APSRU PROJECT SUMMARY NO.                    34

Project Title:                        Soil Monitoring Support Systems for Improved Decision Making

Project Supervisor:           Neal Dalgliesh

Funding Body:                   NLP  

Admin Contact:                  Marshall Mackay                  

Commencement Date:      July 1995        Completion Date:   June 1997     

Aims:  

1.      To improve the available sampling technologies for more cost-effective soil monitoring by farmers and consultants for a range of information needs.

2.       To develop and pbulish simple decision aids to assist in the interpreation and use of soil monitoring information in the making of ‘on-farm’ decsions.

3.       To publish a manual on practical soil monitoring and management relevant to the northern cropping belt.

4.       To reduce risk and increase profits from more efficienct managmeent of soil water and nitrogen in the region.

Research Proposal Summary:

Interest stimulated by the soil monitoring activities in APSRU’s on-farm pilot project (CSC10F) has led to growing demands by advisers and farmers outside the project for inforamation and equipment.  In the last year presentations have been made to over 20 farmer field days (about 500 farmers).  In response to demad we have organised loacl fabrication and supply of engiering drawings, both for hand and powere sampling equipment.  1000 copies of a hasitly-prepared booklet, ‘Exploring the soil on you farm’, have been distributed.  The point has been reached where APSRU cannot meet the demand for this important service, and a project is need to assist the development of a system for such support based primarily on commercial service providers, with appropiate links to research.

Potential Outcomes: 

·         Improved sampling technologies for more cost-effective soil monitoring by consultants and farmers for a range of information needs.

·         Improved commercial soil monitoring equipment.

·         Publication of a book on practical soil monitoring and management for much of the Northern Region similar to “MEY Check”, van Rees and Ridge, (GRDC 1994).

·         Publication of simple decision aids to assist in the interpreation and use of soil monitoring information in the making of ‘on-farm’ decisions.

·         Reduced risks and increased profits fom more efficient management of soil water and nitrogen in this region.

·         Outcomes in this project which provide improved soil information will be enhanced by those of the proposed project ‘Farmer-advisor-researcher action research and communication for better crop production decision making .  And benefits from simultion of alternative management scenarios potentially provided by the latter project are greatly enhanced by soil water and nitrogen measurements to peg the model for specific conditions.

Project Publications: