Cowra soil carbon seminar

to address farmer concerns

A SEMINAR designed to help farmers manage their response to the soil carbon debate will be held in Cowra on Thursday, February 11.

Soil scientist with New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI), David Waters, is presenting the series developed by leading DPI soil scientists to cover issues relating to soil carbon in agriculture.

“A lot of information has been generated in relation to soil carbon and unfortunately some of it is either confusing or at worst incorrect,” says Mr Waters.

“We want to provide farmers with some balance and context in the debate over soil carbon and what it may mean for their farming enterprises.”

Mr Waters says seminars already presented had generated excellent feedback from local farmers and other industry members.

“Those who attended wanted to know the best ways to manage and increase carbon in their farming systems,” he says.

“They also wanted information on how to reduce their fertiliser costs by increasing soil carbon, and what time-frames were appropriate to achieve increases in soil carbon.

“As well, they were keen to understand how general ‘soil health’ relates to soil carbon levels, what capacity soils have to store carbon in relation to soil type, and how organic soil carbon measures up against inorganic soil carbon.”

Issues to be covered at the Cowra seminar include carbon cycles,

“There is such a deluge of information on carbon that it is very easy to get confused,” says Mr Waters. “This will be a hands-on day – in the afternoon we will visit a soil pit on an adjacent property, and relate the importance of soil carbon to overall soil health and best land management practices.”

The Natural Resource Management 355 committee at Cowra is collaborating with the DPI to put on this seminar so that farmers can come to grips about the truths and fallacies of carbon farming.

The bottom line is that carbon and water are the most important elements that impact on farm viability, says Mr Waters. A better understanding of how carbon functions on the farm will enable farmers to make more informed decisions on maximising the benefits of carbon for their farming business.

The Carbon Myth Busters seminar will be held from 9am to 3:30pm on February 11 in the Pridham Centre at the Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, Binni Creek Road, Cowra. Lunch will be provided at no charge. For bookings and further information contact the Agricultural Station on 02 6349 9777.