Driving On-Farm Adoption of Carbon-Friendly Soil Management Practices across the Mallee

A collaborative Mallee project promoting soil amelioration to boost carbon storage, crop yields, and drought resilience.

Key objectives

Increase adoption of soil amelioration practices — Help Mallee farmers confidently implement soil improvement methods (deep soil disturbance with organic matter incorporation) to enhance soil health, crop performance, and drought resilience.

Demonstrate and communicate measurable benefits — Monitor and share long-term trial results showing how soil amelioration can increase soil carbon, boost yields, and protect fragile landscapes, using field days, demonstrations, and case studies.

Build a collaborative innovation network — Create a Farmer Innovation Platform linking farmers, advisers, and researchers to share data, experiences, and region-specific guidance for integrating soil amelioration into commercial farming systems.

About the project

This project aims to assist Mallee farmers in confidently adopting soil amelioration practices that enhance soil health, crop performance, and resilience to drought and climate change.

Working with local grower groups, the project will monitor and share long-term outcomes from existing on-farm trials to demonstrate how soil amelioration can increase soil carbon, boost yields, and safeguard fragile landscapes. Through field days, demonstrations, and an innovation platform connecting farmers, advisers, and researchers, MSF will deliver practical, region-specific guidance for integrating these techniques into commercial farming systems.

Why the Project is Being Conducted (the Research Question)

Soil amelioration — deep soil disturbance combined with the addition of organic matter such as manure — has shown encouraging results across the Mallee’s sandy soils.

The project asks: “How can soil amelioration be applied effectively and sustainably in low-rainfall Mallee systems to achieve long-term improvements in soil health, yield, and climate resilience?”

While farmers have experienced short-term benefits, further work is needed to understand the longer-term effects on soil carbon, fertility, and the optimal frequency for these treatments. This project builds on previous research to address those knowledge gaps and to make adoption easier and more profitable.

What are the Benefits of Soil Amelioration?

Soil amelioration has already yielded impressive results in the Mallee. Farmers and trials have demonstrated:

  • Improved crop establishment and yield by breaking up sub-surface hardpans, enabling deeper root growth.

  • Increased access to moisture and nutrients, especially in sandy dune soils.

  • Enhanced groundcover and plant biomass, which helps reduce erosion and boost soil stability.

  • Potential for long-term soil carbon storage, supporting carbon farming and climate-smart practices.

  • Greater fertiliser efficiency and a lower risk of nutrient runoff into the environment.

By enhancing soil function, amelioration can help create more resilient farming systems against drought and climate variability.

Where is the Project Being Conducted?

The project operates across key low-rainfall districts of the South Australian and Victorian Mallee, including Bow Hill SA, Lowbank SA, Browns Well SA, and the Millewa VIC. It focuses on monitoring three existing on-farm soil amelioration demonstration sites and supporting local farmer groups as they test and refine these practices under real paddock conditions.

Who is Conducting and Funding the Project?

The project is conducted by Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF) in collaboration with local grower groups and research partners. It is funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Carbon Farming Outreach Program.

The MSF project team includes:

  • Penny Roberts – Research Manager

  • Sarah Day – Communications and Extension Manager

  • Jay Cummins – Project Manager

  • Chris McDonough – Extension Agronomist

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate Smart Agriculture program.

Project Activities

The project combines scientific monitoring, farmer participation, and knowledge sharing to promote soil amelioration across the Mallee.

Key activities include:

  1. Field Monitoring (2025–26): Track soil fertility, carbon levels, and crop performance at demonstration sites in Bow Hill, Lowbank, Browns Well, and Millewa.

  2. Farmer Innovation Platform: Build a regional network linking farmers, advisers, and researchers through field walks and discussions.

  3. Regional Workshop (July 2026): Share findings and practical guidance on soil health and carbon management.

  4. Case Studies and Knowledge Sharing: Publish farmer case studies via MSF’s Soils Connect and social media.

  5. First Nations Engagement: Collaborate with Indigenous Officers to integrate traditional knowledge and participation.

  6. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Use surveys and reports to assess knowledge gains, practice changes, and adoption rates.

This participatory model ensures both farmers and researchers co-develop soil improvement practices tailored to Mallee conditions.

How Can Farmers and Consultants Get Involved?

Farmers, advisers, and consultants are encouraged to join the project’s Innovation Platform—a network connecting growers, agronomists, and researchers who are testing and adopting soil health improvements.

You can:

  • Attend local field days and workshops to see results firsthand.

  • Join group discussions to share experiences and help develop best practices.

  • Contribute on-farm data or case studies that track soil and crop yields.

  • Follow MSF’s “Soils Connect” channels for videos, podcasts, and updates on soil health and carbon-friendly farming.

For more information or to get involved:
Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF)
Email: info@msfp.org.au

Factsheet

Acknowledgments

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate Smart Agriculture program.

Working together with farmers

Other MSF Projects

Driving On-Farm Adoption of Carbon-Friendly Soil Management Practices across the Mallee

A collaborative Mallee project promoting soil amelioration to boost carbon storage, crop yields, and drought resilience.

Soils Extension and Adoption

This project demonstrates innovative soil management practices through on-farm trials, workshops and case studies, helping farmers build resilience, productivity and confidence in a variable climate.

Beyond the Crossroads

An empowering leadership and wellbeing program for rural women in far-western NSW, Beyond the Crossroads provided space to reflect, reconnect, and redefine personal direction in a supportive community environment.

Early Sown Pulses for Low Rainfall SA

Exploring early sowing to boost lentil and faba bean performance in SA’s low rainfall farming zones.

Legume Based Cropping Systems

MSF is trialling legume-based cropping systems to improve soil health and reduce erosion in the Mallee. The work is part of a Mallee CMA initiative funded by the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

Managing Crop Establishment Risks with Long Coleoptiles

Improving wheat emergence in tough Mallee soils with long coleoptile genetics, deep sowing, and trials.

Derisking the seeding program

MSF partners with growers in NSW, Victoria, and SA to promote early deep sowing and herbicide safety.

The MALLEE Matters

Leading local collaboration in Victoria's Mallee region to build drought preparedness and resilience through community-driven action.

MSF regional internship

South Australian Mallee Regional Internship in Farming Systems and Applied Grains Research and Extension.

Carbon in Mallee

Helping Farmers in the Mallee understand how to manage their Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Enhancing farmer knowledge of soil function

Our project, '101 Questions About SA Cropping Soils,' will boost farmer knowledge through easy-to-access e-publication and targeted social media Q&As.

Building drought resilience on Mallee Farms

This project funds Mallee farmers to combat wind erosion by enhancing groundcover on vulnerable soils.

Grain Legume Production in South Australia

Development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise farming systems benefits from grain legume production in South Australia.

Mallee Seeps
Optimising Weed Management Efficiency

A holistic approach to seep management for preventing land degradation in the landscape.

RISKY BUSINESS

Strengthening Mallee Farmers and Communities for Sustainable Futures and Enhanced Resilience.

Mallee-REEL-Culture

Empowering Mallee's youth to share and celebrate their stories of resilience and community through captivating social media reels

Growing Carbon Farming Demonstration Pilot

Enhancing sustainable agriculture through innovative carbon farming practices across South Australia’s Murray Mallee

Better Frost Decisions

We can see that harvest is on the horizon but we are not quite there yet. So what could possibly go wrong?

RiskWi$e

Supporting farmers across the Mallee to make better decisions GRDC National Risk Management Initiative (RiskWi$e)

Demonstrating soil zone mapping

Demonstrate how farmers can manage their own investigation of nutrition requirements when setting up VRT soil zones and fertiliser recommendations

Developing robust ground cover

Enhancing drought resilience and groundcover management in low-rainfall farming.

Building knowledge and capacity in growers

Improving Sandy Soil Management for Farmers

Fixing Saline Soils

This project will demonstrate farmer ready management practices that break the cycle of saline land degradation exacerbated by very dry or drought conditions

Improving sheep nutrition

MSF with the support of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is on a mission to close the knowledge gap around feed and nutrition in low rainfall zones. 

Optimising Soil Amelioration Costs

Maximising soil amelioration efficiency and profitability in South Australian Mallee

Mallee Seeps
Mallee Seeps

A holistic approach to seep management for preventing land degradation in the landscape.

Barley grass Management in a mixed farming system
Barley grass Management

Demonstrating and validating the implementation of integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in low rainfall farming systems.

MSF Farm Talk - Legumes on sands
Legumes on Sands

Improving the production of legume crops on sandy soils to improve ground cover and reduce erosion risk

Sustainable implementation of no-till farming systems – NSW

Exploring nitrogen strategies to boost crop yields in NSW Mallee region

Area Wide Weeds Management
Area Wide Weed Management

Area wide management for cropping systems weeds, investigating the weed management, social and economic opportunity.

Riverland Mallee Mesonet
Riverland Mallee Mesonet Network

This project has delivered a state-of-the-art network of 30 weather stations, to the Riverland and Mallee, designed to observe localised meteorological phenomena.

High Work Rate Plough
High Work Rate Plough

This MSF led project has delivered a high work rate plough prototype in collaboration with UniSA Research Engineers and John Shearer.

Mallee Sustainable Farming
SAGIT Deep Ripping

Deep ripping to enhance production on Mallee Sandy Soils