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The Importance of Nutrient Content of Seed
30 October
As Harvest ’15 is now well underway and many growers have their minds set on planting next year we all start looking at strategies for improving crop performance next year. One strategy is retaining seed from harvest this year, with...[Read More]
Each State Given It’s Own Soil Emblem
7 August
Soil Science Australia is the peak body for soil scientists across Australia. It was established in 1955 to advance soil science, there are now hundreds of members, covering all states. Soil Science Australia has chosen one soil to be the...[Read More]
There’s Something In The Wind
31 July
Photo credit: Scott van Pelt Few studies have been carried out on the effect of wind on microbes in the soil. Researchers see an importance in researching how agriculturally important bacteria are carried in dust and wind. Studies showed that...[Read More]
Strip Tillage Leading to Improved Soil Properties
31 July
Image credit: Fabián Fernández "The blades on a till don't simply chop up soil and move it around. They blend dead plant material left from harvest into the soil. They also expose wetter soil to the air and loosen it". Deciding what...[Read More]
Plant Defence Hormones Shaping Root Microbiome
24 July
Image credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Studies have been completed showing that plants produce the hormones; salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and, ethylene, to defend themselves against pathogens. The three compounds are able to...[Read More]
Non wetting behaviour? Try using a CAT!
10 July
[caption id="attachment_3375" align="alignnone" width="700"] Water repellant soils affect 30 per cent of Australia’s cropping land, mostly in Western Australia.[/caption] Image credit: Daniel Critch Source: GRDC While you might...[Read More]
Cover Crops Leading to Diversity
10 July
Image Credit: Computed tomography scanning at Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory with the help of Dr. Mark Rivers. Source: Science Daily; American Society of Agronomy Sasha Kravchenko, a soil scientist and professor at...[Read More]
America is Running Out of Soil
3 July
Image credit: The Week This article by Matt Hansen explains the history of civilisations that have not managed their soils well. He aligns the future of the American civilisation with that of the Roman civilisation; where the Roman Empire...[Read More]
CT scan tech used to check soil health
12 June
Image credit: Dorthe Wildenschild, Oregon State University The mechanization used in agriculture is getting more and more vast as time goes on, we are now using tractors weighing tens of tonned, with a relatively small footprint,...[Read More]
Prezi – Soil Degradation, a Deepening Problem
5 June
Source: Eijkelkamp Agrisearch Equipment Land is increasingly encountering problems which cause soil degradation. Erosion, desiccation and salinisation are just a few examples. The result is that fertile top layers of the soil disappear,...[Read More]
The Power and Limits of Weather Models
5 June
Image credit: ABC Radio As agricultural practises become more and more precise, we search for higher accuracy in weather predictions. Weather determines almost every activity carried out on farm, so it is vital in planning to...[Read More]
Nice and dirty – the importance of soil
5 June
Photo Credit: Siegfried Modola Sourced from: http://www.irinnews.org//report/101019/nice-and-dirty-the-importance-of-soil#.VWjnu1KXenN Be it laterite, loam, peat or clay, soil is life. It's the foundation of food security, and so the UN...[Read More]
Actions, inactions impact soil health
5 June
Photo Credit: Kat Lawrence Larry Oldham, a Mississippi State University soil specialist explains that a soil can be looked at as a living organism that must be kept healthy to make efficient use of inputs, such as fertiliser. 'Soil health is...[Read More]
In-Furrow Soil Management – Surcometrics
29 May
Planting is coming to a close for the 2015 winter broadacre cropping programme. The growing campaign has begun!!! Getting the crop in the ground is a great time of year. The soil is brought to life and the earthy smell (geosmin) awakens your...[Read More]