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Soils

Location: Ballandean & Tenterfield
Status: ongoing until May 2027
Partners: Granite Borders Landcare

This project, supported by the Hub’s Stanthorpe node, is investigating potential benefits of introducing indigenous micro-organisms (IMOs) to agricultural soils.

The Living soils project offers education and demonstrations to equip farmers with the knowledge and skills to repair and transform their soils, crops and pastures biologically. 

Among the experts supporting the project will be the Hub's Regional Soil Coordinator, Cameron Leckie. The SQNNSW Innovation Hub Regional Soil Coordinator is supported by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.

You can find out more about the Living Soils project on the Granite Borders Landcare website.

Location: Warwick
Status: Complete
Partners: Southern Queensland Landscapes, Condamine Headwaters Landcare, University of Southern Queensland  

Plan your farm and beat erosion! At this field day, Soil Conservationist Mark Genrich discussed farm planning, erosion and maintaining ground cover.  

Participants had the opportunity to:  

  • learn the causes of erosion, designing appropriate erosion management works and coordination of flow across the landscape at a working farm 
  • watch practical management demonstrations 
  • discover Soil Conservation Plans and their role in conserving soil 
  • connect with soil conservation specialists and local land managers. 
A group of people in a field observe a person standing near a large soil pit. A pickup truck is parked nearby under a partly cloudy sky.

Location: Longreach
Status: Complete
Partners: GroWQ, Hamish Webb

A key focus of the Soil Carbon Workshop in Longreach was whether soil carbon can work in Western Queensland. Hub Longreach Node Manager, Ally Murray, and Adoption Officer, Prue Button, hosted the workshop, along with 38 people, of which over 70% were land owners and producers. 

The diverse range of presenters shared their knowledge and opinion: 

  • Hamish Webb – Precision Pastures (spoke from a producer perspective re soil carbon project he has undertaken in the Armidale region and soil testing in Western Queensland) 
  • Lucy McKee – NatureBase (spoke about the relationship of carbon and cattle and what it really means for producers in the future) 
  • Jamie Dennison – CarbonLink (shared the successful ACCU projects that Carbonlink has undertaken and where the future lies) 
  • Jerome Leray – InFarm (shared his knowledge of landscape rehydration and the potential relationship with soil carbon).

Locations: Lismore and southern Queensland and northern New South Wales
Status: Active
Partners: Southern Cross University, Frida's Field, DPI, Soil Science Australia, Environmental Analysis Laboratory

In 2023, the hub hosted a panel discussion and field day to learn how local soils were formed and the challenges of managing them 150 years after rainforest was first cleared from this country.

In 2024, the hub celebrated World Soil Day with a unique 'Paddock to Plate' experience called 'Good Soils, Good Food', involving a seasonal menu using 100% locally grown produce, conversations with farmers about connection to soil and how it influences the food they grow, and a guest presentation from Southern Cross University soil scientist Dr John Grant to better understand how life under the earth sustains everything above it. 

The hub also runs a competition to celebrate World Soil Day. Commencing in 2023, this annual competition encourages landholders to share innovative practices they are implementing to improve soil health and manage climatic variability.

The four winners of our 2023 competition received a comprehensive soil assessment – each valued at $5,000 and were provided with a site visit and comprehensive soil condition report. The following resources were published to increase landholder soil knowledge, soil health and the use of soil data:

 Find out more about the hub's World Soil Day competition.

A group of people stands under large trees in a grassy area on a sunny day.