Collaboration to transform WA grain yields with innovative soil practices
Project name
Soil Water and Nutrition (SWAN) Strategic Collaboration
GRDC code
DAW2407-001SPX
More than 85 per cent of Western Australian (WA) grain growers are actively improving their soils, with about two-thirds utilising deep soil tillage strategies, often in conjunction with application of soil amendments, such as lime or gypsum.
Additionally, around 20 per cent of WA growers regularly apply lime or gypsum or other soil amendments without using deep tillage.
These ongoing efforts reflect a strong commitment to enhancing soil capability and function across the grain-growing region.
Building on these practices, a $55.9-million partnership has been launched to further improve water and nutrient-use efficiency in Western Australia's grain production.
The goal is to help growers achieve crop yield increases exceeding 10 per cent.
The project, named the Soil Water and Nutrition (SWAN) strategic research collaboration, is a 5-year initiative with investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
DPIRD Principal Research Scientist, Dr Stephen Davies, who is the SWAN Collaboration Manager, said the aim is to boost WA grain yields by increasing water use efficiency by more than 10 per cent and improving crop nutrient availability by refining soil profile re-engineering and nutrient management practices.
“The focus will be on developing and applying paddock-scale, adoptable machinery and soil improvement strategies that deliver long-term productivity and financial gains for growers,” he said.
There are 3 research Programs with key deliverables managed by senior DPIRD soil scientists:
1. Novel and readily adoptable soil management approaches that overcome soil constraints to increase water use efficiency.
In this Program, adoptable paddock-scale machinery and soil amendment options will be used to implement soil profile re-engineering to 80 cm deep or more.
Diagnostics and analyses of long-term productivity gains and financial returns will help to guide implementation of, and investment in, soil profile re-engineering strategies.
While methods will be developed to improve water capture and reduce water loss on heavy-textured soils in low rainfall cropping regions.
This Program is led by Principal Research Scientist, Dr Gaus Azam.
2. Cost effective integrated nutrient management strategies that increase Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE).
In the second Program, integrated nutrient management approaches will be developed to help to improve long-term nutrient availability and grain production in cropping systems.
Reducing potassium losses and improved availability of applied potassium in cropping systems for increased grain yield will be a particular focus on sandy soils where potassium regularly leaches beyond crop root zones.
This Program is led by Principal Research Scientist, Dr Craig Scanlan.
3. New knowledge, resources and adoptable technologies for growers and industry.
Finally in the third Program, growers and industry will be provided with soil management strategies and packages that support industry adoption through investment analysis, implementation guidelines, decision support tools and approaches that improve and sustain soil function and productivity.
This Program is led by Senior Research Scientist, Mr Wayne Parker.
The collaboration will include an industry advisory group comprised of growers, consultants, and researchers, and aim to help the collaboration with research direction and to effectively support growers in implementing the key learnings.
Projects under the collaboration are underway, with existing long-term experiments continuing in the current crop season, and a series of new experiments planned for the 2025 season.
Funding partners / project collaborators
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
More information
Click here to read the DPIRD webpage Soil Water and Nutrition (SWAN) Strategic Collaboration
Contact
Dr Stephen Davies
DPIRD Principal Research Scientist
E: Stephen.Davies@dpird.wa.gov.au
P: 08 9956 8515 or 0408 439 497
