The Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) has made significant R&D investments in soil health research over recent years.

Initially the focus was on nutrition: studying nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. The research focus then moved to soil physical fertility: studying compaction and ways to manage this, including gypsum, deep ripping, rotations, minimum tillage, permanent beds and controlled traffic rows using GPS technology. More recently the research emphasis has moved to soil biology: What do soil organisms do, can they enhance fertility and what can we do to promote their presence.

This study aimed to examine current knowledge and understanding of soil health and management issues. It also aimed to identify the cotton community’s “soil health” needs in order to enhance the research and extension effort in this area.

The Soil Health survey extended from Hay in the south, to Emerald in the north. Thirty farmers were interviewed during July 2005 at: Hay, Hillston, Narromine, Trangie, Warren, Breeza, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Pilliga, Moree, Mungindi, St. George, Dalby, Warra and Emerald. All interviews were face to face except for the Emerald growers and one Moree grower, who were interviewed by phone.

If we exclude growers who are currently using poultry and feedlot manure, three growers were currently involved in utilizing alternative approaches to biological soil health. Of the remaining growers, some were open minded about alternative methods but felt that without good scientific rigour to support the products currently on the market, they were reluctant to take these products on board. Other farmers in the survey expressed a degree of caution towards the subject of soil health.

‘Soil Health’ is seen as such a general term, it is understandable that there are a variety of definitions. It may be more useful to call it ‘Soil Biology” or ‘Soil Ecology’, as a ‘healthy’ soil encompasses physical, chemical and biological properties. Hence the growers in this survey all seemed to have a varied understanding of what ‘Soil Health’ means to them.

However, they all agreed that it embraced a number of factors: It needed to be an active soil; to have good structure with plenty of organic matter; be well balanced nutritionally and to be rich in macro and micro organisms. It needed to be a soil that was easy to manage, grow good crops and be able to repair itself.

Growers were very comfortable discussing the physical and chemical aspects but were a little unsure about biology and admitted that they had seen very little scientific information on this topic.

Growers spoke about a range of factors which they thought were key to good soil health including rotations, organic matter, organic carbon, sodicity and nutrition.

Their opinions on the factors which can limit production included: nutrition, sodicity, soil biology, salinity, soil management, disease, Vesicular Arbuscular Mycrorhiza (VAM), residual herbicides, organic matter levels, waterlogging, water use efficiency and education.

Vews of which management practices can affect soil health included: rotations, stubble management and organic matter accumulation, care of soils under wet conditions, min-till, permanent beds, controlled traffic systems using GPS technology and field architecture relating to waterlogging were felt to give the biggest benefits in the short to medium term.

Growers displayed a certain amount of cynicism towards soil health products and programs. A small number were more supportive. They discussed a range of topics relevant to commercial products and programs including commercial soil testing for soil health, the use of soil health products and their profitability.

The majority of growers have a basic understanding of VAM. Current drought conditions, forced long fallows and the fear of long fallow disorder heightened grower awareness of VAM and the consequences of low VAM numbers.

On environmental issues growers were very satisfied with the information received and practices in place by CRDC and the Cotton CRC. For example: breeding.