Workshop to target soil management

The latest soil technology and research findings will be on offer to growers at a workshop in the Wheatbelt next month.

Department of Agriculture and Food development officer Greg Shea said the workshop would focus on "managing soils as a whole".

The workshop will be held at the Merredin Recreation and Community Leisure Centre on February 11.

"The workshop focus will be on more effective management practices with a focus on profitable solutions to ensure healthy soils," Mr Shea said.

Many of the soil constraints that cost growers thousands of dollars every year in lost grain production can be overcome when decisions are based on appropriate measurements and advice.

"By making changes, growers can manage their soils to be more productive," Mr Shea said. "Some of these changes don't necessarily cost a lot, which is especially important when budgets are tight."

He said growers with high yielding crops in 2013 were concerned about whether the level of soil fertility had been run down as a result.

"Given the increased awareness about how soil acidity has been reducing the effectiveness of the fertiliser applied and restricting yields, growers also want to know where and how much lime should be used, especially since the transport component makes lime potentially very expensive for the eastern Wheatbelt," he said.

"We are definitely getting feedback from growers that they want to get a bigger dollar return from their fertiliser investment."

Growers should bring soil and tissue tests in to the workshop so they can run through them with the experts.

The free workshop will run from 9.30am to 3.30pm. To register or for further information contact Caroline Peek on 9081 3104 or email caroline.peek@agric.wa.gov .au

This event and all associated material is supported by funding from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Carbon Farming Futures - Action on the Ground program and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.