Project B - Soil Constraint Management and Amelioration Strategies for the Northern Region

⁠⁠⁠The GRDC seeks to contract a number of linked investments, each spanning a 5 year period, as part of a northern soils investment - Economics of ameliorating soil contraints in the northern region. It is expected investments will be contracted to start 10 March 2018. These investments will provide growers in the northern region with the knowledge (technical and economic) and tools to identify and manage soil constraints to achieve improved farm profitability. The focus will be:
a) innovations in diagnosis, mapping and selection of amelioration strategies
b) providing producers with practical ways to manage and/or ameliorate single or multiple constraints
c) developments in new forms and application techniques of ameliorants
d) management decisions to maximise profitability on constrained soils

Titles of the 4 linked investments are:
* PROC-9175385 Project A: Spatial soil constraint diagnoses in the northern region
* PROC-9175386 Project B: Soil constraint management and amelioration strategies for the northern region
* PROC-9175387 Project C: Economics of adoption in northern region
* PROC-9175388 Project D: Program co-ordination – communication, extension and evaluation

Given the complex nature of this investment and the wide range of skills required it is likely that this will require a collaborative approach that may include a number of public and private partnerships. The GRDC encourages whole of region tenders for all projects, however the GRDC will also consider multiple local tenders for Project B.

Output 1
By 15 March 2020, data quantifying the efficacy of traditional and innovative techniques to ameliorate surface and sub-soil constraints in the low, medium and high rainfall zones.

Details
Assessment to include:
* product type i.e. lime, gypsum, organic materials, polymers
* application methods (i.e. surface placement in no-till; mixing with top soil; deep placement; use of soil cracks)
* rate of amelioration and interactions with soil moisture
* residual value (longevity) of amelioration response
* re-application rates
* response of different crop types in the year of application and in subsequent seasons

Work to link with project: DAN00206 - Innovative approaches to managing subsoil acidity in the southern grain region.

Output 2
By 15 March 2022, data quantifying the crop nutrient requirements in ameliorated soil.

Details
Work to determine:
* if amelioration causes any induced secondary constraints to production
* changes to soil nutrient levels post amelioration
* changes to the crops ability to access nutrients and moisture from an increased soil zone
* suitable techniques for matching nutrient requirements to improved yield potentials i.e. placement of nutrients with ameliorant at depth

Outputs 3
By 15 March 2022, evaluation of traditional and novel ameliorants (including polymers and nutrient enriched organic matter) for simultaneously addressing multiple soil constraints.

Details
Work to include the evaluation of deep ripping, new subsoil application technologies (i.e. high-pressure liquid injection) and biological approaches such as cover crops.

Work to link with projects:
a) DAN00206 - Innovative approaches to managing subsoil acidity in the southern grain region
b) DAQ00211 - Quantifying the effectiveness of cover crops as a means of increased water infiltration and reduced evaporation in the northern region

Output 4
By 15 March 2020, a decision framework allowing growers to determine at a paddock level suitable management strategies to profitably match inputs (ameliorants and nutrition) with yield potential.

Details
Framework to evaluate the profitability, short and long-term, of the use of precision agriculture and variable rate technologies.

Output 5
By 15 March 2022, an on-farm trial program to maximise adoption of the new approaches and technologies developed by Output 1-3.

Details
Commencing March 2020, short-term trials sites (1-2 years) established in collaboration with local groups to substantiate the practical implementation of new methods and technologies as identified in Outputs 1, 2 and 3.

Trial protocols and methodology supported by the use of Output 4: Decision Framework, with sufficient scientific rigor for statistical analysis.

Output 6
An Annual Research Report detailing the key findings of the project for the reporting period. The report will be structured using the GRDC Annual Research Report (ARR) template and developed in conjunction with the Coordination project.

The report will be used for distribution to grain growers in GRDC publications as determined by the GRDC.

Output 7
A Final Technical Report amalgamating the key findings, new knowledge and conclusions of the project to provide an overall interpretation of the work. The report will be structured using the GRDC Final Technical Report (FTR) template and developed in conjunction with the Coordination project.