Commencement date

March 2022

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Completion date

December 2024

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Aim

The project aims to trial, measure and demonstrate crop sequencing and new technologies that can sequester organic carbon (C), mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil fertility in crop production systems that have traditionally struggled to accumulate carbon. 

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Funding Provider

DPIRD

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Project lead organisation

WANTFA​

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Project background

The land use for the project will be cropping or mixed farming in the medium to low rainfall areas of the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Three sites will be used to establish a geographic spread with the support of grower groups.

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An upper limit for C storage will be determined at each site using a ‘MaxC’ treatment which loads the soil with off-paddock sourced organic matter.  This will provide a benchmark for other crop sequencing treatments such as summer cover cropping, pasture and soil amelioration treatments. Trials will also assess C stabilisation treatments with the aim of minimising losses of C from the system and look to establish a long-term crop sequence.

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​The project will use a farming systems approach to investigate three potential new methodologies for C sequestration and nitrous oxide mitigation using crop sequencing (including summer crops, cover crops and pastures), soil C amendments and soil amelioration.  These will be trialled in small to medium size plots in fully randomised designed experiments.

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Trial Background 

​This trial, located on the WASS property in Coorow, investigates the effect of added carbon on nutrient-poor sandy yellow soil with low water holding capacity. Historically, the paddock was not used for cropping due to these limitations and was covered with tussocky weeds, requiring rejuvenation for productive use. The trial includes two strips of clay and a control: a 50m x 15m section with 160t/ha of clay, a 50m x 15m section with 80t/ha of clay, and a control section with no clay. Additionally, chicken manure has been added to provide organic matter and nutrients. The goal is to increase the soil’s carbon holding capacity and establish as much biomass as possible.

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