Project A: Spatial soil constraint diagnoses in 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 coil constraints 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, new techniques for identifying, quantifying and mapping soil constraints to improve grower decision-making when adopting/undertaking precision agriculture practices.

Details

Assessment of new complimentary proximal soil sensing and automatic mapping methods that can rapidly identify the nature, location and severity of specific soil constraints across a paddock in sufficient spatial detail to enable, informed management decisions using precision technologies with in a paddock.

Work to link with project US00087 - A platform to interpret soil attributes to support profitable farming systems.

Output 2

By 15 March 2021, a decision framework allowing growers to identify areas with the greatest potential to respond to precision soil amelioration techniques.

Details

Framework will provide guidance to growers in identifying the most cost effective management strategies for their system including the design and implementation of variable rate techniques.

Output 3

By 15 March 2022, a decision framework for the low, medium and high rainfall zones enabling growers to identify opportunities to move to higher value crops after amelioration.

Details

Framework developed using previous studies to identify critical soil chemistry limits and any existing gaps. Quantifying yield reductions in association with increasing constraint levels in low, medium and high rainfall zones for each of the key crops:

• Cereals; wheat, barley, triticale, sorghum and maize

• Pulses; chickpea, faba bean, lentil, lupin, field pea, soybean and mungbean

• Oilseed; canola, safflower, sunflower

Output 4

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 5

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.

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