This soil
health card was developed for the Northern Rivers Region of
NSW as an extension activity of the Good Soils Project, a joint
undertaking of Tuckombil Landcare Inc and NSW Agriculture in
partnership with the Natural Heritage Trust.
The card
was developed through a series of workshops held at Wollongbar
TAFE. Primary producers representing a range of industries and
one urban gardener attended the workshops. The process was facilitated
by staff of Wollongbar TAFE and NSW Agriculture. Participants
are acknowledged individually on the back of the health card
folder. The aim was to develop a practical tool that all landholders
in the Northern Rivers Region can use to monitor the health
of their soils. As the core of the card, the team came up with
a list of 10 straightforward visual tests that require simple
equipment and can be carried out by one person in the field.
The soil
health card lists the 10 tests and provides space for you to
rate your own soils after carrying out the tests. By testing
regularly and keeping the cards, you can build up a record of
your soil health, and understand the effect of management practices
on soil health.
Regular
testing will show improvements in response to more sustainable
management such as use of mulch in orchards, or minimum tillage
in crop rotations, and allow early detection of developing soil
problems. Test results can also be used as the basis for discussion
about management changes with other landholders and with agricultural
advisers.
This card
is not intended to replace any soil testing that you may already
carry out. It is another tool to help you understand your soils
and their productivity. Maintaining soil health in the short
term will undoubtedly increase the sustainability of farming
into the future.
