Simple Identification of On-Farm Lime Sources in the Western Region

⁠⁠⁠Outcome
All growers within the Kwinana East port zone will be able to identify on-farm opportunities for assessing and extracting alternatives to lime on their own property, including conducting a quality assessment of the product; and assessing if the product found on their property will provide an economically viable alternative to other lime products.

Outputs
1. Factsheet
By February 2019, a factsheet will be produced (electronic) titled “Locating and assessing alternatives to lime on your own property” that will include all of the points that need to be considered if a grower wants to find, assess and use on-farm products to help alleviate acidity on their property.

Included (but not limited to) within the factsheet will be information on:
* What soil types to look for as well as how to identify those that are unsuitable as a potential lime source, including interpretation of any topographical, geological or aerial images with radiometrics or other layers to help identify potential sources
* Surface soil test indicators
* How to do some on-farm testing and assessment prior to sending away for laboratory testing
* Details of testing laboratories – who, cost, addresses
* An economic rule of thumb to assess if the on-farm option is economically a better option such as a Spread sheet to do individual costings with neutralising value of on farm and freight v lime-sand
* What government approvals need to be sought if going ahead
* Interviews of growers who do use product from their own properties (total of 3)
* How to mine - stockpiling and screening
* And any other information that would be pertinent to a grower using product from their own property to alleviate soil acidity

2. Annual Report
* Delivered to GRDC by 28th February 2019.