Project Summary

The Innovative Soil Technologies to Foster Resilience and Climate-Smart Crop Production in Australia is a national collaborative project evaluating practical soil technologies to improve soil health, crop productivity and the resilience of Australian farming systems. Through field trials, research, and extension, the project supports the adoption of climate-smart and sustainable farming practices.

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and is led by the University of Adelaide in collaboration with Murdoch University, Facey Group and a national consortium of grower groups, researchers and industry partners.

Facey Group is delivering a demonstration site in collaboration with a local grower near Wickepin. The replicated field trial is evaluating the performance of various soil amendment products and application methods to reduce soil acidity. Treatments include:

• Angaston fine lime
• Lancelin lime
• Micronised lime (powder)
• Micronised lime (slurry)
• Gypsum
• Micronised gypsum

Each treatment has been surface-applied and incorporated (spading down to 30 cm), and the trial was sown to Vixen wheat in 2026. It will be monitored throughout the season for soil pH changes, crop establishment, soil moisture, crop vigour (NDVI), biomass, plant nutrition, grain yield and grain quality to determine how each treatment influences crop performance.

Project Background

Soil acidity affects more than 10 million hectares of agricultural land across Australia and continues to expand, reducing crop productivity and increasing production costs. Agricultural lime is the standard treatment, but improvements in soil pH often take several years, particularly where lime remains on the soil surface.

New lime products and application methods have been developed to improve the speed and efficiency of acidity control. However, independent field data comparing these approaches under commercial farming conditions are limited. This project aims to provide growers with practical information on how different soil amendment products and application methods perform, supporting more informed soil management decisions.

Further Information

Project Start Date: April 2026

Project End Date: March 2029

Project Funding: Australian Government – Natural Heritage Trust (Climate-Smart Agriculture Program)

Project Lead: University of Adelaide

Facey Group Lead: Franco Renteria

Project Collaborators: University of Adelaide, Murdoch University, Ag Excellence Alliance, WANTFA, Birchip Cropping Group, Ag Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula (AIR EP), Mingenew Irwin Group (MIG), Southern Farming Systems, Riverine Plains, Nutrien Ag Solutions, SARDI, Incitec Pivot Pty Ltd., AMPS Research, Facey Group and collaborating growers.

Host Grower: Kevin Pauley