|
The vegetable industry healthy soils project is one of ten major projects within the healthy soils for Sustainable Farms Programme, a $5 million initiative of the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust. The programme is managed by Land & Water Australia and supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Project Objectives
| • |
Develop, publish, promote and disseminate a soil identification and interpretation reference guide for vegetable production |
| • |
Develop a soil interpretation and management course in line with the Australian National Training Authority: Certificate of Amenity Horticulture RTF03 (Level IV or higher) |
| • |
Provide for long-term management of material and information |
Project Outputs
| • |
Publishing and circulating a Ute Guide to be carried around in the ute or tractor |
| • |
Creating a CD/DVD based on the Ute Guide for those growers with limited literacy in English |
| • |
Staging in-field demonstrations in each state under different soil conditions to enable growers to better interpret soil types and remedial actions required to enhance soil health |
Healthy Soils Ute Guide
The portable handbook known as the 'Soil Interpretation Ute Guide' will assist vegetable growers across Australia to manage and monitor their soil in an effort to promote and restore soil health for even healthier tasty vegetables.
Free to every vegetable levy paying grower Australia wide, the guide will prove handy to any vegetable grower who has an interest in wanting to understand their soil and know how best to manage their precious soil resources for the long-term. The guide is designed to be carried around in the ute or tractor, will cover the soil types in each vegetable growing region nationally, with pictorial references to assist growers to determine if there is a problem in their soil.
Healthy Soils Ute Guide can be ordered by downloading an order form.
Soil Interpretation and Management Courses
The Soil Interpretation and Management Course will assist vegetable growers in all states to learn about their soil profile, to identify and interpret soil structure and chemistry, to restore or improve the health of the soil and to select the appropriate crop types for the soil with the least impact on the broader environment.
This course and in-field demonstrations will build on the information contained in the Ute Guide and hence add value to the guide.
Instructional Healthy Soils CD/DVD
In conjunction with the guide, growers will also have access to an instructional CD/DVD. This will be ideal for time-poor growers, as well as for growers with non-English speaking backgrounds, as the CD/DVD will have practical demonstrations and images that can be viewed or verbal descriptions that can be listened to, assisting those growers that have either literacy or language difficulties.
Project Contributors
| • |
AUSVEG |
| • |
HAL |
| • |
Arris Pty Ltd |
| • |
NSW Farmers Association |
Project Leader and Primary Contact
Helena Whitman
AUSVEG Environmental Manager
Ph: (03) 5429 5220
Fax: (03) 5429 5224
Mb: 0409 535 051
Email: helena.whitman@ausveg.com.au
“This project is facilitated by HAL in partnership with AUSVEG and was funded by the National Vegetable levy.
The Australian Government provides matched funding for all HAL's R&D activities.”
|
