Riverine Plains Blog

Key Messages

• Stubble retention has many benefits for soil health, can improve soil moisture and help maintain soil organic carbon levels
• Different methods of sowing and equipment result in different thresholds for change in terms of maximum stubble load that can be retained
• If full stubble retention is not feasible due to machinery, weeds or disease constraints, there are other options such as shallow incorporation, slashing straw or cutting short at harvest which can reduce the frequency of burning

Benefits of Stubble Retention

Retaining stubble can reduce the impacts of soil erosion. At least 70 per cent ground cover minimises water erosion risk and 50 per cent ground cover minimises wind erosion risk. Stubble height should be at least one-third of the width of crop rows. In general, the shelter provided by a barrier is approximately three times its height; 10 cm tall stubble will protect the adjacent 30 cm of topsoil. (Source: Managing stubble | General agronomy | Crop production | Grains, pulses and cereals | Crops and horticulture | Agriculture Victoria )

Key Messages:

• Carbon is present in the soil in many different forms.
• Including a pasture phase and pulses/legumes in the cropping rotation is essential to improve soil organic matter and nitrogen levels, promote microbial activity and ultimately increase soil organic carbon. 
• Evaluating management practices to increase soil carbon is necessary to ensure they are economically viable for a farming business.
• Several environmental factors (rainfall, evaporation, solar radiation, and temperature), as well as soil type, nutrient availability and land management influence maximum soil organic carbon storage capacity 

 

What Is Soil Carbon?

Soil carbon can occur in organic and inorganic forms.

Key Points:

• Check crops now for signs of cereal rust and other diseases 
• Time fungicide applications to protect the yield-producing leaves  
• Rotate fungicide groups to reduce the risk of resistance developing 

Given early disease build up in areas of NSW and Victoria, ongoing wet conditions and the widespread planting of susceptible cultivars, Riverine Plains region growers are encouraged to inspect crops now for signs of rust and other cereal diseases.  

Key Points  

• Biosecurity should be an everyday farm practice  
• Simple, low-cost measures can prevent pests and disease from establishing on your farm 
• If you spot anything unusual, know how to report and contain it. 

While the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Indonesia has focussed our attention on emerging biosecurity issues, biosecurityshould really be an everyday farm management practice.  

Key points 

• Standing still is not an option in today's world  
• Changes will happen whether we are ready or not 
• Improvement in our farming systems can't happen in isolation  
• New ideas come from being connected to peers and experts. 

We all know that change is an inevitable part of life and running a successful business. As author Louise Penny said, "Life is change. If you aren't growing and evolving, you're standing still, and the rest of the world is surging ahead".