04 April 2019
A desire to ease the effects of poor climatic conditions and improve total soil health is what drove beef producer Alexander Nixon’s Nuffield Scholarship research.
Alexander runs an 8,500ha cattle and cropping operation at Drillham, near Roma, Queensland. As the third generation on the farm, and with a young family of his own, he was motivated to find solutions to maximise the health of his soil and rebuild it for future generations.
“We’ve started shifting towards regenerative agriculture and zero-till farming already, and from the outset I was keen to focus narrowly on how to improve soil carbon in dryland farming,” he said.
“That focus quickly expanded when it became clear that improving just one element of the soil profile is futile. Total soil health, and mimicking the fine balancing act of nature, is the key.”
Boosting soil health
Alexander's research found three key factors to improving total soil health:
Climatic conditions Biodiversity Groundcover.“You can achieve optimal soil health when these three factors overlap. We can’t control the weather, but we can manage our groundcover and biodiversity through zero-till farming and a focus on multi-species cover cropping cycles,” he said.
Cover cropping to improve soils
The integration of cover crops to not only maintain and improve soil organic matter, but also provide diversification opportunities for producers, was a key focus of Alexander’s research.
“A high level of organic matter in soil helps with moisture retention, soil structure, carbon levels and microbial activity. Cover crops with a mix of up to eight different species, such as cereals, grasses, legumes and brassicas, can all help fix unhealthy soil,” he said.
“Additionally, a cover crop opens up opportunities for alternative revenue streams through livestock grazing or agistment, before the cash crop goes in.”
Alexander found that while a move to cover cropping may initially lead to higher input costs for seed and planting, these costs are offset by long-term benefit.
"As soil improvements accumulate, fertiliser and chemical costs come down and cash crop yields can increase," he said.
For Alexander, promotion of multi-species cover cropping, either through incentive programs or better dissemination of the research, will be key to improved take-up.
His research recommended a local cooperative initiative as one option for capital investment in plant and machinery and the purchase of bulk seed. It would also enable sharing of knowledge and provide the means to run local trials.
“If we can enable agricultural businesses to capitalise on good seasons through improved soil efficiency and sustained soil integrity over the long term, then we’ll have an industry focused on farming for the next generation, and not just for the bank balance,” he said.
