description
- At present soil testing is widely recognised across Australia as the best way to determine supplies of plant available phosphorus, potassium and sulphur, and fertiliser requirements applications needed to meet crop demand. Despite the availability of these services, levels of adoption of soil and plant testing in the southern region are low and appear to have declined from 40% of cropping paddocks in 2008 to about 15% in 2016. This investment seeks to provide grain growers in the GRDC Southern Region with evidence of the usefulness and economic value of well-informed fertiliser decisions, to influence their attitudes and motivation to adopt improved nutrient management techniques. An economic framework will be developed to quantify the likely returns from improved nutrient management techniques. In addition, the large numbers of soil profile analyses collected will provide a useful snapshot of nutrient status and soil fertility and could be used to highlight emerging issues like soil acidity and declining organic matter.