An industry event, delivered in collaboration between the Soil Wealth ICP project and VegNET Tasmania, brought growers and industry together for a full day of practical discussion with Joel Williams from Integrated Soils, as part of VegNET Tasmania’s Growing Regeneratively program. Topics spanned soil health, nutrient management, biological inputs, and how production systems can be redesigned for long-term resilience.

The day was framed around a simple but powerful idea: it’s not always about putting more on, but getting more out of what you already have. Joel introduced the ESR approach (Efficiency, Substitution and Redesign), as a practical progression for growers looking to improve how their systems perform over time.

Key takeaways from the day included:

Efficiency

  • Start with good information – soil tests, tissue and sap testing, and understanding crop nutrient removal helps growers make informed decisions on what products to apply, when and where.
  • Don’t overlook spray water quality – salinity, pH above 6, and turbidity can all reduce the efficacy of foliar applied products before they’ve left the tank.
  • Foliar feeding complements soil nutrition – applying nutrients directly to the leaf can be a faster, targeted response when root uptake is limited by soil conditions or weather.
  • Organic matter is not one-size-fits-all – understanding the different types and how they function in the soil can help growers make better decisions about what to add and when, with flow-on benefits for soil life diversity, health and nutrient use efficiency.

Substitution

  • Integrate a carbon source with nutrient applications – humic or fulvic acids can act as a ‘sponge’, binding to nutrients like phosphorous and trace metals to improve their availability to plants.
  • Always look for the data behind new products – rather than taking claims at face value, ask questions and seek evidence before trialling something new.
  • Seed treatments offer a targeted entry point for biology – introducing beneficial biology at the seed is a more precise approach than trying to shift the whole soil microbiome, and can support early root development and rhizosphere function.

Redesign

  • Build diversity into the system – diverse crop rotations, multi-species cover crops, and diverse plantings in the broader landscape build resilience and support biological activity above and below ground.
  • Plant diversity in the productive landscape matters – remnant bush, riparian plantings, windbreaks, and habitat for beneficial insects all contribute to a more resilient and self-sustaining system.

Roots and soil health

  • Roots matter – healthy root systems in well-structured soils drive nutrient cycling, support microbial activity and reduce reliance on inputs. Crops with strong top growth but limited root systems tend to need more support through the season (e.g. irrigation, fertiliser).
  • Soil compaction remains one of the biggest barriers – building root mass below ground is key to crop resilience, soil carbon and reducing irrigation and input needs.

No silver bullets – just practical ideas to test, adapt and apply on-farm.

The Growing Regeneratively program is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable and onion research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government.