Stephanie Tabone of the Soil Wealth ICP team shared strategies for improving soil health at North Queensland’s premier agricultural event.
Soil Wealth ICP team member Steph Tabone attended and presented at the GrownIn NQ 2024 Innovation Expo, a premier event celebrating the cutting-edge advancements shaping the future of agriculture.
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, in partnership with the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, hosted this event in Bowen in the Whitsundays region, an area famed not only for its stunning natural beauty but also its thriving agricultural landscape.
This two-day event provided a platform for producers and agribusinesses to engage in North Queensland’s largest innovation showcase, featuring an industry breakfast, ag-tech farm tour, and innovation expo with demonstrations and presentations from leading experts across Australia. The focus was on helping growers integrate new technologies and systems to boost efficiency, sustainability, and profitability.
Stephanie Tabone, invited to present on Day 1 of the expo, shared her insights into soil health management, a critical factor in farm productivity, profitability, sustainability, and resilience. Her presentation covered key principles of soil health, supported by photos showcasing the benefits of healthy soils.
Steph discussed practices that can either enhance or degrade soil organic matter and provided strategies for improving soil health, including the use of cover crops. Special attention was given to the unique growing conditions in Bowen, with guidance on practical considerations when adopting cover crops, including available resources to support decision-making.
To provide practical examples, Steph shared insights from her recent Nuffield scholarship travels on using legumes to supply nitrogen to vegetable crops. She also showcased the Soil Wealth ICP demonstration site with Mulgowie Farming Company, highlighting local strategies for agronomically managing legumes.
“Our soil is really the backbone of farm productivity. By focusing on soil health, through practices like cover cropping, growers can see big benefits in both their yield, long-term resilience, and improvements in input use efficiencies,” said Stephanie Tabone.
“It was great to bring this message to the Innovation Expo and connect with growers and agronomists committed to a sustainable future.”
