LEADA Soil Modification on Lower Eyre Peninsula Improving Access to Soil Moisture

There are an estimated 160,000ha of soils on Lower Eyre Peninsula that have known soil constraints that negatively impact on agricultural production that can be addressed through current soil modification techniques. These include soils with poorly structured subsoils and sandy soils with low water holding capacity and poor fertility.

In the past 2 or 3 decades research organisations and farmers have conducted trials and have applied various soil modification techniques in an attempt to address these constraints. There has been limited review of the success or otherwise of these operations in the long term. As a result there is little understanding of the benefit of treatments or of their longevity. Responding to increasing levels of interest in soil modification by group members the Lower Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Development Association (LEADA) developed a project to undertake a review of soil modification in the district. The outcome was to develop some guidelines to support farmers in making decisions on which soils can be modified, the best treatments and likely benefits. Funding was obtained from the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resource Management Board to assist in this work.