SOIL PIT SHOWS THE LAYERED WORLD BELOW THE SURFACE

BUNDABERG FIELD DAY CONTINUES

SOIL PIT SHOWS THE LAYERED WORLD BELOW THE SURFACE

Bundaberg Station staff dug a soil pit for the Field Day which visitors could walk through to see the different layers of the soil profile in the area.

Manager Translational Research Dr Barry Salter and Principal Agronomist Dr Danielle Skocaj made the point to growers that the soil type which was contained in the soil profile pit only occurred in around five per cent of the Bundaberg region.

They stressed that the soils on growers' own farms – the colours, textures and structures - could be completely different. “There are multiple soil types in the region, and different soils in Isis compared with Bundaberg,” Barry said.

“Different soils should be managed differently, including cultivation, irrigation and nutrient inputs. Nutrient loss pathways also differ between soils and therefore require altered management practices to ensure fertilisers are taken up by the crop.”

Danielle Skocaj agreed.

“People are surprised to see how much the colour changes from the surface.

The layers below the surface are very different to the soil we see on the surface,” Danielle said.

Barry and Danielle talked to growers about the resources available on the SRA website for nutrient management. These include soil booklets and nutrient guidelines for their own region and the Australian Sugarcane Nutrition Manual.

These resources are available here: https://sugarresearch.com.au/growersand-millers/nutrient-management/

“Sugarcane growers who understand their soils and keep good records are in an excellent position to be able to refine their nutrient inputs for specific situations,” Barry said.

Scan to read Australian Sugarcane Nutrition Manual.

(Top) Principal Agronomist Danielle Skocaj and Manager Translational Research Barry Salter get ready for visitors to the soil pit at Bundaberg Field Day.

(Bottom Left) Soil tests were demonstrated to growers visiting the Field Day.