The penetrometer is a useful tool to help farmers determine soil moisture. Photos: Andy Wilson
A public workshop was held at Girgarre on Thursday, May 18 to update farmers on soil moisture sensors in farm management.
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Goulburn Valley Landcare hosted the event, with Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, at the new Gargarro Botanical Gardens and had a series of guest speakers update locals on the status of the technology.
Soils for Life farmer engagement manager James Diack demonstrated how to use a penetrometer to help determine soil structure and water content, along with the use of a soil corer and pH testing kit, as well as a home-made apparatus for other measurements.
Mr Diack stressed the importance of understanding soils in order to maximise production on minimised irrigation practises.
“Changing the way that you think about soil management is going to be major in making you change the way you manage your soil,” Mr Diack said.
“The day was about what farmers can do easily themselves and they can do all these things,” he said.
Lancaster cattle and hay farmer David Pierce praised the event and said he could now better manage the soil on his farm without ‘going crazy’.
“I have learnt more today than I have in the last two years,” Mr Pierce said.
“Now I can work out how much water I really need.”
Mr Pierce said he had been battling a large paddock in which one end was so wet that it sank his plough.
“And on the other side it’s so dry that the plough just bounces along the surface,” he said.
“I want to learn how to fix it without using chemicals before making decisions on which way to go.
“You can read all the books, but these guys have done all that.”
David Pierce said that the field day helped him learn how to manage his soil “without going crazy” on irrigation.
Regional Agriculture Landcare facilitator for the GBCMA Kerstie Lee said the day was an opportunity to demonstrate some of the soil moisture sensors.
Ms Lee said that although there was eight years of moisture data available in the region, there were still small areas where data was scarce.
“The data base has its limits,” Ms Lee said.
“There are some pockets that are missing data, and we are actively looking to see where those pockets are at the moment and seeing whether we can get more soil probes in those regions to complement the data.”
Mr Diack said that all techniques taught needed a small investment of time.
“If you make time to do this then you learn things you didn’t know,” he said.
“And it’s easy stuff, looking at ground cover, water infiltration, looking at roots, what animals are in the soil, the pH.
“But probably the most useful tool they can use is a shovel.”
Soil for Life supports farmers to form groups which can keep each other accountable and will be launching a ‘soil monitor challenge’ in spring.
Inquiries about the challenge can be emailed to: james.diack@soilsforlife.org.au
Farmers wanting to use their properties to complement moisture data can email: kerstiel@gbcma.vic.gov.au
Dale Boyd begins hammering a soil corer into a paddock; however, the field day demonstrated home-made devices that farmers can use to measure soil health. "The most useful tool you can use is a shovel," presenter James Diack said.
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