Land Management
The Land Management Program is aimed at improved cropping and pasture management to:
• improve soil health by increasing soil organic carbon levels,
• maintain groundcover to improve soil health and reduce wind and water erosion,
• reducing the salinity risk by increasing soil water holding capacity and reducing accessions to the watertable,
• enable the maintenance of natural ecosystems and productive agriculture in the Lachlan Catchment.
These can be achieved by:
• increasing or maintaining the perennial pastures component in a grazing enterprise,
• adopting tillage practices with minimal ground disturbance and maintain residues - zero and no tillage.
Improvement of soil health has been identified as a major weapon in addressing the new challenges of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring food security.
The land theme also aims to reduce the visual degradation issues such as wind and water erosion, salinisation and turbid and nutrient rich waterways. This is being done by implementing the following land management techniques:
• Conservation Farming (Cropping) – adopting conservation farming will have the outcomes of improved soil health and ensure farming practices are being used within the land capability limitations. Good soil health is achieved when the physical, chemical and biological properties are optimised within the limitations of the soil resource. Research has shown that sustained soil health will in the long term achieve production and environmental benefits.
• Conservation Grazing – conservation grazing encompasses grazing systems which maintain high groundcover levels throughout the year to help address the salinity threat and improve soil health. Research and farmer experience has shown that this can be readily achieved when good grazing management is combined with increased native and / or introduced perennial grass diversity.
• Landscape Rehabilitation to address Sediment Movement - Treating large erosion gullies, and salt and sodic scalds with strategic earthworks, flumes, fencing and revegetation.