Restoring soil pH in the Cleve Hills and lower Eyre Peninsula
This year the ‘Restoring Soil pH’ program has expanded to assist farmers in the Cleve/Mangalo Hills (with red brown earth soils - at risk of soil acidification). To reverse the acidification trends on these soils, land managers can have a paddock mapped, then work out the cost of soil acidity on their production. The first workshop open to attend is Wednesday 27 February.
Lower Eyre Peninsula farmers, with predominantly the ironstone soils and siliceous sandy soils, are also invited to register for a Restoring Soil pH workshops at Cummins Tuesday 26 February.
Farmers involved in previous soil pH workshops have seen great benefits. Although most farmers have only begun pH mapping in the last 1-2 years understanding the variation of soil pH across their paddocks has been worthwhile. Many stated that they did not realise that their pH levels were quite that low.
Benefits include:
• Land managers can automatically vary lime rates from pH maps with their spreader or manually apply variable rates by switching spreader on and off as they pass into different pH zones.
• Large savings achieved by applying variable lime rates to match variations soil type and pH levels.
• Updated pH maps correlate with yield maps.
• decision making techniques for your worst pH paddocks.
Half day workshops will be held at Cummins on Tuesday 26 February and Cleve Wednesday 27 February. Placed are limited. To register please contact Brett Masters on 0428 105 184 or email brett.masters@sa.gov.au
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