The Tarwin demonstration site in South Gippsland, Victoria is hosted by Schreurs & Sons, approximately 150 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.
The site aims to maintain soil carbon in a clay loam greenfield site which is gradually being converted from pasture to a vegetable production system rotation, predominantly celery, spinach and leek. The aim is to enhance soil structure, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels by using green cover crops, compost and minimum tillage practices. By adopting these practices, a more sustainable and productive farming system can be created.
The cover crops will compete with weeds and forage for nitrogen and phosphorus. By sowing the cover crop between celery and spinach plantings and using minimum tillage practices, soil disturbance will be minimised.
The trial area, previously fallow ground used for pasture, presents specific soil challenges: a low pH of 3.8, a Colwell P of 15, and 8% soil organic carbon given the observed soil carbon losses in similar blocks on the same farm.
Soil Wealth ICP team members Camilla Humphries and Carl Larsen (RMCG) are working with growers Adam Schreurs and Greg Hall from Schreurs & Sons, with support from agronomist Stuart Grigg. Schreurs & Sons hosted the Soil Wealth ICP demonstration site in Koo Wee Rup, Victoria from 2018-2022.
Click on the button below to keep updated on the ongoing observations and results from the demonstration site on the AgriKnow platform.
