A collaborative demonstration trial at LLS Riverfarm (Richmond, NSW) is exploring practical ways for vegetable growers to improve soil health and reduce reliance on intensive tillage. Led by the Soil Wealth ICP team in partnership with Local Land Services, the trial is comparing conventional and reduced tillage approaches alongside a range of cover crops and residue management strategies.
The project, which runs from 2024 to 2026, recently reached a new stage, transitioning from sweet corn into brassicas. After an initial buckwheat cover crop struggled to establish due to weather and weeds, the team switched to a cold-season grass and legume mix (oats and vetch), which will be terminated ahead of brassica planting this winter.
At the most recent field day in June 2025, growers toured the trial site, saw the emerging oats and vetch cover crop, and heard first-hand insights from Soil Wealth ICP team members Umberto Calvo and Isabella Ellmers.
Growers also got a close look at healthy young vetch plants with nitrogen-fixing nodules, a sign of improved soil biology. These hands-on demonstrations are helping build grower confidence to test new practices on their own farms and work towards healthier, more resilient soils.
“It’s all about giving growers confidence to try new approaches that build healthier, more resilient soils,” Isabella said.
Umberto Calvo explaining the trials and showcasing an emerging oats and vetch cover crop at a field day in June 2025.
