The Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection (ICP) project works with growers to put soil management and plant health research into practice.

Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) and RM Consulting Group (RMCG) have delivered the Soil Wealth ICP project since 2014 on behalf of Hort Innovation. Now that Phase 2 has wrapped up, this article explores what’s ahead for Phase 3.

What’s next for Soil Wealth ICP?

The project recently kicked off Phase 3 which will be delivered to March 2028. The content and approach for this new phase was informed by a extensive grower input and collaboration during a workshop held in August 2022, which brought together 22 vegetable industry representatives to collaboratively design the next five years of the project.

The workshop identified four project themes which align closely with the Vegetable Industry Strategic Investment Plan (2022-2026) and VegNET National Vegetable Extension strategy. The four themes and sub-topics are outlined in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Themes and sub-topics for Soil Wealth ICP Phase 3.

Importantly, Phase 3 of the Soil Wealth ICP project will continue to focus on soil health and integrated crop protection for vegetable growers. However, the rising cost of inputs, natural disasters impacting key vegetable growing regions, and increasing pressure to improve environmental performance prompted Phase 3 to include two new themes: information and awareness around climate and carbon, and input use.

Workshop discussions highlighted additional sub-topics that have not yet been explored by the project including consumer education; crop varieties; waste management (organics and plastics); fuel; and understanding government and market initiatives and policies in relation to climate change.

The Australian melon industry will also join the new phase of the program so that melon growers can learn how to improve soil health, crop health and reduce costs, including reducing plastic use and building soil organic matter.

The project will continue its successful elements which have proven to work well for growers including the use of demonstration sites, sharing stories through grower champions, translating technical R&D into clear and concise information, and targeting agronomists and VegNET Regional Development Officers to support growers. It will also bring fresh innovations including stronger international links and a focus on putting in place new farm practices.

The project team includes a balance of experienced staff and talented young team members who will invigorate the project to ensure it continues to deliver valuable services to the Australian vegetable and melon industries.

You can subscribe to the project’s monthly Bulletin e-newsletter here or register your interest to join the global project Partnership Network here.

Find out more

For more information, please contact project leaders Dr Gordon Rogers on 02 8627 1040 or [email protected] and Dr Anne-Maree Boland on 03 9882 2670 or [email protected] .

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable and melon research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Project Number: MT22004

Members of the Soil Wealth ICP team. L-R: Henry Hyde, Dimi Kyriakou, Gordon Rogers, Jed Clark, Carl Larsen, Camilla Humphries, Anne-Maree Boland, Clinton Muller, Stephanie Tabone and Ryan Hall. Absent: Kelvin Montagu, Paulette Baumgartl, Doris Blaesing.