Sandy Soils project delivers practical gains for Upper South East producers

A five-year project led by the Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan, with funding support from Meat & Livestock Australia, has wrapped up after helping livestock producers better manage water-repellent sandy soils across the Upper South East.

Running from 2022 to 2026, the ‘Improved Grazing Production on Non-Wetting Sands’ project worked directly with local farmers to test practical ways of improving sandy soils and increasing pasture production under real farming conditions.

Trials were conducted at three demonstration sites near Coomandook, Field and Western Flat. Participants tested a range of soil improvement methods, including inversion tillage, deep ripping, soil mixing, clay spreading, compost and targeted nutrient management.

Project leader Dr Melissa Fraser said one of the key lessons learned was that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for sandy soils.

“Every paddock is different,” Dr Fraser said.

“Our results showed that the first step is understanding what is limiting production. Problems such as soil compaction, water repellence, low fertility and poor moisture retention often occur together, so addressing only one issue may not deliver the best result.

“The strongest results came from identifying the underlying constraints first, then choosing the right treatment and supporting it with good nutrition and grazing management.”

Where soil constraints were successfully addressed, pasture production increased by between 1.5 and 3.5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare.

The project also showed that some treatments were more effective than others, depending on the site. At one demonstration site, reducing soil compaction alone did not significantly improve production because severe water repellence remained a problem. This highlighted the importance of understanding all soil constraints before investing in improvements.

Economic analysis found that some treatments paid for themselves within one to two years, while others took much longer to recover their costs. The financial return depended on the cost of the treatment, the pasture response achieved and livestock productivity.

A major focus of the project was helping producers build the skills and confidence needed to make informed soil management decisions.

Over the five years, 10 field days and extension events attracted more than 500 producer and adviser engagements. Four core producers and six associate producers were involved throughout the project and received ongoing support through on-farm mentoring.

By the end of the project, participating producers had increased their knowledge of:

• diagnosing sandy soil constraints by 16 per cent
• selecting suitable soil improvement strategies by 24 per cent
• confidence in managing sandy soils by 28 per cent.

Most importantly, that knowledge led to action on farm. Participating producers treated a combined 1,490 hectares of constrained sandy soils during the project, with some reporting increases in livestock carrying capacity on treated paddocks.

Dr Fraser said seeing producers apply what they had learned was one of the project's biggest successes.

“It has been encouraging to see producers move from being interested in soil amelioration to understanding their constraints, making informed decisions and implementing changes on their farms,” she said.

“Just as valuable were the lessons from treatments that did not perform as expected. Understanding why something didn't work can help producers avoid costly mistakes in the future.”

The project has also produced a range of resources that will continue to support producers and advisers.

The Coorong Tatiara Projects Hub website (www.ctprojectshub.au) provides access to trial results, case studies and technical resources. Producers can also use the Sandy Soil Constraints Calculator and Solution Finder at www.soilhub.com.au to help identify soil constraints and explore management options.

The ‘Improved Grazing Production on Non-Wetting Sands’ project was supported by Meat & Livestock Australia and delivered by the Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan in partnership with the Coorong District Council, Soil Function Consulting and participating Upper South East producers.

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Contact:

COORONG DISTRICT COUNCIL
Phone: 1300 785 277 | E: council@coorong.sa.gov.au