Pasture Soil Biology Program Management Agreement

Summary

Phase 1 of the Pasture Soil Biology Program has been successfully completed with evidence that
soil biological constraints to pasture productivity are significant and widespread which represents a
significant opportunity cost in foregone livestock production and carbon storage in plant material for
soil health improvement.

 
The program has successfully developed a wide range of new molecular assays that can identify
and quantify targeted soil borne micro-organisms, both pathogens and beneficial organisms,
important to pasture plant productivity. A breakthrough innovation has been to develop molecular
assays for selected pasture plants which can be applied to study the dynamics of root growth and
response to external influences. These assays leave a significant legacy to researchers to help
accelerate research into soil biology under pastures and in pasture-cropping systems.
Evaluation of molecular assays for soil biological function has confirmed that these assays are
valuable research tools to study soil biological diversity and nutrient cycles with reference to pasture
production and, importantly, the environmental foot print of pasture systems in terms on greenhouse
gas emissions and nutrient leakage.

 
Basic science studies on soil biota in the plant rhizosphere are on-going and have suggested that
chemical signalling between plant roots and soil borne organisms may lead to innovative ways to
influence plant performance and responses to stresses such as soil borne pathogens.
A Program review, strongly endorsed the over-arching Program strategy and that it continue over a
sufficient time frame to capitalise on the achievements so far to attain the aspirational target of at
least 10% increase in pasture productivity.

 
Recommendations are made as a framework to continue this work such as to have parallel themes
on production, adaptation to climate change and environment with special emphasis on
understanding the dynamic interactions in pasture systems with a view to develop management
practices for soil biological health.

 
A business case for continuing soil biology research has been developed.