The Soil Wealth ICP project develops informative and timely resources in a range of formats.
These resources target specific vegetable and melon issues and allow growers to apply knowledge to solve problems within their business.
Resources have been developed by the Soil Wealth ICP project team and a range of R&D service providers. We acknowledge the valuable work done by these teams in developing the resources and will share new information as they become available.
Use the search function below to filter resources by area, crop, topic or type.
You can also search across these options by adding multiple key words into the search box (e.g. NSW brassica cover crops).
Check your irrigation system is ready for the coming season
A check of your irrigation system will ensure you are ready to start irrigating on time and are set-up well for the season ahead. Simple checks to correct issues that were evident during the...
Is copper copper? Limitations in the control of foliar bacterial diseases in capsicum, chilli and tomato crops
Bacterial populations such as Xanthomonas spp. causing bacterial leaf spot in tomato and capsicum and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato causing bacterial speck in tomato, often develop copper tolerance. This means they can tolerate higher...
Check your subsoil moisture
Dry subsoil For many vegetable regions there is a risk of low subsoil moisture coming out of a dry winter. Get your spade out and take a look at how much moisture is in...
Check your crop monitoring and soil moisture tools
Make sure your crop monitoring and soil moisture tools are working before it really warms up and crops really get going. If you are using soil moisture sensors make sure you dust them off...
Don’t get caught out by rapid increases in crop water use in spring-early summer
Rapid crop growth combined with increases in seasonal water demand (ETo) can increase crop water use by more than 400% in a matter of weeks. Watch your crop and weather conditions and be prepared...
South Australian Grower Compost Trial
The Soils in Action project was run by AUSVEG SA from early to mid 2019 on the Northern Adelaide Plains. The objective was to establish two demonstration trial sites to showcase compost use in...
Soil phosphorus – The basics
Phosphorus (P) is a major element (macronutrient) that plays a number of important roles in plants, such as productivity, crop quality, increased root growth, and earlier crop maturity. It is necessary for proper cell...
The ‘breakdown’ on composts
The rising cost of fertiliser inputs and a greater understanding of the importance of soil health has prompted interest in the use of composts as a soil ameliorant. What exactly are composts and why...
Technology for controlling weeds in vegetable production
Most new technology for controlling weeds will be a positive step forward for soil health and the environment, and will play an important role in our fight against herbicide resistant weeds. Watch this...
Cover Crop + Rolled Ground Cover + Strip-Till = Record Farm Cucumber Yield
Cover crops + roller crimper + strip-tillage have proven a winning combination for a partnership between Mulyan Farms’ Ed Fagan and AHR’s Marc Hinderager from the Soil Wealth ICP project. Cucumber yield and gross income...
Managing salinity in vegetable crops
Salinity issues can appear in all major vegetable production areas; they can come and go depending on weather and changes in water quality. It can occur naturally or as a result of management practices....
Cover crops in the Wide Bay Burnett
The Australian vegetable industry depends on healthy soils to maintain farm profitability and sustainability. Aggressive cultivation, short-term crops and tight rotations can take a toll on soils. Cover crops are one of the best tools for improving soil structure and...
Farm biosecurity
Farm biosecurity is an intergral part of crop protection and plant health. Essentially, farm biosecurity is a set of measures designed to protect a property from the entry and spread of pests and diseases. It...
Remote sensing
Over the past decade, the agricultural industry has seen a significant increase in publicly available remote sensing imagery and data. This technology is more accessible than ever, where users can access a wide range...
Chilli spacing trial: summary report
Intensive chilli production systems are susceptible to soilborne diseases, such as Sclerotium rolfsii, especially during the summer months. This summary reports the results from a 2017 field trial that aimed to examine if reducing...
Veg and tech: Science fiction or the future of farming?
As agricultural systems forge toward a large-scale, complex, tech-savvy future, where should you look for new technologies and what questions should you be asking? The Soil Wealth ICP have scanned the watchlist of 24...
Soil borne diseases in vegetable crops – A practical guide to identification and control
Soil-borne diseases present an ongoing challenge to the Australian vegetable industry, with an estimated $120 million in losses annually. Soil-borne diseases may be caused by fungi, bacteria, water moulds, nematodes and viruses living in...
Can calcium cyanamide (Ca(CN)2) fertiliser affect Pythium spp. and other soilborne diseases in carrots – findings of an on-farm demonstration
Calcium cyanamide (Ca(CN)2) fertiliser was tested for efficacy against Pythium sulcatum and P. violae in a grower led demonstration trial in a commercial carrot crop in Western Australia. The wax coated fertiliser was applied...
Damping off in spinach: Best bet fungicide and biologicals Trial 2016/2017
A preliminary field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of chemical and biological control treatments for damping off pathogens in spinach. We demonstrated that three fungicide treatments significantly reduced the area of diseased...
Growing Matters – #1 Basics of cover cropping with Dr Kelvin Montagu (9 min listen)
Get inspired by this podcast with Dr Kelvin Montagu who gives a good overview on cover cropping, the key benefits for using it on your farm – for your wallet and for your soil...
