Soil chats, resources on offer at Dowerin

GROWERS and advisors will be asked what they need to make their next soil management decisions when they visit the SoilsWest display at next week’s Dowerin Machinery Field Days.

SoilsWest will be based in the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) tent for the annual event, which will be held on August 26 and 27.

The tent will include the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), Curtin University’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) and WeedSmart.

South-West WA Regional Soil Coordinator Bridget Watkins, part of the SoilsWest team at Murdoch University (MU), said she was looking forward to meeting growers and industry professionals at Dowerin.

“Dowerin is a really important event on our calendar because it connects us with people we might not see at other times throughout the year,” Ms Watkins said.

“We’re there to talk about all things soil – what growers want to know and how they want that information delivered.

“The timing of these conversations is critical with many growers considering soil management strategies for constraints that have shown up in season.”

SoilsWest will also use the field days to promote Soil Quality Courses, its free online learning platform focused on soil and plant nutrition and developed with co-investment from GRDC and MU (UMU2411-003SAX).

The platform’s second course, Understanding Soil and Plant Nutrition, was released in July with content and resources targeting practical application.

The course steps users through designing fit-for-purpose sample plans, interpreting soil and plant tissue test reports, using benchmarks and indicators to assess soil characteristics and performance, and running on-farm trials.

Find SoilsWest in the GRDC tent on the main oval at the Dowerin Machinery Field Days (sites 83 and 97).