Soil biology
Background:
Strong interest in alternative ‘biological’ fertiliser products and demand for information on soil biology is the main driver for this project. Farmers currently rely on chemical processes to provide plant nutrients, and many farmers are concerned about the long term sustainability and efficacy of chemical fertilisers.
Of particular interest is information on accessing ‘locked-up’ soil nutrients and trapping ‘free’ nitrogen. Research suggests existing fertiliser input regimes may reduce soil ‘biological’ contributions to nutrient availability by altering the abundance and type of microbial communities in soil. However, little is known about the role of soil microbes in Australian dairy soils.
Project objective:
Greater understanding of microbial processes associated with nutrient cycling and their relationships with the physical and chemical characteristics of dairy soils.
Project scope:
This project will address issues of soil biology not previously investigated for dairy soils in Australia. It will provide information about:
- the types of microbes present in Australian dairy soils, their activity under a range of different soil chemical and physical conditions
- whether encouraging microbial activity through targeted management practices could reduce chemical fertiliser requirements.
Until recently it has been difficult to obtain accurate info on the types of soil microbes present, and their relative activity due to technological limitations. Advances in meta-genomics and soil health array assays now enable relatively inexpensive assessments of soil biological composition and activity, and these techniques will underpin this project.
Outcomes/benefits:
This is a ‘blue sky’ project - harnessing these 'biological contributions' to nutrients may lead to greater farm productivity, but there are no guarantees.
The expected outcomes are increased understanding of the interaction between nitogen use and soil microbial community structures and functions and improved industry understanding about microbial processes associated with nutrient cycling and their relationships with the physical and chemical characteristics of dairy soils.
The information generated could then be used to design more targeted research investigating whether soil microbes can be “managed” to improve nutrient use uptake by Australian dairy pastures.
More information:
For more information, please contact Cathy Phelps, Dairy Australia Natural Resource Management Program Manager.