producers will demonstrate intent to adopt ameliorant treatments at landscape scale as a part of their regular farming program. 50% of producer observers will demonstrate an intent to implement the practice.  
5. 100% of producer core & observers will have built the skills knowledge and confidence to ameliorate soils.
6. Conduct an annual field day and other activities to showcase the demonstration site results and encourage the adoption of key practices by 150 attending producers. 

Progress

Gippsland Agricultural Group have established four producer demonstration sites across the East and Central Gippsland Red Gum Plains with the aim of enhancing producer awareness and adoption of soil amelioration techniques in Gippsland. The aim is to ultimately lead to improved red meat productivity and sustainability in the region. The project will implement a multifaceted approach that combines demonstration, education on yield and cost benefit results over five years. To date four x 7.5-hectare producer demonstration sites have been established across the Red Gum Plains of Gippsland at Bairnsdale, Toongabbie, Winnindoo and Gifford.  Each demonstration contains a control, a demonstration of broadcasted chicken litter @ 10 tons per hectare and a demonstration of ameliorated chicken litter @ 10 tons per hectare.